Update, April 6, 2020 (12:28 PM ET): We’ve updated the original article with official specs, leaked colorways and cases, expected prices, as well as more new information about the upcoming OnePlus 8 series. Read on for all the latest!
Original article: 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 know that a OnePlus 8, as well as a OnePlus 8 Pro, are on the way.
There are also 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 Z. If it does land, it would be the first non-flagship phone from the company since the OnePlus X, which launched in 2015.
Here’s everything we know about the OnePlus 8, OnePlus 8 Pro, and OnePlus Z so far. Be sure to bookmark this page as we will update it often with new information as it comes to light!
OnePlus 8 series: Name and release date
OnePlus has confirmed that the OnePlus 8 series will be unveiled on Tuesday, April 14. This is a bit earlier than previous generations’ release dates. The OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 6 both landed in May, and the OnePlus 5 landed in June.
As revealed in an official forum post, the company is not changing up its usual naming scheme. The post itself is made using the OnePlus 8 Pro and the company refers to the new lineup as the OnePlus 8 series, so rest assured, we will see at least the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro on April 14.
The OnePlus Z, though, is more of a wild card. At first, we thought the device would be called the OnePlus 8 Lite, but known leaker Max Weinbach claimed this budget-friendly device could be called the OnePlus Z. Tipster Ishan Agarwal backed up this information, also claiming it will tout the Z moniker.
Until we hear the official naming from OnePlus, we’ll continue to use the OnePlus 8, 8 Pro, and Z names.
Related: OnePlus in 2020: Going to be some growing pains
Other rumors also suggested OnePlus wanted to launch these devices earlier, but problems surrounding the coronavirus mucked up those plans. It’s possible these issues particularly affected the OnePlus Z, and we might not see it launch alongside the other two devices in April. 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’ve already seen leaked renders for the OnePlus 8, 8 Pro, and the so-called OnePlus Z. The first leaks came from reliable source @OnLeaks via partners Cash Karo and 91Mobiles. Later leaks came from a few other reliable sources, and they reiterate what we saw early on. As such, we are confident that these renders give us a very good idea of what the OnePlus 8 family will look like.
Let’s go over each device individually.
OnePlus 8
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.
Related: Here are the alleged OnePlus 8 renders
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.
Later leaked renders reiterate much of what we saw earlier. Smartphone accessory retailer Pigtou and frequent leaker @OnLeaks shared photos revealing the same nearly bezel-less display and single selfie camera cutout around the front and triple-lens camera module, LED flash, and the “new” OnePlus logo around back. Check them out:
The renders also reveal the USB-C port and single speaker grille on the bottom. There’s still no headphone jack in sight, but we expected that.
We also got a look at a few possible upcoming OnePlus 8 colorways. Winfuture.de posted the photos, claiming they are official marketing renders for color variants that tipster Ishan Agarwal says will be called Interstellar Glow, Glacial Green, and Onyx Black.
Though the black color variant is similar to what we’ve seen before, the other two would be quite unique and welcome additions to the lineup. OnePlus has not confirmed that these render leaks are official, nor has the company confirmed the color names, so take all of this with a pinch of salt.
Also 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.
OnePlus 8 Pro
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. You can see that image below.
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. You can see the images below.
The alleged phone appears in a slate-like gray color. 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’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.
Speaking of low-quality photos, another pair of alleged OnePlus 8 Pro live images surfaced online. The sketchy photos popped up on Weibo after an eagle-eyed commuter caught a glimpse of the device on a Chinese subway.
We only get a couple of looks at the device in these pictures, and neither of the photos reveals very much. The design lines up with the OnePlus 8 Pro leaks we’ve seen so far, except the pictured handset is covered up by a not-so-good-looking phone case. Since the photos are so low-quality and blurry, and since the source is unconfirmed, we need to take them with a hefty amount of skepticism.
As far as colors are concerned, OnePlus could have a unique addition in store for us. Frequent tipster Steve Hemmerstoffer and iGeeksBlog posted what they’re calling official press renders of the OnePlus 8 Pro. These renders show a phone with a new colorway similar to the OnePlus 8’s leaked Glacial Green variant and an overall design that looks very similar to the previous leaks. Check them out:
Reliable journalist Roland Quandt of WinFuture also shared supposedly official renders of the OnePlus 8 Pro in Onyx Black, Glacial Green, Ultramarine Blue colorways. You can see those renders below.
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.
OnePlus Z
According to these leaked renders, the OnePlus Z 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.
We’ve seen leaked real-life images that appear to show a OnePlus Z prototype. This gives us even more confidence that the renders above are correct. Check out that image here:
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 OnePlus variant is called the Z, 8 Lite, or something else, 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.
Specs and features
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
OnePlus has officially confirmed a number of specs for the upcoming OnePlus 8 series. More specifically, the company has verified that the OnePlus 8 line will be equipped with the latest LPDDR5 RAM standard, UFS 3.0 storage, and the Snapdragon 865 processor.
OnePlus has also said that all the upcoming phones will be 5G enabled, which is kind of obvious because of the inclusion of the Snapdragon 865 chipset.
Besides the aforementioned specs, OnePlus confirmed that the OnePlus 8 series will feature 120Hz display refresh rates. This is a sizeable increase over the 90Hz display refresh rates present on the OnePlus 7 Pro, OnePlus 7T, and OnePlus 7T Pro.
These new displays reportedly come courtesy of Samsung and have received an A+ rating from DisplayMate. The company says it set or matched over 10 records in various display categories. These categories include color accuracy, image contrast, display brightness and screen reflection. So expect some excellent OLED displays on the upcoming flagship killers.
It is unlikely that the OnePlus Z 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.
Related: OnePlus Concept One hands-on
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. In the case of the OnePlus 8 series, the chip will upscale 30fps content to 120fps.
If this really works as intended, it could mean a much better gaming and video watching experience on future OnePlus phones. OnePlus CEO Pete Lau has also revealed the names of apps that’ll support the new upscaling tech. These include: Amazon Prime Video, Hotstar, BiliBili, iQiyi, MX Player, Netflix, OnePlus Gallery app, Tencent Video, VLC, Youku, and YouTube.
Further, OnePlus’ 120Hz display is said to have a touch sample rate of 240Hz and 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 information only being available in Chinese.
Rumored specs
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.
Read also: If the rumors around the OnePlus 8 Pro are true, I probably won’t be upgrading
According to Pricebaba and Ishan Agarwal, the OnePlus 8 Pro will gain the same 48MP main camera and 48MP ultra-wide sensor as the Oppo Find X2 Pro.
#OnePlus8Pro to feature 48MP IMX689 as the Main Sensor (F/1.78), 48MP IMX586 Ultra-Wide (F/2.2) & 120° FOV. 8MP (F/2.44) Telephoto w/ 3X Optical & 30X Digital Zoom + 5MP Color Filter. New Night Portrait Mode, ‘3-HDR’ Video, Cinematic Effects & Better OIS! https://t.co/2EfheWwNr8 pic.twitter.com/kVfZcfk5BQ
— Ishan Agarwal (@ishanagarwal24) March 29, 2020
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. OnePlus 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 tipster Ishan Agarwal previously reported the OnePlus 8 Pro will receive 30W wireless charging and 30W reverse wireless charging.
Coming to the higher end OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro, well, you know already that they will be getting 120hz Punch Hole Display. The 8 Pro will feature Dual 5G support for sure and will also get 30W Reverse Wireless Charging Support. Yes, both normal and Reverse.https://t.co/Kv7jtVuYO7
— Ishan Agarwal (@ishanagarwal24) March 4, 2020
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 claiming 3W reverse wireless charging this time. Either way, the source is claiming reverse wireless charging. 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.
Exclusive: They’re coming! Here is the full specification list of the #OnePlus8 & 8 Pro. Seems like #OnePlus8Pro is gonna be a beast with 6.78″ 120hz QHD+ Display and 48+48+8+5MP Camera Setup. Will have 30W Wireless Charging & IP68 Rating too. I’m so excited! #OnePlus8Series pic.twitter.com/j1AAo19q4J
— Ishan Agarwal (@ishanagarwal24) March 25, 2020
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 the aforementioned 30W wireless charging capable of at least 3W reverse wireless charging.
If this is true, OnePlus will be tied with the Xiaomi Mi 10 series‘ wireless charging speed of 30W as well. But it falls behind the Huawei P40 Pro Plus‘s 40W wireless charging solution. Still, the days of slow wireless charging are clearly gone.
It is unlikely that wireless charging would come to the Z 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 wireless charging phone.
As mentioned, 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 Z, 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 Z 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 Z could offer a 90Hz punch-hole display.
OnePlus will indeed launch a lower end phone, but we don’t know its name yet. What we do know is that it will priced around £400 in the UK, have a Mediatek Chip and will launch by July in most countries. It will also feature 90hz Punch Hole Display!
Link: https://t.co/rN7cToMMdJ— Ishan Agarwal (@ishanagarwal24) March 4, 2020
It’s also possible the OnePlus Z will dip below the 6GB/128GB memory trend of 2019. Unfortunately, there 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.
The top IDEA is Always-On Display. We hear you, and our OS Product team has replied: it’s on our roadmap.
— OnePlus (@oneplus) March 27, 2020
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 8 series official cases
Reliable leaker Evan Blass has shared a picture showing six different OnePlus 8 case variants and four different textures. It looks like the standard OnePlus 8 could have five different case options, while the Pro version could have as many as three.
The leaked image shows OnePlus’ famous sandstone texture in three colors: black, cyan, and purple. Karbon, Nylon, and transparent cases have also appeared in the leak (see image above).
Price and availability
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 CEO Pete Lau has promised that the upcoming OnePlus 8 series won’t cost more than $1,000.
However, Lau noted that “prices across the supply chain, from raw materials to 5G chips, are all rising generally in the industry,” suggesting that the new phones will be more expensive than their predecessors.
We can look at prices of the 2019 OnePlus flagships to try and guess what the new OnePlus 8 phones would cost.
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. And Lau’s claim that they won’t cost more than $1,000 also opens the door for a ~$900 OnePlus 8 Pro.
Related: OnePlus 8 may be sold on Verizon with 5G support
The latest OnePlus Z (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.
OnePlus will indeed launch a lower end phone, but we don’t know its name yet. What we do know is that it will priced around £400 in the UK, have a Mediatek Chip and will launch by July in most countries. It will also feature 90hz Punch Hole Display!
Link: https://t.co/rN7cToMMdJ— Ishan Agarwal (@ishanagarwal24) March 4, 2020
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 Z 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 Pro, and OnePlus Z 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!
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