OnePlus 7: A new OnePlus launch is on its way but this time there’s going to be three phones

For the first time, it looks like Chinese smartphone company OnePlus is going to be releasing three new smartphones in its next upgrade cycle.

The company has made a name for itself by creating a “flagship killer” smartphone, once every six months. It’s always a device with a mid-range price but high-end specs, whether that’s an in-screen fingerprint scanner, slick design or impressive camera set-up.

For the OnePlus 7 launch, due in May, the company is breaking with tradition and looks to be releasing three phones, a standard OnePlus 7, a OnePlus 7 Pro and a 5G version, OnePlus 7 Pro 5G.

Here’s what we know about the new OnePlus phones.

OnePlus 7: What we know so far

According to OnLeaks, the OnePlus 7 looks pretty similar to last year’s OnePlus 6T. There’s a teardrop notch at the top of the screen to house the selfie camera, and either a 6.2-inch or a 6.4-inch flat display, making it slightly smaller than last year’s phone.

On the back, there are two cameras, with a 48-megapixel primary sensor, in the classic OnePlus vertical style.

There should be an in-screen fingerprint scanner too.

The phone will also sport Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 processor and come with at least 6GB of RAM, though some rumours point to 10GB of RAM, just like last year's OnePlus 6T McLaren edition. This could be what CEO Pete Lau is hinting about when he says there will be an emphasis on "smooth" with the next phone launch.

For pricing, it's likely the basic phone will cost around £450 - £500.

What about OnePlus 7 Pro?

This is where things are really changing. The 7 Pro is rumoured to have a 6.64-inch curved display with no notch on the front of the screen. Instead, there is a pop-up selfie camera, an interesting way to solve the notch problem.

It’s also going to have a Quad HD+ Super AMOLED display – a big step up from the classic OLED screens seen on OnePlus phones. AMOLED screens have better quality and are often more flexible than OLED screens so this will be exciting to see in the new OnePlus 7 Pro.

Here are the two phones side by side:

On the back, there are three cameras: a 48-megapixel primary sensor, as well as a telephoto lens and an ultra-wide angle lens.

The phone will have the same Snapdragon 855 Processor as the normal version.

And the OnePlus 7 Pro 5G?

It’s no secret that OnePlus has been working on bringing 5G tech to its devices. Last year, the company sent the first 5G-enabled tweet, and at Mobile World Congress in February it had its 5G prototype on display.

It’ll be interesting if OnePlus decides to have a separate Pro version which is 5G enabled, similar to Samsung’s S10 range which has a standard S10, a Plus version, and a separate 5G version.

It is a departure from the way OnePlus handles a phone launch, which has often been a lot more straightforward compared to the approaches other smartphone makers take. But its testament to the fact the company has grown so much: according to Counterpoint Research, OnePlus is now in the top five global brands in the premium category.

Now that OnePlus is coming for the big guns, it looks like it’s going to want to pull all the stops out for the OnePlus 7 launch.

OnePlus 7 launch date

The new phones are set to be unveiled at a big event on May 14 at London's Printworks, with simultaneous events taking place in New York and Bangalore, India. If you want to attend the event, there are a limited number of tickets available to buy online, with prices starting from £16.

But be fast, they are likely to sell out.

Given that last year’s OnePlus 6 launch date was May 16 and then went on sale on May 22, it’s likely the new phones will be available to buy a week later.