I’ve discussed my concerns with OnePlus raising its prices this year. But in using the OnePlus and OnePlus 8 Pro, I’m starting to get it.

Normally, I’d discuss this topic in my reviews of the two products. But then that’s how this started: I was prepping my OnePlus 8 Pro review ahead of posting it next week and found myself going wildly off-topic about pricing and value in a discussion about how two intersecting circumstances---the ever-escalating prices of flagship smartphones and the COVID-10 pandemic---are throwing the entire conversation out of whack.