A budget OnePlus Nord handset is in the works for India

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Gone are the days where phone makers specialised in devices across one segment of the market. Today, we have brands like OnePlus pervading the entire field - from top end gaming devices to the budget handsets listed below the Rs.20,000 bracket.

Just when we thought the OnePlus Nord CE 2 was the lowest point on the price band that the Chinese phone maker will touch, a leaker claims that the company is coming with another smartphone in India that could be priced below Rs.20,000 and a 90Hz display, 5G connectivity and a 50MP primary camera.

Tipster Yogesh Brar joined hands with 91Mobiles to exclusively share specifications and a possible launch timeline of the handset, which he claims is in the early stages of development. Upon launch, it would mark OnePlus's entry into the high volume segment of under Rs.20,000 value smartphones in India.

OnePlus Nord budget phone - timelines

According to the leaker, the proposed budget handset is likely to arrive only after the OnePlus Nord 3 debuts. However, we have no information around this device for the moment, though sporadic leaks late in 2021 did suggest the presence of one.

What we do know is that there is a OnePlus Nord 2 CE in the works. The handset will be a successor of the OnePlus Nord CE that was introduced in 2021. The same leaker had suggested that the device would arrive somewhere in the first quarter of 2022.

Meanwhile, coming back to the budget OnePlus Nord, the leaker feels the device will hit the shelves only in the third quarter of 2022. The report also claims that it would be the third OnePlus Nord smartphone to launch in 2022, which means we could see the arrival of the OnePlus Nord 3 sometime in the second quarter.

OnePlus Nord budget phone - expected specifications

The sub-Rs.20,000 handset could get a 90Hz AMOLED display, a 50MP camera and 5G connectivity. The leaker suggests that the device could be powered by a recent MediaTek chipset. The OnePlus Nord CE is tipped to launch with a MediaTek Dimensity 900 chipset.

Earlier this week, the OnePlus 9RT went on sale in India. The handset comes with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 888 chipset, a large screen, a 50MP main camera and a tidy 4,500mAh battery.

We also have reports now that the flagship OnePlus 10 Pro could be on its way too. The device, which went official in China recently, sports a 6.7-inch QHD+ AMOLED display and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset paired with 12GB RAM and up to 256GB internal storage.

A career journalist who spent three years playing around with smartphones, associated apps and home appliances. As a hobby, Rudra enjoys researching mobile games. When he's not busy in the world of gadgets, Rudra is busy with a paper and pen writing poems or engaging with his growing digital audience on the Hindi rap circuit.