OnePlus is working on a “more affordable smartphone product line,” CEO Pete Lau confirmed in a forum post today. Although Lau doesn’t specifically name the new range, his post links to a new Instagram page titled “OnePlusLiteZThing,” which is an apparent reference to the rumored names for the device. Lau said OnePlus plans to bring the devices to Europe and India first but that the company was looking to bring its affordable phones to North America in the “near future.”
Later on Tuesday, the company posted a morse code message on Instagram that confirmed it will announce the new product(s) in July. It seems other hints will follow.
An affordable OnePlus device has been rumored for months under a variety of different names, including the OnePlus 8 Lite or the OnePlus Z. (The company’s last serious attempt at a lower-cost Android phone was 2015’s OnePlus X.) Most recently, XDA-Developers reported that what it called the OnePlus Z could be released in India for 24,990 rupees (about $330). The phone is thought to include a 6.55-inch 90Hz OLED display and be powered by a Snapdragon 765 processor with 5G support.
The announcement of a new product lineup comes just months after OnePlus released its latest flagship lineup of smartphones, the OnePlus 8 and the OnePlus 8 Pro, starting at $699 and $899, respectively.
Lau didn’t give an exact timeframe for when OnePlus will announce the new smartphone lineup, but Android Central previously reported that it would be unveiled on July 10th in India.
Update June 23rd 3:23PM ET: The article has been updated to mention a new Instagram post from OnePlus.
