OnePlus 7 or OnePlus 7T likely to launch in 2019 with 5G capabilities

OnePlus recently launched its flagship smartphone for 2018 aka the OnePlus 6. The smartphone is available in multiple variants, where the entry-level model retails for Rs 34,999 and the high-end model with 8 GB RAM and 256 GB storage retails for Rs 45,000. And now, OnePlus has made an announcement along with the software maintenance schedule that the company will launch the OnePlus 7/7T in 2019 with 5G capabilities.

Pete Lau, the CEO of OnePlus said:

OnePlus might be coming to a carrier store near you. In a one-on-one at Mobile World Congress Shanghai, OnePlus CEO and founder Pete Lau said the company is working with US carriers, and that it aims to produce a 5G smartphone next year.

Though his statement did not mention the name OnePlus 7 or the OnePlus 7T, it is clear by now that the Pete Lau is indeed talking about the next flagship smartphone from OnePlus and going by the style of nomenclature, the company is most likely to call its next flagship (probably after the launch of the OnePlus 6T) as the OnePlus 7.

It is also important to note that, the company is most likely to use a Qualcomm chipset on the OnePlus 7, as Qualcomm has already demonstrated the 5G model and has also hinted that the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 is likely to have a 5G modem.

Good news for the US

OnePlus already sells its smartphones in the US. However, unlike Apple or Samsung, OnePlus smartphones are not available via carriers and most of the users get a smartphone via carriers (which offers voice, SMS, and data bundle). This also means the upcoming smartphones from OnePlus are most likely to support all 4G and 5G bands in the United States of America.

What about India?

He did not speak anything about launching a 5G smartphone in India. However, as he has already said about the importance of the Indian smartphone market and the company is also expected to set up a second head office in India (in Bengaluru, Karnataka). This means that the OnePlus 7 or the OnePlus 7T will also launch in India with 5G network capabilities.

Qualcomm is most likely to launch its flagship mobile chipset by the end of 2018 and we are most likely to see smartphones with 5G capabilities in early 2019. Players like Apple and Samsung will be the first brands to launch smartphones with 5G capabilities, as these brands can produce their own SoC (system on chip).