OnePlus 8 Pro review: a gem with teething problems
One week ago, we posted a blog about the OnePlus 8 Pro’s specifications, available colors, price and a first impression. During this period, one of our specialists used the device for two weeks before writing an extensive user experience about it. Today we look at how you like the phone in practice.
OnePlus 8 Pro review
My name is Paulus Bestebroer and I am one of the specialists at ThePhoneLab. Thanks to our partnership with OnePlus, of which we are an authorized service point, I had the opportunity to be one of the first to test the new flagship. I myself have been a fan of OnePlus ‘ devices for years, so I was very excited to experience what they have come up with again this year.
The switch; how should I transfer my data to my OnePlus 8 Pro?
When switching to a new device, it is obviously important to transfer your data. OnePlus has its own app for this purpose called OnePlus Switch and is installed on the device by default. The app has had many improvements over the years and therefore does exactly what it is supposed to do. The app works quickly, is uncluttered and is accessible for all Android phones. However, to transfer your data with the least risk, it is recommended that you also back up in Google Drive. Should you find this too difficult and prefer not to do it yourself? Then we can do this for you in all our branches.
Using the OnePlus 8 Pro
Immediately after setting up the device, one notices what a high-quality device OnePlus has produced this year. Although last year’s screen was already of extremely high quality, they have managed to take it to another level for their new generation of phones. The screen has a maximum brightness of 1444 nits (the unit for luminance), making it even brighter than the iPhone 11 Pro (1200 nits) and the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra (1342 nits). The OnePlus 8 Pro’s screen wins out not only on brightness, but also on resolution, refresh rate and color. As is often the case with OnePlus, the device does suffer from some teething problems. Namely:
- At low brightness, there seems to be a green glow over the screen, which gives an odd appearance. However, this appears to be a software issue and will (hopefully) be fixed soon.
- Another problem with using the device is its large size and curved edges. Because it has a 6.78-inch screen, the device is not very manageable. As a result, operating the phone with one hand has become almost impossible.
- Also, the curved edges still too often cause unconscious touches on the screen. Whether this can be fixed with further software updates is still unclear.
Much can be said about the OnePlus 8 Pro’s battery. With a battery of 4510 mAh, the phone has a larger or comparable battery to its competition. Only the S20 Ultra and the Moto G8 are significantly above this at 5000 mAh. However, the phone’s battery life is very dependent on usage and settings. Here are a few points that struck me:
- The previously discussed screen may be very nice, but it also has a big impact on the battery. OnePlus offers the option to lower the resolution and/or refresh rate, which makes for a big improvement in battery life.
- In the past 2 weeks, I tried this for 1 day and immediately noticed that getting to the end of the day with the device always worked, whereas with full brightness, QHD+ resolution and 120Hz refresh rate it did not.
Although lowering these settings might be more convenient in practice, I quickly reset the settings to get the most out of the phone.
After all, you don’t buy a Ferrari to then go 100 km/h on the highway.
OnePlus’ cameras have always been of somewhat lower quality than those of other brands’ flagships. This year, however, they did not save on the camera with the Pro model. Although the camera on the back of the device is such that it can be annoying at times, the OnePlus 8 Pro’s camera takes excellent photos. The camera has many different options, a good dynamic range and delivers super sharp photos. A comprehensive camera review on this will be published soon.
Conclusion
All in all, the device is a joy to use. It feels lightning fast, the in-display fingerprint scanner works super, you have a beautiful screen and the device feels very premium. The teething problems will most likely be fixed in the long run through software updates OnePlus knows. Do you still need advice on whether this is the phone for you? Feel free to visit one of our stores in Amsterdam, Haarlem, Utrecht or Alkmaar for tailored advice.
