OnePlus is rumored to unveil new devices at an event
on May 14, and while the company has yet to confirm that date, its CEO Pete Lau
has today started teasing its next flagship smartphone. This one apparently
won't just be fast, it will also be smoooth.
Given that past leaks and rumors mentioned the
OnePlus 7 Pro having three rear cameras, we assume that's what's implied here.
And of course the phone should be smoother than its predecessor somehow -
perhaps this has to do with the rumored 90 Hz screen refresh rate. Anyway, the only other takeaway
from this teaser is the curved display you can see in the outline of the
handset, and this has once again been leaked prior.
At the same time, British online retailer MobileFun
has listed a bunch of cases for the upcoming OnePlus 7 Pro, and one of them
reveals a couple of gradient colors for the phone's back. Note that these may
just be wishful thinking on the case maker's part. Then again, they could
signify that OnePlus is finally ready to properly embrace a design trend that's
been doing the rounds in the mobile world for quite a while now. There's a green-to-black-to-green
version as well as a purple to dark grey to blue one. Otherwise these cases
don't reveal anything new about the phone's design. It has three rear cameras,
and no notch whatsoever because the selfie camera is of the motorized pop-up
variety.
Since the OnePlus 7 Pro has also been rumored to up
the screen resolution to QHD+, and pair that with 90 Hz support, and given the
practically bezel-less screen and three rear cams and all the other high-end
specs in tow, we're expecting this one to be much more expensive than any
previous OnePlus device. Don't be surprised if it starts at US$ 699 or even US$ 799.
For those that are looking for a more affordable
option, the OnePlus 7 (non-Pro) should oblige, with one less rear camera, a
water drop notch and 1080p+ display resolution (and perhaps less base RAM and
storage). This could in fact be considered the true successor to the OnePlus
6T, with the 7 Pro in a way starting an entire new journey for OnePlus, one
where it doesn't actually compromise on anything compared to its headline
competitors (well, perhaps with the exception of wireless charging).