OnePlus 8 Lite leak hints at a return to the mid-range

LEAKED RENDERS of the so-called OnePlus 8 Lite (below) have all but confirmed that the firm is plotting a return to the mid-range market.

The handset, which could be the company's first mid-range device since 2015's OnePlus X, will arrive in the first half of 2020 alongside the higher-end OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro, according to @OnLeaks and 91Mobiles.

Renders shared by the tipster duo show that the handset will sport a flat "6.4in or 6.4in" display with a centred punch-hole cutout that will house a single selfie cam. Around the back, the OnePlus 8 Lite will sport a dual-camera setup flanked by a bunch of additional sensors, including what could be a Time of Flight (ToF) sensor.

Elsewhere, the OnePlus 8 Lite will sport a single USB-C port and an in-display fingerprint sensor, all-but-confirming that it will feature an OLED screen. 91Mobiles notes that it's as-yet-unclear whether it'll boast the same 90Hz refresh rate as the OnePlus 7T and 7T Pro. 

20/11/19: Alleged sketches of the OnePlus 8 Pro have surfaced online, all-but-confirming the flagship's quad-camera setup and punch-hole display. 

The diagrams, obtained by True-Tech, show four camera lenses on the back of the handset, accompanied by a dual-tone LED flash and laser autofocus. The fourth lens is expected to arrive in the form of a depth-sensing Time of Flight (ToF) sensor.

The bare-bones drawings also add weight to the rumours that OnePlus is planning to ditch the pop-up camera mechanism seen on the OnePlus 7 Pro. Instead, the firm looks to be considering a Samsung-esque punch-hole cutout, with the sketches depicting handsets with both single and dual-lens front-facing cameras. 

Elsewhere, not much seems to have changed; the button placements remain identical, with a volume controls positioned on the left of the screen and the alert slider and power button placed on the right-hand side.

12/11/19: In-the-wild images of an alleged OnePlus 8 Pro have surfaced online, adding weight to the rumours of a punch-hole display.

Official-looking renders had previously suggested that OnePlus planned to bin notches and pop-up cameras in favour of a punch-hole display, and images of a supposed OnePlus 8 Pro prototype (below) all but confirms it.  

EXCLUSIVE: OnePlus 8 (Pro?) prototype spotted live in China airport@OnLeaks @ishanagarwal24 @UniverseIce @Mr_TechTalkTV @Slashleaks
Credit: @IntelSfs pic.twitter.com/SklLTlgmLK

— Oscar - Momo (@O_s_c_a_r_o) November 8, 2019

They show a OnePlus handset sporting a pill-shaped punch-hole cutout that houses two selfie cameras instead of one. 

The blurry snaps also tell us that the OnePlus 8 Pro will be available in a purple variant, similar to that seen on the year-old OnePlus 6T in Thunder Purple, and suggest it'll sport a curved screen similar to that seen on this year's 7T Pro. 

5G support could also be on the cards for the next-gen OnePlus; the images allegedly show "OnePlus 8 Pro 5G" branding on the handset's backside. 

7/11/19: The OnePlus 8 Pro will reportedly up the ante in the screen stakes with an iPhone 12-rivalling 120Hz display.

So says tipster Max J, who tweeted a not-so-cryptic image that mentions '120Hz" alongside the tagline "Be a Pro" (below). While many speculated that he was teasing the incoming Galaxy S11, Max later confirmed that he was referring to the OnePlus 8 Pro.

Be a "pro". pic.twitter.com/h4UwnOXn8H

— Max J. (@Samsung_News_) November 7, 2019

The tweet doesn't give anything else away, but the accompanying "Be a Pro" message suggests this feature - which will presumably arrive in the form of a 120Hz Fluid AMOLED display - will be reserved for OnePlus' next-gen Pro-branded model, with the standard OnePlus 8 likely to stick to a 90Hz screen.

If the rumour is legit, the OnePlus 8 Pro will be the Chinese firm's first phone to sport a 120Hz screen - though not the first to make it to market; the Asus RoG Phone 2, which debuted in Europe in September, sports a 120Hz OLED display.

Apple is reportedly plotting 120Hz screens for next year's iPhone lineup too. Recent rumours suggested the iPhone 12 will follow in the footsteps of Apple's ProMotion iPad Pros with a 120Hz screen, a significant upgrade over the iPhones' current 60Hz displays. 

5/11/19: OnePlus is reportedly planning to show off its first wearable alongside the OnePlus 8.

After its recent foray into the television space, the company is now gearing up to launch a "fitness wearable", according to a tweet from TechPP writer Tech Auntyji (below). 

For all of you who have a fitness band right now, darlings, or are planning to acquire one shortly, I have two words: never settle.

— Tech Auntyji (@techauntyji) November 2, 2019

The cryptic tweet doesn't tell us much else about the gadget, but its description as a "fitness wearable" suggests it'll arrive as a Fitbit-band style device, rather than an Apple Watch competitor. And given OnePlus' association with Google, the unnamed wearable will likely arrive running Wear OS. 

 

PhoneArena, which has shared early sketches of the so-called OnePlus Watch that the company abandoned in 2016 (above), claims the device will launch alongside the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro, which are expected to debut in May 2020. 

18/10/19: We've already caught a glimpse of the OnePlus 8, and now the Pro variant has prematurely surfaced.

The official-looking images (above), shared by OnLeaks and 91Mobiles, show that the OnePlus 8 Pro will ditch the 7T's waterdrop notch and 7T Pro's pop-up camera in favour of a Samsung-style punch-hole cutout in the top left corner of its display.

As per 91Mobiles, this screen will measure in at 6.65in, larger than the 6.5in screen size tipped for the standard OnePlus 8, and it'll unsurprisingly feature a 90Hz refresh rate. 

The renders also suggest that the 8 Pro will be the first OnePlus smartphone to sport a quad-camera setup, comprising three sensors (main, telephoto and wide-angle) alongside a 3D Time of Flight (ToF) sensor. 

Elsewhere, the OnePlus 8 Pro will sport a USB-C port flanked by a redesigned speaker grille, 8GB RAM paired with 128GB storage, and possible 5G support. As per the render, it looks like the device will also be made available in a new mirrored silver finish. 

7/10/19: We're still days away from the launch of the OnePlus 7T Pro, but that hasn't stopped its sequel from appearing online.

That's thanks to OnLeaks and CashKaro, which have joined forces to share images of what they claim are renders of the OnePlus 8 based on schematics from a "company insider." 

The renders show a handset that looks a lot like the OnePlus 7 Pro; there's an almost bezel-free curved display, three cameras positioned vertically on the rear of the device and a familiar blue colour scheme. 

However, unlike the 7 Pro, the renders show that the OnePlus 8 will adopt a punch-hole camera in the top left corner of its 6.5in screen, rather than the pop-up camera of its predecessor.

It'll also feature some changes under the hood, as the leak claims the OnePlus 8 will be the company's first phone to ship with wireless charging. OnePlus has long opted against including this feature, claiming that wireless charging is "inferior" compared to traditional methods.

Given OnePlus' previous comments, it's likely upgraded components are also on the cards; OnLeaks and CashKaro speculate that the OnePlus 8 flagship would be powered by the upcoming Snapdragon 865 SoC, which will be teamed with up to 12GB RAM and 128GB of non-expandable storage. 

5G support will also be included, according to the leak, though this will likely be included only on the OnePlus 8 Pro. 

It'll likely be a while until the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro make their official debut, as the OnePlus 7 and 7 Pro were unveiled in May this year.

Still, you won't have to wait that long until a new OnePlus device is unveiled. Following the recent unveiling of the OnePlus 7T, the firm will show off the OnePlus 7T Pro at an event in London on 10 October. This is expected to feature a pop-up selfie cam, triple cameras and an upgraded Snapdragon 855+ CPU. µ