You might dismiss the idea that OnePlus is going to launch into a cheaper space, but with a huge leak suggesting that there's a OnePlus 8 Lite on the cards, that's what could be about to happen.
OnePlus found fame offering flagship specs at prices that were hard to beat. But in 2019 it changed direction, offering the OnePlus 7 Pro and moving itself into a higher price bracket. While it still continues with the solid sub-flagship offering, it seems the company is going to widen its offering to a lower price point.
Here's everything we know so far about the OnePlus 8 Lite.
OnePlus 8 Lite release date and price
- May 2020 with OnePlus 8 series
OnePlus tends to avoid the scrum of a February launch, instead preferring to tease its new handsets and then launch in May. That was the case for the OnePlus 7 and we'd imagine that the OnePlus 8 will be the same. That assumes that the OnePlus 8 Lite will be announced alongside the other OnePlus 8 series devices.
So far there's no confirmed date and no suggestions of an event, except for a concept launch that's been lined up for CES 2020.
As for the price, there's been no figure suggested, it's just expected to come in cheaper than the OnePlus 8. That phone is expected to be around £549, so we'd say that under £500 would need to be the target, if not cheaper. Much will depend on the hardware, and there's little to go on in that department at the time of writing.
OnePlus 8 Lite design
- 159.2 x 74 x 8.6mm
There's been one substantial leak for the OnePlus 8 Lite and that has furnished us with approximate details. That puts the size of the phone close to the OnePlus 7T in terms of height and width, although it's a little thicker. That overall size suggests to us that the display will be around 6.5-inches.
The rear panel is said to be glass, with curved edges towards the sides, but with the front display being flat overall. A USB-C port sits on the bottom, but there's no sign of a 3.5mm headphone socket, often commonplace on more affordable devices.
The biggest thing about the design is the pronounced camera housing on the back. This sits off to the left-hand side and seems to be following the trend now established by the iPhone 11 Pro, making the numerous lenses prominent rather than trying to hide them in the design. It looks as though it retains the mute slider too, that hallmark of OnePlus devices staying in place.
OnePlus 8 Lite specs and display
- 6.5-inch display
There's no telling what hardware platform this device might sit on. It could be Snapdragon 700 series, it might use the Snapdragon 765 to offer 5G - and there's no way of currently telling what might be inside. We're sure that there will be future spec leaks, but that the moment, we're left with guessing.
One thing we're pretty certain of, however, is the 90Hz display. There's been no leak surrounding this, but at the launch of the OnePlus 7T, Carl Pei said on stage that OnePlus wouldn't be going back to slower refresh rates. We're expecting that to be the OnePlus 8 Lite's unique selling point - that fast refresh rate in a mid-range phone.
What we can tell from the design is that there's no fingerprint scanner, so it most likely uses an in-display scanner, most likely using optical scanning technology.
OnePlus 8 Lite cameras
- Dual rear cameras
- Punch hole front camera
One detail that's interesting is the punch hole front camera, meaning no notch and no pop-up. This is a bit of a change in direction for OnePlus, but one we're also seeing rumoured for the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro.
On the rear it appears that the OnePlus 8 Lite will have dual cameras. That's probably a main camera and a telephoto, but it's hard to tell from the lenses. The rear camera unit also appears to contain the flash, while there are other details dotted around the housing, suggesting other sensors will also be included.
OnePlus 8 Lite rumours so far
Here are all the rumours in chronological order with all the details about the OnePlus 8 Lite.
9 December 2019: OnePlus 8 Lite renders appear, could signal return to mid-range pricing
Out of the blue, a render appeared for the OnePlus 8 Lite, a previously unconsidered phone.