During the present pandemic-induced economic mess, buying a new phone would be the last thing on one’s mind unless, of course, the present one is broken or badly outdated. So far tech companies have nurtured the behaviour of constant upgrades but now they are being forced to take a new direction, perhaps offering us a silver lining: You really don’t have to spend an obscene sum on a flagship device to enjoy that wow experience.

OnePlus, which is known for taking big leaps in way of innovation, has assumed underdog tactics with its OnePlus 8, the younger brother of 8 Pro.

Yes, there is a lot of buzz around the “affordable” OnePlus Nord but we are talking about something that would pique your interest if you want to squeeze a few years of service out of a phone.

Not a number-crunching exercise

Honestly, the OnePlus 8 Pro is darn good to the point of being prodigal. While the OnePlus 8 is the level-headed brother with almost — and the emphasis is on almost! — all the big chops. The features essential to the OnePlus experience are here — big screen, great battery life, fast-charging and a clean take on Android.

After a week of showing a lot of disrespect to the review unit, the 8 survived with zero damage or scratches. Agreed there is no IP rating on this one but it survived a few rainy outings on the terrace. The basic stuff: The on-screen fingerprint scanner is good but we prefer face unlock, which is fast.

The solidly-specced device is powered by Snapdragon 865 and the model we have been using comes with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. Obviously, that makes things move pretty smoothly. One of the big differences (something that also adds to the cost) between 8 and 8 Pro is that the former uses LPDDR4X RAM while the latter comes with LPDDR5 RAM, which basically means that data transfer rates are higher on the Pro model. Is it a whole lot faster? Actually, you will not notice much of a difference if you use the device for browsing, streaming, photos and messaging. The more important element is present in both the phones — Wi-Fi 6 support, which makes a difference during gaming and streaming. It’s worth paying for.

The two phones, in fact, look so similar that it would be hard to tell them apart. Yup, the 8 is slightly smaller — 6.55 inches vs 6.78 inches, but hey, that’s like talking about apples versus imported apples. Speaking of display, the 8 comes with 90Hz refresh rate, which helps a lot when it comes to scrolling feeds and improves the overall feel of the display, especially at a time when we are staring at screens longer. The pro model has a 120Hz refresh rate but hang on, you really don’t need it. On the 8 one will get 1080p and a peak brightness of 1100 nits which gets upped to 1440p and 1300 nits on the Pro. These are just numbers. And frankly, a number-crunching exercise sounds good when you walk into a shop and a salesperson tries to push the device he or she wants.

In short: The OnePlus 8 is simply a great device and it works perfectly well. This is a 5G phone but, of course, India is still some time away from the technology. What makes the experience smooth is OxygenOS, which is the Android-based OS. OnePlus has always known to offer a fluid experience. This time it is no different. The phone doesn’t come with bloatware or ads floating around.

The more important element is present in the phone — Wi-Fi 6 support, that makes a difference during gaming and streaming. The Telegraph

One less thing

The phone has a triple-camera system on the rear — a 48MP main camera, 16MP ultra-wide and a 2MP macro camera. We have no issues using a 48MP main camera when there are some phones that come with a 108MP lens. The main camera shoots 12MP by default and you can go into a full 48MP mode also. In broad daylight, the pictures look great while the auto-HDR mode handles high-contrast scenes effortlessly and auto-focus takes place without snags.

What we don’t like about the phone is the absence of a telephoto camera. We really don’t know why the company didn’t retain this. OnePlus has bundled a macro camera which, frankly, is of no use. Even using the main camera you can do a lot of macro photography. There is a Nightscape mode, making low-light photography good but it doesn’t match the iPhone 11 or a Pixel. Yet, it’s more than enough to handle uneven lighting.

Pictures taken using the OnePlus 8 come out crisp and the level of contrast is amazing The Telegraph

Is it worth it?

Excellent display. Outstanding audio. Good camera. And wonderful battery life. There is a 4,300mAh battery which easily lasts a day even after intense use and it charges amazingly fast. In the last few years OnePlus has proved that its phones can be taken for granted when it comes to experience and sturdiness. The OnePlus 8 is crazy fast but at the same time makes for a sensible buy that would last a few years.

At a glance: OnePlus 8

⚫Device: OnePlus 8

⚫Display: 6.55 inches Fluid AMOLED (2400x1080 pixels 402 ppi)

⚫Operating System: OxygenOS based on Android 10

⚫CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 865; 5G Chipset: X55; GPU: Adreno 650

⚫RAM: 12GB LPDDR4X

⚫Storage: 256GB

⚫Battery: 4300mAh; Warp Charge 30T fast charging (5V/6A)

⚫Rear camera: 48MP (main camera) + 16MP (ultra-wide angle) + 2MP (macro)

⚫Front camera: 16MP

⚫Video: 4K at 30/60 fps; 1080P video at 30/60 fps

⚫Price: Upwards of Rs 44,999 (8GB/128GB)