Only a few months past the launch of the OnPlus’ latest smartphone and the current flag bearer of the company, we are getting to hear about the upcoming phone from OnePlus, which is the OnePlus 8. However, we also know that OnePlus might be having some definite plans of launching the OnePlus 8 in three different models. The first model of the OnePlus 8 could be the barebones OnePlus 8 Lite which would come with just the essential features. Whereas, the other two would be the OnePlus 8 and the OnePlus 8 Pro. As you can expect, the OnePlus 8 Pro would be the true flagship, and it would come with the most changes, upgrades and the most premium features. The leaks about the OnePlus 8 have already started to surface, but since it is the early days of these leaks, there is a lot that we don’t know. Even amidst then, there is one information about the OnePlus 8 series which has escaped the gates and is public knowledge.
OnePlus 8 Pro Likely to Pack Snapdragon X55 Modem
This new tip has been uncovered by Sudhanshu Ambhore based on a certification report from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) website in China. The certification listing on the website reveals that the OnePlus 8 Pro will come with 5G connectivity. As per the website, the OnePlus 8 Pro will support dual-mode 5G. This gives us a solid hint about the kind of modem that the OnePlus 8 Pro would be putting to use, and it is likely to be the Snapdragon X55, which comes with the Snapdragon 865 chipset, the first chipset for 2020 from Qualcomm.
Presence of a Third OnePlus 8 Model
As per the tip, the OnePlus 8 could also debut a little early in 2020. The OnePlus 8 might debut in February or March. If this happens, it is likely to be because the Samsung Galaxy S11 series is also set to launch around the same time and the similar timing of the launch of the OnePlus 8 series would be sounding the trumpet for another smartphone feud between two giants.
Competition With Samsung Galaxy S11
If OnePlus proceeds with the launch of three models of the OnePlus 8, then it would be a similar move to Samsung which is likely to launch the ‘e’ variant and a ‘Plus’ variant alongside the standard variant of its flagship phones in the upcoming months. In such a scenario, the OnePlus 8 might go head-on against the Samsung Galaxy S11 Plus, and could also compete with the premium flagships which are priced around the same category.
OnePlus to Go For Early Launch in 2020
On the other hand, the OnePlus 8 standard variant could come with all the major specifications without all the fancy jitter of the Pro version. Whereas, the OnePlus 8 Lite is expected to be the most trimmed down version of the OnePlus 8 series. It is possible that the OnePlus 8 Lite could retail for less than Rs 30,000 and it could come with the MediaTek Dimensity 1000, but could also still pack a 90Hz refresh rate screen, a punch-hole display and a triple rear camera setup as well.
For now, we would suggest that you take all of the rumours about the OnePlus 8 with a pinch of salt because we are yet to hear something about the OnePlus 8 series from the official source as well. But, one thing is sure that OnePlus is likely to go for an early launch timeline in 2020, and this could mean that some of the information in these leaks could stand to be true.