Don’t Get the Vanilla OnePlus
OnePlus 8 series was launched almost a month back, and we took our time to analyze it. OnePlus has been making ‘Flagship Killers’ for a while now. This meant providing the fastest chipset and performance of the time, in a budget that doesn’t burn your wallet. But over time, their prices have increased quite substantially, and these devices are in the flagship territory now, both in terms of price hike and features. Continue reading to see if they are worth your attention.
Spoiler alert: Don’t get the OnePlus 8 unless you absolutely have a reason to. This article explains exactly why, along with some better alternatives offering a better bang for your buck and worth the consideration.
Unjustified Feature Differences
OnePlus started launching 2 tiers of smartphones from 2019 when it first introduced the OnePlus 7 and 7 Pro. Back then, the 2 phones had very similar basics, but the Pro had some features that could be considered as a “luxury”, owing to its “Pro” moniker. They also had very different prices, and each of the options offered great value for money. With the 8 and 8 Pro, OnePlus took away too many features from the budget sibling while pricing it steeply, from 42,000 INR. It is a great phone, and let us not make you think it’s not. But for the price you pay, it’s definitely not giving the right value which the brand represented before.
The OnePlus 8 has an inferior display(1080p & 90Hz versus 1440p & 120Hz in 8 Pro), no wireless charging, the omission of an official IP rating, an older standard of RAM (DDR4x v/s DDR5 in the 8 Pro), no telephoto camera (seen even in the 7T which it succeeds) and a smaller battery. It even omits the much better quality Ultra-wide camera and the Sony IMX689 primary sensor from the 8 Pro and uses the same primary and Ultra-wide sensors used last year. This can be quite a bummer for a lot of people, especially when feature differences were far less pronounced in the 7T series launched half a year back.
What To Get Then?
We suggest skipping the OnePlus 8 and waiting for the 8T if possible. The T series contains minor improvements but usually offers better value for the price. If you can somehow stretch your budget, get the OnePlus 8 Pro for 55,000 INR which is one of the best phones available in India right now, and it’s highly recommended to get one. It offers the best value at that price segment and comes with all the bells and whistles of a flagship, at much lesser of a cost. If you want a cheaper option, the OnePlus 7T might suit you. It starts in around 35000 INR currently and doesn’t lose out much. It only has half a generation older chipset, and no 5G, which shouldn’t be a big deal for the masses.
The OnePlus 8 is a good device by its own. It is a flagship with inferior specs, not a Flagship Killer.
