This week OnePlus announced two new phones, the OnePlus 8 and the OnePlus 8 Pro. Today I am going to focus on the first of them, not so much studying its differences with respect to the Pro model -that will come in a future analysis- as assessing its evolution with respect to the OnePlus 7T phone and considering whether it is really worth buying. Yes, I know that with the title I just made you the spoiler of the year, but trust me, the reason for this conclusion is worth knowing. Get comfortable and keep reading.
OnePlus 8, video analysis
OnePlus 8, very little evolution
We've reached a point where feeling like a truly evolved phone is very difficult. The improvements are becoming more discreet and the surprise at this point is almost nil. Even so, there are always aspects in which it can be improved, to a greater or lesser extent, and that is what OnePlus has tried to do with its OnePlus 8, with more and less success, of course.
The first change, one of the most obvious in fact, of the OnePlus 8 compared to the OnePlus 7T (its predecessor) is found in the design. Despite the fact that in the technical specification sheet the feeling is that it has not changed so much, in practice it is very different. The OnePlus 8 in hand is lighter and more compact (the OnePlus 7T phone is a rather heavy phone), without losing screen width, which makes it, in this sense, more attractive than the OnePlus. Be careful, despite this, the new OnePlus 8 is still a terminal not suitable for people who hate big phones, keep that in mind.
The second great modification is found on the back. This is a purely subjective opinion, but the truth is that I liked the black wheel in which the cameras were located on the 7 much better, since I think it gave the phone a distinctive and more personal touch. The OnePlus 8, as you can see, has returned to the sensor column, a design that we had already seen in previous OnePlus and that ultimately brings little new to the set.
As for the color, the Glacial Green of the unit that I have tested is a pretty pretty green-turquoise, although I would say something risky. I don't think everyone will be convinced. The back has an elegant matte finish, fantastic for repelling many better (not 100% fingerprints). Despite all this, I admit that being safer in the grip using the phone with one of its covers -in the end, the matte ones are so soft that they slip in the hand- such as the Sandstone Bumper Case, with a rough touch -be careful, it does not come in the box.
In terms of performance, the OnePlus 8 cannot be faulted. The phone is incredibly agile and fluid, it can handle all kinds of apps and games without any lag. Seriously, the management is fantastic… as much as it is in the 7T model, of course. The difference between the two teams at the level of internal chips It is small (we are talking about a Snapdragon 865 instead of an 855+) which will mean that in practice you will not notice any kind of difference in terms of response.
Part of that good feeling of fluidity is also due to its clear screen. The OnePlus 8 has a panel with a refresh rate of 90 Hz – just like the OnePlus 7T. The resolution is not bad but it could be higher (we are talking about a Full HD+ screen) and in terms of the general assessment, there are no drawbacks: it looks very good, with good color reproduction, fantastic brightness (it now has 100 more nits) , a quick response to the touch and several customization options within the phone settings (the terminal has an "Advanced" section in which you can calibrate the screen and even disable 90Hz and choose 60 Hz).
The edges of the screen are also curved now, but not especially pronounced, which I think helps more than it seems that there are no accidental touches on the screen. We also find a hole in the screen, which replaces the notch. This was quite discreet on the 7T and did not bother at all, but the change to the aforementioned hole is not only a matter of aesthetics or adaptation to current times: it is also a way of leaving more room for the battery (which I will talk about a little later). what you are reading
With the withdrawal of the "drop" from the 7T and thanks to the fact that the fingerprint sensor integrated into the screen -which by the way works very well although without news or surprises- is now smaller, OnePlus leaves room to insert a 4.300 mAh module ( compared to the 3.800 mAh of its predecessor).
It should be noted that in these very difficult times that we are living with the confinement, it is difficult to measure 100% the autonomy of the phones, because we spend many hours at home and the use that is given to the terminal is certainly different. Even so, trying to replicate a "daily" experience, also using the mobile network and not just WiFi, surfing the internet (a lot), using social networks, playing some videos, taking photos and installing applications, I can confirm that the phone lasts two full days. Also enjoy 30W fast charging, although again I miss wireless charging (much) again.
It is impossible to talk about a OnePlus and not make OXYGEN (on Android 10), for me, the best customization layer that exists in the Android world. It's simple, clean, useful, and without that feeling like you have 20 cluttered apps. The best thing about OnePlus, and I have always thought so, is its software experience and in this OnePlus 8 it shows itself again, with a system that is very difficult to fault. Seriously, if you haven't tried it, you should.
Finally, you should know what its photographic section is like. The OnePlus 8 has the same main camera sensor as the 7T and the same wide angle, so the results you're going to get are pretty much the same. This translates into photos with a good general performance, with a good color balance, contrast and definition, good behavior in night scenes and a portrait mode that is also up to par, but without being, by any means, the best camera on the market. .
The change comes with the telephoto lens that we had in the OnePlus 7T that disappears in favor of a macro sensor whose performance is not even to write home about. So much so that my feeling is that this has been nothing more than a strategy to cut qualities in this version in order to make the OnePlus 8 Pro much more attractive and coherent for the user (especially taking into account the price increase, although We'll talk about that in the analysis of the Pro model).
Is the OnePlus 8 better than the OnePlus 7T?
Putting things like this, do I recommend the OnePlus 8? Well, the truth is that having the OnePlus 7T on the market, of course not. In a practical sense, my feeling is that the OnePlus 8 is practically a OnePlus 7T that is a little narrower and lighter (yes), with a little more battery life, and with a worse combination of cameras. However, the OnePlus 8 costs no less than 709 euros and the OnePlus 7T can be purchased for 599 euros in the official store.
View offer on AmazonThe design must be very important (and I mean both the color and arrangement of the cameras, as well as the curved screen or the hole in the screen), having a macro lens (which is not even the best) or enjoying a small battery improvement such as so that it really compensates you for the difference in price, of 110 euros, between one or the other.
As always, it's up to you.
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