OnePlus 7 Pro renders showcase design entirely, pop-out camera included
UPDATE: This smartphone is now expected to launch as the OnePlus 7 Pro. It should be joined by the regular OnePlus 7 upon launch, which itself resembles the OnePlus 6T quite closely.
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The OnePlus 7 and its 5G variant are undeniably two of the most anticipated smartphones of 2019. As things stand, their respective announcements aren’t set to take place until later this quarter. But thanks to tipster Steve Hemmerstoffer in partnership with PriceBaba, the design of the regular OnePlus 7 has seemingly been revealed.
Pop-out selfie camera & extremely thin bezels
Kicking things off with a look at the front panel design, the most obvious difference upon first glance is the lack of a notch above the display. Last year, OnePlus completely embraced the controversial design feature but, from the look of things, it wasn’t compatible with the brand’s vision of a bezel-less design.
The drawback to such a high screen-to-body ratio is that there’s no room for the usual front-facing camera. Because of this, these OnePlus 7 CAD-based renders suggest the smartphone will adopt a new pop-out mechanism for the selfie snapper.
The flagship also adopts an elongated speaker grill which sits along the very edge of the aluminum frame.
OnePlus 7 CAD-based render
Three rear cameras, one more than the OnePlus 6T
Much like the front, the OnePlus 7’s rear is an evolution of the design seen on the OnePlus 6 and OnePlus 6T. Once again, the flagship includes a vertically-aligned camera module that sits in the center of the rear. This time around, though, a third sensor has been added to the layout.
Unfortunately, the exact details of each camera remain unclear at the moment. However, the most logical layout would be one that includes a primary sensor accompanied by a wide-angle camera and a third sensor that boasts a telephoto lens. Alternatively, OnePlus could scrap one of these in favor of a depth sensor that improves bokeh imagery.
Accompanying the three rear cameras is an LED flash and what appears to be a new laser autofocus system. The OnePlus logo also sits directly below the camera setup.
Flagship internals but still no headphone jack
Internally, the OnePlus 7 will arrive powered by Qualcomm’s high-end Snapdragon 855. Presumably, this will be paired with at least 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Nevertheless, more impressive configurations such as 8/256GB and 12/512GB could be on the table.
OnePlus 7 CAD-based render
Will the OnePlus 5G flagship look like this?
The short answer to this question is probably. In a recent interview, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau revealed that, while there "will be some differences" between the 4G LTE model pictured above and the 5G variant, the latter won't be "dramatically" different.
These comments mean that the 5G model will probably pair a bezel-less display with a pop-out camera module, much like the regular OnePlus 7. However, some internal tweaks to avoid overheating issues could result in a large overall device. It also seems likely that a 5G logo will be included on the rear, as has been the case with recent 5G smartphones.
The OnePlus 7's announcement, release date, and pricing
The OnePlus 7 and its 5G sibling are both expected to go official sometime in May. Sales of the former will probably commence around one week after the announcement takes place, while the latter may not be available until mid-June.
Like the OnePlus 6T, the OnePlus 7 should be available in every market OnePlus currently operates in. Additionally, over in the US, the flagship should be available to purchase via T-Mobile. As for the 5G variant, this won't be seeing a US release. Instead, its availability will be limited to just a handful of markets including the UK.
In terms of pricing, OnePlus is once again expected to push costs upwards a bit. The regular OnePlus 7, on the one hand, could be priced closer to $600 rather than the current OnePlus 6T starting price of $549. Similarly, the 5G flagship is expected to push prices upwards dramatically. Nevertheless, the company's CEO recently promised that it'd cost less than $1,000.
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