OnePlus Z to use Snapdragon 765G: Will this be a sub-Rs 30,000 OnePlus phone after a long time?

This year’s OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro are a power-packed pair of smartphones for power users. That said, these phones are competing in the flagship phone category now and those looking for a “flagship killer” are waiting for the rumored OnePlus Z, another OnePlus phone that’s looking to serve the masses. We have known a lot about the OnePlus Z but a recent revelation reveals a striking decision OnePlus made regarding its specification.

Max J., who has been quite consistent is leaking information regarding OnePlus devices in the past, has confirmed that the OnePlus Z is probably going to be the first OnePlus phone that’s not using a flagship-grade Qualcomm chip. Max writes in his latest tweet that the OnePlus Z will rely on Qualcomm’s midrange Snapdragon 765G chip, which is the second most capable chip in Qualcomm’s lineup this year.

This goes in stark contrast to the previous leaks that suggested a flagship-grade MediaTek Dimensity 1000 chip. Dimensity 1000 has comparable performance with the Snapdragon 865 and unlike the latter, it has a built-in 5G modem. OnePlus’ decision not to go for the MediaTek chipset is weird, given that the Dimensity 1000 is more affordable than its Qualcomm counterpart.

It seems that OnePlus wants to achieve a very low starting price with the OnePlus Z and that could have made it move to the Snapdragon 765G. Qualcomm’s brand image as a chip manufacturer is considered superior to MediaTek in most countries where OnePlus sells its devices. OnePlus has so far relied on Qualcomm’s name to sell the performance tag on its phones and with the OnePlus Z, it looks to do the same.

The Snapdragon 765G is not a bad chip by any means. In fact, with Oxygen OS and the countless optimizations OnePlus makes, the OnePlus Z with the Snapdragon 765G could offer similar levels of user experience as the more premium OnePlus 8. Rumors has it that OnePlus will still offer a 6.5-inch AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate, UFS 3.0 storage, and a big 4000mAh battery with 30W wired fast charging.

That said, don’t assume the OnePlus Z to be cheap. Despite using the Snapdragon 765G, the OnePlus Z could retain a price somewhere between Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000. The reason behind that is the higher cost. The Snapdragon 765G is a 5G-enabled chipset and as 5G infrastructure is extremely expensive, the prices are going to be high. This is also the reason India is yet to see any smartphone using the Snapdragon 765G.

What are your thoughts on the OnePlus Z using the Snapdragon 765G? Would you buy it or rather spend more on the OnePlus 7T?