Survey says: Uh oh, most fans prefer the OnePlus 7T to the OnePlus 8 series

OnePlus fans know what they want, and apparently it’s not what the company is selling in the OnePlus 8 series. At least, not for that price.

A couple of days ago we asked our audience which was the better option right now: the $499 OnePlus 7T; the $699 OnePlus 8; or the $899 OnePlus 8 Pro. Given a choice between killer flagship or flagship killer, it looks like most fans prefer the OnePlus of old.

From over 16,500 votes, more than three-quarters prefer last year’s OnePlus 7T over either 2020 model. For all the upgrades and spec bumps in the new phones, the only number that seems to matter here is price.

The OnePlus 8 series are still great phones, so it’ll be interesting to see if disgruntled fans shell out regardless or vote with their wallets. The options are pretty good whatever you decide: either fork out the extra for a OnePlus 8 model or pick up a six-month-old 7T at a discount. Either way, it’s win-win for OnePlus and you’re still getting an awesome phone.

Nevertheless, enthusiasts are clearly pining for the good old days of affordable flagships. As much as we always knew OnePlus had its eye on a horizon where it comfortably rubbed shoulders with Samsung and HUAWEI, it would be a shame if the company that created the flagship killer market would abandon it entirely. Unfortunately, the only affordable phone we’re likely to see from OnePlus anytime soon looks to be the mid-range OnePlus Z.

Your comments

You all had a lot to say about OnePlus raising its prices for the OnePlus 8 series:

• RH: And, if you wait til around this time next year, the 8 series will be “about as inexpensive”. I picked up a 7T about 3 weeks ago for $499. The extra “fluff” on the 8 series, isn’t worth it.
• Nathan Fletcher: Op3 here. I’m not buying any phone over 400 anymore. 4 years later and this thing is kicking just fine and I don’t see a reason to upgrade. I swapped out the battery and now I get two days / 6 hours sot
• Djanta: No phone from any OEM unveiled up to now in 2020 is worth the added price. 5G and high refresh rate screens are yet others ruses used to fool consumers into buying new overpriced phones.
  Last year flagships which are now discounted are more than enough for any usage.
• Tony Talks: I think the 8 series line up would’ve been worth the additional money but the 7T is just so good already I personally don’t see the added value.
• roaduardo: Better deal and better display because it’s FLAT.
• Jim Fontana: The silver 7T is out of stock. Nuts. Not a fan of Glacier Blue. Was hoping to sell my OnePlus 6 and get a 7T. Not a interested in a phone costing more than $600.
• Josh Oberg: No note worth $200 or $400. We used to get these yearly incremental upgrades equivalent to the pro for $0 -$100. Now they want $400. Just NO.
• bustedmagnet: I own the 7T and it’s great, my only complaint is the camera, which is worse than the original Pixel I upgraded from. If you care about photos then yes it’s worth it.
• Husladdin12: If you have the OnePlus 7t no point in jumping to the 8 series especially for the asking price..it seems oneplus never improves on their camera system besides maybe the display and battery life it’s just not worth it..the OnePlus 7t is an awesome phone for that price. Oneplus is no longer flagship killers now their flagship if you want a flagship killer go realme x2 pro or x50 pro
• pikkoz: The 8 Pro is a decent update over the last year pro , the regular 8 it’s the opposite with the camera department that actually seems even worse and the battery “improvement” that to me seems questionable because the power hungry 5G SoC.
  So if you consider the 200 dollars of difference a 7T over an 8 it’s no brainer.

Will you still buy OnePlus at flagship prices or will you start looking at alternatives?