Phone sizes are on the rise. Sure, their base size might not be much different from normal, but with tri-fold phones in development, it’s only a matter of time before someone pulls out a folding iPad Pro from their pocket. OnePlus appears to be taking a different approach and focusing on a compact — but still powerful — handset, and rumors suggest it could launch in late 2024 or early 2025.
According to a new leak from known tipster Digital Chat Station, OnePlus is planning to build a compact flagship phone powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip. The device might be part of OnePlus’s Ace lineup, potentially named the Ace 5 Pro. The new OnePlus phone will be a performance-centric device, but it will still retain all of the main features fans expect.
Supposedly, the phone will have a 6.31-inch OLED display with a 1.5K resolution. That’s different than anything else in OnePlus’ repertoire, but it also means there’s less chance of a similar, in-house product cannibalizing sales.
OnePlus isn’t the only company pushing for a more compact handset, either. Oppo, OnePlus’ sister company, is also reportedly working on its own version of a compact phone called the Find X8 Mini. This model is speculated to use the MediaTek Dimensity 9400 chip. Unfortunately, that’s where the information stops.
For now, all of this is pure speculation based on market trends. That said, with two major names in the industry developing a compact phone, it shows the demand is present. As foldables catch on, the base models might become smaller and more compact. One of the initial reasons for phones getting larger was improvements to battery life, but now that battery technology is also seeing noteworthy upgrades, we might see a reversal of course.