The internet rumor machine is always hard at work. A mysterious image appeared during the weekend, capturing what seemed to be a side-by-side shot of the future OnePlus 7 and an OnePlus 6T. The image sparked a series of debate since the context is quite interesting.
Both devices seemed to be fitted in what appears to be a case. The OnePlus 7 seems to be mounted on a case that features detailed cutouts, hinting that the case may feature a sliding mechanism. Obvious gaps can be seen where the camera and proximity sensors should be placed. A thin line above the display may suggest the position of a speaker. It is likely that those empty spaces could be filled by sliding the mechanism upwards.
A blast from the past
While the image looks like the real thing the credibility of the picture is quite questionable. The first red flag is raised by the fact that the sliding mechanism is not visible in the image. A potential leaker should have presented the sliding mechanism in order to reveal the new design.
Another problem is the fact that we are seeing a supposed sliding phone. The mechanism was already featured on the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 and Honor Magic 2 but those aren’t exactly flagship material.
A sliding mechanism looks overcomplicated since it requires several complicated parts in order to work properly. Some also argue that a sliding mechanism looks a bit weird on a 2019 flagship that is supposed to feature bleeding edge technology.
The last sign that makes the leak unreliable is represented by the fact that the site that published the leak in the first place has deleted the article. OnePlus or the source itself may have asked them to pull down the photo. A more likely scenario implies that the image wasn’t accurate in the first place.
Until an official announcement is released by OnePlus we will have to wait and see what happens.