China-based OnePlus is now accepting applications in preparation for the launch of its next-generation family of Android flagship killers, the OnePlus 7. Applications are being accepted until 8:00 PM EDT on May 3. OnePlus will review those with the help of the mods from its community before making a final decision regarding 15 ‘winners’ — set to be announced on May 9.
Chosen reviewers will be selected based on past reviewing history as well as both their writing and photography capabilities. Those who receive review units will be given seven days to prepare a review of the device and are expected to post another on a separate thread after a month of using it. For those who complete their reviews “properly and on time,” the gadgets can be kept.
Units will go out around the time of the official launch and reviews will be published uncensored, following the company’s commitment to the honest feedback of reviewers, according to the application landing page.
What’s known so far?
The OnePlus 7 has already been officially outed by the manufacturer but deeper details won’t be provided until it its launch date. That’s expected to take place mid-may and become available to purchase within a week but the date hasn’t been confirmed just yet.
OnePlus has revealed that there will be multiple variants of its handset, including standard a OnePlus 7 and a 5G-enabled phablet dubbed the OnePlus 7 Pro, in keeping with promises made about next-gen networking last year. As its name implies, that will be the most capable configuration available to users.
The new lineup will also ship with the best user experience in terms of its display panel too. In fact, the CEO of OnePlus has hinted that the cost of the module per device rings in at around three times the cost of comparably-sized smartphones. That will almost certainly result in an increased cost for buyers too but the executive is confident the OnePlus 7 will completely “redefine fast and smooth.”
Given that several OEMs already have handset displays at 60Hz and other manufacturers plan to release devices with screens that have 90Hz refresh rates, that cost may turn out to be worth it. Rumors have circulated that the latter refresh rate is closer to what OnePlus plans to offer.
What are the rumors?
Now that the name and a few details are available for the incoming OnePlus 7, a significant number of rumors have been kicked up that could offer some insight into what those who enter to review the new gadget might expect.
As indicated by CEO Pete Lau, there will be significant differences between the two devices.
Among other rumors stemming from reported sources, is the size of the devices. The OnePlus 7 is predicted to be a 6.4-inch fullHD+ (2340 x 1080) device compared to the larger 6.7-inch QHD+ (3120 x 1440) screen on the OnePlus 7 Pro and OnePlus 7 Pro 5G.
Charging will be different too, set at 20W or 30W for the 3,700mAh battery in the OnePlus 7 in contrast the 30W Warp Charge and 4,000mAh capacity for the ‘Pro’ variants.
In all of the configurations expected, the power supply is expected to drive a Snapdragon 855 SoC but with different RAM options. The smaller gadget will ship in either 6GB and 8GB RAM variants, according to rumors. OnePlus 7 Pro variants will arrive with an additional 12GB memory option and each will be available with 128GB or 256GB storage.
Less certain is whether or not the hyper-fast UFS 3.0 storage expected in the Pro configurations will also appear in the less powerful version.