OnePlus Z Release Date, News, and Rumors
A couple of years ago, OnePlus released its mid-range handset, the OnePlus X in some markets. While the phone didn’t take off as expected, the company is apparently looking to bring a successor to the device. Known as the OnePlus Z, this smartphone has been in the rumor mill for quite some time now.
Today, we take a closer look at all the rumors, news, and information that we’ve come across so far on the OnePlus Z. So let’s have a look.
OnePlus Z Release Date, News, and Rumors
OnePlus Z News
A recent leak gave us a very good idea of what the smartphone will look like, showcasing a triple camera layout, a punch hole camera on the front, and a glossy finish, probably with a metal body.
In March, multiple sources confirmed that the device will be known as the OnePlus Z.
Reports have also given us a good idea about the phone’s release timeframe in the markets.
OnePlus Z Release Date
While it was largely believed that the OnePlus 8 will be unveiled alongside the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro, this wasn’t the case. A well-known source of leaks, Steve Hemmerstoffer a.k.a @OnLeaks then claimed that OnePlus has pushed the release of the handset into summer this year due to the global pandemic. This could mean that the handset may not arrive until June or July this year.
OnePlus Z Rumors
Size & Design
As you can see from the render above, the OnePlus Z will not be your conventional mid-range phone by the looks of it. It appears to have a shiny metal body, although it’s just as likely that this is plastic. The display appears to be completely covered with very little bezel space left, indicating that it may implement an in-display fingerprint scanner.
The phone appears pretty sleek too, which could add to its overall design. We expect to learn further about the OnePlus Z design in the weeks to come.
Display
While there’s no word on the size of the display used here, it is said that the phone will have a 6.4-inch panel on board. It can be predicted that the phone will likely use an OLED panel. This can be said based on the renders that indicate this phone will have an in-display fingerprint scanner. Such sensors are only compatible with OLED panels right now. It’s also likely that OnePlus will use a high refresh rate (possibly 90 Hz) for the display here.
Camera
While there’s mention of the OnePlus Z packing a triple camera layout with 48MP, 16MP, and 12MP sensors on the back, the most recent render posted by @OnLeaks seems to suggest that the phone may have a dual-camera layout instead, which is more in-line with the mid-range niche that OnePlus is believed to be targeting.
There’s no word yet on the actual sensor used for the front camera, but leaked renders indicate that the phone will likely have a hole-punch camera which is something that we’ve seen with the OnePlus 8 Pro recently, although the positioning was different.
Other features
While OnePlus’ flagship lineup comes with the octa-core Snapdragon 865 SoC, the OnePlus Z may not necessarily get the same treatment. It is said that the phone will run on a MediaTek chipset, possibly the Dimensity 800 or Dimensity 1000, opening up the very real possibility of sporting 5G capabilities.
The phone should also likely have at least 6 or 8GB of RAM variants, while storage options will be between 128GB or 256GB, it is said. Given that the company seldom uses microSD card slots with its phones, we’re unlikely to see it on the OnePlus Z.
The phone will apparently come with a 4,000 mAh battery under the hood. This will be accompanied by OnePlus’ 30W fast charging tech, something that we’ve also seen with the company’s older smartphones.
While this shouldn’t surprise anyone, the OnePlus Z will almost certainly come with Android 10 out of the box. OnePlus has been pretty stable with updates as well, so the OnePlus Z should join the likes of the Pixel 3a and the yet to be launched Pixel 4a as mid-rangers that get prompt software updates.
As the renders reveal, the phone could well sport an in-display fingerprint scanner. While this will cut down on the unnecessary bezel space, it will also provide a viable and modern alternative to rear mounted scanners.
OnePlus Z Price
Given that OnePlus hasn’t released a mid-range phone in some years now, it’s hard to speculate the kind of pricing that the company wants to target right now. However, it seems likely that the phone could be priced below $500 in order to make it competitive against other mid-range smartphones.