OnePlus Z release leak tips iPhone SE of Androids
The OnePlus Z might be Android users' best "new is good news" option in matching the value and price structure of the 2020 iPhone SE. A leak this week suggested that the so-called OnePlus Z would be revealed and/or released in July of 2020. This would place the device right in-line to disrupt the company's 2019 schedule for smartphone releases, aiming instead for a more global quarantine-concious value proposition than either the OnePlus 8 or the OnePlus 8 Pro.
Leaks suggested this week that the OnePlus Z would utilize parts from the 2019 lineup of OnePlus devices, turning the supply-and-demand model used by Apple to create low-cost "new" devices with "old" parts save the processor. Case in point: The iPhone SE (2nd generation) uses parts that've already been present in other devices, but works with the newest in new mobile Apple (iPhone) processors, to create a value proposition that's unmatched by any previous Apple smartphone.
The OnePlus Z was tipped to roll with a MediaTek processor. That's not very common in a device that's released in the USA, but given the OnePlus audience for the OnePlus Z, that brand name shouldn't make a giant difference. The processing power of this smartphone will be more than enough for the average user.
— Max Jambor (@MaxJmb) April 28, 2020
The OnePlus Z's rumored camera array will likely at least match that of the OnePlus 7T. Three cameras, all in a row. Instead of a centered backside camera array, this device would have the cameras set up in the corner. Imagery above and below (aside from the "event" graphic) were revealed earlier this year with the name OnePlus 8 Lite. It's looking now like the OnePlus 8 Lite will be called OnePlus Z.
To surpass the abilities of their competition, the OnePlus Z is rumored to have a 90Hz OLED display. This would make it – again – at least as high-quality as the OnePlus 7T. Here in the year 2020, a device at least as nice as the OnePlus 7T is considered a "mid-range" phone – in cost, not in quality.
If everything we've seen in our OnePlus 8 review (see link timeline below) and OnePlus 7T review remains true, the OnePlus Z will be a relatively low-cost, high-quality smartphone made to aim for the average iPhone SE customer in the USA. Abroad, rumored specs for the OnePlus Z would be primed to battle Huawei in all sectors.