OnePlus plans to release a 5G-capable smartphone in 2019.
Company co-founder and CEO Pete Lau shared the tidbit during a one-on-one interview at Mobile World Congress Shanghai, which is currently underway in China’s most populous city.
Additionally, Lau revealed that his company is exploring potential partnerships with U.S. carriers. Lau didn’t specify with which carriers OnePlus is negotiating. However, he did emphasize that the company would continue to focus on the “burdenless” core of past OnePlus smartphones — that is, OnePlus devices will continue to ship without manufacturer bloatware.
While it’s best not to speculate how the decision to work with U.S. carriers will affect how the company does business in Canada (the prospect of working with U.S. carriers is much more appealing given the size of the market they serve), it’s not a surprise OnePlus is courting North American carriers. The company recently started partnering with European carriers.
Moreover, one of the reasons Lau said OnePlus wants to partner with U.S. carriers is so that more people can check out its devices in person. No matter the market, creating more opportunities for potential customers to check out the company’s new devices would lead to greater sales.
Source: PCMag Via: 9to5Google
