OnePlus launched the 8 Pro as its entry into the premium flagship tier, a deliberate shift from the company’s earlier "flagship killer" positioning. The phone ships with Android 10, a Snapdragon 865 chipset and a 6.78" Quad HD (3168×1440) Fluid AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate. Design-wise the 8 Pro is a subtle evolution from the 7 Pro with new finishes — the Ultramarine Blue example reviewed by HardwareCanucks has a matte texture that’s soft to the touch and less reflective than glossy glass.
This review synthesizes long-term hands-on reporting from HardwareCanucks (long-term review), early and detailed testing from Droid-Life, performance benchmarking context from HotHardware, and device specification and median benchmark aggregations from UL Benchmarks. Where sources reported updates, I track their impact on day‑to‑day use and measured performance results such as Geekbench and PCMark comparisons noted in the coverage.
High-level verdict: the OnePlus 8 Pro delivers one of OnePlus’s strongest displays and one of its fastest hardware platforms to date — Snapdragon 865 performance places it near the top of Android devices in CPU benchmarks. It also introduced features OnePlus hadn’t offered widely before, including wireless charging. The trade-offs are clear: OnePlus moved into a premium pricing band and needed multiple post‑launch software updates to address user-facing issues; long-term reviewers still noted lingering complaints even after those patches.
Top-tier Snapdragon 865 performance, near the head of Android benchmarks
The OnePlus 8 Pro is built on the Snapdragon 865 platform and was offered with 8 GB or 12 GB of RAM and 128 GB or 256 GB of storage. HotHardware and UL benchmark reporting place the 8 Pro near the top of Geekbench 5 single- and multi-core charts for Android devices: in multi-threaded CPU tests it finishes behind the iPhone 11 Pro and the LG V60 but ahead of several contemporaneous Samsung flagships.
Synthetic workloads such as PCMark Work 2.0 and AnTuTu 8 used in early reviews show strong day‑to‑day responsiveness and productivity performance. The device handles multitasking and scripted productivity workloads well, matching the expectations for a 2020 flagship Android device powered by Snapdragon 865.
A standout 6.78" Quad HD Fluid AMOLED at 120Hz
The 8 Pro uses a 6.78" Quad HD Fluid AMOLED panel at 3168×1440 and a top refresh rate of 120Hz — the display specification itself is among the best available in 2020 and was repeatedly praised in reviews (Droid-Life called it "really good"). The combination of QHD resolution and 120Hz refresh brings visible smoothness for animations and scrolling compared with 60Hz panels.
Reviewers highlighted brightness, color and the high refresh rate as flagship-level strengths. That said, QHD+ at 120Hz can increase power draw; reviewers and aggregators noted strong overall performance but battery trade-offs for users who run the panel at maximum resolution and refresh rate remain a practical consideration.
48MP main sensor and a new multi-camera setup — capable but not a guaranteed class‑leader
OnePlus equipped the 8 Pro with a 48MP primary camera as part of a multi-lens array; early reviews described the new camera setup as improved compared with prior OnePlus phones. Droid-Life explicitly called out the camera as part of the package they tested, and reviewers considered it a step forward for OnePlus hardware.
Benchmark and review coverage in the brief does not provide exhaustive comparative low-light or computational photography metrics, and reviewers stopped short of declaring the 8 Pro the absolute camera winner versus contemporaries like the Galaxy S20 series or Huawei P40 Pro. The camera is a clear upgrade over earlier OnePlus generations, but competing flagships remain strong rivals in imaging.
Subtle evolution over the 7 Pro with refined finishes
HardwareCanucks' long-term review described the 8 Pro's design as a tasteful, subtle improvement over the 7 Pro. The Ultramarine Blue finish tested has a matte texture described as soft to the touch and less reflective than typical glossy glass backs, which reviewers appreciated for everyday handling.
The phone maintains a premium materials feel consistent with flagship class hardware. The move to more premium pricing (noted by reviewers) accompanies this build and finish upgrade, positioning the 8 Pro against high-end rivals rather than mid-pack OnePlus models.
Active post-launch updates fixed many issues but not every concern
OnePlus rolled out multiple software updates after launch that addressed many user-facing problems mentioned in early coverage; HardwareCanucks' long-term review specifically notes several positive software updates over months of use. The phone initially shipped with Android 10, and OnePlus used OTA updates to refine behavior and features.
Despite steady updates, the long-term reviewer still reported lingering 'beefs' with the 8 Pro after months of use, indicating that while OnePlus improved the experience post‑launch, some aspects did not reach perfection during the review window.
Pros & Cons
- ✅ 6.78" Quad HD (3168×1440) Fluid AMOLED display with 120Hz for noticeably smoother animation and scrolling
- ✅ Snapdragon 865 platform with 8 GB or 12 GB RAM options — strong Geekbench and multi-threaded performance versus most Android peers
- ✅ 48 MP primary camera in an improved multi-camera array compared with prior OnePlus models
- ✅ Supports wireless charging (notable addition for OnePlus at the time)
- ✅ Refined build and finishes (Ultramarine Blue matte texture described as soft to the touch and less reflective)
- ❌ OnePlus's deliberate move to premium pricing made the 8 Pro the most expensive OnePlus phone to date, changing its competitive positioning
- ❌ Required multiple post-launch software updates to address user-facing issues; long-term reviewer still reported remaining complaints
- ❌ Benchmarks show excellent CPU standing but reviewers did not claim the camera system unambiguously outperforms top competitors such as Samsung or Huawei
How It Compares to the Competition
- Samsung Galaxy S20 series — Direct flagship competitor — Galaxy offers a mature camera ecosystem and comparable display specs; OnePlus matches display and CPU performance but faces Samsung's stronger imaging and ecosystem integration.
- Huawei P40 Pro — A camera-focused flagship competitor — Huawei pushes imaging capabilities; the 8 Pro improves OnePlus's photography but did not decisively eclipse Huawei in reviewers' comparisons.
- iPhone 11 Pro — Apple's prior-generation flagship — in CPU single-core and overall system optimization the iPhone 11 Pro led some benchmarks, while the 8 Pro placed near the top among Android devices.
Who Should Buy This & Who Should Skip It
Buy it if: Buy the OnePlus 8 Pro if you want one of OnePlus's best displays (6.78" QHD at 120Hz), flagship-class Snapdragon 865 performance and the flexibility of 8 GB or 12 GB RAM with wireless charging support. It's a good fit for power users who prioritize fluid UI experience and raw CPU/multitasking performance.
Skip it if: Skip the 8 Pro if you prioritize the absolute best camera system available (reviewers did not declare it the outright camera winner) or you prefer a lower-cost handset — OnePlus intentionally moved the 8 Pro into the premium segment. Buyers seeking guaranteed out‑of‑box perfection without multiple post‑launch updates may also want to consider alternatives.
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