OnePlus8 Pro 5G 8GB RAM 128GB SIM-Free Smartphone with Quad Camera, Dual SIM and Alexa built-in Onyx Black - 2 Years Warranty

The (Amazon) purchase experience wasn't perfect, and the Covid pandemic means that third party cases are thinner on the ground than I'd hope, but this is a review of the phone itself.In effect, this phone is the highest spec computer I have ever bought myself, and while I did baulk at the price, I have had three one plus phones in the past five years, only one of which is not (due to an insurance write off, they kept the smashed handset) still in daily use by somebody, so I am confident it will last.SpeedI bought this after using the oneplus 6 daily for two years, and the speed of the 8 Pro is staggering as an upgrade on a phone that to be honest I never thought of as being slow - I only bought this now because 5g is rolling out in Dundee and any speed complaints I had with the OP6 were network related - the old phone does, however, feel much less slick now that I have used the new one.I'm expecting to use this phone heavily for three years, and thereafter it will be passed on to a family member, so felt the top spec model was worth the investment - it should be running things comfortably for years.DisplayMy previous oneplus 6 had what I thought of as an exceptionally good screen, but the 90/120hz refresh rate on the 8 Pro and the higher resolution make it seem so rough in comparison - games and videos have a slickness that makes them seem so much more real, and the hit on battery life has been much less than I feared.CameraThe camera has been excellent so far, although I am not one to poke about in the settings for that, so I'm just saying that the out the box settings are excellent - it can, I am sure do much more than I could ever ask of it in that regard.Battery and chargingCharging speed on my previous Oneplus 6 was incredibly fast anyway, and the battery life still excellent two years on. This phone charges even faster, and even with the highest battery drain screen resolution and refresh (using automatic brightness level), playing about with my new phone even more than I normally would, I'm getting 6 hours plus before having to top up the charge.Replacement/spare warp 30 chargers for the newer generation of phones are hugely expensive, but time phone still takes an almost as fast charge from the older generation of oneplus dash chargers, so I will wait till I leave another of them on a train before buying an extra warp charger or the wireless charging Dock!SoftwareI love the less-is-more approach tha oneplus take to their phone software - you can add on any bells and whistles you desire from the play store, but out the box you have a clean, light, fast version of android that runs so smoothly you will wonder why the competition do things any other way.GrumblesThere are a couple of wee niggles, not enough to knock a star off, but worth noting.I would have appreciated the option of a flat glass screen with the top end specs rather than the curved edges - I'm not having problems with touches at the edge where I'm holding it at all, but I don't find the curved edges to add anything functionally and they make getting a good glass screen protector harder. I knowingly bought a phone with a curved screen because I wanted all the specs otherwise, so I refuse to mark it down in a purchase review unless it causes actual problems - just for those that would likewise rather not have the curved screen, be aware that it will take more than 4 days of use to forget that it is there!On a related note, in my case I had to apply my own film screen protector to the phone on unboxing - there were two in my box, but it is a pest to get all the bubbles out, so I dread the day I have to replace the one I have put on now! Previous OP phones have all had them pre-applied, and it may be that mine was omitted by accident, but as Covid is delaying third party options the protection available as standard becomes even more important.Again following on, the included silicone case is OK, and has weathered a couple of waist height drops already but I prefer something tougher feeling and less prone to bending away from the phone to let stuff in - clear silicone lets everyone see the lovely colour of your phone, but also, after just 4 days, lets everyone see just how much fluff there is in your pocket!Overall, this is an amazing phone, at a price markedly lower than its direct competition. There are reports of some display issues using the screen at hi res/refresh but low brightness setting - I haven't experienced them, and apparently a software fix is coming for those that have.If you have saved up the pennies and can tolerate curved screens, this is an astounding piece of kit.

I got the One Plus 8 Pro to replace my 6 year old iPhone 6 Plus, and have to say I’ve been blown away by this. Being a staunch Apple fan with all their possible gadgets under the sun and having had an iPhone since 13 years, I have to say this phone in just amazing, in fact I’m lost for words to describe it. I have never had an Android phone and it took me sometime to get used to this platform but having used it for about 6 weeks now, I don’t think I’ll go back to an iPhone (I still have my iPhone 6 Plus which I haven’t even touched since I got this). I waited for the iPhone 12 to be released in October and was really disappointed with their specs and price. Yes, their laptops and tablets are way ahead of their competitors but when it comes to phones, they are way behind.I really took a gamble and after some research got the One Plus 8 Pro and undoubtedly this was the best decision and have to say honestly I was quite sceptical initially. I even got it for £745 from Amazon (£150 cheaper), the equivalent iPhone 12Pro costing £1200 (with a 6GB RAM and 60Hz refresh rate), which gives you 256GB of storage, 12GB of RAM and a 120Hz refresh rate. The processing/download speeds, QHD screen, graphics, text and image quality are out of the world (incredibly sharp and crisp with true to life colours - never seen in a smartphone before). Once I have the phone in my hand, I don’t ’t like to put it down. If you are used to the 120Hz refresh rate, which I’m with my iPad Pro, you will see a noticeable difference and wouldn’t want to go back. The screen size is perhaps one of the biggest in the premium phone category and its weight is hardly noticeable for its size. The quad camera is superb and so is the sound quality from the built-in speakers. The battery life is excellent and easily serves you all day on a single charge (unless of course you are watching a lot of video content). I have even got wireless charging stand/pad and this is really convenient. In fact I’m doing lot more on this than I was on my iPhone to the extent I have even stopped watching TV and watch everything on this. The face recognition is excellent but the fingerprintSensor is a bit irritating and have to do it a few times before it recognises (sometimes doesn’t and have to enter the PIN), which is the “only” criticism I would have about this phone. I’m sure this be rectified in the One Plus 9 due to be released shortly.Overall, undoubtedly the best smartphone in all aspects and superb value for money (my honest and humble opinion). Apple - wake up, you’re a long way behind the competition to catch up. Strongly and unreservedly recommend this phone to whoever is looking to replace. You won’t regret.