Next OnePlus phone will be a mid-range model says company executive

The upcoming OnePlus handset that company co-founder Carl Pei said would launch before Christmas, is a mid-range model that will be priced in a range between $180-$300. That comes from a report in today's Economic Times, which quotes OnePlus India GM Vikas Agarwal as saying that the device is going to be released before the end of the year. The executive adds that while it will be a global release, the phone will be focused on Indian consumers.

Agarwal also said that it would be a lifestyle and fashion product, and would not be considered a flagship phone. That dovetails with a comment made last month by Pei, who said that the next OnePlus phone would be made for a "different type of audience, perhaps for those who appreciate design over specs."

India is a big market for OnePlus, contributing 7% of its sales last year. In the first quarter of this year, India accounted for 40% of company sales. Speaking of sales, Agarwal said that next year, OnePlus will open its own online sales "portal" in India that will sell OnePlus phones without an invitation. Currently, OnePlus has an online portal that redirects consumers to Amazon and Flipkart, where the OnePlus 2 can be purchased with an invitation.

We recently showed you renders that allegedly show off the upcoming OnePlus handset, dubbed the OnePlus Mini. The images revealed a device carrying a fingerprint scanner, and a dual camera setup on the back. A trip through the AnTuTu site (where it scored 54,311) listed a phone with a display offering a 1080 x 1920 resolution, powered by the MediaTek MT-6795T chipset. This features an octa-core 2.2GHz CPU and the PowerVR Rogue G6200 GPU. 2GB of RAM was inside, along with 32GB of internal storage, and a rear-facing 13MP snapper was on board. Android 5.1.1 was installed on the handset.

Whether those specs belong to the next OnePlus phone won't be determined until the phone is officially unveiled. Unfortunately, Agarwal did not mention when OnePlus will hold an event to unwrap the device. We don't expect the company to put on an event using VR again, which it employed for the introduction of the OnePlus 2.

source: EconomicTimes via Technodify