UPDATE:The OnePlus 8 Pro has been released! Check it out on the official OnePlus website or read through the rumored specs we've left below for posterity.
Even though OnePlus no longer uses the motto, they still embody the spirit of "Flagship Killer." OnePlus is known for offering first-class bang for your buck smartphones each year. From all the rumors and leaks so far, the OnePlus 8 Pro 5G will continue this tradition and will likely be one of the best phones in 2020.
The OnePlus 8 Pro 5G will be no slouch based on all that we know and can assume. It is coming off a year where even as more prominent players enter its space, it still offers much better value. With a rear camera ranked tenth by DxoMark, the 8 Pro might be the first camera from OnePlus where the average consumer praises it. But OnePlus is even improving in areas where they don't need to, turning an already great phone into an amazing one.
Jump to a section:Standout Features | Dates | Storage | Price | Body | Basics | Software | Skin | Display | Performance | Battery | Front Camera | Rear Camera | Audio | Media Formats | Sensors | Connectivity | Security | Box Includes
Standout Features
The OnePlus 8 Pro 5G is improving in nearly every category over the 7 Pro. The fast charging is better, the display is now 120 Hz, and the battery is bigger. And while its direct competition is growing thanks to Samsung and Apple improving their offerings, we expect OnePlus to stay strong, offering pricing and specs that are still an unmatched balance of value.
Important Dates
OnePlus will announce their 8 Series on April 14 at 11:00 am EST. Since many parts of the world are practicing social distancing, the event will be online-only. Based on last year's release, we don't expect a preorder date. Instead, OnePlus should release the phone to the public the first Friday after the event. We also expect for the time being that all sales will be online-only, as many carriers stores will still be closed at this time.
- Release date: May 2020
- Preorder date: N/A
- Announced: April 14, 2020
Storage Capacity
With the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 costing more money this year thanks to the required addition of the 5G modem, OnePlus will likely minimize the rise in price by leaving the storage options the same as last year. Rumors indicate the OnePlus 8 Pro 5G will available at the same entry-level internal storage of 128 GB. It will also have a 256 GB version and 512 GB as well, which sports a higher amount of RAM.
- Storage available: 128 GB, 256 GB, or 512 GB (McLaren Edition)
- Expandable storage: no
- Standard: UFS 3.0
Price for Everything
Last year, OnePlus shook things up with their releases last year by introducing the world to their first "Pro" edition. This was a new lineup, separate from the "T" series, that closely matches their original tag line of "Flagship Killer."
We are in uncharted territory this year because we are completely unsure as to which version the US will get, the OnePlus 8, 8 Pro, or 8 Lite. Based on last year, we'd get the 8 Pro in the US first.
According to Business Insider, the upcoming OnePlus 8 Pro will not cost over $1,000, making it one of the more affordable 5G phones to hit the US. But this will likely be the biggest jump in year-to-year pricing of any OnePlus device to date, due in large part to the extra cost of a 5G-capable modem and SoC.
- Price: starting at $899.99
- Manufacturer protection: Screen Protection Plan - $39.00 (6 months), $70.00 (12 months), Accidental Damage Protection Plan - $89.00 (12 months), $155.00 (24 months), Extended Warranty - $46.00 (12 months), OnePlus Protection Plus Plan - $189.00 (24 months)
- Accessories: $34.95 (Bumper Case), $99.00 (Bullets Wireless 2 Black), $34.95 (Protective Case), $62.90 (Travel Bundle), $54.90 (Warp Charge 30 Power Bundle), $79.85 (Lifestyle Bundle), and $119.80 (Premium Bundle)
Glacial Green
Onyx Black
Glacial Green
Onyx Black
Body
Rumor has it that the OnePlus 8 Pro 5G will follow the same design language as past phones and most phones coming out this year. Both sides of the phone will be glass, but unlike other smartphones, the back is matte-frosted, which makes it less prone to fingerprints. The alert slider is still present, housed on the left edge on the phone.
The 8 Pro will come in three colors at launch: Onyx Black, Glacial Green, and Ultramarine Blue.
- Frame: glass (Gorilla Glass 6), aluminum (midframe)
- Finish: Ultramarine Blue, Glacial Green, Onyx Black
Ultramarine Blue
Basics
It should once again be exclusive to T-Mobile. The unlocked variant should work on AT&T and T-Mobile networks and, thanks to certification, on Verizon as well. Last year, job postings by OnePlus indicated they were exploring expanding their carrier support to include all four US carriers. There is a chance this comes to fruition, but so far, nothing has emerged.
It is rumored to have an IP68 water resistance rating, the highest available on smartphones and a first for OnePlus. We don't know at what depth it is rated for, only that it is at least 1.5 m.
- Height: 6.51 inches
- Width: 2.93 inches
- Depth: 0.33 inches
- Weight: 7.02 oz
- Dust/water resistance: IP68
- Supported carriers: AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless
- Infrared blaster: no
The operating temperatures should be exactly what we'd expect for any smartphone, with the same ranges as other popular models like the Galaxy S11 and iPhone 11 Pro. However, we don't currently know the temperature ranges for when the phone is turned off, nor do we know what level of humidity and altitude the devices can withstand.
- Operating temp: 32°F –95°F
- Nonoperating temp: Unknown
- Relative humidity: Unknown
- Operating altitude: Unknown
Software
One thing we know for sure is that OnePlus 8 Pro 5G will run the latest version of the Android OS, Android 10. Even though we fully expect that Android 11 should be in beta form by the time this phone is announced, the stable version will not be ready.
Android 10 is a major shift for Google. This is the first operating system without a dessert code name, instead opting for just a number. There are over 60 major changes which we highlighted here, but the biggest ones include a system-wide dark mode, faster updates via the Play Store, and full-screen gesture-based navigation.
- Version: Android 10
Skin
As usual, OnePlus 8 Pro 5G will run the latest version of Oxygen OS running on top of Android 10. Currently, the latest version is OxygenOS 10.0, but we expect the 8 Pro will run an even newer version with specific features for the new hardware.
OxygenOS has continued to lead the pack of OEM skins, giving non-root users many LineageOS features. Thanks to improvements to Android and the lightweight nature of OxygenOS, OnePlus is one of the fastest manufacturers when it comes to updates, updating the 7 Pro to Android 10 a mere 16 days after its official release. Besides Google and Essential, no OEM was faster.
- Version: OxygenOS 10.0
Display
The one spec we know the most about is the display. That is because OnePlus actually confirmed many of the details. The 8 Pro 5G will use a second-generation Fluid Display with a 120 Hz refresh rate, and it's even active in 1440p resolution mode unlike the Galaxy S20. It also has a touch sample rate of 240 Hz. It is a Samsung display with a peak brightness of 1,000 nits, allowing for much better HDR performance.
OnePlus wanted to make the 120 Hz more than just a cool spec, so they added MEMC technology. MEMC, or Motion Estimate, Motion Conpensation, is a controversial form of video processing where an algorithm generates additional frames to turn a video shot in 24 fps into 60 fps or even 120 fps. The problem is this causes the soap opera effect, a hyper-realistic view that can ruin the cinematics of a video.
The OnePlus 8 Pro 5G will also no longer be a single screen with no obstructions to hinder the picture. Instead of a pop-up mechanism like last year's 7 Pro, it will use a punch-hole display like the ones found in Samsung phones.
According to CEO Pete Lau, the 8 Pro's screen broke 13 DisplayMate records and earned the highest possible A+ rating, which should translate to a display on par with the Apple iPhone 11 Pro, Pixel 4 XL, and Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra.
- Screen size: 6.78 inches
- Screen resolution: 3168 x 1440 pixels
- Total pixels: 4,579,200 pixels
- Pixel density: 513 ppi
- Screen type: 2nd Gen. Fluid AMOLED (curved)
- HDR: HDR10/10+ (10-bit)
- Notch: no
- Punch-hole: yes
- Screen-to-body ratio: 88.3% percent
- Aspect ratio: 19.8:9
- Minimum brightness: Unknown
- Maximum brightness: 1400 nits
- Refresh rate: 120 Hz (240 Hz for touch-sensing)
- Color temp: Unknown
- Color gamut: 100% DCI-P3
Performance
The OnePlus 8 Pro 5G will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, the latest SoC from Qualcomm. The new chip runs at the same frequency as last year's Snapdragon 855 but with more modern cores that contribute to faster performance and better power efficiency. The real change is for gamers, as the GPU is 25% faster than last year's Adreno 640.
Besides the raw performance, this chip brings a host of upgrades across the board including support for higher refresh rate displays, the ability to shoot 8K at 30 fps and 4K at 120 fps, native support for super slow motion at 960 fps, better AI support, and 5G connectivity (more on that later).
Regarding RAM, rumors indicate that the entry model will start at 8 GB. With this amount of memory, you can get either 128 GB or 256 GB of internal storage. There should also be a McLaren Edition that increase the RAM to 12 GB while doubling the storage.
- Memory: 8 GB, 12 GB RAM LPDDR5
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
- Chip size: 7 nanometer
- CPU frequency: 2.84 GHz (1x Cortex A77), 2.42 GHz (3x Cortex A77), 1.80 GHz (4x Cortex A55)
- CPU cores: 8 cores
- GPU: Adreno 650
- GPU frequency: 587 MHz
Battery
Early leaks indicate a 4,500 mAh battery, a 12.5% increase from last year. Battery life, however, will likely be comparable to last year thanks to the 120 Hz display. As far as wired charging goes, OnePlus will either use the same Warp Charger 30T found in the OnePlus 7T or an upgraded 50 W Super Warp Charger. We suspect it will be the former as this is the more recent leak.
OnePlus has confirmed that the OnePlus 8 Series will be their first phones to support wireless charging. OnePlus created their own system, Warp Charge 30 Wireless, a 30-watt wireless charger that gives a 50% charge in half an hour. It also supports Qi charging up to 10 W if the charger supports the EPP (Extended Power Profile), otherwise it is limited to 5W.
Alongside wireless charging is rumored support for reverse wireless charging. It will be able to charge other Qi-standard wireless devices up to 3 W. We suspect the upcoming Bullets Wireless Z will be able to take advantage of these features alongside its own support for Warp Charging.
- Battery: rechargeable lithium-ion
- Capacity: 4,510 mAh, 3.85 volts (17.36 watt-hours)
- Wired charging: yes, Warp Charge 30T (30 W)
- Wireless charging: yes, Warp Charge 30 Wireless (30 W)
- Reverse Wireless Charging: yes, 3 W
Front Camera
For 7 Pro users, one of the first changes you will notice is the removal of the motorized slider that housed the front-facing camera. OnePlus has instead opted for a punch-hole design (similar to Samsung) offset to the left of the screen. We imagine this will be a controversial change.
The 8 Pro will use a 16 MP front-facing camera. It is the same sensor as the 7 Pro. It will once again be used for face unlock (the insecure version). Video can be captured up to 1080p at 30 fps.
- Resolution: 16 MP
- Aperture: f/2.0
- Pixel Size: 1.00 µm
- Model: Sony IMX471
- Zoom: Unknown
- Flash: yes, screen flash
- Image stabilization: yes, EIS
- RAW support: yes
- Object detection: yes
- Formats: JPEG, RAW
Rear Camera
Last year's 7 Pro ranked well in DxoMark's testing, and we expect the 8 Pro to continue this improvement using a combination of AI, Qualcomm's new ISP, and better image recognition.
As far as hardware, the 8 Pro upgrades to four rear cameras. Both the main and ultra-wide cameras are 48 MP, each of which is a different Exmor sensor from Sony. Both are proven sensors, as the primary was used in the OPPO Find X2 Pro and the ultra-wide was used as the primary in the OnePlus 7T. This is paired with a 5 MP color filter and an 8 MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom and 30 x digital zoom.
According to Ishan Agarwal, the camera will also be receiving new features, including a new night portrait mode, "3-HDR" video, and new cinematic effects. OIS and EIS are also getting improvements.
- Configuration: wide-angle, telephoto, ultrawide, ToF
- Resolution: 48 MP (primary), 8 MP (telephoto), 48 MP (ultrawide), 5 MP (color filter)
- Pixel size: Unknown
- Sensor size: 1/1.4" (primary)
- Aperture: ƒ/1.78 (primary), ƒ/2.44 (telephoto), ƒ/2.2 (ultrawide)
- Sensor: Sony IMX689 (primary), Sony IMX586 (ultrawide)
- Zoom: yes, 3x optical, 30x digital
- Flash: yes, dual tone LED
- Image stabilization: yes, OIS + EIS (primary)
- RAW support: yes
- Lens cover: sapphire crystal
- Object detection: yes
- Formats: JPEG, RAW
As far as videography, we don't know much about its performance but can speculate. Specifically, thanks to the new SoC, it should be able to video record up to 8K at 30fps. Slow-motion recording will no longer have a set duration, allowing for unlimited recording at 720p at 960 fps.
- Resolution: 720p, 1080p, 4K
- Max frame rate: 30 fps for 720p, 60 fps for 1080p and 4K
- Slow motion: yes, 4K at 120fps, 1080p at 240 fps and 720p at 480 fps
- Time-lapse: yes
- Photos: Unknown
- Zoom: Unknown
- Flash access: yes, see above
- Image stabilization: yes, see above
- Object detection: Unknown
- Autofocus: Unknown
- Audio: stereo
- Formats: H.264
Audio
After the OnePlus 7 Pro brought stereo speakers for the first time, we expect the 8 Pro to as well. The speakers will likely be upgraded while retaining their Dolby Atmos certification. And before you ask, the headphone jack is not coming back.
- 3.5 mm headphone jack: no
- Stereo speakers: yes, front and bottom firing
- Mics: Unknown
- Max speaker volume: Unknown
Media Formats
The OnePlus 8 Pro 5G includes a number of additional audio formats including EAC3, EAC3-JOC, and AC4.
- Audio: MP3, AAC, AAC+, WMA, AMR-NB, AMR-WB, WAV, FLAC, APE, OGG, MID, M4A, IMY, AC3, EAC3, EAC3-JOC, AC4
- Video: MKV, MOV, MP4, H.265(HEVC), AVI, WMV, TS, 3GP, FLV, WEBM
Sensors
The OnePlus 8 Pro 5G includes the same sensors as the OnePlus 7 Pro.
- Sensors: Accelerometer, barometer, electronic compass, brightness sensor, proximity detection, in-display fingerprint sensor, gyroscope, laser sensor, flicker detect sensor, front RGB sensor
We believe the OnePlus 8 Pro 5G will retain the dual-frequency GNSS of its predecessor. The 7 Pro was the first dual-frequency phone to release in the US, and it's likely OnePlus will want to continue to offer this advantage.
- GPS: yes (L1 + L5)
- aGPS: yes
- Glonass: yes
- BeiDou: yes
- Galileo: yes (E1+E5a)
- QZSS: no
Connectivity
It should also have Wi-Fi 6, making it the first OnePlus phone to have the latest version of Wi-Fi. With a push by carriers toward eSIM, don't be surprised if it is included in the OnePlus 8 Pro 5G, but so far, no rumors have mentioned its inclusion.
- Wi-Fi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax 2x2 MIMO
- Bluetooth: 5.1 (with aptX, aptX HD, LDAC, AAC)
- NFC: yes
- Cellular: dual nano-SIM
- Port: USB Type-C 3.1 Gen 1
Because of Qualcomm's policy of forcing OEMs to purchase the 5G modem with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, the 8 Pro will be a 5G phone.
- FDD LTE: B1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 32, 6
- TDD-LTE: B34, 38, 39, 40, 41
- TDS: B34, 39
- UMTS: B1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 19
- CDMA: BC0, BC1
- GSM: B2, 3, 5, 8
Security
The 8 Pro will an optical in-display fingerprint scanner, same as its predecessor. The version in the 8 Pro will likely be a bit faster than the 7 series' fingerprint scanner.
- Fingerprint scanner: yes, in-display (optical)
- Face scanner: no
- Iris scanner: no
- Manual authentication: password, PIN, pattern, swipe
Box Includes
In the box, we expect the same package as the 7 Pro with only two changes, the 8 Pro instead of the 7 Pro and the new Super Warp Charging Power Adapter capable of 50 W.
- OnePlus 8 Pro 5G
- Warp Charger 30T (30 W) Power Adapter
- Warp Type-C Cable (Support USB 2.0)
- Quick Start Guide
- Welcome Letter
- Safety Information and Warranty Card
- LOGO Sticker
- Case
- Screen Protector (pre-applied)
- SIM Tray Ejector
Cover image and screenshots via SlashLeaks/Twitter
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