The coming year may mark a return of OnePlus-branded mid-range phones after nearly four years of inactivity.
A new report by 91Mobiles and prolific leaker OnLeaks offers the first look at a supposed OnePlus 8 Lite, a relatively affordable option in the company’s forthcoming OnePlusThe OnePlus 8 Lite renders reveal a familiar all-glass glossy exterior with a hole-punch cutout in the center of the display and a rectangular array similar to the rumored Galaxy S11 phones of two cameras on the rear.
A recent leak said the OnePlus 8 Pro’s punch-hole camera will be situated at the top-left corner of the screen instead of the middle and the rear camera bump will be largely identical to the existing OnePlus 7 Pro.
The rest of the OnePlus 8 Lite’s build will be straightforward. It has a USB Type-C port on the bottom, no headphone jack, and OnePlus’ signature alert slider for switching audio profiles.
The absence of a traditional fingerprint sensor also means it will house one inside the OLED screen. Speaking of which, the report says the display will be about 6.4-inches tall.
One particularly striking change is the repositioned camera bump that now sits closer to the left edge, making it look more like Samsung’s upcoming lineup.
The rectangular bump houses a pair of cameras and an LED flash, while a ToF sensor is placed on the side. The OnePlus 8 Lite is said to be 8.6mm thick, possibly excluding the raised camera lenses.
Its last phone in the category the OnePlus X didn’t fare well with consumers, and the company pivoted back to flagships. The ever-growing prices of its premium models freed the mid-tier space for the likes of the Poco F1 and the Redmi K20. The OnePlus 8 Lite could be an attempt to reclaim lost market share if the handset manages to materialize next year.
