OnePlus presented the OnePlus 8 Pro a few days ago and now it’s available for order. According to the pre-order quantity, we can see the OnePlus 8 Pro gained a very very good reputation in the potential users even the price is in high-end range.
The OnePlus 8 Pro has high-end configuration like IP certification, wireless charging and there are stereo speakers. There are also things like the best display on the market. We will test this new 5G smartphone to see whether it’s worth the high price and a recommendation. First, let’s have a check of the OnePlus 8 Pro specifications:
| OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro Specifications | ||
| OnePlus 8 Pro | OnePlus 8 | |
| Display | 6.78-inch AMOLED | 6.55-inch AMOLED |
| 3,168 x 1,440 (19.8:9) | 2,400 x 1,080 (20:9) | |
| 120Hz refresh rate | 90Hz refresh rate | |
| In-display fingerprint sensor | In-display fingerprint sensor | |
| 3D Corning Gorilla Glass | 3D Corning Gorilla Glass | |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 |
| RAM | 8GB / 12GB LPDDR5 | 8GB / 12GB LPDDR4X |
| Storage | 128GB / 256GB UFS 3.0 | 128GB / 256GB UFS 3.0 2-LANE |
| Cameras | Rear: | Rear: |
| 48MP, f/1.78, 1.12µm, OIS, EIS | 48MP, f/1.78, 0.8µm, OIS, EIS | |
| 8MP 3x telephoto, f/2.44, 1.0µm, OIS | 2MP macro, f/2.4, 1.75µm | |
| 48MP ultrawide, f/2.2, 119.7° | 16MP ultrawide, f/2.2, 116° | |
| 5MP color filter, f/2.4 | ||
| Front: | ||
| Front: | 16MP, f/2.0, 1.0µm, EIS, fixed focus | |
| 16MP, f/2.45, 1.0µm, EIS, fixed focus | ||
| Battery | 4,510mAh | 4,300mAh |
| Warp Charge 30T (5V/6A) | Warp Charge 30T (5V/6A) | |
| Warp Charge 30 Wireless | ||
| IP Rating | IP68 | None |
| Software | Oxygen OS | Oxygen OS |
| Android 10 | Android 10 | |
| Dimensions | 165.3 x 74.35 x 8.5mm | 160.2 x 72.9 x 8.0mm |
| Weight | 199g | 180g |
These are not all specifications of the OnePlus 8 Pro. On the official OnePlus website, you can get more information about the OnePlus 5G phone.
The OnePlus 8 Pro is a large smartphone, whose dimensions are similar to the latest the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra and Oppo Find X2 Pro. We find the more compact OnePlus 8 here would be enough in the size.
However, the workmanship is great and it lies very well in the hand with the slightly rounded sides. We like the feel of the matt surface, and we suppose every manufacturer should have a matt version in their new product.
You can see the color of my test device in the pictures, but it is difficult to capture it there. It always looks a little different depending on the time of day and the light, but basically we find the color very nice. We just don't know if it would be too colorful in the long run, but you can't argue about taste.
Visually, not much has changed compared to last year and the camera is still in the same position. Actually there is only the hole in the display, but apart from that and the color, you could quickly confuse the OnePlus 8 Pro and OnePlus 7 Pro. Of all the current Android flagships, the OnePlus 8 Pro has so far been the best one, apart from the silver version of the Huawei P40 Pro (also matt).
OnePlus has placed increasing emphasis on the display in recent years and for the 2020 Pro model, they have even given themselves the latest Samsung panel, which can also be found in the other brands such as Oppo Find X2 Pro.
The display is available in the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra and the Oppo Find X2 Pro and we can conclude there is no better panel on the market. High resolution, great colors, good viewing angles are very high-lighted, if necessary very bright and 120 Hz are optimal.
Someone would have liked to have avoided the curved sides, because the bend offers no added value, sometimes leads to incorrect entries and it reflects in some situations. Apart from the size, but that's very subjective, there's nothing else to complain about.
OnePlus got the same sensor as the Oppo Find X2 Pro, which BBK probably bought exclusively from Sony (Sony IMX689, 48 megapixels).
This provides great photos in good light and you can see that OnePlus has been working on the software since the OnePlus 7 Pro. In some areas, the OnePlus 8 Pro does not come close to other models, especially when compared to the Huawei P40 Pro you can sometimes see larger differences (e.g. in terms of sharpness).
The ultra-wide-angle sensor also has a resolution of 48 megapixels, but here too it is not at the level of Huawei or Samsung. The results are similar in good light and outdoors, but you can no longer excel with them today, it's about details and difficult conditions.
The difference in zoom is even greater, because there is "only" a tele-sensor with 8 megapixels. Competitors are already opting for significantly better periscope cameras that offer much more sharpness when zoomed. Even the Oppo Find X2 Pro is clearly superior to the OnePlus 8 Pro when zooming.
The fourth camera is a color filter with 5 megapixels, which comes with something like Instagram filters. We tried it once, but it's such a feature that we don't need it. To be honest, it also does good software for image editing. This place could have been used better.
For example with a ToF sensor that can better analyze the distance or directly with a periscope camera, we would classify the color filter as a gimmick, because as we said, this function can be replaced quite well with software.
The front camera has a resolution of 16 megapixels and delivers solid results. It is also used for Face Unlock, which is extremely fast with OnePlus. But it is still a 2D scan of the face and the camera takes longer in bad light (Face Unlock can sometimes fail in very bad light).
It is the largest battery that OnePlus has built into a smartphone so far and you can also feel this in the battery life. If you use the device very intensively with high brightness and 120 Hz, you can quickly bring the battery to your knees, but we still got through the day very well.
What we also noticed: The OnePlus 8 Pro is roughly the same size as the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra and has a smaller battery, but lasts longer for me (just over an hour or two). Only the Huawei P40 Pro is more efficient, but its display is not as bright and has "only" 90 Hz.
By the way, fast charging takes place with 30 watts, both with cable (so there is no progress here), but finally also wirelessly. To be honest, I waited a long time for this moment at OnePlus and if you want to have the details about the OnePlus Wireless Charging Dock, check out this one.
There is also reverse charging here, so you can charge other Qi devices. In summary, we can say that the OnePlus 8 Pro had a very good battery life in the first week, it finally has Qi and we therefore no longer have any criticism in this category. The step was long overdue.
The software is one of the highlights at OnePlus because it is minimalist and damn fast. Coming from Samsung and Huawei in particular, it is violent how much liquid OxygenOS is. The combination of the new hardware with the 120 Hz and OxygenOS is fun, even more than "pure" Android.
The OnePlus 8 Pro is of course delivered with Android 10 and shortly before the weekend there was a major update with some optimizations and the device should be delivered with the March patch. OnePlus guarantees two years of major updates and three years of security updates.
New are a few animated wallpapers, which also look quite good, but the always-on display is not yet available and should be submitted later. OnePlus has also optimized the dark theme and there is actually not much more to say. Nice, slim and fast user interface.
We have to say that the OnePlus 8 Pro has been the best of the current Android flagships so far. But it is a shame that this model has also become quite large and heavy. The normal OnePlus 8 would be enough in size.
But due to the price increase and the rapid fall in price of the competition, OnePlus is now right at the top. But now it deliver what the competition offers. Only in the camera you cannot play at the top in my opinion, which is probably also due to the software.
The OnePlus 8 Pro does not take bad photos now, but while the display, battery life, performance and software shine and some are left behind. The OnePlus 8 Pro has become a flagship like any other, in some respects like the display and the performance it trumps most, but you could still work on the camera for a possible estate model. It's not bad, but not at the level of competitors like Huawei.
Conclusion: Despite the "only" good camera and the now "normal" price, the OnePlus 8 Pro is one of the best Android smartphones in this year.
In the past time, TCL has been particularly noticeable as a contract manufacturer for all kinds of technical products from other brands. Recently, the Chinese manufacturer has also launched products under its own name. One of them is the new 5G Home Station Linkhub 5G CPE.
TCL Communication already presented some products at the CES in early January 2020 in Las Vegas. In addition to wireless earphones as well as sports headphones and a children's smartwatch, the TCL Linkhub 5G CPE was also included. Now the company has released some more information about the device.
The 5G WiFi router will come on the market in the third quarter of 2020. This is a well-equipped device for this to set up Internet access using the new cellular standard. The Qualcomm Snapdragon X55 5G modem works inside . It supports 5G connectivity with up to 2.8 Gbit/s in download. Unfortunately, the manufacturer has not yet given any information on the maximum upload speed. Alternatively, the device can also switch to the LTE network if no 5G signal is available. The last option is also 3G, whereby the speeds are of course clearly limited.
In its specifications, the TCL 5G router distributes the mobile Internet via WiFi. The device also supports the new WiFi 6 standard in dual band (2.4 and 5 GHz) including 4 × 4 MU-MIMO. This enables speeds of up to 3.6 Gbit/s. According to the manufacturer, up to 1,000 external devices can connect to the TCL Linkhub 5G CPE. That should be more than sufficient for home use and also absolutely sufficient for professional use.
Also on board are NFC, Bluetooth 5.1 and Zigbee 3.0. Among other things, they help with setting up the device and a mesh network. The TCL Linkhub 5G CPE should be available from the third quarter. The device is launched in Europe, Asia and the USA, among others, but also in other regions such as Africa, the Middle East and the Pacific region.
Yesterday, OnePlus launched two new flagship 5G smartphones, the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro. Like other cell phone manufacuturers, OnePlus also launches two models, one basic model and the other Pro version.
On the new models for 2020, OnePlus wants to finally remove the criticisms and there are many current standard configurations for flagship models such as wireless charging and an IP certification, which has also been given to the Pro model. However, the prices of OnePlus 8 and 8 PRO have now reached the very top and costs up to 1000 USD.
But before we get to the prices and the date for the market launch, there is an overview of the specifications for you again. Most of the specs for One+ 8 and 8 pro have been known for weeks, but not everyone has followed the rumor mill.
The OnePlus 8 starts at 800USD with 8/128 GB in the colors Onyx Black and Glacial Green. For 12/256 GB you have to put 8700USD on the table, there are Glacial Green and Interstellar Glow (but comes a little later).
The OnePlus 8 Pro starts at 900 USD with 8/128 GB in Onyx Black, if you want 12/256 GB and one color, you have to put 1000USD on the table, here you get Glacial Green and Ultramarine Blue. Market launch (apart from Interstellar Glow) is April 21st, more details are available on the OnePlus website.
In addition to its own online shop, the new OnePlus 5G phone models will be available from others online stores. Not every partner will have every version available.
2019 was the year when the first foldable phone was announced. Samsung launched the first model with the Galaxy Fold, and now there is a new foldable phone Samsung Galaxy Z Flip available now. Huawei announced the Mate X in early 2019, but now Mate X was discontinued and only the second generation and optimized Huawei Mate Xs is available for sale. The Motorola Razr also joins the product range to compete. If you plan to get the foldable phones, you’d better prepare 3000USD or more on the table. The foldable phones are at high price range now.
Since the Huawei Mate Xs and Samsung Galaxy Fold are the the top two models, we will compare the two foldable phones to see which is better on design and performance. Hope this will give some advice to the potential buyers.
Huawei Mate Xs vs. Samsung Galaxy Fold: Specifications
| Samsung Galaxy Fold | Huawei Mate X | |
| Display size, resolution | 4.6-inch Super AMOLED; 7.3-inch QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED | 6.6-inch (2,480x1,148 pixels); 6.38-inch (2,480x892); 8-inch OLED (2,480x2,200) |
| Mobile software | Android 9.0 with Samsung One UI | No Android on the Chinese model |
| Camera | 12-megapixel main, 16-megapixel ultra wide-angle, 12-megapixel telephoto | 40-megapixel main, 16-megapixel ultra-wide, 8-megapixel telephoto |
| Front-facing camera | Two 10-megapixel, 8-megapixel 3D depth | Same as above |
| Processor | Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 | Kirin 980 processor |
| Storage | 512GB | 512GB |
| RAM | 12GB | 8GB |
| Expandable storage | No | No |
| Battery | 4,380 mAh | 4,500 mAh |
| Fingerprint sensor | Power button | Power button |
| Connector | USB-C | USB-C |
| Special features | Foldable display, wireless charging, fast charging, 5G in select countries | Foldable display, fast charging, 5G |
| Price off-contract (USD) | $1,980, £1,900, converts to AU$2,800 | 16,999 yuan, converts to $2,400, £1,830 or AU$3,546 |
Huawei Mate Xs vs. Samsung Galaxy Fold: Design and Feel
The fact that Samsung grabs the display on the inside and is glass on the outside makes the Galaxy Fold appearing more valuable in the hand. In addition, the Galaxy Fold is more compact when folded and is also more comfortable to hold when opened (but both are almost the same weight). Since the display size is enough for me, we find the feel of Samsung better.
The folding mechanism on both models is good, although we have to say that it works a bit “lighter” with the Galaxy Fold. With the Huawei Mate Xs you have to exert some pressure to open and close the display. You could also operate the fold with one hand.
The workmanship is good on both devices, the keys have good pressure points and nothing wobbles. But since the Galaxy Fold is easy to use and more comfortable to hold, the point goes to Samsung
Huawei Mate Xs vs. Samsung Galaxy Fold: Display
The quality of the two displays is great in both cases. Both have built very solid OLED panels, but missing the current standard at 90 or 120 Hz. But the colors are good; they are both bright and have very good viewing angles. In that regard, I would give both a point.
But this is exactly where the difference comes: The display from Huawei Mate Xs is on the outside and that from Samsung on the inside. There you can argue whether this is a good idea with the Mate Xs, because plastic displays scratch faster, but this difference is even more noticeable.
When folded, the Huawei Mate Xs is a much too big, thick and heavy smartphone. The small external display of the Galaxy Fold is too small for almost everything.
Considering this, we will give the point to the Huawei Mate Xs, even if we never expect to put such a expensive display on the outside if we wanted to use my smartphone for many years.
Huawei Mate Xs VS Samsung Galaxy Fold: Software
Actually, we would have thought that this point goes very clearly to Samsung, since the Huawei Mate Xs comes without Google apps. But there are two things that should be mentioned here and where we have to criticize.
The Samsung Galaxy Fold has only had Android 10 this week. This is not necessarily acceptable for a model for 3000USD after this time.
The Samsung Galaxy Fold is recognized by apps as a normal smartphone. So the apps are often just stretched out. However, the Huawei Mate Xs is recognized as a tablet, which means that many apps are available when opened with a special tablet view.
For many users, if without Google apps, you can’t do many things such as Email, banking app or Google apps.
By the way, one thing must to be mentioned: The performance of the Huawei Mate Xs was really not good for some third-party apps. I compared that to the Huawei P40 Pro, which has similar hardware (Kirin 990) - no problems.
Huawei Mate Xs VS Samsung Galaxy Fold: Camera
In this category - roughly speaking - the hardware from 2019 will compete against each other. Means: A mixture of Huawei P30 Pro and Mate 30 Pro competes against the Samsung Galaxy S10. Samsung has not installed a bad camera, but it’s clear that Huawei was ahead in 2019.
In addition, with the Huawei approach, the main camera can also be conveniently used as a front camera. Samsung is only superior to Huawei in the videos, but since photos are more important to many users, this point goes to the Huawei Mate Xs.
Huawei Mate Xs VS Samsung Galaxy Fold: Price
If we consider the prices of both models, then you have to put in almost 2500 USD for a Samsung Galaxy Fold and almost 3000 USD for a Huawei Mate Xs. That's a lot, no question at all, because the development was expensive.
You can get the Galaxy Fold every now at lower price, but it is also older. But the price difference of almost 700USD is quite large, so this point goes to Samsung.
Huawei Mate Xs VS Samsung Galaxy Fold: other features
The fingerprint sensor is located on both sides and is fast, both are available with 5G, both are not IP-certified due to the design and it was difficult for me to find a unique selling point that makes one of the models stand out. But then we found a standard feature.
The Samsung Galaxy Fold has stereo speakers on the side. So if you turn the device while watching a video, you have the sound from the left and right and honestly: It is great for media consumption.
Stereo speakers are a standard feature for smartphones that cost over 1000USD in these days. So the point goes to the fold.
Huawei Mate Xs VS Samsung Galaxy Fold: Conclusion
When opened, they are great fun reading and consuming things. As of today, you will consider one more time to buy a foldable for 2500USD or more, but if the models are now more stable, lighter and thinner and have all the features of the normal flagships, you can imagine it.
Actually, we also tried the Galaxy Z Flip, we have to say: this category (Fold and Mate Xs) from Foldables will be better because it brings more display space.
For a successor we would only wish that the outside display is bigger and Android better adapted and the notch on the inside can be replaced with a hole like the Galaxy S10, Galaxy Note10+ or Galaxy S20.
It's a pity that Huawei will have a tough time against Samsung without the Google apps in this very special category. Otherwise it could have been an exciting duel between the two giants.
As the first 5G mobile phone from Nubia, the RedMagic 5G from the Chinese manufacturer ZTE is primarily geared towards gaming and (according to the name) supports the new 5G mobile communications standard. The Nubia's flagship RedMagic 5G will go on sale globally starting April 21.
The heart of the Nubia RedMagic 5G is the new Snapdragon 865, which is cooled down by active liquid cooling for maximum performance. It is supported by an Adreno 650 GPU and a 5G modem with SA + NSA dual-mode operation. Depending on the model, there are four different combination for storage: 8GB RAM + 128GB ROM, 12GB RAM + 128GB ROM, 12GB RAM + 256GB ROM, and 16GB RAM + 256GB ROM, of course, the prices would be higher on the large capacity. A 4,500 mAh battery is responsible for the power supply, which can be quickly charged with a maximum of 55 watts.
In terms of specs, the RedMagic 5g features a 6.65-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with 144Hz refresh rate and 240Hz touch sampling rate, with a follow-up response time of 14.9ms. It also gets a sliding response time of 45ms and a click response time of 32.2ms. The phone sports the latest Snapdragon 865 chipset paired up with up to 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM. It comes with latest L-shaped cooling pipe and also gets new Active Liquid-Cooling with Turbo Fan 3.0 which is claimed to be 200 per cent cooler from previous RedMagic smartphones. The new cooling technology has also increased the airflow volume by up to 30 per cent and features multilayer thermal graphite as well. The specs seems much better than the other 5G phones from ZTE such as ZTE Axon 11 5G and Axon 10 Pro 5G.
First of all, the 5G mobile smartphone starts in China. However, it should also be available globally in April 2020. And now the Red Magic 5G phone is available in China for sale and the price is in middle range, not cheap and also not too high. Converted from the China prices, the smaller model in black and red with 8 GB RAM and 128 costs just under 600USD, the best one with 16 GB RAM and 256 GB memory is over 800USD.
The RedMagic 5G phone provides many colors for the users such as Black, Mars Red, Cyber Neon, Transparent. They all look very cool and fashion. The RedMagic 5G will be made available in EU (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden) and Australia, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, Taiwan, and Macao. We will keep update on this ZTE 5G cell phone.