While it is certain that OnePlus will offer at least two versions of the OnePlus 9 in 2021, it seems that a 3rd version is also in the game. Unlike the 9 and 9Pro, the OnePlus 9 Lite would be equipped with a Snapdragon 865, but would appear at a much lower price.
Credit: OnePlus
OnePlus has at least 3 new smartphones in preparation for the first half of 2021: we will find in its purse the traditional OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro, but also a little new one. The OnePlus 9 Lite should inherit some of the features of its bigger brothers, while showing up at a lower price.
While the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro will both benefit from a Snapdragon 888 engraved in 5nm, the OnePlus 9 Lite will not. This would be equipped with a Snapdragon 865, the same SoC that already equips the OnePlus 8T. This processor remains for the moment one of the most powerful there is, while waiting for the Snapdragon 888 to tip its nose in the next generation of smartphones. Which will happen in the coming days, since Xiaomi has planned to launch its Mi 11 on December 28.
The OnePlus 9 Lite would offer performance equivalent to that of a OnePlus 8T
The OnePlus 9 Lite would therefore not have to be ashamed of its performance, since it would be able to compete with smartphones like Xiaomi’s Mi 10T Pro and of course the OnePlus 8T. It would also have a 90Hz or 120Hz refresh rate AMOLED display, as well as a 65W battery. Its technical sheet would therefore be very close to the OnePlus smartphone released last October.
Same thing for the photo part: to equip its 9 Lite, OnePlus would reuse the same components as those of the 8T. We would therefore find a main sensor of 48 or 50 MP, a 16 MP ultra-wide-angle and a 5 MP macro sensor. The Chinese manufacturer would more or less reuse the formula devised by Samsung with its Galaxy S20 FE: to offer a smartphone similar to the one released 6 months earlier, but at a lower price and with more classic materials. The back of the OnePlus 9 Lite would thus be made of plastic, unlike the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro, which benefit from a “more noble” material such as Gorilla Glass or aluminum.
We will still have to expect a higher price than the OnePlus North which belongs to the category of mid-range smartphones and which appears at only 399 €. According to Android Central, the smartphone should show up around 600 dollars. In all likelihood, the entire OnePlus 9 range should be presented next spring.
Source: Android Central
