OnePlus 8 Series Confirmed To Go All In With 5G, But What Will That Mean For Prices?

Lau confirmed this bit of information first in a Twitter post, and then in an interview with CNET. But the inclusion of 5G connectivity means that pricing will also have to increase to compensate. OnePlus has always valued itself as providing a lot of bang for the buck with its smartphones, but the 5G revolution will put pressure on that position.

The delicate issue of pricing was touched on by Lau in the interview, with him stating, "We've always had a position in creating the best product possible at the best price point. The new technology does add costs so costs have risen in comparison to 4G products."

So, what will that mean for consumers when it comes to pricing? With respect to the company's 4G LTE smartphones, the OnePlus 7T has a regular MSRP of $599, but the company is currently selling it for $499. Likewise, OnePlus 7 Pro with its bezel-free display and pop-up selfie camera is also priced at $499. However, stepping up to the OnePlus 7T Pro 5G McLaren takes the price to a hefty $899.

There's no question that the OnePlus 8 Pro will likely sell be an expensive smartphone. Will it come close to the $999 price tag of the Galaxy S20 or even the $1,399 of the Galaxy S20 Ultra? That remains to be seen, but OnePlus has plenty of room at the bottom of the product stack to add some value to the equation.

It's rumored that OnePlus will launch a OnePlus 8 Lite, which would forgo the use of Qualcomm Snapdragon processor in favor or a more budget-oriented MediaTek Dimensity 1000. That SoC has an integrated 5G modem, although its performance compared to its Snapdragon competitors remains a mystery at this point. The device is expected to feature a 6.4-inch AMOLED 90Hz display, 8GB of RAM and a 4,000 mAh battery.

Moving up the product stack, the "standard" OnePlus 8 is rumored to feature a 6.55-inch 90Hz display along with a Snapdragon 865 SoC (paired with the Snapdragon X55 5G modem). Finally, the range-topping OnePlus 8 Pro would feature the same SoC/5G modem combination, but add up to 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM to the mix. It's alleged that the smartphone will feature a 6.5-inch 120HZ AMOLED display and will include up to 256GB of internal UFS 3.0 storage. Also on deck are triple rear cameras, a 3D depth sensor, a 32MP selfie camera, and a 4,500 mAh battery. And if the earlier reporting is accurate, all of the new 8 Series phones will add wireless charging for the first time.