We now know not only when the next flagship phone from China's OnePlus will launch but also, possibly, what it will look like.
A new image obtained by Android Police's David Ruddock and published on Tuesday purports to show the forthcoming device, dubbed the OnePlus 5. As with any unconfirmed picture, you should be skeptical of whether it's real. But assuming it is, the photo indicates the new device will look a bit like Apple's iPhone:
Android Police
The image only reveals the top half of the phone, but suggests the gadget will have a smooth black finish, rounded sides and dual back cameras. In contrast to the recent trend of high-end Android phones having ever-smaller borders around their displays, it looks like the OnePlus 5 will also have a traditionally sized one, at least above the top of its screen.
You can get a sense of the apparent similarities by taking a look at the iPhone 7 Plus:
Apple
For comparison's sake, here's what the last two OnePlus phones, the 3 and 3T, looked like:
Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider.
The OnePlus 3 (left) and OnePlus 3T (right).
The new pictures surfaced on the same day that OnePlus confirmed the new phone will launch on June 20. Few other details are known about it, but the OnePlus 5 is expected to run on Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 835 chip.
As with its predecessors, the new phone's big selling point will likely be its price. OnePlus has built a niche among Android diehards for selling high-end smartphones that are relatively affordable. The company typically prices its phones around $400, though it raised that with the 3T. With competition growing among Android phones, the company may find it more difficult to undercut its rivals solely on price. And if the OnePlus 5 does take its cues from Apple, it may prove controversial among its most ardent fans.
At the same time, there are worse designs to take after than that of the most popular phone in the world.
OnePlus declined to comment.