OnePlus’ next flagship to launch in Q2: Here’s everything we know so far

OnePlus made the first official confirmation for its next smartphone at the CES 2018. OnePlus CEO Pete Lau told CNET that the next OnePlus smartphone will be powered by Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 845 chipset. The timeframe for the launch is Q2 which will presumably be June according to the company's launch schedule.

Another revelation made during the interview was the possibility of OnePlus speaking with US carriers. CNET quotes Lau as saying, "If the right opportunity and right timing come along, we'll be very happy to experiment". OnePlus smartphones are available in the US, but the company doesn't have a partnership with any leading mobile carrier.

In the US, smartphones come bundled with carriers and the sales have seen a significant rise over the past few years. It is believed that OnePlus striking a deal with a US carrier will help boost the company's sales. OnePlus will hopefully not disappoint like Huawei did when the company's anticipated AT&T partnership didn't come through.

Coming back to the smartphone, Lau did not reveal the name of the device but it will presumably be OnePlus 6. Powered by the Snapdragon 845 SoC, the 'OnePlus 6' would join Samsung's Galaxy S9 series smartphones which will also have the same chipset.

With only one feature confirmed for the OnePlus 6, rest of the details are based on rumors and leaks. The most expected upgrades on the OnePlus 6 include an improved facial recognition technology. Similar to Apple iPhone X's Face ID, OnePlus introduced Face Unlock on the OnePlus 5 last year. OnePlus 6 could also feature an under display fingerprint sensor. Vivo unveiled the first smartphone with under display fingerprint sensor at CES 2018.