OnePlus to release a 5G phone in 2019 promises CEO Pete Lau

OnePlus is expected to soon debut its 'T' variant, OnePlus 7T, later this year. But in addition to having the regular upgrade to the OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro, there is also another variant of the phone that could be launching.OnePlus CEO Pete Lau has confirmed that there will be a 5G variant of the upcoming phones coming out before the end of the year. Going by the last few years, OnePlus could most likely launch the OnePlus 7T series some time in mid-October and one tipster has already hinted at a 15 October launch date.[caption id="attachment_7061011" align="alignnone" width="1280"]

Representational image. Image: Tech2/Sheldon Pinto[/caption]According to an interview with Financial Times (paywall), Lau believes that for any phone to be called a 'flagship' phone in 2019, it must have 5G support. He believes 5G will become more popular in 2020 and OnePlus' phones will be compatible with more 5G networks around the globe. OnePlus already has a 5G-compatible OnePlus 7 Pro which is compatible with UK's EE network, thereby making the upcoming phone the second 5G compatible phone from OnePlus.Not much is known about the upcoming OnePlus devices. But from most speculations online, it is expected to come with Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC, an in-display fingerprint scanner and a pop-up selfie camera such as the OnePlus 7 Pro.Among the 5G networks it could launch with, Sprint is speculated to be one of them according to XDA Developers. Sprint has confirmed a deal with OnePlus to carry a 5G device which could most likely be the OnePlus 7T Pro 5G or OnePlus 7T 5G. These names are not confirmed by OnePlus yet, but it seems only logical given the naming conventions used in the past.Just yesterday, OnePlus also announced its plans to get into the TV space, revealing the name to be OnePlus TV. From a blog post on the OnePlus forum, the company revealed the design philosophy behind the new logo. Last year, it had started the ‘OnePlus TV: You Name It’ contest that asked its fans to name the upcoming TV. The company said that the logo design was inspired by “classic geometric progression” seen on classic art including the “ancient Hindu symbol, the mandala, and the famous ancient Greek temple, Heraion of Argos”.