OnePlus has been the flag bearer of the banner of great phones at great prices. This time, many were dreading a much higher price tag, but the OnePlus 8 series has actually emerged as the best phones you can buy in 2020. The series was expected to be on the premium side. So much so, that after seeing their prices in the US and China markets, many people in India were expecting the OnePlus 8 series to start at well above Rs 45,000, with some even thinking that it could start from Rs 50,000. The Never Settling brand however, surprised everyone by announcing that the latest OnePlus 8 series would start at a surprisingly low Rs 41,999. Even the OnePlus 8 Pro, the more premium of the two devices in the series, would start at Rs 54,999, which is just Rs 1,000 above the pricing of its predecessor, the OnePlus 7T Pro. These are perhaps the lowest prices for the devices in the world. And make them absolute bargains for flagship seekers.
What makes the pricing of the OnePlus 8 series in India so impressive is that it comes at a time when prices were expected to be much higher. The value of the Rupee has declined considerably in recent times. And then there is the matter of the 18 per cent general sales tax that has been imposed on smartphones by the Indian Government. Add to this the fact that OnePlus, as usual, would be using top of the line components in its devices and it is fair to say that the final price tags for the devices in India are nothing short of remarkable. Indeed, there is hardly any other 5G device with similar processor and components available at the OnePlus 8’s starting price.
A glance at the spec sheets of the OnePlus 8 and the 8 Pro just shows what amazing value for money they offer. Both phones are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor, which is the chip of choice for all Android flagships out there and come up with up to 12 GB RAM and 256 GB storage. They also come with support for the fastest mobile networks in the world, 5G, making them not only performers in the current era but future proof as well.
The OnePlus 8 Pro actually sports one of the highest rated displays in the world, a 6,78 inch fluid AMOLED display with quad HD resolution, a staggering pixel density of 513 ppl and 120 Hz refresh rate for really smooth scrolling and graphics. It also features not one, but two, 48 megapixel cameras, one of which is the main sensor, and the other the ultra-wide one, as well as a 8 megapixel telephoto lens and a 5 megapixel color filter lens, to complete a very impressive quad camera set up. On the front is a 16 megapixel camera in a tiny punch hole notch. The OnePlus 8 Pro also packs in a huge 4510 mAh battery with support for not just its legendary 30T Warp Charge but also wireless Warp Charge at a staggering 30W. All of this packed into a gorgeously designed frame available in Glacial Green, Ultramarine Blue and Onyx Black that feels premium to hold and is dust and water resistant too.
The OnePlus 8 will turn heads with its color shifting Interstellar Glow which reflects different colours depending on the angle on which light falls on it. But there is a lot of substance behind that style – it comes with a 6.55 inch fluid AMOLED display with full HD resolution and 90 Hz refresh rate, a triple camera array with a 48 megapixel main sensor as well as a 16 megapixel ultra-wide sensor and a 2 megapixel dedicated macro lens, a 16 megapixel selfie camera and a large 4300 mAh battery with support for Warp Charge 30T. And while the Interstellar Glow is the eye catcher here, you can also choose from Onyx Black and Glacier Green, and be assured of a really premium looking phone.
Great design, top of the line components and a price that is surprisingly low, in spite of all the odds pointing in the opposite direction – that’s the new OnePlus 8 series. But then, we should not have really been too surprised by the price as the brand does have a habit of surprising its Indian consumers very pleasantly in this department. With the OnePlus 8 series, it has done just that. One more time. Make that Plus One more time!
Pre-booking for the the OnePlus 8 series is now live on Amazon and you can pre-book device at Rs 1,000 and even get Rs 1,000 back (details at https://www.amazon.in/b?node=21439725031).
