Over the years, OnePlus has strayed father and father away from its original “flagship killer” mantra. A few years ago, the company’s sole intention was packing as many flagship specs it could into a phone it would sell you for nearly half the price of a true flagship. Some sacrifices had to be made to get down to that price point (namely in the camera department), but in the end, each device proved to be a great value.
Then 2019 came with the OnePlus 7 series which hinted that the OnePlus of today wasn’t the same as the OnePlus of 2016. Those devices had high-end specs with a hefty price tag to match. In 2020, the company finally just shipped a flagship phone, priced accordingly and all. Reviewers say they’re great phones, and that’s all fine and good. But compared to where the company was just a few years ago, it’s clear that OnePlus’ ambitions and goals have changed.
Today, they’re changing again. Via the first episode of the company’s documentary, OnePlus has confirmed that it’s going back to its old ways and will release a phone that’s priced like a mid-ranger. Rumors have swirled for quite some time that the company would be making such a move, and now we know for sure that in the near future, you’ll be able to get a OnePlus phone that doesn’t cost as much as a Samsung or Apple device.
What’s the phone called? Well, in direct contradiction to all the leaks and rumors regarding the device, OnePlus has decided to call this phone the Nord. The Nord brand will extend to a whole range of new budget-conscious offerings from OnePlus. Before, rumors pointed to the “OnePlus Z” or “OnePlus 8 Lite” as the official name of the mysterious handset.
A statement from OnePlus CEO Pete Lau reads as follows.
Launching the OnePlus Nord product line marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for OnePlus. The ‘Never Settle’ spirit is centered around sharing the best technology and products with the world, but it is also about challenging ourselves and going beyond our comfort zone. We are immensely proud of our flagship products and will continue to create more tech-leading flagships for our users. Now we are excited to share the OnePlus experience with even more users around the world through this new product line.
According to the company, the Nord will initially launch in India and Europe. As for what the phone will feature, that remains a mystery. However, rumors point to a 6.8-inch display, a Snapdragon 765G processor, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and a quad-camera system. That sounds like an appealing package, especially when you consider the software optimizations the company will likely implement to keep things running smoothly.
OnePlus will reveal more details about the Nord and its future on July 10th at an event in India. When news breaks, I’m sure I’ll have a report here on the website. Stay tuned, folks.
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