Updated! While mobile phone disrupter OnePlus has been lauded for its affordable “flagship killers,” imaging has not necessarily been one of its strong points.
That may be about to change as the company prepares the launch of its next highly anticipated model, the eponymous OnePlus 5. According to a corporate post on the OnePlus user forum, the vendor has teamed up with DxO, a Paris- and San Francisco-based digital imaging house that makes high-end camera modules, sensors, processors and other components, and will be doing so for the OnePlus 5.
“One area that we’ve been putting a lot of resources into more recently is the camera,” a staffer acknowledged in a company discussion board post. “OnePlus’ cameras have been improving with each new flagship product we’ve released. There’s always more to be done to give you the ability to take clearer, more beautiful photos. Sometimes finding the right partner is one of the quickest ways to take things to the next level.”
DxO sales and marketing VP Etienne Knauer confirmed the partnership. “OnePlus has always been one of the leading innovators in the smartphone industry, and we are proud to partner with them and support their exciting mobile photography strategy,” he said.
The OnePlus 5, expected later this year, follows the successful OnePlus 3T, which has been widely praised for delivering one of the biggest bangs for the Android buck.
See:OnePlus 3T Gets Pixel Phone Processor
The Chinese resource, founded four years by two ex-Oppo execs, has earned an almost cult-like following among mobile enthusiasts due to the phones’ impressive specs, disruptive pricing and social-network marketing.
For its latest iteration, the company intentionally skipped the number “4,” which is considered unlucky in Chinese numerology.
CEO Pete Lau also confirmed in a OnePlus post that new phone will feature Snapdragon’s latest 835 processor (also found in Samsung’s powerful Galaxy S8); improved touch latency; and a new OS feature that deprioritizes seldom used apps for improved performance and battery life. (OnePlus employs a proprietary OxygenOS operating system that mirrors unadorned Android.)
But concerns have already been raised across the blogosphere that the new phone’s pricier components may lead to sticker shock for OnePlus’ frugal followers.
