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Hands-on video showcases stunning OnePlus 8 Pro 5G display in all its 120Hz glory

Published: Apr 13, 2020, 3:47 PM

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Hands-on video showcases stunning OnePlus 8 Pro 5G display in all its 120Hz glory

UPDATE: The OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro are now official! Learn more about the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro price, release date, specs, and features.

It seems we may have been a bit rash in proclaiming the OnePlus 8 series puzzle was complete following the reveal of two small new pieces earlier today and more big ones than we can count in recent weeks.

You'll probably forgive us for assuming there was nothing left to leak about the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro 5G ahead of an announcement event tomorrow that's begun to feel like a mere formality. Within the space of just a few hours, a purported real-life image came to light alongside a bunch of cases and other essential information (that we kind of already knew), as well as details on an interesting launch promotion, and now believe it or not, none other than Marques Brownlee is giving us the full 120Hz display tour.

Guerrilla marketing at its best

Brownlee, better known as MKBHD, might be one of the most popular tech-focused YouTubers, with close to 11 million subscribers and a glowing recommendation from former Google Vice President Vic Gundotra under his belt, but one thing you'll rarely see on the aforementioned YT channel is unauthorized leaks of unannounced devices.

Here’s my OnePlus 8 Pro

Stay tuned for the full review: https://t.co/mcJj2dJUan pic.twitter.com/HS4d2zeOMP
— Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) April 13, 2020

That means OnePlus fully sanctioned the around 2-minute video posted on Brownlee's Twitter account earlier today, which the YouTuber explicitly mentions at the very beginning of this highly unusual publicity stunt. Even by the company's unorthodox standards, this is something special and possibly unprecedented, but we have to admit we kind of dig the approach.

It's certainly a lot better for both the company and its dedicated fanbase to have a professional shoot the OnePlus 8 Pro 5G screen in decent video quality and quickly showcase its strengths and weaknesses than watch some no-name Weibo user blow the handset's cover while trying to hide their tracks by giving the device the typical blurrycam treatment.

And yes, in case you're wondering, the only thing visible in MKBHD's teaser video for his upcoming full review is the undeniably gorgeous OnePlus 8 Pro 5G display, which further highlights the company's brilliantly unconventional advertising tactics.

The world's most beautiful smartphone display?

We've known for a fairly long time that the gargantuan 6.78-inch Fluid AMOLED screen sports QHD+ resolution (3168 x 1440 pixels, to be exact) while supporting a blazing fast 120Hz refresh rate at both the QHD+ and FHD+ mark. That will be one of the big things setting the OnePlus 8 Pro 5G apart from Samsung's Galaxy S20 family, which controversially restricts 120Hz use to the FHD resolution mode.

Naturally, these cutting-edge features make this one of the world's fastest, sharpest, and brightest smartphone displays right now, both on paper and by the looks of things, in real-life use as well. Of course, we'll have to wait and rigorously examine for ourselves all that AMOLED jazz, 240Hz touch sampling rate included, before concluding OnePlus has finally and definitively killed all rival flagships at a high but far from prohibitive price point.

The only apparent flaw identified by Marques Brownlee at first glance concerns the "aggressively" curved design of the company's impending new hero device, but obviously, that's more a matter of personal preference than an objectively weak point likely to annoy the vast majority of potential OnePlus 8 Pro 5G buyers.

Keep in mind that there's also a non-Pro OnePlus 8 5G coming that the company has spent significantly less time promoting, even though its lower price may well make it more appealing to the masses despite the lack of many important features like a 120Hz refresh rate, wireless charging support, and IP68 water resistance.

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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.