A new phone is being announced today, despite the Covid-19 pandemic that’s sweeping the world and which has disrupted the tech industry, and it’s the new OnePlus 8 Pro.
In fact, we’re likely to see a whole series of new handsets. We’re expecting to hear about the OnePlus 8, OnePlus 8 Pro, and – possibly – a OnePlus 8 Lite during the livestreamed event.
We don’t know exactly where the livestream will be beamed in from, but it’s all set to start at 11am EST / 8am PT / 4pm BST today, April 14, which is 2am AEST on April 15.
Here we’re going to talk you through the OnePlus 8 launch as it happens. We’ll be commenting on what we see, and if you want to watch along at the same time you can do so using the link above.
OnePlus 8 Pro launch live blog
All times in Eastern Standard Time (ET)
10:55 – We’re kicking off a little early with a video all about the OnePlus community. Don’t worry if you’re not settled down to watch yet, they’re not going to unveil the new devices until at least 11am EST.
Even then, we’d expect to get a bit of preamble before the name OnePlus 8 is uttered on stage.
10:50 – This isn’t the first launch that has been forced to go online-only because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Devices such as the Huawei P40 Pro and Sony Xperia 1 II were forced into internet-only events earlier in the year.
It’s something major manufacturers have adapted to quickly to ensure each can keep unveiling new devices without a hitch.
That said, here at TechRadar we’re missing the physical events themselves and the opportunity to grab as many snacks as we can before hopping into live blogs like this. Right now, we just have coffee in hand in our own houses.
10:40 – We’ve got 20 minutes to go until we get to see the OnePlus event. Below you’ll be able to watch the launch event live on YouTube, but be sure to follow along with our live blog throughout the event too.
09:40 – What are you most excited to hear about later today? Vote in our Twitter poll below.
The #OnePlus8Series is set to be unveiled in a couple of hours – what are you most excited to hear about?April 14, 2020
09:00 – Are you a big fan of OnePlus? If so, you may recognize a lot of the devices below. Our friends at Android Central put together a retrospective of all the phones the company has unveiled over the last six years.
This is why the team and I spend months with finishes, tweaking and refining before they go out to you. Excited to hear what you think 😬 pic.twitter.com/ayVWM7AoZPApril 12, 2020
07:00 – Want to know how much the OnePlus 8 series will cost? UK retailer John Lewis has provided those details with listings for each phone that seem to have gone up ahead of schedule on the store’s website.
At the time of writing, the listings are still available to see at the link above, but we’d expect those to be pulled before the launch. How much will the phones cost? We’ve listed those John Lewis UK prices below, with approximate converted prices for the US and Australia.
| 8GB RAM and 128GB storage | 12GB RAM and 256GB storage | |
| OnePlus 8 | £599 (about $750 / AU$1200) | £699 (about $900 / AU$1,400) |
| OnePlus 8 Pro | £799 (about $1,000 / AU$1,600) | £899 (about $1,100, AU$1,800) |
06:00 – OnePlus has adopted an odd strategy for its latest phone launch, teasing a variety of features ahead of the launch. So what do we know for certain about the new phones?
The company has confirmed that at least one of the devices will have a 120Hz display, and it’s also said it’ll be including wireless charging for the first time – we’re expecting both those features to be included on the OnePlus 8 Pro.
We also got a glimpse of the OnePlus 8 design in an update from the company’s CEO. We’re assuming there will be a few surprises at the launch to keep us interested, but we’ve still got a few hours to find out what those will be.
04:40 – We’re going to be hearing all about the OnePlus 8 in a matter of hours, and here you’ll be able to follow along in the build-up to the event, and then read our first impressions and analysis during the launch event itself.
Below we’ve listed the phones and peripherals that we’re expecting to hear about, based on the latest leaks and rumors, as well as some official announcements from OnePlus.
- OnePlus 8 – This is the standard edition of the phone, which isn’t expected to be the top-end device, but will feature a 6.44-inch display and a 48MP rear camera.
- OnePlus 8 Pro – The top-end handset from OnePlus for 2020, which we expect will sport a 6.7-inch display with 120Hz refresh rate as well as two 48MP rear cameras.
- OnePlus 8 Lite – Little is known about this phone, but it’s rumored that OnePlus will be introducing a third handset in its line that’s likely to be cheaper than the others.
- OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z – The company is expected to introduce new headphones that last for 20 hours on a single charge.
- OnePlus wireless charger – OnePlus has teased a wireless charging pad for its upcoming phones, so that will likely be arriving alongside them.
- Something else – We may get a surprise announcement from OnePlus – and if that’s the case you’ll hear about it here first.
