OnePlus 6 May Be Next Handset As Company Reportedly Scraps 5T

OnePlus, a young company started in 2011, is redefining its own traditions. Last year, the company launched the OnePlus 3T and then chose to skip over the OnePlus 4 and launch the OnePlus 5 this year.

The company is expected to launch the OnePlus 6 next year instead of launching the OnePlus 5T, according to a report published Saturday. The reason behind this might be that while OnePlus 5 might have a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor on board, there is no room for incremental improvements on a ‘T’ series model and the company might have to come out with a revamp the handset with features such as an edge-to-edge display which would only be justified in a major change signified by a change in numerical denomination.

In addition to this, the company can’t bank of chipmaker Qualcomm to launch a new processor, which would make a ‘T’ generation handset justified —XDAdevelopers reported in September that the company is not coming out with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 836 chipset.

The OnePlus 5 comes with more RAM than phones such as the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 and costs $400 less. It does not have features such as IP68/67 protection or a specialized assistant but it can offer the power and punch of high-end smartphones with its processor. Not just that, thanks to Samsung’s Note series’ crisis last year, it offers a larger battery than the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.

The company has previously done well by providing high-end features in its handsets and making them available at a mid-range price tag. As it moves into the era of $1,000 phones such as the iPhone X, it needs to offer such features at an even lower price tag.

One feature that the company will most probably endow its upcoming handset with is an edge-to-edge display, however, whether it goes in for 18:9 screen aspect ratio devices like LG smartphones or bezel-less display like the Samsung Galaxy S8 is not yet known.

The report also says that the device is expected to be launched early 2018 and chances are that OnePlus makes it even more powerful by endowing it with 8GB RAM. This could be the best strategy for the company as, if it releases its handset later, it might have to compete with the likes of Samsung, Apple, and others. Samsung is expected to build on its 10nm Snapdragon 835 processor and endow its 2018 devices with 8 or 9nm processors.

What will be interesting though is what the company does with the camera of its 2018 flagship. The 2017 flagship has a 20-megapixel rear camera and 16-megapixel front camera. Therefore, whether the company works on increasing megapixel count or just innovates its upcoming device in terms of camera technology remains a mystery.

What is expected to remain constant is the company’s pricing — the company is expected to maintain a sub-$700 price tag on its next flagship.