OnePlus 7 may skip 5G support as OnePlus plans separate premium lineup
OnePlus is planning a new lineup of premium 5G phones. The first OnePlus phone with 5G will launch in early 2019.
OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei last month had announced that the company will launch a 5G smartphone in early 2019. Based on OnePlus' product upgrade cycle it was believed that OnePlus 7 will be the first OnePlus phone to feature 5G using Snapdragon X50 modem. Turns out, OnePlus 6T successor will not have 5G but the company will still launch a new phone with the next-generation wireless technology.
OnePlus spokesperson confirmed to CNET that the 5G lineup will be a separate portfolio to complement the existing and future OnePlus phones. Though the spokesperson did not reveal the timeline for OnePlus' new 5G lineup, it's highly like OnePlus will use any of the upcoming major tech events such as CES or MWC to showcase the phone.
OnePlus may have made the decision to keep the 5G lineup separate in order to keep its existing OnePlus 6T and above phones 'affordable' for users. OnePlus' 5G phones could be a new premium lineup from the company, according to AndroidAuthority.
Last month OnePlus joined hands with Qualcomm and Ericsson to become one of the first major smartphone players to use Snapdragon X50 modem for 5G mobile. Qualcomm has already announced "the successful completion of a 3GPP Rel-15 spec compliant 5G NR over-the-air (OTA) call over sub-6 GHz bands on a smartphone form factor mobile test device." ALSO READ: Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 holds key for smarter mid-range phones
Excited discussing our 5G leadership plans with @cristianoamon at the @Qualcomm #4G5GSummit pic.twitter.com/ni7NsK9mQR
— Carl Pei (@getpeid) October 23, 2018
"The OTA call was conducted in the Ericsson Lab in Stockholm, Sweden on the 3.5 GHz band. Similar to the companies' first OTA calls performed using millimeter wave (mmWave) in both 28 and 39 GHz spectrum bands, which occurred in September 2018, today's sub-6 GHz call utilized Ericsson's commercial 5G NR radio AIR 6488 and baseband products and a mobile test device powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon X50 5G modem and RF subsystem," explained Qualcomm.
OnePlus, however, is not alone in the race for 5G phones. Samsung and Huawei have already confirmed plans to launch 5G phones next year. It's worth noting that the companies like HMD Global, LG and Asus have also partnered with Qualcomm to launch 5G phones next year. ALSO READ: What is 5G, and why it is such a big deal
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