OnePlus 9 Lite is now rumoured to be the affordable flagship smartphone from the house of OnePlus for next year. Earlier, we saw reports saying the OnePlus 9E will be launched alongside the OnePlus 9 series. However, a new Android Central report now highlights the OnePlus 9 Lite will launch along with the OnePlus 9 flagship series in Q1 2021. So the OnePlus 9 series will have three smartphones- the standard OnePlus 9, the premium OnePlus 9 Pro and the affordable OnePlus 9 Lite. The new report also says the OnePlus 9 Lite will be powered by last year's Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Mobile Platform. OnePlus never used an old-generation flagship Snapdragon chipset on its flagship series, but that will change with the OnePlus 9 Lite.
OnePlus 9 Lite Launching in Q1 2021: What You Need to Know
The launch of OnePlus 9 Lite does not surprise many. The OnePlus 8T now starts at Rs 42,999, whereas the OnePlus 8 is currently available at a price of Rs 39,999. The OnePlus 7T is still available for purchase at Rs 37,999. By using the Snapdragon 865 chipset on OnePlus 9 Lite, the company will be aiming to reduce the price of the smartphone. Both the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro are rumoured to make use of the Snapdragon 888 5G chipset.
If the OnePlus 9 Lite launches around Rs 35,000, it could still have some demand sitting between the OnePlus 8T and the OnePlus Nord. OnePlus will discontinue the 7T in the coming months, so the OnePlus 9 Lite could take its place on the pricing front.
Android Central also predicts that the OnePlus 9 Lite will likely have a lot of similarities to the OnePlus 8T, starting with the Snapdragon 865 SoC. Other than that, the OnePlus 9 Lite could feature a 90Hz or 120Hz refresh rate screen, 65W fast charging and probably the same camera hardware. But again, nothing is confirmed for now.
The OnePlus 9 series is expected to launch in March 2021 and the sales could begin at the beginning of April. As for the OnePlus 9 Lite, the report says it could retail at $600 (approx. Rs 45,000), but the Indian pricing would be different. The Snapdragon 865 chipset was pricier and OnePlus did not launch any 'affordable flagship' this year. While the case might remain the same next year, the OnePlus 9 Lite with Snapdragon 865 SoC would still be a powerful smartphone, especially considering the phones are coming out in Q1 2021 itself. Besides, OnePlus might also launch the OnePlus Watch alongside the three phones during its event in March.
