OnePlus 8 leaks suggests the addition ToF sensor to its rear camera assembly

While it hasn’t been officially confirmed, it looks like the OnePlus 8 release date is close at hand. Supposed photos of the upcoming phone have been leaked online which could only mean that it’s almost ready for launch.

The leaked OnePlus 8 images were posted on the Chinese social network site Weibo by a user named Zealer, Tom’s Guide reported. The images allow smartphone buyers to get their first glimpse at the upcoming flagship of the Chinese brand as previous leaks were just rumors and renders.

The OnePlus 8 does not seem to have any major design changes compared to the previous model. In fact, it’s easy to mistake the phone for the OnePlus 7T Pro if one does not look closely enough.

Three of the four sensors of the OnePlus 8’s read camera are aligned vertically. The fourth sensor, which is a 3D time-of-flight (ToF) sensor according to Slash Gear, is located to the side.

It appears that the upcoming flagship will do away with the pop-up selfie camera found in the 7Pro. Instead, the OnePlus 8 will feature a punch-hole camera, which is more space-efficient and would probably help reduce the phone’s overall weight. This would be the first gadget in the brand to feature a punch-hole front-facing camera.

The OnePlus 8 will have 5G capability as suggested by the 5G marker next to the company logo. However, this feature isn’t too surprising since it was already introduced in last year’s models, the OnePlus Pro 5G and OnePlus 7T Pro 5G.

The phone is expected to feature an OLED display with a refresh rate of 120Hz and a Snapdragon 865 chip making the phone on par with the more expensive Galaxy S20 series. The OnePlus 8 might also have water and dust resistance as well as wireless charging.

The company is likely to launch three OnePlus 8 models. The OnePlus 8 Lite will likely be priced at $499, the regular OnePlus 8 is expected to have a price tag of $549 and the higher-end OnePlus 8 Pro, which will likely be priced at around $799. The phones are expected to come out by March 2020.