Here’s how the new OnePlus 8 Pro compares to the OnePlus 7T Pro.
I have used the OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Edition for a few months as my primary device, and it did convince me that OnePlus had almost reached the flagship status. But it was lacking a few features that one expects in a flagship such as a proper IP rating and wireless charging support. I would not call the lack of these as a dealbreaker, but one does expect such features on flagship. But all of that changes with the OnePlus 8 Pro.
The company seems to have finally built a true flagship smartphone. Especially when you consider the price tag of $899 for the base 8GB RAM/128GB storage variant and $999 for the high spec 12GB RAM/256GB storage variant. This puts it in direct competition with the flagship smartphones like the Galaxy S20 Plus and the Apple iPhone 11 Pro.
Today, we will be taking a look at what is new in the OnePlus 8 Pro and whether it is really worth the upgrade if you already own the OnePlus 7T Pro.
OnePlus 8 Pro vs OnePlus 7T Pro: Price
OnePlus is yet to reveal OnePlus 8 Pro’s India pricing. However, it has announced that the device will be priced at $899 for the 8GB RAM/128GB storage variant and $999 for the 12GB RAM/256GB storage variant, which roughly converts to Rs 68,283 and Rs 75,879, respectively. These prices are considerably higher when compared to the prices of the OnePlus 7T Pro, which is available at Rs 53,999 for the 8GB RAM/256GB storage variant and at Rs 58,999 for the 12GB RAM/256GB storage variant.
In the past, we have seen that the India prices are on the lower side compared to the dollar prices for the OnePlus phones. But the expectation is that the OnePlus 8 Pro will start at a higher price, which could push it closer to Rs 55,000 plus for the base variant. Again, we will have to wait for sometime till the phone is officially announced in India. Right now, all we know is that the OnePlus 8 Pro and OnePlus 8 will come to India in the ‘summer’.
OnePlus 8 Pro vs OnePlus 7T Pro: Design
The first thing that stands out is that the OnePlus 8 Pro comes with a punch-hole display in contrast to the OnePlus 7T Pro, which features a seamless full-screen display thanks to its motorised pop-up selfie camera module. Another noticeable difference is that the 7T Pro just came with a triple camera setup on the back, the OnePlus 8 Pro comes with a quad-camera (four) setup.
Both devices look very similar if one were to look at them from a distance. But there are a few subtle differences such as the punch-hole camera in the OnePlus 8 Pro, and of course the four cameras at the back. Another minor detail is that the 8 Pro sports the new OnePlus logo. The OnePlus 8 Pro is also lighter at 199 grams compared to the from OnePlus 7T Pro’s 206 grams.
A design feature that you will not be able to notice just by touching the device is that the OnePlus 8 Pro comes with an official IP68 rating, making it the first smartphone from the company to sport one. Earlier OnePlus claimed that their smartphones did have a level of waterproofing to them, however, they did not get the devices tested just to keep the costs lower.
OnePlus 8 Pro vs OnePlus 7T Pro: Display
OnePlus 8 Pro sports a 6.78-inch Quad HD+ Fluid AMOLED display with a resolution of 3168×1440 pixels and HDR10+ support. It comes with 3D Corning Gorilla Glass protection on top. One of the major changes is that it comes with a 120Hz refresh rate and a 240Hz touch sampling rate. You can use the phone at 1440p resolution at 120Hz to get one of the best viewing experience out there.
This is also a 10-bit display, a feature which we have seen on the Oppo Find X2 Pro series. A 10-bit display is capable of showing more than 1 billion colours, and would give the OnePlus 8 Pro’s screen an edge over phones from Samsung’s S20 series.
OnePlus 8 Pro sports a 6.78-inch Quad HD+ Fluid AMOLED display with a resolution of 3168×1440 pixels and HDR10+ support.
The older OnePlus 7T Pro features a 6.67-inch Quad HD AMOLED display with a resolution of 3120×1440 pixels and HDR10+ support. It also comes with 3D Corning Gorilla Glass protection. It has a refresh rate of 90HZ and a touch sampling rate of 180Hz. The difference when going from 60Hz to 90Hz feels huge and a major improvement.
Another difference is that the OnePlus 8 Pro has a punch-hole selfie camera module integrated to the top left corner of the display. The company says that this will not get in between while viewing content as it is very small. I still feel that the 7T Pro dealt with this issue in a much better way by integrating the pop-up selfie camera, which came up only when needed.
OnePlus 8 Pro vs OnePlus 7T Pro: Processor
Every year OnePlus has upgraded its processor from the previous generation of the Snapdragon flagship processor to the latest one. This year is no different, the company has simply replaced the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus processor with the Snapdragon 865 processor. On paper, the 865 might be a much better performer. But in daily usage, you might not feel a major performance upgrade, given the 855+ remains a very capable processor.
OnePlus 7T Pro is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus processor.
One difference that will make you consider the 8 Pro is that, it comes with 5G integration as a base pack. This means all, OnePlus 8 Pro smartphones will come with 5G integration from the beginning. But remember 5G is not available in India right now and is unlikely to make an appearance for the next two years. Unless you plan to hold on to the device for more than two years, simply picking OnePlus 8 Pro for the 5G capability does not make much sense in India.
OnePlus 8 Pro vs OnePlus 7T Pro: Cameras
I liked the camera of the OnePlus 7T Pro, hence I am excited to try out the 8 Pro’s camera. But until I am able to do that, I would not comment on it. Comparing in terms of features, the first visual difference is that the OnePlus 8 Pro comes with a quad camera setup on the back, while the 7T Pro only features a triple camera setup.
OnePlus 7T Pro sports a triple camera setup on the back.
The OnePlus 7T Pro comes with a 48MP Sony IMX586 sensor with both OIS and EIS support, paired with an 8MP telephoto lens and a 16MP ultra-wide angle sensor. It can shoot 4K videos at 30/60 fps and has a 3x optical zoom. On the front, it features a 16MP sensor for taking selfies.
The OnePlus 8 Pro comes with a 48MP Sony IMX689 primary sensor with both OIS and EIS support, paired with a 48MP ultra-wide angle sensor an 8MP telephoto sensor and a 5MP colour filter lens. It can also shoot 4K videos at 30/60 fps and has a 3x hybrid zoom rather than an optical one. On the front, it features a 16MP sensor for taking selfies.
OnePlus 8 Pro vs OnePlus 7T Pro: Battery
OnePlus 8 Pro’s 4,510mAh battery is comparatively larger battery than OnePlus 7T Pro’s 4,085mAh battery. Both devices support the company’s own Warp Charge 30T fast charging technology, which is among the best charging technology available in the market right now. More importantly, the OnPlus 8 Pro is the company’s first smartphone to come with wireless charging support.
OnePlus 8 Pro’s 4,510mAh battery is comparatively larger battery than OnePlus 7T Pro’s 4,085mAh battery.
It comes with support for the company’s own Warp Charge 30 Wireless charging technology, which has a capacity of charging the device at 30W wirelessly. However, to achieve this the company has used proprietary technology and not the Qi standard, which means you will have to get the proprietary Warp Charge 30 Wireless charger from the company to take advantage of this feature. You can still charge it slowly via a Qi standard charger, however, it will charge slowly at 5W.
OnePlus 8 Pro vs OnePlus 7T Pro: Verdict
If you just bought the OnePlus 7T Pro, the OnePlus 8 Pro, while it has new features, will be an expensive upgrade to consider. The OnePlus 7T Pro is still a wonderful phone and it would make sense to hold on to it. If you do not own a 7T Pro and are considering the new OnePlus 8 Pro, it sounds like an excellent flagship. But you will have to wait to purchase this given the lockdown in India.
However, if you are ready to forego the small features like an IP rating, 120Hz display, wireless charging and a better camera, then I would recommend that you take a look at the 7T Pro. As it has similar looks, a motorised pop-up selfie camera, a full screen display, a good camera and performance to offer. More importantly if one were to consider the US prices, the OnePlus 8 Pro is likely to be a more expensive proposition.