The OnePlus Z is coming — here’s everything we know so far

The spiritual successor to the OnePlus X is coming soon.

Leading up to the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro launch, the rumor mill was strongly suggesting that the two phones would be joined by a budget-focused OnePlus 8 Lite. As time went on, that name went to the wayside and it was starting to be referred to as the OnePlus Z. The product unveiling came and went, and there’s still no OnePlus 8 Lite/OnePlus Z in sight.

The phone is still coming, we just have to wait a little while longer before we can get our hands on it.

Based on what we know so far, the OnePlus Z should carry the same ideals of 2015’s OnePlus X. In other words, we’re expecting a phone with great build quality, good specs, and a super low price. Interested in learning more? Let’s dive in!

• The phone looks great
• It’s a successor to the OnePlus X
• Mid-range specs should be present
• Expect a competitive price
• A July launch seems likely
• Lest we forget the OnePlus 8

Nice balance

OnePlus 8

From $699 at Amazon
From $699 at OnePlus

Right in the middle

If the OnePlus Z is the most affordable new OnePlus phone for 2020, the regular OnePlus 8 sits right in the middle between it and the OnePlus 8 Pro. This is a device that boasts a 90Hz AMOLED display, three rear cameras, and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 processor. We expect the OnePlus Z will have a more competitive price than it, but if you have some additional cash to spare, the OnePlus 8 is a solid pickup.

What does the OnePlus Z look like?

First thing’s first, let’s talk about the design of the OnePlus Z.

The front of the phone is home to a 6.55-inch Full HD+ display, slim bezels, and a hole-punch cutout in the center near the top. The display also isn’t curved at all, which is something you do get on the 8 and 8 Pro.

Around back, you’ll see that there are three rear cameras and an LED flash to the right of the camera bump. That’s one of the more recent renders that we’ve seen, but prior to it, the render below is what was being shared. It looks mostly the same, save for the fact that it only shows two rear cameras.

Additional leaks have basically confirmed that three cameras will be present, but as always, nothing is official until OnePlus says so.

Rounding out the design of the OnePlus Z, it looks to have the iconic OnePlus alert slider and a USB-C port for charging. Just like the last few OnePlus phones, there’s no 3.5mm headphone jack.

Is the OnePlus Z a successor to the OnePlus X?

Unless you’ve been following OnePlus from the very beginning, there’s a good chance you don’t remember the OnePlus X. Honestly, we don’t blame you.

The OnePlus X was released in October 2015, just a few months after the OnePlus 2 hit the scene. The idea behind the OnePlus X was to deliver the OnePlus experience at the lowest price possible, resulting in a $249 phone that offered a 5-inch Full HD AMOLED display, Snapdragon 801 processor, 3GB of RAM, and a 13MP rear camera. At the time, those were great specs for a phone so cheap.

Unfortunately for OnePlus, the phone was plagued by poor camera performance, weak battery life, and just never captivated a similar audience that its other phones had.

The OnePlus X remains as the cheapest handset OnePlus has ever sold, and seeing as how it’s getting close to five years since it released, there are a lot of expectations for a successor to it. Especially with the baseline OnePlus 8 costing $699 and the OnePlus 8 Pro costing as much as $999, a truly low-cost OnePlus device is just what we need right now.

What specs does the OnePlus Z have?

On June 6, we got a massive leak regarding the OnePlus Z’s specs. According to a user survey gauging people’s interest in a budget-minded OnePlus device, the following specs were revealed:

Looking at that spec sheet, one of the more interesting tidbits is the OnePlus Z’s processor. For the longest time, it was looking like the phone would get the MediaTek Dimensity 1000 chipset. However, the conversation has now shifted to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765 — the same processor that’s in the LG Velvet and rumored for the Pixel 5.

Both chipsets bring a lot to the table, but with the Snapdragon 765, OnePlus can deliver fast processing speeds and sub-6 + mmWave 5G connectivity.

It’s also great to see that the OnePlus Z will retain a 90Hz refresh rate despite its low price, and with a beefy 4,300 mAh battery, battery life should be quite swell.

How much is the OnePlus Z going to cost?

The big draw to the OnePlus Z is that it’ll mark OnePlus’s return to truly affordable smartphones, and thankfully, the latest reports have us excited.

From the same user survey that revealed the OnePlus Z’s specs, it also called out a ₹24,990 price for the Indian market. That translates to around $330 USD, meaning it’ll be considerably cheaper than the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro.

When will the OnePlus Z be announced?

In a perfect world, the OnePlus Z would have been released back in April alongside the OnePlus 8 series. Unfortunately, live in a perfect world we do not.

Thanks to the ongoing pandemic that’s wreaking havoc in more ways than one, OnePlus reportedly had to delay the launch of the OnePlus Z until this July.

We’ve been able to confirm that OnePlus is planning to unveil the phone on July 10 in India, though it remains unclear how availability will play out for other countries.

Should I just get the OnePlus 8 instead?

We can’t wait to see what OnePlus delivers with the OnePlus Z, but if you want a new phone right now and don’t feel like waiting, you should consider picking up the OnePlus 8.

It is a lot more expensive than what we’re expecting the OnePlus Z to cost, but it’s still a pretty good price considering everything it brings to the table. Some highlights for the phone include a 6.55-inch AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate, Snapdragon 865 processor, up to 12GB of RAM, and a 4,300 mAh battery.

The OnePlus 8 isn’t the absolute best value we’ve ever seen from the company, but if you’re shopping for a new Android handset, it’s definitely one of the top ones you should consider.

Nice balance

OnePlus 8

From $699 at Amazon
From $699 at OnePlus

Right in the middle

If the OnePlus Z is the most affordable new OnePlus phone for 2020, the regular OnePlus 8 sits right in the middle between it and the OnePlus 8 Pro. This is a device that boasts a 90Hz AMOLED display, three rear cameras, and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 processor. We expect the OnePlus Z will have a more competitive price than it, but if you have some additional cash to spare, the OnePlus 8 is a solid pickup.