OnePlus 8 Could Give Samsung A Run For Its Money

OnePlus has always launched phones with specs that rival high-end premium flagship, give or take some features like wireless charging or formal waterproof rating. What sets those phones apart, however, have really been the "bang for the buck" value they offered at a significantly lower cost. Times have changed, however, and even OnePlus has to raise its prices eventually while still not rising to the same level as its rivals. Fortunately, despite the addition of those missing features, the OnePlus 8 5G might still undercut the others but probably not by much.

There still doesn't seem to be any stopping premium smartphone prices from going higher and higher. We passed the $1,000 point back in 2017 or even earlier and we've already reached $1,400 this year for a non-foldable phone.

OnePlus CEO Pete Lau assured Business Insider that its upcoming flagship won't exceed $1,000, which is the starting price of the cheapest Samsung Galaxy S20. That's despite the fully-loaded features that are expected to be crammed inside the OnePlus 8 and especially the OnePlus 8 Pro.

The company already confirmed three key specs of the OnePlus 8 series that alone could already drive prices higher. The most important of this is the Snapdragon 865 which brings with 5G connectivity with it, a first for OnePlus. Those other specs include LPDDR5 RAM, UFS 3.0 storage, and, also a first, a 120Hz screen. Other leaks add wireless charging and IP68 rating for the OnePlus 8 Pro model.

Lau naturally wouldn't name even a price range but considering the OnePlus 7T last year launched for $600, we could be looking at something around $800. The chief exec does leave some hope that prices could go down in the future once 5G technology and hardware have settled down as well. Given the slow pace of adoption and new delays due to global circumstances, that may take quite a while.