The OnePlus 8/8Pro launch is closer than ever with 5G certification
We’ve been seeing OnePlus 8 leaks for months and months and months now, including some 5G confirmations from the CEO of the company himself. But now, we have we have the most official proof yet that OnePlus’s next flagships are up for imminent launch.As the folks over at MySmartPrice spotted, the latest handsets from the ‘flagship killer’ are now certified by TENAA, China’s telecommunications equipment certification agency. As expected, both phones feature 5G connectivity.
With this latest development, it’s guaranteed that OnePlus will be launching these phones within six months, before the certification becomes invalid, which isn’t surprising considering the company’s historical preference for the May launch window. However, it also fits nicely with more recent leaks that point to an earlier Q2 2020 debut.
Interestingly, the oft-mentioned OnePlus 8 Lite, another subject of many leaks and the company’s expected return to the midrange segment, is nowhere to be seen as far as certification is concerned. It may be that the Lite model will be launching separately at a later date, like OnePlus’s T-series phones usually do, or it could simply mean that the midrange device will receive certification soon as well.
OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro: Specs and rumours
As for the devices themselves, both the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro are expected to be top-tier flagships characteristic of the company, with Snapdragon 865 chipsets and 8 or 12 gigabytes of RAM running the show, along with a triple camera module for photography and a ToF sensor for the Pro model as well. Interestingly, OnePlus’s next generation is also expected to do away with the much-loved pop-up selfie camera on the OnePlus 7, instead opting for a hole-punch design like many of its peers.
The 8 Pro is also believed to sport a massive, 6.7” OLED display at 1440p Quad HD resolution and 120Hz refresh rate for super-smooth scrolling. The display looks pretty killer, which will certainly help it face off against mobile titans like Samsung’s S20 lineup. It’s also rumoured to have a 4,500mAh battery to power the battery-intensive display and 50W Warp charging to top it up as quickly as possible.
The ‘regular’ OnePlus 8 will be a behemoth as well, with a 6.5” OLED Full HD display at the same 120Hz refresh rate. It’ll have a slight bump down in the battery department with a 4,000mAh power cell and 30W charging, but neither of those are unimpressive numbers. Both models will feature water and dust protection, but the Pro will have a superior IP68 rating over the IP53 on its younger brother.
The OnePlus 8 Lite, if it makes an appearance, will be a step down from the others, but it’s shaping up to be quite a capable device in its own right. Currently, it’s thought to be powered by 8GB of RAM and a MediaTek Dimension 1000 chipset, a first in OnePlus’s Snapdragon-dominated lineup.
The 8 Lite rumours also point to a 6.4” OLED at 1080p and 90Hz, a downgrade from the flagships but still high-quality (and really big) compared to a lot of its peers. It’s also likely to have similar camera setup and battery standards as the OnePlus 8. These sensible specs are reminiscent of the sort of phone OnePlus used to make, not cutting-edge but still top-tier at an excellent value.
Speaking of value, the OnePlus 8 series flagships are officially confirmed to have higher price points compared to their predecessors, owing to the cost of 5G technology. The Snapdragon 865 used here requires 5G connectivity but also doesn’t have a built-in modem for it, meaning manufacturers will need to provide a separate component for the added connectivity. 5G is still not nearly developed enough in the States, but hopefully the addition will make these phones a bit more future-proof.
OnePlus’s next launch still isn’t completely clear, but it seem pretty evident that everyone’s favorite underdog is definitely gearing up to launch its next handsets. Once they really hit the shelves, we’ll know how they fare in our evolving mobile landscape.