Today’s Oneplus smartphones, the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro, cost a small fortune. Rumors about the release of a “lite” version of the OnePlus 8 have therefore been going around for several weeks now.
A new leak released on Wednesday; April 29th now claims that the “affordable” model of the brand could be released in July 2020 under the name OnePlus Z.
The OnePlus Z would be a cheaper alternative to the new high-end smartphones of the Chinese giant, which is moving out of the flagship killer niche.
The name is OnePlus Z echoes that of the OnePlus X, of which it would be the spiritual successor, with which OnePlus wanted to truster the mid-range segment in 2015.
A photo circulating on Twitter predicts the announcement of the OnePlus Z. Previously, it had been speculated that a lighter version of the 8 series was planned. Rendering images and alleged field photos have since been circulating on the net.
According to Slashleaks, this photo cannot be verified due to missing sources. But the images at least correspond to the drawing in the OnePlus Z advertisement mentioned above. The mid-range smartphone would therefore have a punch hole and a 90 Hz screen without edges.
Inside, there are rumors that the MediaTek Dimensity 1000-SoC chipset, compatible with 5G, is anything but mid-range and can compete with the heavyweights on the market. Infidelity to Qualcomm and its costly Snapdragon chips would allow OnePlus to lower its prices.
In addition, OnePlus would provide two storage and RAM configurations with 128GB/8GB RAM or 256GB/12GB RAM. On the back of the OnePlus Z, a triple photo sensor with a 48-megapixel primary lens and 16- and 12-megapixel sensors (probably ultra-wide-angle and telephoto) can be expected.
However, OnePlus Z is unlikely to be a real “budget phone” according to some leakers, such as the well-known Ishan Agarwal, who claim that the OnePlus Z would be launched at a starting price of €400, or €459.
€699 for OnePlus 8 and even for OnePlus 7/7T. But it is far from the record price of the OnePlus X at the time €269.
The launch of OnePus Z, initially planned at the same time as the OnePlus 8 range, has been postponed and would therefore finally take place next July.
The company is currently restructuring in Europe and reducing its workforce in France, the United Kingdom, and Germany in particular.
The front-page photo in this article shows the OnePlus 8, not the design of the OnePlus Z.