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The OnePlus 8 Pro won’t launch until 4 PM today via livestream, but at this point, it seems pointless watching it. After weeks of the usual leaks, overly eager John Lewis has listed the phone early.
The prices are actually much better than expected with a £50 and £100 price hike from the previous generation.
OnePlus 8 from £599
At just £599 the OnePlus 8 will be one of the most affordable Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 based phones on the market only being fractionally more expensive than the Realme X50 Pro which will be available soon for 599-Euros (£522.70).
The caveat is that the new OnePlus 8 is not much of an upgrade from the OP 7T, you get a fancy new 5G chipset and a better battery but the camera specification is a bit of a downgrade, sitting in the middle of the original OP 7 and the new 7T.
You still get a 48MP primary lens, but the telephoto lens of the 7T is gone, and the ultra wide has been dropped down to an 8MP lens. You now get a 2MP lens just so they can say it has a triple camera set up.
However, while the camera specification is very disappointing, you can’t really complain about that price when every other brand has jacked up their prices this year.
OnePlus 8 Pro from £799
The star of the show is, of course, the OnePlus 8 Pro and at £799 it is highly competitive being £100 cheaper than the Galaxy S20 5G and the Huawei P40 Pro.
The 48MP sensor of the primary lens may sound small compared to the competition but it has a large 1/1.43″ sensor, not quite as good as the P40 Pro, but it is a massive upgrade from last year.
You then get an 8MP 3x zoom telephoto lens and an impressive 48MP ultra-wide lens. These are then also complimented with a 5MP depth sensor.
The display is an impressive curved 6.78 inches panel running at 1440 x 3120 pixels and a 120Hz refresh rate, with nothing competing with it at this price point
The phone also has a significant 4510 mAh battery with a 30W fast charge and 30W wireless charge.
The John Lewis page doesn’t confirm it, but it is expected that this will be the first OnePlus phone to have an IP68 rating.
Overall
I am actually quite excited about this launch. The OnePlus 8 is a little unexciting, but it is price right being one of the cheapest flagship phones this year.
The OnePlus 8, on the other hand, appears to offer the perfect balance of features and price. The camera sounds like it should be excellent, not quite class-leading but more than good enough, you then get a massive battery, IPS68, a beautiful screen all with the superb OxygenOS software. OnePlus also have the added benefit of not having any issues with Google, and I am sure their sales will benefit from the reduced demand for Huawei (in the UK at least).
I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.
As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.
In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing. This advanced study also included Cisco CCNA accreditation, further demonstrating my commitment to understanding and staying ahead of the technology curve.
I’m proud to share that Vuelio has consistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of the top technology blogs in the UK. With my dedication to technology and drive to share my insights, I aim to continue providing my readers with engaging and informative content.
