Smartphone prices, at least for the medium / high range, are rising. We have already talked about it extensively on these pages, also through an in-depth analysis dedicated to the reasons that are leading to this increase. Fans are not taking it very well and it is understandable: in a few years we have seen, just to give an example, the price of the OnePlus "spearhead" smartphone going from 500 euros (OnePlus 6, released in 2018, it cost 519 euros at launch) at 919 euros (starting price of OnePlus 8 Pro).
In fact, the matter is far less intricate than it seems, the market is resetting itself, creating new price ranges also due to the arrival of 5G. Just 5G is becoming a real discriminator for the price, given that the SoCs that can manage it are few and above all expensive. OnePlus Z could however change this trend, thanks to a price that could prove to be very aggressive.
OnePlus Z, the mid-range 5G that could turn the tide
In these days we are witnessing a very important settlement of the market: manufacturers are trying to launch 5G smartphones at the lowest possible price. A very interesting first solution came from OPPO, as you can read in our Find X2 Neo review (which costs 699 euros, we are also trying the Lite which is sold for 499 euros). In addition, two other very interesting devices will soon arrive: Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G (not to be confused with "normal" Mi 10 Lite) and TCL 10 5G. It is two smartphones that will try to bring 5G to Italy at a price that is around 400 euros. The arrival of Mi 10 Lite 5G is expected in Italy for this month, so soon we will probably know more.
In short, we have made a significant step forward compared to 2019: we remind you that up to a few months ago 5G was relegated to only the top of the range that cost over 1000 euros (when it was fine).
You are probably wondering what OnePlus Z has to do with all this. Well, the latest leaks describe a device with a processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 765 with 5G support. However, always according to rumors, the Chinese company would like to try to push towards the price of its smartphones a few years ago, or around 500 euros.
We don't know how feasible it really is, but, seeing the solutions coming from Xiaomi and TCL, this eventuality could materialize and make many users happy, also making them enter the new era of connectivity.
In short, OnePlus Z seems to be, as the name suggests, a model separate from the OnePlus 8 range, which aims to wipe out all the criticisms received regarding the price, considered "too high" by the most critical users.
All this without giving up on one 6.4-inch OLED screen with 90 Hz refresh rate and in-display fingerprint sensor.
The rumors then describe the possible presence of 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM, 128 / 256GB of internal UFS 3.0 memory, a triple 48MP + 16MP + 12MP rear camera and a 16MP front camera. To complete the features, we should find a 4000 mAh battery with 30W charging support and the Android 10 operating system with OxygenOS 10 customization.
The technical sheet leaked online seems to be going in the direction of balanced medium range, designed to convince those who do not have too high a budget. As for the presentation date, according to the latest rumors, the month chosen by OnePlus would be July 2020.
It seems that we will have to wait a few more months to find out more, but probably the leakers will get to work, as usual, weeks before the eventual OnePlus event. Summing up, the hype for OnePlus Z is already high among the smartphone enthusiasts of the Chinese company, who can't wait to find out what the company will invent to bring 5G to the mid-market segment.
