From launching flagship killers to launching a flagship device at a killer price this year, OnePlus has grown to be one of the most competitive smartphone manufacturers in India. OnePlus 8 Pro is one of the costliest phones the company has ever made. It starts at Rs 54,999 and goes up to Rs 59,999. However, looking at the big picture, it is simultaneously one of the most affordable flagship phones in the country. If you are in the market for a flagship device, here’s why you should buy the OnePlus 8 Pro.

The Price

Unlike most smartphones, OnePlus 8 Pro’s price is one of the reasons why you should get it. It costs $899 for the 8GB/256GB version, and $999 for the 12GB/256GB variant in the States. Hence, the India pricing of Rs 54,999 (~ $715) works in its favor. India is OnePlus’ priority and it shows in the pricing. The phone was priced way cheaper in India than speculated.

As for the competition, the no-compromise Galaxy S20 starts at Rs 70,500, while the closest iPhone flagship is priced at Rs 65,000. Therefore, OnePLus 8 Pro is actually one of the cheapest flagship devices out there.

I’d have said, “go, get it already!” But it is yet to go on sale in the country.

The Display

The OnePlus 8 Pro carries a massive 6.78-inch display. Like it or not, it is huge and it is curved. But what makes it stand out is, it delivers a 120Hz refresh rate at QHD+ (3168 x 1440) resolution. As of now, it is the only phone in India to have that accolade as Samsung limits its high refresh rate setting to a lower resolution. It comes with an option to turn on a “vibrant color effect” to punch up video colors and contrast. Also, there’s “motion graphics smoothing,” which is supposed to sharpen motion blur in videos, but we’ll have to wait and see how it works in our review. Overall, it’s a solid display.

OxygenOS

OxygenOS is my favorite Android skin. It’s clean, minimalistic, and consists of a few welcome tweaks. From changing color themes and icon packs to changing the shape of the icons in the pulldown notification panel – all’s there. Further, OnePlus has also expanded its Dark Theme so certain apps match the dark background. It includes Night Mode and Reading Mode, which are supposed to reduce eye strain. Moreover, the OnePLus 8 Pro brings an extra feature called “comfort tone,” which automatically changes the tint of the screen depending on the ambient light environment.

These little customizations add to the overall user experience and make it much more convenient for the user. Also, the Work-Life Balance is godsend. It allows you to prioritize select notifications based on your location, time, or Wi-Fi network.

Fast Charging

The OnePlus 8 Pro packs a 4,510mAh battery that supports Warp Charge 30T as well as Warp Charge 30 wireless. For the first time, OnePlus brings wireless charging to a phone and it is super fast. The phone can be charged wirelessly for 30 minutes for 50% battery. As for wired, it takes 23 minutes to charge up to 50%. It is a major advantage over other flagships.

OnePlus 8 Pro: Maxed-out specs

The OnePlus 8 Pro is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chipset, paired with the x55 5G modem and Adreno 650 GPU. It comes with 8GB / 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 128GB / 256GB of UFS 3.0 internal storage.

The LPDDR5 RAM brings an improved data transfer speed (up to 50%) at lower power consumption (up to 30%). Moreover, it helps sustain new use cases like AI and Machine Learning on phones, low latency gaming, and game streaming.

It seems to be on-par with other flagships in the optics department too. It sports a quad rear camera setup: a 48MP Sony IMX689 sensor with OIS, EIS, 7P lens + an 8MP telephoto lens with OIS + 48MP ultra-wide-angle lens with 119.7-degree field of view + a 5MP color filter.

This time around, the OnePlus phone is IP68 rated as well. You can check all the specifications here.

Hence, at Rs 54,999, OnePlus 8 Pro is a steal deal. What do you think of the device? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.