OnePlus’ first 5G smartphone won’t be the OnePlus 7

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The newest 5G NR cell technology is set to come to a smartphone near you next year. However, simply deploying the 5G signal to your area is not enough, as your smartphone needs to be compatible. Luckily, a number of 2019 flagship smartphones are set to be compatible with 5G signals, as the Qualcomm Snapdragon X50 5G modem is set to arrive with next year’s Snapdragon 8150/855. It’ll still require adoption from OEMs, though. OnePlus, for one, has confirmed that they’ll bring a 5G smartphone to the market next year. But it seems like it won’t be the upcoming OnePlus 7.

In a statement issued to CNET, the company confirmed that their upcoming 5G smartphone would be announced at the beginning of 2019, but it won’t be the OnePlus 7. Instead, the company will launch a device that’s either part of a separate, entirely new line (the only time they’ve done this was with the short-lived OnePlus X budget smartphone), or simply a special edition of the OnePlus 6T or the OnePlus 7 with updated internals and 5G support.

The 5G smartphone is set to be announced near the beginning of 2019, possibly before the OnePlus 7, hinting at a possible announcement during MWC 2019 in Barcelona, Spain, or maybe even CES 2019. OnePlus could also opt for holding their own event, just like they’ve been doing with all their past smartphones.

It makes sense for the company to not implement 5G on their main line of smartphones (OnePlus 7 and 7T) right now: 5G NR will need maturing and adoption before it becomes a viable alternative to 4G LTE. Furthermore, implementing 5G properly on a smartphone is surely going to bring up its price quite a bit. While the tech will eventually make it to their main line of smartphones, it is wise to abstain from it right now.

Are you excited for OnePlus’ upcoming 5G smartphone?