The design of the OnePlus 8 Pro
The OnePlus 8 Pro is available in eye-catching colors. We tried out the Glacial Green variant of the entry-level Pro model with 8 GB of fast LPDDR5 RAM and the new UFS 3.0 storage, 128 GB of it. This was part of the Reviewers Kit that OnePlus sent, and we’re really impressed with quite a few of these products.
The sandstone case has a gritty texture that gives you the feeling of extra grip.
The Warp 30T charger with the OnePlus 8 Pro has a fan built into it, helping to keep everything nice and cool.
You get the charger in the box when you buy it at retail, as well as a clear case. There is no screen protector built in or pre-installed.
Impressive display and well-placed features
The right side of the phone is where you’ll find the power button, which can also be used as your voice assistant button if you like. This is a feature we believe every Android manufacturer should be adopting.
On the left side is the volume rocker, and on the bottom of the phone is the USB-C port, a microphone, half of the stereo speakers, and dual nano-SIM tray. There is not an option for expandable storage.
On the top side of the phone is another microphone. Skirting the top edge of the front of the phone is the second half of the stereo pair, and just to the left of that is the hole-punch camera.
Around that hole punch is the vibrant 6.55-inch viewable display, which is capable of resolutions up to QHD+ (that’s 1368×1440), and you get the ability to view the display at 120 Hz, even at its highest resolution, which is something you won’t get with some of its competitors. You will take a hit to the battery for that display decision, should you choose it. This is one of the best displays on the market right now. There aren’t any other devices at this size and price point which match this display.
Below the display is the fingerprint scanner, which we consider best in class in the Android category. Unlocks are fast, and it won’t feel like you have to be exacting with finger placement to unlock successfully.
This phone also supports Qualcomm’s top-of-the-line Snapdragon 865 processor with the X55 5G modem and the Adreno 650 graphics processor. What does all of that even mean? Well, you’re getting a relatively future-proof flagship phone. Relatively is a keyword here, because of what Qualcomm’s next 5G modem is purported to be able to do.
Gesture navigation could be better
One issue that is irksome is gesture navigation. If you’re going to get rid of the traditional navigation, having a case with a cutout at the bottom, is the best way to go, since you’re going to find yourself swiping up, from the bottom of the screen, frequently. However, by turning on the feature that hides the navbar, the bottom of the screen becomes more sensitive to swipes and the problem solved. It still isn’t 100%, but it’s a lot better than it was before, and hide navbar is just one of quite a few customizations you’ll find in Oxygen OS. This OS has a lack of bloat compared to previous versions.
