OnePlus continues to revel in its global advancement as it prepares for its next flagship launch. The Chinese device maker is now among the top five premium smartphone brands of 2018, joining the ranks of Apple, Samsung Huawei, and Oppo, according to Counterpoint Research. The company’s rise to notoriety has been a near Cinderella story since it was founded in 2013. Even with a few bumps in the road in terms of product reception, the brand has grown largely due to word of mouth by fans.
Now making up 2 percent of the global market, OnePlus has seen robust sales in its home market of China, as well as in India, and Western Europe. The manufacturer also snagged its first U.S. carrier partnership with T-Mobile with the October 2018 launch of the OnePlus 6T. The device made up 2.4 percent of T-Mobile’s smartphone sales during the fourth quarter of 2018, according to Counterpoint Research. The figure may not be much, but it may be enough for OnePlus to continue its stateside push, where larger manufacturers, such a Huawei, have faltered.
OnePlus may also be looking to expand its influence to other U.S. carriers, as yet another recent report has revealed the company’s job listings for Senior Technical Account Managers representing Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint.
There have been no further details about upcoming OnePlus devices being compatible with other American networks through carrier partnerships or band support. However, in addition to T-Mobile, the OnePlus 6T is also compatible with the Verizon network due to supporting the Band 13 LTE standard. It is likely future OnePlus devices will have the same band compatibility.
Recent reports suggest the manufacturer will soon announce its OnePlus 7 flagship, which may also be available in a 5G model. With T-Mobile not expected to have its 5G network up and running until the second half of 2019. Verizon may be OnePlus’ best bet for launching a 5G smartphone sooner than later. Verizon’s network has been available in select cities since early April.
These OnePlus 7 details have not yet been confirmed, but the company is expected to share more information about its launch event on Tuesday. The device may be announced May 14, with launch events in New York, the U.K., and Bangalore, India.
