CES, short for Consumer Electronics Show, is one of the biggest tech shows in the world and for the first time ever, OnePlus is going to be a part of it. Like every year, CES 2020 is going to be held in Las Vegas, US, from January 7 to 10 and OnePlus' participation adds more spice to the event.
OnePlus confirmed its presence in the prestigious tech show with a mysterious teaser image, which only says "OnePlus Special Event" against an abstract background. OnePlus CEO Pete Lau said that the company is going to show "something special" at the event, but anything beyond that is for fans to guess.
Everything from a foldable smartphone to a new 5G phone or a smartwatch to AirPods-like earbuds have been suggested to be launched by OnePlus next month. Let's take a look at the possibilities of what OnePlus means by "something special."
OnePlus at CES 2020
OnePlus hasn't made a public appearance at the CES 2020 event until now. It has, however, held closed-door meetings for select media, but it hasn't used the grand platform to announce anything new. By confirming its presence at CES 2020 to launch something new is a shift from the company's plans to host two big events to launch new flagships each year.
This year, we witnessed an additional event, where the company launched OnePlus TV. But the CES 2020 event is going to be huge for OnePlus as it looks to make a prominent presence in the US and have a global impact with its products.
Clearly, OnePlus booth at CES 2020 is going to be one of the most crowded ones next year.
OnePlus 8 Lite
OnePlus 8 Lite recently made the headlines after some renders showed the affordable OnePlus smartphone in its entirety. Although official confirmation is awaited, the CES 2020 event could be about OnePlus 8 Lite - the company's first affordable smartphone after it discontinued OnePlus X.
If the rumours about OnePlus 8 Lite are anywhere close to the real deal, we can expect the smartphone to sit below OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro in the 2020 flagship lineup. It is expected to have a 6.4-inch or 6.5-inch flat display with a punch-hole camera to eliminate the need for a notch or pop-up mechanism.
The rear glass gets a frosted finish like the OnePlus 7T series with curved sides and the company's logo at the centre. The camera setup shows two sensors positioned horizontally inside a rectangular module with an LED flash and what appears to be a ToF sensor.
OnePlus 8 Lite is to get the signature features like the Type-C port, Alert Slider, power and volume buttons in their usual spots, an in-display fingerprint scanner and a 90Hz refresh rate for the display, which is pretty much the standard on OnePlus phones now. It is the pricing of this phone that will attract a lot of attention, so let's hope to hear more in January.
Linking this rumour to the CES 2020 poster by OnePlus, the choice of orange, black and white colours suggest there could be a McLaren Edition in the affordable OnePlus smartphone, too. But who's to know for sure, right?
OnePlus AirPods-rival
Ever since Realme made its Buds Air public, rumours started swirling around about truly-wireless earphones from OnePlus. The company already offers a range of earphones, which include wireless neckband-style earphones. Adding a truly-wireless pair of earphones would only complete the portfolio.
AirPods-rival from OnePlus is expected to feature a similar design, but packed with features to compete against Apple's second-best-selling product in its portfolio. The pricing will naturally be a deciding factor for many consumers, but pretty sure the brand has made its presence felt in more ways than one to rule on its own.
OnePlus smartwatch
It's not completely crazy to expect a smartwatch from OnePlus, especially after it has built an entire ecosystem except for stepping into the wearables category. Just last month, there were reports suggesting OnePlus could be working on a smartwatch, but those reports didn't really follow through with more updates. It is only fitting to see a premium smartwatch from OnePlus to counter the likes of Apple Watch, which has dominated the industry with its presence.
At this moment, all we can say is don't get your hopes too high. In the coming days, there will be more to learn about what OnePlus has planned for CES 2020.
