OnePlus Z teased repeatedly on Twitter as a cheap phone with a new name

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OnePlus seems to be gearing up for a launch

OnePlus 8
A cheaper alternative to the OnePlus 8 could soon arrive (Image credit: Aakash Jhaveri)

Update: just hours after we posted this story originally, OnePlus itself confirmed its new affordable phone is a real thing. We don't know much about it yet, but there are a few key details. Click on that hyperlink to go to our story on it.

We’ve been hearing numerous rumors of a OnePlus Z (or OnePlus Nord as it might be called) being in the works. This would reportedly be a relatively affordable phone from OnePlus, and while nothing is official yet, the company certainly seems to be teasing something.

In a Twitter post, Pete Lau (the company’s CEO) shared an image of the OnePlus logo in a blue shade, along with the words “Who's ready for something new from @oneplus?” and “#NewBeginnings.”

It’s clear from this that the company is, well, working on something new, and that blue color could be a hint at the shade this new thing will be available in.

That’s not all though. Carl Pei, the company’s co-founder, also recently tweeted “It’s time to rock the boat again…” with the same hashtag.

None of this necessarily refers to the OnePlus Z, but with that being the company’s most leaked product right now it’s likely. And beyond simply suggesting the phone exists, is coming soon, and might come in a snazzy blue shade, the word choices in the tweets could also provide clues about it.

For example, #NewBeginnings could be a hint that OnePlus is returning to its early days (its beginnings) with truly affordable phones that have high-end specs. That would link with the rumors that the OnePlus Z is a more affordable handset.

But it’s also a “new” beginning, suggesting a change in some way – which could perhaps refer to the potential Nord branding, as this is a change from the simple numbers and letters OnePlus typically uses. That’s all speculation for now, but with this many teasers we’d expect to learn the truth soon.

James Rogerson
James Rogerson

James is a freelance phones, tablets and wearables writer and sub-editor at TechRadar. He has a love for everything ‘smart’, from watches to lights, and can often be found arguing with AI assistants or drowning in the latest apps. James also contributes to 3G.co.uk, 4G.co.uk and 5G.co.uk and has written for T3, Digital Camera World, Clarity Media and others, with work on the web, in print and on TV.