When it comes to making some of the best cheap phones around, OnePlus is one of the market leaders. The company launched its first foldable device last fall with a ton of acclaim with the OnePlus Open, and now it looks like the company is planning to launch a flip-phone style foldable in the near future.
According to a leak from Smart Pikachu (translated by Android Authority), a noted leaker on Weibo, the company is working on a phone designed to compete with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip and Moto Razr series of foldable phones. Interestingly, the phone is reported to have a telephoto camera and macro lens, which would allow it to capture some solid photographs.
It's rare to see a flip phone with a telephoto lens, with the Oppo Find N3 Flip being the only phone on the market to offer one. If OnePlus offers that type of lens on a potential flip phone, it could help it stand out from the competitive market.
It may not actually be a new phone, though. Like the OnePlus Open, which was based on the Oppo Find N3. A potential OnePlus flip phone could be similar to the Oppo Find N5 Flip, which was reported to come with a telephoto camera and macro lens.
With Samsung reportedly working on a budget-friendly Galaxy Z Flip FE phone, the market seems ready for cheaper flip phones. This would make it a great time for OnePlus to jump in and make its own reasonably priced flip phone.
Unfortunately, this flip phone might not be coming immediately. Smart Pikachu suggested that the OnePlus and Oppo are "half a year" behind its competitors, so we might have to wait a little while to see a OnePlus foldable hit the market. Either way, if OnePlus does come out with a flip phone, whether it's a rebranded Oppo device or something completely new, it could shake up the market much like how the OnePlus Open continues to be the best foldable phone right now.