OnePlus Buds Z May Launch as Affordable TWS Earphones Alongside OnePlus 8T

 OnePlus Buds Z will reportedly be the affordable variant of the OnePlus Buds true wireless stereo (TWS) earphones. Without giving any details, a known tipster has shared a cryptic message on Twitter that apparently tips the name of the alleged unannounced earphones. The moniker seems to be correct because OnePlus generally uses ‘Z' for the cheaper version of a device, for example, OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z earphones are priced quite low as compared to the OnePlus Bullets Wireless and OnePlus Bullets Wireless 2.

Noted tipster Max J shared an image on Twitter that reads Bud Z. This is reportedly the name that OnePlus will use to call its more affordable true wireless stereo earphones. The tipster hasn't shared any details about the alleged earphones, but the moniker itself suggests that these are likely to be the cheaper version of the OnePlus Buds. Apparently called the OnePlus Buds Z, these wireless earbuds could be launched alongside the OnePlus 8T smartphones.

If we see the nomenclature used by OnePlus for its audio products, the Chinese company uses ‘Z' for the cheaper version of a device. For example, OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z earphones are an affordable variant of the OnePlus Bullets Wireless 2 earphones. In fact, they are cheaper than the first generation of OnePlus Bullets Wireless earphones.

The first mention of the OnePlus Buds Z was spotted in a code of OxygenOS 11 Open Beta 1 update that was released for the OnePlus 8 Pro and OnePlus 8 users. The public update mentioned the unannounced earphones, hinting at the launch. It also mentioned that the company is working on 8K 960fps video recording. However, the open beta code does not say much about the unannounced audio device.

OnePlus 7T Getting a Commemorative White Colour Variant

 OnePlus 7T is getting a new white colour option. As the flagship phone completes a year in October, OnePlus 7T has been launched in a fresh colour variant in order to commemorate it. The OnePlus 7T white edition has only been released in China so far, but it can be speculated that the company will soon launch it in other markets as well. There are no other notable changes on the phone apart from the new hue.

OnePlus announced in a community post that the new colour variant was its way of saying farewell to OnePlus 7T. The company shared posters of the white variant of the OnePlus 7T that showed the phone with a white back panel and a silver frame. OnePlus also hinted that this special white edition of the OnePlus 7T will be getting delivered to customers in a “unique way,” although no details were revealed around the same. Releasing a special edition of the OnePlus 7T appears to be a way for the company to mark the curtain call for the smartphone, as it concentrates on the recently released OnePlus 8 series and the affordable OnePlus Nord.

Apart from the white colour and smooth finish on the back panel, similar to the OnePlus 6 Silk White Limited Edition, the phone appears to have the same specifications and features as the other colour variants of the OnePlus 7T. It is currently available in India in Frosted Silver and Glacier Blue.

OnePlus 7T specifications

OnePlus 7T features a 6.55-inch full-HD+ (1080x2400 pixels) Fluid AMOLED display with a 20:9 aspect ratio and 90Hz refresh rate. It is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ SoC, coupled with the Adreno 640 GPU and up to 8GB of LPDDR4x RAM. It is offered in 128GB and 256GB storage variants.

Speaking of optics, OnePlus 7T has a triple rear camera setup with a 48-megapixel primary sensor, a 12-megapixel secondary sensor, and a 16-megapixel ultra-wide angle lens. It packs a 3,800mAh battery with support for 30W fast charging.

OnePlus CEO Pete Lau Offers First Look at OxygenOS 11’s Always-on Display Feature

OnePlus CEO and co-founder Pete Lau has teased the upcoming Always-on Display (AOD) feature through a video on Chinese micro-blogging website Weibo. According to the post, OnePlus teamed up with teachers and students with Parsons College in the US to design the “Time” theme for its AOD feature. The video gives a good look at the same and how it has been implemented, along with clips of the design process. AOD will most likely come to select OnePlus phones with OxygenOS 11 that is expected to release over the coming months.

The Weibo post gives us some information on what we can expect from OnePlus' implementation of the AOD feature. It has a “Time” theme that is more of a timeline showing a vertical line straight down the middle of the phone with the current time moving from top to bottom, as the day goes by. The video also shows some interesting features that are part of this theme like gaps in the vertical line whenever the phone is used, with the total number of unlocks on the very top. At the very bottom of the screen, some notification icons can be seen.

Additionally, to minimise the effect on battery life, the number of active pixels at a time has been reduced with this implementation of AOD, according to one of the team members working on this feature.

Lau recently revealed that the final developer preview build of OxygenOS 11 will be released on August 10 that will be followed by the open beta in the near future. OxygenOS 11 will also be based on Android 11. Additionally, it was also recently teased that OnePlus phones will get AOD feature with OxygenOS 11. So, it won't be long until OnePlus users get to experience the AOD feature for the first time, at least for those who opt for the beta version.