Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsA buttery smooth experience that doesn't break the bank
Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2020
I upgraded to the OnePlus 8 from a Pixel 2XL, and I have thoroughly enjoyed this phone so far! I was a little hesitant buying this phone (with some complaining about the camera, and so many other phones releasing this fall), but this phone has surpassed my expectations! I wasn't interested in the OnePlus 8 Pro because of the larger size/weight and more expensive price tag. The OnePlus 8 is close to the size of my Pixel 2XL, which is big enough for me. Personally, I don't really care about wireless charging or water resistance. Also, I read the pro has a more prominent waterfall screen (the screen wraps around the sides of the phone more), which I was not interested in.
The screen is big and beautiful! The hole punch camera doesn't bother me at all, and I forget it is there most of the time. The 90hz screen was a huge selling point for me, and is a huge upgrade from a 60hz screen. It really makes the phone feel buttery smooth.
Speaking of buttery smooth, this phone will handle anything you throw at it! The combination of the beefy specs (emphasis on the 8gb/12 gb of RAM) and OxygenOS make for an amazing experience. I am not a big mobile gamer, but I did try PUBG to check out the 90 fps mode, which works and gameplay is smooth/fluid.
The battery life has been fantastic. It will definitely get though an entire day with heavy usage. The included 30w fast charger will charge up your phone super quick if you are in a rush. The phone also has battery optimization options that will help prevent the battery from degrading overtime.
The on-screen fingerprint reader is very fast and I rarely have issues unlocking the phone. I have not tried face recognition, because I just prefer the fingerprint reader.
The stereo speakers are pretty great, and I have no issues with the sound quality. I mostly use Bluetooth Bose earbuds with the phone, and haven't had any connection issues at all.
The build quality is very premium and feels like a $1000 phone. Hepatic feedback (vibration) is something people overlook in reviews, and it feels great and is subtle. The power and volume buttons also feel nice and clicky. The power button on the Pixel 2 XL felt spongy, and sometimes wouldn't even register me pressing it (it was super annoying). The notification slider (ring/vibrate/silent) is useful and should be on more Android phones. The glass back also makes the phone feel premium, but it is super slippery. It is also a fingerprint magnet (interstellar glow). So maybe slap a case or a D-Brand skin on the back (although the interstellar glow looks beautiful).
In my opinion, the camera is not nearly as bad as some people are saying. It still takes high quality photos, and software updates will only make it better. It isn't as easy as the pixel 2XL's camera and camera software, but it has potential! It definitely isn't on par with the OnePlus 8 pro or other $1000 phones, but it gets the job done. I am definitely not a photographer or photography enthusiast, so if you are looking for a phone that takes the best photos, maybe go with the OnePlus 8 pro. Also, the 2MP macro camera on this phone is pretty pointless (which may be my only negative point in this review). I know some people were having issues with the selfie camera (reports of blurry/fuzzy images), but I haven't had any problems with it so far.
Overall, this is exactly the phone I wanted. A super fast phone (high specs and 90hz screen) that I didn't pay $1000+ for. I will never be able to go back to a phone with a 60hz screen!