OnePlus Is Indeed Working On An Affordable Android Phone; 'OnePlusLiteZThing' to Launch in July

There has been a rather persistent chatter about a more affordable OnePlus phone landing next month. Names that have been touted all over the internet (believe anything at your own peril) include the OnePlus Z and the OnePlus 8 Lite. Now, for the first time, the company has officially confirmed that they are indeed working on a more affordable Android phone. OnePlus CEO Pete Lau says that the company is working on a more affordable smartphone product line. Does that mean more than one phone could be on the way in the coming months. One thing is sure, the OnePlusLiteZThing will be first introduced in India and some European countries, and eventually make their way to the US as well.

“For more than 6 years, that has meant working hard to always deliver the best experience for flagship smartphone users. However, as we’ve grown together with our community, we know that there are many people who want a really solid smartphone that meets their everyday needs, and for a more accessible price,” says Lau in an official post. In a way, this will be OnePlus returning to its roots, and back to the days of the OnePlus One, which around the Rs 20,000 price point, replicated the sort of Android smartphone experience that flagship Android phones upwards of Rs 40,000 in that day and age attempted to deliver.

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OnePlus also has a new Instagram handle (you need to have your follow request accepted) called OnePlusLiteZThing. A few hours ago, a Morse Code was posted by this handle with the text “Sometimes finding the answer is just a matter of listening for it. Of course, knowing the language helps.” The Instagram account handle clearly wants to keep the suspense live for much longer, and we cannot blame them! The last time OnePlus made a truly affordable Android phone was the OnePlus X, back in 2015, and that was priced around Rs 16,000, depending on which variant you picked. By the way, the morse code points to 'July' which is when we could see the new phone.

Earlier, while speaking with News18, Navnit Nakra, Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, OnePlus India, had focused on the importance of more affordable Android phones in the line-up. “Considering the recent government directives hinting at relaxation for the manufacturing sector, we are hopeful of an uptick in momentum. We have recently resumed manufacturing operations at our Noida facility, in compliance with Government regulations,” he said.

At present, OnePlus sells the OnePlus 8 Pro and the OnePlus 8 in India, as well as last year’s OnePlus 7T, the OnePlus 7T Pro and the OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Edition, all phones priced well upwards of Rs 30,000 though they still offer great value with the sort of experience and performance they offer.