UPDATE:
OnePlus reached out to us saying that this news was false. They have not canceled the offline launch event for the OnePlus 8.
“Reports of cancelling an offline launch event due to coronavirus are false. OnePlus has a history of hosting online and offline events, globally.” – OnePlus
Original story as follows:
The businesses of various tech companies have been affected due to the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak in China. Smartphone OEMs in China have decided to hold online-only launch event. In the previous week, Xiaomi had held an online launch conference for the Xiaomi Mi 10 series. Upcoming flagship phones from Redmi, Realme, iQOO and other brands are expected to get unveiled through online launch events. OnePlus founder and CEO Pete Lau has stated on Weibo that OnePlus will not be able to host a large offline launch event in the next few months. Hence, he is seeking ideas from OnePlus fans on holding a creative online launch conference.
The COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak have resulted in shipping delays and cancellation of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2020 event. Like other smartphone brands, OnePlus seems to be gearing up to unveil the upcoming OnePlus 8 series through an online livestream event. In the past, OnePlus had online only launch events for its smartphones. In June 2017, OnePlus had held an online launch event to announce the OnePlus 5 and few years ago, the OnePlus 2 event was unveiled through a VR livestream.
The OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro smartphones were made official in May 2019. A recent report had revealed that the Chinese manufacturer may launch the OnePlus 8 series earlier this year. It is speculated that the lineup includes OnePlus 8, OnePlus 8 Pro and OnePlus 8 Lite smartphones. It is speculated that the OnePlus 8 lineup will be made official in late March or April. Probably, this could be the company’s strategy to build a wider gap between the OnePlus 8 and the OnePlus 8T series that is expected to arrive in the second half of the year. The OnePlus 8, 8 Pro and even the Lite edition may come in a new green color variant.
The Snapdragon 865 mobile platform powered OnePlus 8 series may come equipped with 120Hz refresh rate supporting punch-hole screens. The OnePlus 8 Pro could be the first phone from the company to arrive with IP68 water and dust resistance. Also, the OnePlus 8 lineup may arrive with support for wireless charging. Probably, the company will offer users with rapid wireless charging that will be as fast as wired quick charging technology.
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