OnePlus will be unveiling the OnePlus 8 series of smartphones with 5G wireless technology, and the phones will cost a bit higher than the price range in which the company places its handsets, company CEO Pete Lau has said. Both the rumoured smartphones in the series -- the OnePlus 8 and the OnePlus 8 Pro -- will have 5G. While the countries that already have next-gen telecommunication infrastructure are sure to get the 5G models, it is yet to be seen that in nations like India, where 5G is will arrive later than developed countries, will get the regular 4G variants.
‘This is a milestone both for OnePlus and our users. We’re proud to be among the first smartphone manufacturers to have a full 5G line up for our next launch [which is most likely the OnePlus 8 Series smartphones]. OnePlus has achieved many firsts with 5G, and this time’s no exception,’ Lau said in a statement. He added that ‘5G’s low latency and enhanced cloud services ‘will undoubtedly help us achieve a truly interconnected experience, while also providing exciting developments in [multiple] areas like gaming’.
We're going all in on 5G. You in? pic.twitter.com/liO2wVIsf9
— Pete Lau (@PeteLau) March 10, 2020
OnePlus launched its first 5G phone -- the OnePlus 7 Pro -- in Europe and then in the US last year. As expected, the phone was expensive than the regular models. Given that the Chinese company will ‘have a full 5G line up’ for its next launch, the costs of the devices are expected to be higher than the traditional price range of the OnePlus smartphones.
The world saw a new $1,000 threshold when Apple launched the iPhone X. Thanks to the positive response from customers, other OEMs have also started to place their products with the same price tag. In fact, given the increasing purchasing power of customers, OEMs like Apple, Samsung and Huawei, have started to price their products much higher than $1,000. If OnePlus follows the trend, it could lose its legacy of launching the best possible device at a given price point.
While talking to CNET, the executive said, ‘We've always had a position in creating the best product possible at the best price point. The new technology does add costs so costs have risen in comparison to 4G products.’ He also said that the people will likely see a more expensive ‘Pro’ version, and the regular model will have ‘modest specs and an accessible price tag’. ‘I think that this year again everyone should expect a lot to look forward to in 5G products with a reasonable price,’ he noted.
