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Mystery OnePlus product to be announced March 3rd; leaked User Guide surfaces for the OnePlus 8 5G

By Alan Friedman

Updated: Mar 02, 2020, 5:22 AM

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Mystery OnePlus product to be announced March 3rd; leaked User Guide surfaces for the OnePlus 8 5G

A tweet disseminated by OnePlus India (via 91 mobiles) hints that the manufacturer will be introducing a new product on March 3rd. So what's the big deal you ask? Did we tell you that whatever the new product is, it is not the OnePlus 8 (or the OnePlus 8 Pro or even the OnePlus 8 Lite). Nearly two weeks ago, the OnePlus UK Twitter account came to life with a tweet that was designed to tease. "We're working on a special project (not a phone/commercial product!)," read the post.

Alleged OnePlus 8 5G User Guide gives us a look at the upcoming phone

Earlier this year, OnePlus showed off a concept phone that features the use of electrochromic glass on the back. With a low-level electric current running, the glass is opaque and the camera lenses cannot be seen. Once the camera app is opened, the current is stopped and the glass becomes transparent allowing the rear cameras to be used. The time it takes to take the glass from opaque to transparent is only .7 seconds allowing users to remain spontaneous when it comes to snapping photographs. OnePlus has said that it will use this technology on a future commercial OnePlus handset. But remember, the mystery product is not a phone nor is it a commercial release. So any hope you had of OnePlus releasing the Concept One is out the window.

Meanwhile, we might have just enjoyed a sneak peek of the OnePlus 8 5G as the front of a user guide has leaked. If legit (and that remains to be seen), we can expect the phone to have a punch-hole selfie camera in the top left of the screen. And there will be an in-display fingerprint scanner.

2020 is the year of surprises. Can you guess what's coming up? pic.twitter.com/EWWi1MEwo0
— OnePlus India (@OnePlus_IN) February 28, 2020

The OnePlus 8 Pro should feature a 6.7-inch Fluid AMOLED display with a resolution of 1440 x 3140 (QHD+). Users will have the option of enjoying a 120Hz refresh rate, a 90Hz refresh rate or a 60Hz refresh rate. While the faster refresh rate offers buttery smooth scrolling and an enhanced mobile game experience, it does come at the expense of battery life. That is why OnePlus will also allow users to select from 90Hz (balanced smoothness and battery life) and the traditional 60Hz (less smoothness but a more extended battery life).

The Snapdragon 865 Mobile Platform will be driving the phone which could come with 8GB/12GB of memory and 128GB/256GB of storage. On the backyou should find a quad-camera setup including a 64MP primary camera, a 20MP ultra-wide-angle camera, a 12MP telephoto camera with 5x hybrid zoom, and a Time of Flight (ToF) sensor. The latter times how long it takes for an infrared beam to bounce off of a subject and return to the phone. This will allow for more accurate depth measurements that can be used to create natural-looking bokeh blurs on portraits and deliver more AR capabilities. The front-facing selfie snapper weighs in at 32MP.

Alleged User Guide for the OnePlus 8 5G

A 4500mAh battery will keep the lights on and this model, for the first time in OnePlus history, will reportedly be compatible with Qi wireless charging pads. While the manufacturer decided not to pay for an IP certification rating with the OnePlus 7 line (even while demonstrating that the phones did have some water resistance), there is speculation that the OnePlus 8 Pro will sport an IP68 rating. That particular rating would mean that the handset is impervious to dust and can survive when submerged to a depth of nearly 5-feet for as long as 30-minutes.

The OnePlus 8 will feature a smaller 6.5-inch curved Fluid AMOLED display with a similar rear camera setup as the one on the Pro, but it will be minus the ToF sensor. The phone is equipped with a 4000mAh battery and with an IP53 rating, it is protected from splashes and minor rainstorms. And this year, there will be a OnePlus 8 Lite. Sporting a 6.4-inch OLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate, the device is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 1000 SoC. The cameras on the back will include a 48MP primary camera, a 16MP ultra-wide camera, and a 12MP telephoto camera with a 5x hybrid zoom. In front, there will be a 16MP selfie snapper and a 4000mAh battery is included.

So just what will OnePlus introduce on March 3rd? Stay tuned. The OnePlus 8 family could also be unveiled next month.

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Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.