OnePlus 8 Pro leak shows massive advantages over OnePlus 8

A new list of specs for the upcoming OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro has popped up online less than a week before OnePlus is set to reveal the phones at an April 14 launch event.

WinFuture has published a swath of details on both models, echoing much of what we heard from an earlier OnePlus 8 specs leak posted by Ishan Agarwal in late March. The WinFuture report highlights a couple of key differences between the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro. While both phones derive power from Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 5G chipsets, the Pro variant looks to pack a faster 120Hz display and wireless charging for the first time in a OnePlus phone. The standard OnePlus 8 will make do with a 90Hz panel and wired charging only.

The OnePlus 8 Pro also gets a higher-spec quad-lens camera, fronted by a pair of 48-megapixel wide and ultrawide lenses, as well as an 8-MP telephoto and a special 5-MP sensor designed to eliminate color flickering when filming video. The cheaper model will have one fewer camera, supplementing the primary 48-MP wide optic with a 16-MP ultrawide lens and 2-MP macro shooter.

The addition of wireless charging to the OnePlus 8 Pro will be huge for fans of the company’s handsets. Up to this point, OnePlus has always downplayed the importance of the technology, claiming the rate of charging simply wasn’t fast enough to make it worthwhile, and that customers would enjoy a better experience with its superfast Warp Charge wired system.

From the looks of it, OnePlus has devised a way to make wireless charging far more efficient than ever before. Typically, “fast” wireless charging exists somewhere in the realm of 10 to 15 watts, but OnePlus is evidently pushing double that power over induction, according to these leaks. We do fear that’s going to make the Pro model very, very hot, though leaked photos of the company’s charging stand shows a bulky design with a fan on the back — so hopefully, that scheme will keep the phone cool.

OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro rumored specs

The Pro’s faster display is also a notable advantage for that model. At 120Hz, the quad-HD+ AMOLED screen in the OnePlus 8 Pro delivers animations twice as fast as what you see from conventional phone displays. The Samsung Galaxy S20 series also features 120Hz panels, though the smoother refresh rate unsurprisingly depletes the battery faster, so it’ll be interesting to see if OnePlus can circumvent that problem with an intelligent or dynamic setting.

Finally, WinFuture claims the OnePlus 8 Pro will come certified for IP68 water resistance, which promises the device can withstand 30 minutes of submersion in up to 5 feet of water. That’s interesting, given OnePlus’ aversion to IP-rated water resistance over the last several years. The phone maker has argued against IP ratings in the past because that certification adds money to the phone’s price, and that it was able to deliver the same resistance without official testing.

Evidently there’s been a change of heart with the pricier of this year’s OnePlus handsets, so we’re curious to see if OnePlus still claims any protection for the standard model, or if all the attention on water resistance has been reserved for the Pro this time around.

Of course, with all of these luxuries included, we expect the OnePlus 8 Pro to cost significantly more than the regular model, with rumors pointing to an $800 price tag. That would be only $100 cheaper than the Galaxy S20. 

OnePlus has slowly eroded its value advantage over other flagships over the past few product cycles as it’s continuously moved upmarket, so a higher price for the OnePlus 8 Pro wouldn’t be particularly surprising. Hopefully, the standard OnePlus 8 will be a more economical proposition along the lines of our favorite devices from the company in the past.