OnePlus launched the latest 8 and 8 Pro this week and there are a few views on the new additions now that the dust has settled in here. This is all about where they fit into the global scheme of things and what they mean for their manufacturer-if you want to find out more about the phones themselves we have hands-on articles for both OnePlus 8 and the 8 Pro.
The flagship killer is no more
Let's kick-off the
elephant in the room and the item that undoubtedly has the largest number of
riled-up fans. The vanilla OnePlus 8 and the OnePlus 8 Pro are slightly more
expensive than their predecessors, starting at USD 699 / EUR 699 and USD 899 /
EUR 899, respectively, despite the latter coming with half the base capacity.
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| Image Source is Google |
At this point the
transformation of a company that initially tried to position itself as the
"flagship-killer" underdog is complete. Looking back on the 7 T, ant
the 7 T Pro, those launched respectively at €600 and €760. And the OnePlus 7
and 7 Pro just over 12 months ago commanded starting rates of €559 and €700.
Now finally OnePlus feels
confident that it can compete without having to undercut its rivals. The fact
that the 8 Pro costs more than a Galaxy S20 + is a strong statement and if
OnePlus retains its competitiveness at those newfound heights it could become
the new golden goose for BBK. However, we also have to see how large if it
works out.
The new goalposts
With the move to higher
levels the value-for-money concept changes. While it is king in the mid-range
to be able to perform the largest variety of tasks, it is also about being the
best in the premium segments, at least some of them. You don't spend this sort
of cash without at least getting some bragging rights.
The OnePlus 8 Pro does
not have the best camera setup or the largest battery on board, and while the
30W of wired and wireless storage is good, it is not a chart-topping one.
OxygenOS then seems to be
key to the success of the 8 Pro. If it gets the power management right and
provides better battery life, and if the processing of the camera makes the
most of the sensors available, the new flagship might go to places.
The OnePlus 8 in no man's land
Apparently the vanilla
OnePlus 8 finds itself in a difficult spot. Not only does its latest price tag
carry fiercer external competition, but it also has to accept the OnePlus 7T.
The non-Pro phone last year delivered much of its Pro sibling's features while
retaining a more affordable price. The OnePlus 8, on the other hand, is further
below the 8 Pro-settling for a 90Hz display instead of the new 120Hz model,
with lower main and ultra-wide cameras and lacking wireless charging and IP
rating.
The OnePlus 8 also lacks
the standard telephoto camera entirely and switches it for a macro model. When
we remember the OnePlus 7 T had a 2x telephoto snapper, the latter replacement
stings that little bit more. How that compares to a crop from the OnePlus 8 's
main 48MP camera is a valid question and one we'll be able to answer once the
review is complete.
What could have been
OnePlus has access to
R&D and manufacturing capital, due to being part of BBK Electronics, well
beyond what their revenue streams would otherwise allow. The downside is that
it must play the role of the team and not get too attached to its siblings. So
while we'd love to have the camera setup on the OnePlus 8 Pro from the Oppo
Find X2 Pro, we understand how it would have taken the two even closer in price
and generated unnecessary in-house competition.
But if the 13MP periscope
telephoto model is too far, then do we not at least get the brighter f/1.7
aperture for the main camera, which was also found on the standard Find X2?
With charging it is quite
close-30W certainly sounds nice, even better when it's wireless, but the Oppo
Ace2 already does 65W SuperVOOC and 40W wireless top-ups.
OxygenOS is the name of the game
We definitely don't want
to rant this out. The new flagship of OnePlus has a lot to offer and we have
already mentioned what will be their key weapon-the advanced program of
OxygenOS.
Standing out as one of
the best custom Android launchers out there it has a loyal following that none Google's developers will appreciate partnering.
Again, we 're still to
look into it in detail, but early signs are that the 2020 OxygenOS experience
will be snappy and fluid with stock looks and well-thought-out tweaks and
feature additions. And if camera processing takes another step towards looking
up what the OnePlus 7 T Pro had thing might begin.
A couple of questions remain
The official premiere and
the first hands-on gave many answers but there are still many questions. On
the Pro, as well as on the vanilla OnePlus 8 carrier units, sold by Verizon and
T-Mobile, the much sought after official IP68 rating is here. What is it that
gives? Yeah, actually, it's a mess that has yet to be unraveled when people
start taking unlocked and carrier units apart to see what's different about
their internal architecture if anything.
And what about shooting
video in 8K. You get none if that's out of the box and while we doubt that
there's a lot of 8 K screens out there, it seems the outrage is important. So
with a firmware update, will OnePlus allow it, or was it left out due to
hardware limitations?
These are only a few
initial reflections and future points of discussion. For both the OnePlus 8
and the OnePlus 8 Pro, we are still working hard on in-depth reviews, so we
will be able to tell you more about those weeks ahead.
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