Design
OnePlus 8 looks very similar to the OnePlus 8 pro – a little smaller, a little slimmer, and a little lighter. It makes all the difference in terms of carrying it around and using it with one hand. It’s not really that huge a difference between screen size, like choosing the 5.8-inch Apple iPhone 11 Pro over the 6.5-inch Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max. The OnePlus 8’s Fluid AMOLED screen at 6.55 inches never feels cramped or less, compared to the OnePlus 8 Pro’s 6.78-inch panel.
The OnePlus 8 is pretty lightweight at 180 grams for a modern smartphone. I have a particular fondness for the 20:9 aspect ratio combined with the 8mm thick body because it allows me to drag my thumb across the screen with ease. The side buttons are definitely much easier to reach and press on the OnePlus 8 than on the 8 Pro. There’s an under-display fingerprint sensor, and while this is lightning-fast, face unlock usually unlocks the screen before I get to it.
I enjoy the feel of the glass matte-finish coating, which is lovely and cool to touch without being too fingerprint sensitive, but catches light rather well – especially in the gorgeous greens pictured above. Yes, green, but as you can also see in our photos below, it becomes a magnificent aquamarine blue under various lighting conditions. Its curved corners and low weight mean it sits comfortably in your palm. The edges of the body, however, remain tapered, so fatigue will set in when clamped tightly against the palm.
The camera bump on the back isn’t as pronounced as before, and since there are fewer sensors, it does not look as busy either. It adds further to neatness and functionality when one opts for a punch-hole selfie camera rather than an intricate and heavy motorized selfie camera, as is the case for the front. OnePlus 8 is sleek and classy – without unnecessary heft but without shying away from having a big screen.
Monitor and software
In terms of design and size, OnePlus 8 is better priced than OnePlus 8 Pro; however, it is not completely similar when we come to technology inside starting from the display types. The OnePlus 8 comes with a Fluid AMOLED screen, resolution 2400 x 1080 pixels, and a 90Hz refresh rate but it seems there’s no motion smoothing in play. When you line them up though, theres a small difference, like the OnePlus 8 Pro looks a bit sharper, more fluid, and generally just a whole lot better, in comparison.
However, that doesn’t mean OnePlus 8 looks bad – far from it. Excellent even when playing a 1080p HDR10 movie, and the video is actually fun and somewhat engaging. Mainstream dual speakers, helped along by Dolby Atmos support, don’t help your problems here. And for those worried about missing motion smoothing- “Don’t even be like that”. It is really great sometimes in artificially reducing blur when watching videos, but sometimes, the outcome is just plain undesired. Missed it not because I found fewer touch sensitivity issues on the OnePlus 8.
Low resolution really is just low pixel density, i guess. The spec for 402 pixels-per-inch (PPI) on the OnePlus 8 is way smaller than what you get on the OnePlus 8 Pro at 513 PPI, the Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus which lands on 525 PPI, and even the Apple iPhone 11 Pro with 458 PPI but still in a smaller size. So yeah, it doesn’t look as crisp as any of those devices, and because of that it kind of falls short of the whole “high quality, high-end” idea. They did cut a corner on the OnePlus 8 in this particular department while the OnePlus 8 Pro shines instead. It’s decent enough, sure, but honestly it wasn’t the kind of reason you would pick it over the OnePlus 8 Pro.
I’m also happy to say the OnePlus 8 runs Android 10 with OxygenOS 10.5 on top, and the overall ride is basically just as great as the OnePlus 8 Pro. Just wow, the interface is slick, really quick, and there are only a couple small annoyances.
Camera
Cutting costs continues with the camera. The new Sony IMX689 sensor leads the OnePlus 8 Pro. In its place is the familiar IMX586 sensor we have seen many times before, with its f/1.75 aperture, OIS, EIS, and 60fps 4K video capability. It is stacked with a 16MP wide-angle and a 2MP macro.
Good for taking delightfully nice photos but not so rigorous to be jaw-dropping. Well, IMX586,…the photos that filled my gallery were definitely good-looking, believable, but nothing I took pride in. It needs pretty serious software tuning to shine, and OnePlus is on top of its game in this regard. Wonderful color rendering, strong dynamic range, and good HDR. Edge detection in Portrait Mode is quite good, but it takes a while to capture the subject.
When you are taking everyday snaps, be pleased with the results from the OnePlus 8 camera. The front 16-megapixel camera works adequately, but it does not compare to the competition. Macro lacks color and sharpness; night mode doesn’t do much in low light; and it has no optical zoom. Unlike the OnePlus 8 Pro, the OnePlus 8 does not come with the Bizarre Color Filter lens, which inverts colors in photographs for a quirky appearance. That’s definitely not a bad thing.
The camera of the OnePlus 8 does not stand out. There are no major surprises whether it is successful software enhancement like Samsung’s Single Take mode or Apple really excellent Deep Fusion technology or something much older like 8K video recording or periscope zoom like Huawei P40 Pro.
Performance and battery
The OnePlus 8 runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chip. It comes with an integrated 5G modem and there’s either 8GB or 12GB of RAM, depending on the model. Now, the 5G parts, like chips and modems, are probably the big driver behind the higher phone pricing, even though many areas still don’t have actual 5G coverage, so you might have ended up paying a bunch, just for a feature you cannot properly use. It will become relevant down the road, however at this point, it is very hard to recommend.
I have personally tested the 12 GB version with the following benchmark results:
3DMark : 6695 – (Volcano)
Geekbench 5: Multi-core – 3,314,Single-core – 910.
It lays even with the performance metrics of the OnePlus 8 Pro therefore, surpassing both the Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus and the Oppo Find X2 Pro. Calls were clear and reliable; I however couldn’t test the 5G connectivity. I played a lot of 1945 vertical scrolling shooters that ran very high on framerate and enjoyed the 90hz screen refresh rate, I totally loved it. DariusBurst has to play within a smaller window because of the 20:9 aspect ratio screen, but that doesn’t really bother me; it’s the actual fun in getting to play some. Gaming with the OnePlus 8 is similar to how it is with the Galaxy S20 Plus, it feels great in weight and very comfortable in the hand, making it proper for long play sessions.
The battery is a 4,300mAh Cell and is charged using Warp Charging 30T speed. It has got no wireless charging as well, unlike OnePlus 8 Pro. This Warp Charge wired charging is extremely fast, around 20 minutes, making it reach 50 percent and takes more than an hour fully charged in my tests.
It survives easily over a whole day, no matter how it is used, voice or video calls or even gaming, social networking, and video viewing. This was the experience of the OnePlus 8 during this stay-at-home period. Try this with a 5G connection, and the battery will die. I really appreciate the new very smart charging optimization capabilities, where the phone will learn your habits in charging and optimize it around it.
Like so many people, I charge my phone before bedtime and unplug it in the morning. Only after a few days of usage, the OnePlus 8 took a battery up to 80 percent in the first hour and then deprived it for an hour or more before I woke up. OnePlus says this will lengthen battery life, so you can charge it with confidence. You can disable the optimization if your daily hours are not a standard set.
The battery and that software mentioned above are two of the biggest reasons for buying a OnePlus 8.
OnePlus 8 Glacial Green, 5G Unlocked Android Smartphone U.S Version, 8GB RAM+128GB Storage, 90Hz Fluid Display,Triple Camera, with Alexa Built-in,: Buy it now
OnePlus 8 5G UW IN2019 128GB 8GB RAM GSM Unlocked (Renewed): Buy it now
OnePlus 8 5G (128GB, 8GB) 6.55″ 90Hz AMOLED, Snapdragon 865 5G, 48MP 4K Camera, Global 4G LTE (T-Mobile Unlocked for AT&T, Metro, Verizon) w/Fast Car Charger Bundle (Interstellar Glow): Buy it now
OnePlus 8 (5G, 128GB, 8GB RAM) 6.55″ 90Hz Display, Snapdragon 865, 5G LTE T-Mobile Only (Metro, Sprint, Simple) (Black): Buy it now
Tech Reviewer & Product Analyst
Định Bia has spent over 10 years testing consumer electronics with a focus on smart technology. He work as a product advisor at Biareview where he helped customers find the right devices for their needs. He personally tests every product featured on this site using a consistent evaluation framework covering quality, durability, and value. All reviews are based on experience, not influenced by the manufacturer.
