OnePlus 8 release date slated for sometime in April

OnePlus' first set of 2020 flagships are slated to bring forth some exciting features. Unfortunately, the company has remained tight-lipped about its release date until now. The OnePlus 7 was unveiled in May of last year, so it's reasonable to assume that the OnePlus 8 will also be released at around the same time. A source familiar with the matter told Techradar that the OnePlus 8 series would be released sometime in April.

Thanks to the precedent set bt the likes of Apple and Samsung, just about everyone is opting for the three flagship approach. OnePlus is no different and will reportedly offer the OnePlus 8 in three variants starting with the entry-level OnePlus 8 Lite, middle of the pack OnePlus 8, and the top-of-the-line OnePlus 8 Pro. Barring the OnePlus 8 Lite, the other two devices will ship with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC, high-refresh-rate displays, and the likes. It'll be interesting to see how the OnePlus 8 Lite stands against its peers, as it will be the world's first smartphone to run MediaTek's Dimensity 1000 SoC.

Historically, MediaTek has always been associated with low-cost devices due to their low cost and sub-par performance compared to equally-specced Qualcomm offerings. It's good to see a MediaTek chip finally making its way into a flagship offering. The Dimensity 1000 performs on par with the Snapdragon 865, and should make its way to other 2020 releases. Another set of rumors indicate that OnePlus will finally bring wireless charging to its 2020 flagships. Wireless charging tech has come a long way, and it's high time OnePlus embraces it.