Skip to main content

Alleged OnePlus 8 Lite prototype spotted in video with Pete Lau

2020 has begun, and that means a bevy of new phones are on the horizon. While much attention is currently on the new Samsung Galaxy S flagship, don’t forget about the flagship killer. This year OnePlus is rumored to be releasing a trio of new flagship phones under the OnePlus 8 banner. Of the three, the OnePlus 8 Lite is expected to be the cheapest of the three — and a Chinese video has given us a good look at what’s alleged to be the OnePlus 8 Lite with a triple-lens camera array.

The video, hosted on Chinese video site Bilibili, shows four men — including OnePlus CEO Pete Lau — seemingly discussing a number of OnePlus’s phones, contained in a clear plastic box. However, squished at the front of the box is an unfamiliar looking phone, and it has been suggested by many this is the upcoming OnePlus 8 Lite. According to what we can see in the video, the OnePlus 8 Lite is expected to be a fairly tall phone, with a triple-lens rear camera module, arranged vertically down the right-hand side of the phone. More angled shots of the camera module show an extremely significant camera bump that could prove to be a downside for the final release. It’s unlikely the phone next to the alleged OnePlus 8 Lite shows the front of the same phone, as we expect a punch-hole display on the 8 Lite.

This design flies in the face of previous leaks, and notable leaker Steve Hemmerstoffer revised his previous renders to include the triple-lens camera. While it’s usually worth standing by the renders of leakers like Hemmerstoffer, the fact that Pete Lau stars in the video lends a massive amount of validity to the newly revealed design.

Of course, it’s extremely unlikely this was mistakenly leaked in any way. It’s probable that the phone in the video is a dummy unit of a OnePlus 8 Lite prototype, and was included in the video just to spark discussion and build hype for the upcoming phone range. With so much of the spotlight on Samsung’s new phones and CES 2020, such a bold move would be required to bring press attention back.

Details about the OnePlus 8 Lite are fairly slim at the moment. It is expected to be a midrange alternative to OnePlus’s usual super-midrange offerings, with a lower price to match. However, details on price and specs are unknown, though it’s fair to expect OnePlus to continue its tradition of cramming the most recent flagship specs into a lower-priced bundle. While the two higher-priced models are likely to have more special features, the OnePlus 8 Lite could be the phone to buy if you love a bargain.

Editors' Recommendations

Mark Jansen
Mark Jansen is an avid follower of everything that beeps, bloops, or makes pretty lights. He has a degree in Ancient &…
Can the OnePlus 11 beat the Pixel 7 in a tough camera test? I found out
The OnePlus 11 and Pixel 7's camera modules.

The OnePlus 11 is the latest phone to feature camera maker Hasselblad’s color tuning and other software tweaks, and we were impressed with the photos the phone takes in our review.

But that’s when it’s viewed mostly in isolation -- how does it perform when it’s put up against the industry’s best? To find out, we gave the OnePlus 11 a seriously tough challenge by pitting it against the Google Pixel 7, one of our favorite camera phones.
OnePlus 11 vs. Pixel 7: camera specs
Google Pixel 7 (left) and OnePlus 11 Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

Read more
The OnePlus 11 Concept steals the Nothing Phone’s best trick
OnePlus shows off a OnePlus 11 with rear LED lighting.

OnePlus has teased a new special concept phone based on the OnePlus 11. The Oppo subbrand highlighted a slew of LEDs around the back of the phone as a standout feature. The LEDs were reminiscent of the approach used by Nothing, another phone brand built by former OnePlus CEO Pete Lau.

The company sent out a teaser of its concept phone showing off what appeared to be LED lightning around the back in a very striking image. “The images show the engineering breakthroughs of the OnePlus 11 Concept by highlighting the icy blue pipelines which run through the entire back of the phone, almost like OnePlus 11 Concept has its own series of blood vessels. OnePlus 11 Concept’s pipelines are housed inside a bold and futuristic unibody glass design inspired by the calm stillness and vast power of a glacial lake,” OnePlus said, as reported by The Verge.

Read more
How I learned to love the OnePlus 11’s controversial software
The OnePlus 11's screen.

When I picked up the OnePlus 10 Pro, I missed the old OxygenOS immediately. Gone was the fluid and feature-light software that made OnePlus phones such a great experience, replaced by the heavy, slower, and more annoying ColorOS-inspired software few liked as much. I liked it even less on the OnePlus 10T, and I wasn’t the only one.

I really like the OnePlus 11, but I wasn’t expecting to like OxygenOS 13 much. My early impression of ColorOS 13 was good, but I didn’t trust the newly Oppo-ified OnePlus enough to think it would carry over. But after using, and loving, the OnePlus 11 for several weeks, I no longer feel any animosity towards OxygenOS. Have I simply become used to it, or has the software actually got better?
What’s the problem with OxygenOS?

Read more