Thanks to the Mobile World Congress 2018, the apetite for new smartphones just got bigger. A company that's not participating in the world's biggest mobile trade show, OnePlus (not Apple), is also making the headlines. Following the success of OnePlus 5T, the next flagship in tow is the OnePlus 6 and live images of the phone have been leaked to give fans a glimpse of what to expect.
If what we see in the leaked hands-on images of OnePlus 6 is real, OnePlus fans better buckle up. Two real-life images either show a prototype of OnePlus 6 or one of the final designs OnePlus has shortlisted for its next flagship since the company is known to have multiple options before choosing the one.
In any case, the early leaks suggest that OnePlus is moving in the right direction as the purported OnePlus 6 is everything one could ask from a 2018 "flagship killer." From the front, it's safe to say that the OnePlus 6 looks a lot like the iPhone X, complete with a bezel-free design and a notch up top. The notch is smaller than what we've seen on the iPhone X, enough to accommodate the front camera and earpiece (Sorry, no Face ID-like tech!).
One of the two images, which originally appeared on Weibo and then on SlashLeaks, also reveal the rear design of the alleged OnePlus 6. The first thing you'll notice is the glossy grey finish glass back, which looks absolutely classy even though we understand the risks of smudges and breakage. The glass design could also mean OnePlus is going for wireless charging for its OnePlus 6, which only makes sense for a self-claimed "flagship killer" to have the features what most flagships like Samsung Galaxy S9, Sony Xperia XZ2, iPhone 8 series and iPhone X already have.
#OnePlus - #OnePlus6 - OnePlus 6 leaked https://t.co/GeAgaNXup3 pic.twitter.com/3dfWP6px4T
— /LEAKS (@Slashleaks) February 27, 2018
Moving on, the next big change is going to be the dual cameras, which are placed vertically and not horizontally as seen in the OnePlus 5 and OnePlus 5T. Just below the cameras, we also see a fingerprint sensor, which drains any hope of seeing in-display fingerprint scanner (not fair BBK Electronics). But the accurate and fast Face Unlock feature will save the day for most.
Upon closer inspection, we also see what might be OnePlus' signature Alert Slider, but on the right-hand side of the device just above the power button. The volume controls sit on the left as usual. While the two images gave us more insight on OnePlus 6, for some innards we need to look into the "About phone," which the tipster was generous enough to share.
Although in Chinese, some text in English clearly states the OnePlus 6 is running Android 8.1 Oreo-based OxygenOS 5.1, 6GB RAM and 64GB storage. The latest software in the current flagships is Android 8.0 Oreo-based Oxygen 5.0.3, so it's natural the company is testing new skin for the new flagship.
Even with such convincing amount of details in the leaked images, there's a lot of uncertainty about these leaks being authentic. OnePlus 6 is not due until June (May, if we're lucky), and a lot can change between now and then. So it's best to keep our expectations in check until there are some concrete details.
In a related development, OnePlus, has announced an update program for OnePlus 5 and the OnePlus 5T, to add support for the higher-resolution video streaming from Netflix. It has to do with stringent WideVine copyright protection law, which allows Netflix playback. But, this process is cumbersome, as the company wants users to ship their device to the OnePlus service center. Then, OnePlus will perform the manual update process with a wired connection to an "authenticated" PC. Once serviced, device owners will be able to stream HD content from Netflix.
Stay tuned for more.
