OnePlus budget mobile phone lineup is reportedly featuring high-powered flagship chips once again.
As per the news story by Android Authority, the Chinese phone maker rose to fame outside of its home country for offering a bang for buck deal for its flagship performance smartphones.
Chinese smartphone manufacturer OnePlus CEO Pete Lau attends an event to launch the new OnePlus 5 handset in Mumbai on June 22, 2017.
However, the pricing range of the mobile devices of OnePlus gradually increased over time, matching the prices of other flagship phone makers. It also comes as the Chinese tech giant has eventually become a more popular brand even in the Western market.
OnePlus Budget Phone 'Flagship Killer'
This time around, a leaker claims that OnePlus is working on getting back to its early days. It is rumored to be developing a phone series that would prioritize performance without being too expensive.
The leaker from Weibo that goes by the name Digital Chat Station further predicted that the price range of the upcoming "flagship killer" smartphone series is about $315 up to $473, at least for its Chinese pricing.
However, Android Authority said in the same report that the pricing of smartphone devices in the Asian nation typically goes lower than its price tags elsewhere. That said, expect it to be a little more expensive once it reaches other parts of the world.
OnePlus 'Flagship Killer' Performance
On top of that, the Weibo leaker further reveals that the upcoming smartphone lineup would be carrying a flagship processor. Digital Chat Station also predicted that the budget series is getting a flat-screen design, unlike the curved display of the latest Android flagships out there.
According to the report by PhoneArena, the leaker failed to disclose any specific details about the chipset of the upcoming smartphone, aside from his claim that it is a flagship-level processor.
On the other hand, Android Authority suggested that this does not necessarily mean that the next-gen low-cost phones of OnePlus will sport the latest flagship chipset out there, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1.
Instead, it could mean that the Chinese phone maker will be using older flagship chips, including the Snapdragon 888 or the Mediatek Dimensity 1200.
OnePlus and 'Flagship Killer' History
Phone Arena noted in the same news story that OnePlus previously promoted their smartphones as the next "flagship killer." It was back when they were still a new name in the smartphone market.
Although the "flagship killer" devices of the China-based tech giant boast impressive performance for their price point, they still came with some drawbacks that mattered to some consumers.
For instance, the cameras of these budget smartphones are far from what an actual flagship device could produce.
Not to mention that some of the modern necessities in mobile phones today have also been ditched, such as the waterproof and wireless charging features.
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Written by Teejay Boris
