OnePlus has revealed its much-anticipated 8 Series smartphones. The two-strong smartphone series marks OnePlus' first full 5G line-up, with both the OnePlus 8 and flagship OnePlus 8 Pro compatible with the next-gen network.
The new OnePlus 8 Series comes six months after the arrival of the excellent OnePlus 7T (and so, right on cue in OnePlus' biannual-update world).
The OnePlus 8 Pro (pictured top) is the larger, more premium of the two handsets, and features a 6.78in QHD+ AMOLED display that boasts a 20:9 aspect ratio, HDR10+ support and a 120Hz refresh rate (up from the 7T Series’ 90Hz).
There's also a quad-camera system, comprised of a 48MP main camera alongside ultra-wide, telephoto and colour filters lenses. You'll also find Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 865 chipset complete with its Snapdragon X55 5G modem system.
The 8 Pro is also the first OnePlus phone to support the company’s new Warp Charge 30 Wireless charging, which can provide its 4510mAh battery with 50 per cent of power in just 30 minutes via a separately sold dock (£69).
The 8GB/12GB of onboard RAM has, OnePlus says, almost 30 per cent greater processing power and 20 per cent improved power efficiency, too.
The OnePlus 8, meanwhile, is also powered by Qualcomm’s flagship chipset and 5G modem system but settles for lower specs across the board, with a smaller, 6.55in, 90Hz, 1000-nit brightness screen, with support for HDR10+.
There's a a triple-camera system (including 48MP main and 16MP ultra-wide lenses), and a 4300mAh battery that can be charged from zero to half-full in 22 minutes with the Warp 30T charger. OnePlus is proud to have made the OnePlus 8 just 8mm thick and 180g heavy, which certainly makes it one of the more portable premium phones around.
OnePlus’ custom Android operating system, OxygenOS, has been updated to include a new Dark Theme 2.0 – now optimised for more apps – and dynamic wallpapers that change according to the weather.
A partnership with Google’s One storage membership programme means that all OnePlus 8 Series users get a three-month free trial of 100GB of cloud storage, while owners of existing OnePlus devices are eligible for a one-month free trial.
Google Stadia gameplay will be supported on the OnePlus 8 phones, as well as previous OnePlus phones (models TBC).
The OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro will be available from 21st April from OnePlus, John Lewis and Amazon, with all John Lewis purchases also bundled with last year’s OnePlus Bullets Wireless 2 headphones, while stock lasts.
Available in Onyx Black, Glacial Green and (not coming to the UK) Interstellar Glow finishes, the OnePlus 8 costs £599 for the 8GB RAM/128GB storage version and £699 for the 12GB/256GB option.
Available in Onyx Black, Glacial Green and (not coming to the UK) Ultramarine Blue colourways, the OnePlus 8 Pro is priced £799 for the 8GB/128GB variant and £899 for the 12GB/256GB model. That makes it the most expensive OnePlus handset yet – not surprising considering it is also the most technically advanced.
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