OnePlus has been going bigger and bigger with each new phone, but there are some who want a great flagship phone within a smaller form factor. It seems the company wants the same, but there are a few factors holding it back.
This intriguing revelation has emerged out of an interview OnePlus CEO Pete Lau did with PCMag. He told the publication that the company would definitely make a smaller smartphone if they could solve the battery problem. Apparently, he’s seen a lot of demand for that kind of size.
Why A Smaller OnePlus Phone Isn’t Possible
The key issue seems to be a lack of innovation in battery technology. Lau points out that batteries haven’t changed all that much over the years, making it difficult to make a smaller device with a solid battery life. OnePlus has built its reputation on Dash Charge and Warp Charge, so it wouldn’t make sense to compromise on that.
While Lau didn’t mention it, there’s also the lukewarm reception to the 5-inch OnePlus X to consider. The handset wasn’t as successful as its bigger siblings and has pretty much faded away from public consciousness ever since it got killed off two years ago.
OnePlus has been steadily working towards the premium sector ever since, so a mid-range, stealth OnePlus X sequel would be a surprising – albeit welcome – move. For now, Lau is focusing on the brand’s 5G phone. It’s coming out in early 2019 with a Snapdragon 855 processor inside.
Also Read: OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition goes official with 10GB RAM, 30W Warp Charge
Qualcomm’s thrown in a cool green screen feature with the SoC, allowing users to remove the background from their photos. The CEO plans to talk to the company about about how it can bring this about in the 5G OnePlus phone.
The 5G device is set to work with frequency bands below 6GHz and not millimeter wave since the latter is too complicated. This keeps carriers like T-Mobile and Sprint in, and AT&T and Verizon out. Lau thinks this will change in the future, but for now, options are limited.
Interestingly, OnePlus is on the lookout for a security partner. Moving to 5G will translate to more data floating around in the cloud and the company wants to secure that information. Lau further confirmed plans for a smart TV, but didn’t commit to a launch date since he wants it to be perfect. He had earlier said that it was coming in 2019 and will boast of a 4K LED screen.