The announcement date of the OnePlus 8 series is finally official

The announcement date of the OnePlus 8 series is finally official or OnePlus 8 series FINALLY has a launch date.OnePlus is very good at keeping vital information about its upcoming products private. As such, we don’t yet have any confirmation that the upcoming phone launches from the company will be known as the OnePlus 8 series. However, there’s been no indication that the company will change up its usual naming scheme, so we can be relatively assured that the OnePlus 8 and its higher-end sibling the OnePlus 8 Pro are what the company will launch soon.

The OnePlus 8 Lite, though, is more of a wild card. The “Lite” moniker seems sensible, but the last time OnePlus released a budget-minded device it went with a whole new name in the OnePlus X. Therefore, it is absolutely possible that the OnePlus 8 Lite might have some totally different name, possibly even the OnePlus X 2 (although that seems unlikely).

Original article, October 18, 2019 (2:29 AM ET): In 2019, OnePlus released more smartphones than it had in any other year prior. In 2020, the company isn’t likely to slow down, as we already have solid rumors suggesting a OnePlus 8, as well as a OnePlus 8 Pro, are on the way.

We also have solid rumors to suggest that there is a new mid-range or budget device coming from the company, which we’re tentatively calling the OnePlus 8 Lite. If it does land, it would be the first non-flagship phone product from the company since the OnePlus X, which launched in 2015.

Here are all the rumors we’ve heard so far about the OnePlus 8, OnePlus 8 Lite, and OnePlus 8 Pro. Be sure to bookmark this page as we will update it often with new information as it comes to light!

Until we hear otherwise, we’ll continue to use the OnePlus 8, Pro, and Lite names.

As for a release date for all these products, it’s likely that we’ll see them launch sooner than expected. The OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 6 both landed in May and the OnePlus 5 landed in June. Tipster Ishan Agarwal initially suggested that the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro will launch somewhere around late March or April.

Backing up the tipster’s claims, TechRadar exclusively reported that the OnePlus 8 series will go official in the second week of April. The publication cited sources close to the company for its information. No other details were revealed in the aforementioned report.

Other rumors suggest OnePlus could launch these new devices April 15. Apparently, OnePlus wanted to launch the devices earlier, but problems surrounding the coronavirus mucked up those plans. It also looks like these issues particularly affected the OnePlus 8 Lite, and we likely won’t see it launch alongside the other two devices. On the other hand, previous rumors suggested the budget handset would be available by July, so we hope to see a release date before then.

Design

We already have seen leaked renders for all three of the rumored devices in the OnePlus 8 family. The leaks come from reliable source @OnLeaks via partners Cash Karo and 91Mobiles. As such, we are confident that these renders give us a very good idea of what the OnePlus 8, OnePlus 8 Pro, and OnePlus 8 Lite will look like

The OnePlus 8 looks a bit different from its predecessor, the OnePlus 7, which itself only looked slightly different from its own predecessor, the OnePlus 6T. The rear camera system is arranged in the same fashion with a centered, vertically aligned bump. However, a third lens is added, which is a nice upgrade.

On the front, the waterdrop notch is gone. Instead, OnePlus appears to be going the punch-hole route by adding a single selfie lens as a cutout in the upper left corner.

The usual OnePlus button layout survives with the volume rocker on the left and the power button and alert slider on the right. The USB-C port is in its usual place and there’s still no 3.5mm headphone port.

Keep in mind that the OnePlus 7 didn’t see a launch in the United States, so it’s possible that many areas of the world won’t ever see this device on store shelves. Head to the Price and Availability section for more on this.

From the back, the OnePlus 8 Pro doesn’t appear to look at all different from the OnePlus 7T Pro. The camera layout, including the left-of-center ToF sensor, are all arranged in pretty much the same way in these renders as they appear on the 7T Pro.

The front is where things get interesting. The OnePlus 7 Pro and the OnePlus 7T Pro featured an all-screen display with no notch and no cutouts. This was possible due to the pop-up selfie camera system on both devices. On the OnePlus 8 Pro, though, the company appears to have abandoned this system, opting instead for a punch-hole cutout just like we saw on the OnePlus 8 renders.

An alleged hands-on image of the front of the phone also corroborates the punch-hole display design as well as some settings of the phone.

Another set of alleged OnePlus 8 Pro live images also appeared in an exclusive report from a website called Pc-tablet.com. The images show the curved display of the phone more clearly. The alleged OnePlus 8 Pro appears to have a slightly thicker chin in comparison to other surrounding bezels. We can also see the punch-hole on the top left corner of the screen.

The alleged phone appears in a slate-like gray color and we also see its triple rear cameras at the back.

The design of the phone pictured in this leak matches what we’ve seen in previous OnePlus 8 Pro renders and hand-on images. However, we’d like our readers to know that we’re not 100% confident of the source of these live images. The picture quality is not great and they could possibly be photoshopped, as we’ve seen in a number of OnePlus 8 leaks in the past. For now, we would advise you to take them with a grain of salt.

Some may see the design of the OnePlus 8 Pro as a regression since the all-screen display was such a highlight of the 7 Pro and 7T Pro. However, OnePlus might be doing this for a good reason: it’s possible the OnePlus 8 Pro could be the first IP-certified device from the brand. It’s very difficult for a device with a mechanical pop-up camera to earn an IP rating, so OnePlus may have sacrificed it to earn certification. We can’t think of any other reason OnePlus would sacrifice its all-screen design, which was such a high-profile feature of the 7 Pro and 7T Pro devices.

If you’re already a OnePlus 7 Pro or OnePlus 7T Pro owner, you’ll need to decide for yourself if losing the pop-up selfie camera in the OnePlus 8 Pro is an upgrade or a downgrade.

According to these leaked renders, the OnePlus 8 Lite is the device that is notably different from any other OnePlus phone. The camera bump on the back doesn’t look like any we’ve ever seen on a OnePlus product and the front looks very different from the other entries in the 8 series.

It should also be noted that we’ve seen leaked real-life images that appear to show a OnePlus 8 Lite prototype. This gives us even more confidence that the renders above are correct.

The first phone you can see all the way to the right is a dead ringer for these @OnLeaks renders. However, it does seem like it has a triple-lens camera in that apparent real-life image. We’re going to assume that the prototype is just that: a prototype. If so, a dual-lens system on the rear is much more likely for a budget-minded device.

Whether this phone is called the OnePlus 8 Lite or not, it’s very clearly a less expensive device. It has a flat display rather than a curved one, seems to have two rear lenses instead of three or four, and larger display bezels. Unfortunately, OnePlus is still not bringing in a headphone jack, even though other companies did so with their cheaper devices, including Google and Huawei.

OnePlus has trickled out a few spec confirmations related to the OnePlus 8 series. Let’s run through those confirmed details first and then dive into the speculations.

Confirmed specs

At CES 2020, OnePlus confirmed that the OnePlus 8 series will feature 120Hz display refresh rates. These new displays come courtesy of Samsung. This is a sizable increase over the 90Hz display refresh rates present on the OnePlus 7 Pro, OnePlus 7T, and OnePlus 7T Pro.

However, it is unlikely that the OnePlus 8 Lite will feature that high of a refresh rate. Fret not, though, because OnePlus promised last year that every phone it releases will have at least a 90Hz display refresh rate going forward, so even the budget-oriented entry should have a higher refresh rate than the usual 60Hz.

Although not explicitly confirmed by OnePlus, a set of leaked presentation slides (in Chinese) confirm that the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro will also come with a dedicated MEMC chip. MEMC stands for Motion Estimation and Motion Compensation and is usually a technology available on televisions. It inserts new frames between existing ones in a video to decrease motion blur.

OnePlus’ MEMC tech can apparently upscale low frame rate videos to a maximum of 120 frames per second, making the picture smoother and more natural. If this really works as intended, it could mean a much better gaming experience on future OnePlus phones.

Further, OnePlus’ 120Hz display has a touch sample rate of 240Hz and can apparently hit 1,000 nits peak brightness. It is optimized by something OnePlus calls Smooth Chain technology. However, details are scarce at the moment thanks to the official information being available only in Chinese.

Although there’s been no official announcement, it’s pretty much a given that the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro will both feature the latest-and-greatest Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chipset. There has never been a flagship OnePlus smartphone without the latest Qualcomm 800 series SoC, so we are practically certain this will be included.

With the Snapdragon 865 on board, both the 8 and 8 Pro would be 5G-ready, as the 865 has a 5G modem built-in.

Likewise, all OnePlus smartphones released over the past year have had a bare minimum of 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. As such, it’s reasonable to assume that the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro will have at least that much memory included at even the most entry-level of models.

As far as cameras go, it’s possible the OnePlus 8 Pro could feature Samsung’s new 108MP sensor as a primary lens. We expect many flagship phones in 2020 to feature this sensor and OnePlus usually opts for the latest-and-greatest. However, it’s more likely OnePlus will take a different approach. According to Pricebaba and teen leaker Ishan Agarwal, the OnePlus 8 Pro will gain the same 48MP main camera and 48MP ultra-wide sensor as the Oppo Find X2 Pro.

The IMX689 is arguably Sony’s most capable camera sensor right now. It offers larger individual pixels than other higher megapixel sensors, and it includes pixel-binned shots equivalent to a 12MP 2.24 micron pixel camera and faster, more accurate autofocusing. The 48MP IMX586 ultra-wide camera would also be a welcome addition and should deliver better ultra-wide shots in low light owing to pixel-binning.

Agarwal adds that the OnePlus 8 Pro will also offer a Night Portrait Mode and “3-HDR” video, but hopefully, OnePlus’ camera software doesn’t let us down this time around. This has generally been the firm’s Achilles Heel, so we hope to see some improvements this year.

We’ve heard rumors for months that OnePlus could finally offer wireless charging with the 8 series. The Chinese brand is also a full member of the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) now. This group created and supports the Qi wireless charging standard. Not only that, but teen tipster Ishan Agarwal previously reported the OnePlus 8 Pro will receive 30W wireless charging and 30W reverse wireless charging.

Admittedly, we were very skeptical about this at first. That was until Agarwal later tweeted leaked specs sheets reiterating that 30W wireless charging is coming to the OnePlus 8 Pro while confuting the reverse wireless charging information. These are just rumors at this point, but the rest of the specs sheet seems realistic enough to trust since it lines up with much of what we’ve been hearing so far.

The tweet also reveals the OnePlus 8 will feature a similar specs list to the OnePlus 7T. The only upgrades are a bigger battery, the expected new Snapdragon processor, a variant with 12GB of RAM, and a new green colorway.

The OnePlus 8 Pro specs are a bit more exciting, featuring a slew of changes. This includes the introduction of an IP68 rating, a bump in battery capacity, an extra camera lens, a 120Hz QHD+ display, and 30W wireless charging capable of 3W reverse wireless charging.

If this is true, OnePlus will be offering a massive leap in charging speed over the next fastest solution: the Mi 10’s 10W wireless charging technology. We aren’t upset about the idea of the OnePlus 8 Pro sporting 3W reverse wireless charging instead of 30W since the higher wattage would mean your phone could be drained in mere minutes by charging a friend’s device.

It is unlikely that wireless charging would come to the 8 Lite in any form. Then again, OnePlus’s WPC membership could mean it releases earbuds with a wireless charging case or another type of product instead of a wirelessly charging phone.

As mentioned earlier, it’s also possible OnePlus is removing the pop-up selfie cam from the OnePlus 8 Pro to help with finally earning an IP rating. This is purely speculative at the moment, but we can’t think of another reason for OnePlus to ditch the all-screen display of the 7 Pro.

As for the OnePlus 8 Lite, there are only a few spec rumors floating around right now. If OnePlus wants it to be a budget-oriented device in competition with phones such as the Google Pixel 3a, it likely won’t have a Snapdragon 865 on board. Instead, tipster Ishan Agarwal and 91Mobiles claim the OnePlus 8 Lite will have a MediaTek chipset. There’s no mention of a specific processor, but earlier rumors suggested it could be a 5G-enabled Dimensity 1000 chipset. The two sources also say the OnePlus 8 Lite could offer a 90Hz camera cutout display.

It’s also possible the OnePlus 8 Lite will dip below the 6GB/128GB memory trend of 2019. Unfortunately, there just is no way to accurately predict what OnePlus has in mind for this phone since we haven’t seen anything like it in nearly five years.

OnePlus has also finally committed to delivering a OnePlus always-on display at some point in the future. The company announced the commitment on Twitter, along with a cute video that shows how much fans have wanted this feature.

Unfortunately, it didn’t divulge when we would see it or if it will come to the OnePlus 8 series or not. As far as we can tell, there’s no technical reason why every active OnePlus phone couldn’t get a software update introducing a new always-on display option. It makes sense OnePlus would want to introduce it on its next-gen devices, but that’s just speculation at this point.

Finally, none of the renders above feature fingerprint scanners, so it’s very likely we’ll see the optical in-display fingerprint sensors in the 7 series carry over to the 8 series.

OnePlus’ smartphones get more and more expensive every year. There’s no reason to think this year will be any different. We don’t know how much more expensive the phones will be but we can look at 2019 prices to make a good guess.

Here are the 2019 OnePlus prices for each of the base models:

OnePlus 7 (6GB/128GB) — €559 (~$622)

OnePlus 7 Pro (6GB/128GB) — $669

OnePlus 7T (8GB/128GB) — $599

OnePlus 7T Pro (8GB/256GB) — €759 (~$845)

Judging from that, it’s reasonable to assume the OnePlus 8 might start at around $600 — $650 and the OnePlus 8 Pro might start around $700 — $750. Those are just estimates but it’s highly unlikely the devices will be cheaper than that.

The latest OnePlus 8 Lite rumors suggest it could retail for £400 (~$513) in the UK. That’s a little higher than we would have expected. If OnePlus really wants this handset to compete with the very popular Google Pixel 3a, it would probably need to come in at under $400.

As for availability, the OnePlus 7 didn’t launch in the US, with the company instead focusing solely on the OnePlus 7 Pro. It’s possible OnePlus could repeat this strategy in 2020 with the 8 and 8 Pro.

However, we did hear a rumor that contradicts this. According to Android Police, the OnePlus 8 (not the 8 Pro) could land on Verizon Wireless here in the US. A recent APK teardown done by XDA Developers and a OnePlus senior engineer’s work listed on their LinkedIn profile also seem to back up this initial claim.

This would be the first time OnePlus launched a smartphone on Big Red. It’s theoretically possible that the OnePlus 8 could land on Verizon and the OnePlus 8 Pro could land at the current home for the company, T-Mobile. It’s also a good possibility that the OnePlus 8 Lite might not see a release in the US as the company might be focusing that on emerging markets such as India.

That’s all we know about the OnePlus 8, OnePlus 8 Lite, and OnePlus 8 Pro so far. Let us know in the comments below if we missed anything or what you’re looking forward to the most from OnePlus’ next smartphone!