Since its inception, OnePlus has always been attentive to users’ needs and demands. As a result, the company designed devices that far exceeded users’ expectations. One such thing in demand right now is the 5G! Not many knows the fact that OnePlus began its 5G research as early as 2016; however, the company couldn’t mass produce due to several limitations.
Road to 5G!
Back in 2019, for the first time, OnePlus showcased its prototype smartphone powered by Snapdragon 855 Mobile Platform with the Snapdragon X50 5G modem and Qualcomm RF Front-End solutions in MWC.
Further, the company also simulated a futuristic setting of 5G cloud gaming where players would only need a smartphone and a gamepad. For the uninitiated, OnePlus launched its first 5G phone OnePlus 7 Pro in the UK (with EE) and US (with Sprint) last year.
Fast-forwarding to 2020, OnePlus is all set to launch its OnePlus 8 series of smartphones with 5G support on the rumored launch date, which is April 15th. OnePlus founder and CEO, Pete Lau, confirmed it by tweeting a teaser saying, “All in 5G.”
Talking about it, Pete Lau, Founder, and CEO of OnePlus said:
We have been investing in 5G for years, and we plan to develop further application scenarios based on the daily usage habits of users, such as cloud gaming, cloud videos, and cloud storage services.
Investing in 5G Research and Development Labs!
Recently, OnePlus decided to invest almost $30 million to scale up 5G research and development labs, showcasing its commitment to bringing 5G technology to more users worldwide.
The OnePlus 5G labs located in Shenzhen and Taipei focus mainly on achieving better user experiences of 5G technology on OnePlus devices. Moreover, OnePlus is also conducting 5G testing efforts in the R&D center in Hyderabad, India, which was established last year.
According to the company claims, the scope of OnePlus 5G labs includes research and development in areas like radio frequency (RF) circuits, antennas, and multi-media (camera, audio, and display).
Additionally, the labs also conduct software research for the communication protocol, throughput optimisation, performance, power, stability, and user scenario testing. They can also support regulation certification and operator access pre-testing, helping to push the 5G adoption forward.
Lau added:
OnePlus has achieved many firsts with 5G, including one of the first smartphone manufacturers to have 5G support across a full product line up. With our commitment to R&D in our 5G labs, I’m confident that we will bring a faster and smoother user experience with 5G.