At least the OnePlus 8 series won't cost more than $1,000

The OnePlus series of phones have generally delivered a more affordable flagship experience than the likes of Samsung‘s high-end devices. But there are fears that the latest devices might see a price hike owing to their 5G nature.

Now, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau has told Business Insider that the upcoming OnePlus 8 series won’t cost more than $1,000. We don’t get more granular details, so for all we know, the OnePlus 8 Pro could theoretically retail for $999.99 and still be a sub-$1000 device.

Lau also noted that “prices across the supply chain, from raw materials to 5G chips, are all rising generally in the industry,” suggesting that the new phones will be more expensive than predecessors. But the OnePlus executive says that 5G phones will come down in price over time, pointing to the same trend with 4G devices.

In any event, this news does suggest that the vanilla OnePlus 8 will be fairly clear of the $1,000 mark at the very least. After all, the OnePlus 7T sells for £549 (~$681) in the UK, while the OnePlus 7T Pro retails for £699 (~$868). Meanwhile, the vanilla model sells for Rs 34,999 (~$459) in India, while the Pro variant retails for Rs 53,999 (~$709). So we can likely expect a similar price gap between the OnePlus 8 and the Pro option.

The news also means the OnePlus 8 series will be cheaper than the Galaxy S20 series, which starts at $999 for the base model. But Samsung’s base model offers a flexible rear camera setup, IP68 water and dust resistance, wireless charging, and a QHD+ 120Hz screen. Meanwhile, the vanilla OnePlus 8 is rumored to lack a telephoto camera, significant IP rating, wireless charging, and might top out at a 90Hz refresh rate.

What kind of pricing are you expecting for the OnePlus 8 series? Give us your predictions below!