We will launch more than one device this time: OnePlus CEO Pete Lau

The smartphone market keeps changing at a rapid pace and OnePlus manages to keep up despite their ‘one premium device at a time’ strategy. But this is also because they launch a new phone every six months or so, giving their users the very latest in smartphone tech. Pete Lau offered some hints on the company’s new strategy while speaking to ET.

Two new OnePlus phones are coming soon – it’s unusual for OnePlus to do this but it seems to be the trend that flagship devices are following. Apple and Samsung have both done it and these are companies that OnePlus is both emulating and competing with. So the OnePlus 7 will be a natural upgrade to the OnePlus 6T while the OnePlus 7 Pro will be a super premium flagship with a couple of tricks up its sleeve. There may also be a 5G variant of the 7 Pro but the networks are not ready for that yet. Importantly, these will also be the first devices in India with the flagship Snapdragon 855 chipset. Samsung has launched the Galaxy S10 series with Snapdragon 855 but only for the US market.

“To provide consumers more choice and meet the needs of a broader audience, we’ve changed our launch strategy, but our commitment to premium products and experiences remains the same, said Pete. “We will launch more than one device this time. We will upgrade OnePlus 6T to ensure we continue to deliver the premium experience to which our customers are accustomed. For those craving more advanced technology, there will be a revolutionary, edgier, more advanced, ultra-premium smartphone.”




Pete was also keen to talk about the new screen on the OnePlus 7 Pro. “We’ve made a number of changes and our new screen is something we’ve never even attempted before – The screen will be the biggest upgrade for the new product. Since we started OnePlus, our aim has been to deliver a truly fast and smooth experience to our users. This time around, the display will create a new benchmark in standards of smoothness.”

Reading between the lines, the only way this could be done – while differentiating itself from the current crop of flagships – is by increasing the display refresh rate. Most displays on the market (whether on smartphones, TVs or monitors) have a standard 60Hz refresh rate. This means that the content on the screen can refresh up to 60 times a second. The 7 Pro could push that up to a 90Hz refresh rate, making things appear a lot more fluid to the human eye. This will be a clear advantage compared to the others - something that has to be “seen to be believed” according to Pete.

There are also bound to be some other upgrades when it comes to the ultra-premium 7 Pro. It should get an edge-to-edge display with a motorised pop-up selfie and in-display fingerprint scanning. This in itself is not new but still exciting if OnePlus includes a quad HD super amoled display. An upgraded camera system with ultra-wide angle and telephoto lenses seems likely while other features like 10/12GB RAM, 256/512GB storage options and 30watt charging are almost guaranteed.

One change that the company has instituted after continued feedback from users is about the colour variants. Previously, OnePlus would launch with one or two colours and introduce a couple more in a month or two to keep interest high. This time, all colours will be available at launch. However, Pete is quick to point out that there may still be limited special editions that come later in the launch cycle, such as the McLaren, Avengers and Star Wars edition phones they have done in the past.

We don’t have an exact date yet but the new phones should launch sometime in mid-May 2019. India remains of the company’s most important markets.