OnePlus' next phone, the OnePlus 8, has been leaked in detailed 3D renders which indicates that - not only is the 7T's large circular camera protrusion a bit of a one-off - but that we're also going to see the notch disappear. 

In the renders, we see a large curved screen with minimal bezels and a punch-hole camera in the top left corner. We also see a triple camera system housed inside the classic vertical pill-shaped protrusion. 

This would mean OnePlus is taking on a different tact with the OnePlus 8 series, if it is indeed a series. With the OnePlus 7 series, the key differentiator between the 7 and the 7 Pro was the larger screen with curved edges.

OnePlus 7 and the regular OnePlus 7T both have completely flat screens. The OnePlus 7T Pro is widely expected to use the same curved display from the 7 Pro when it's launched later this month. 

The renders come courtesy of the usual source, twitter leaker @OnLeaks (in collaboration with CashKaro), who confirmed that despite its appearance, this is the OnePlus 8 not the OnePlus 8 Pro. 

OnePlus 8 has already leaked and it has a hole-punch display image 2
@OnLeaks/CashKaro

Since this phone has physical buttons on the sides, it's clear that it doesn't have the waterfall display technology used by its sister companies Oppo and Vivo. 

Very little in the way of specs has been revealed, but it's claimed that this phone will be around 8.1mm thin, with a 6.5-inch display on the front. It also appears that the bezels are much slimmer than previous OnePlus phones

Given OnePlus' launch strategy for smartphone launches in 2019, it shouldn't be a surprise to see the next phone leak before the 7T is even available for sale in most countries. 

Having only launched the OnePlus 7 in May 2019, the disruptive smartphone maker unveiled the OnePlus 7T less than five months later and if OnLeaks sources are correct, we could see the OnePlus 8 launch as early as February/March in 2020. 

If it turns out to be accurate, it would see OnePlus shift its launch cycle to be more in time with the typical March/September launches we see from a handful of other tech companies. Perhaps an indication that OnePlus feels it can compete with the big names now, and doesn't need to avoid them. 

Whatever the motivation, we'll be sure to keep updated as more is revealed about OnePlus' next flagship smartphone. Stay tuned.