OnePlus 8 hands-on review

Refreshed OxygenOS 10.5

There aren't any new ground-breaking features the OxygenOS offers. It's more of a small refresh over the version the 7 and 7T-series are now running. The most notable things are the new system icons and the dynamic wallpapers along with Dark Mode 2.0. It's the same system-wide dark mode but now, it should be working better with third-party apps.

There are a couple of new display settings in the menu like the ability to hide the punch-hole with a black bar on the top.

Probably the niftiest new feature is the contextual charging called Smart Charging. The software tracks your usage habits so when you leave your phone on the charger before you go to bed, the phone will start charging and then stop at a certain point. And right before you wake up, Smart Charging will kick in and top up the rest. This should preserve the battery in the long run.

Early verdict

Unlike the OnePlus 7T, the OnePlus 8 isn't offering a big upgrade over its predecessor. Sure, the increase in battery capacity and screen size will be appreciated by some but the increase in price mostly because of 5G is probably going to be an issue. With the phone starting at $699 and the Pro version selling for $899, the company has made its phones the flagships that flagship killers can take an aim at rather the other way around. This puts OnePlus' handsets even closer to high-end phones from more renowned companies like Samsung, Apple and Huawei. Excuses like the camera not being on par with the latest flagship phones because the price is considerably lower will no longer be a valid argument. OnePlus is officially playing in the big boys league now and reviewers and prospective owners alike will hold their phones to greater scrutiny.

That doesn't mean these phones aren't worth buying. Our full reviews will help you decide whether the OnePlus 8 or 8 Pro are worth your hard-earned money and whether the Pro is worth the extra bucks over the vanilla 8. We just hope that the 8's new camera setup isn't inferior in any way compared to last year's 7T and the larger battery would make a significant difference in a positive way. The full review will give us all the answers we need. Stay tuned!