The OnePlus 8 series is much cheaper in India than the US
OnePlus announced the 8 and 8 Pro phones early last week, but didn’t share pricing information for India, one of its most important markets. Now we have the numbers, and the new phones could be a lot more competitive than you might have thought based on the US prices, which pushed the brand into flagship territory.
In a tweet, OnePlus says that the 8 series will begin at Rs. 41,999, or about $550. The base price for the OnePlus 8 is $699 in the US. Per Android Central, however, there’s a slight catch to that comparison — the entry-level model in India appears to be exclusive to the market, and has 6GB of RAM compared to 8GB. It’ll also only be available on Amazon.
Still, the Indian prices are lower throughout the lineup. The 8GB/128GB OnePlus 8 is more than $100 cheaper at Rs. 44,999 (~$590), while the 12GB/256GB model is about $150 cheaper at Rs. 49,999 ($650).
The OnePlus 8 Pro sees even bigger savings, with the 8GB/128GB model selling for Rs. 54,999 (~$720) — a discount of nearly $180 — while the 12GB/256GB model is more than $200 cheaper with a price point of Rs 59,999 ($785). In fact, the highest end OnePlus 8 Pro costs less in India than the equivalent non-Pro model does in the US.
Finally, the Bullets Z wireless neckbuds are roughly half the US price, coming in at just Rs. 1,999 (~$25) compared to the US price of $49.95.
The pricing strategy is aggressive, but was probably inevitable. While OnePlus is the leading premium phone brand in India, the kind of US pricing it introduced with the 8 series really wouldn’t fly, particularly given how much more competitive the Indian market is.
Brands like Realme and iQOO — which share the same parent company as OnePlus — have already launched Snapdragon 865-powered phones in India at even lower price points, for example. The 8 series’ Indian pricing gives OnePlus a little bit of prestige over those brands, but still allows it to play in the same league. OnePlus also has manufacturing lines in India that help it avoid tariffs.
OnePlus announced the 8 and 8 Pro phones early last week, but didn’t share pricing information for India, one of its most important markets. Now we have the numbers, and the new phones could be a lot more competitive than you might have thought based on the US prices, which…
