Several reports of OnePlus 5 stock shortage in markets across the U.S. and U.K. prompted speculations that the next iteration of OnePlus' flagship is just around the corner. For now, there are doubts if the public will see a minor iterative upgrade, OnePlus 5T, or the smartphone maker will proceed with an all-new OnePlus 6.
As reported by Tech Radar, the U.S. markets no longer have any OnePlus 5 variants left in shelves. There is a better chance that a buyer can find OnePlus 5 phone in the U.K. as there are still remaining variants of the smartphone. Specifically, the soft gold variant is the only OnePlus 5 device available, while the other slate gray color with GB RAM/64GB storage and 8GB of RAM/128GB storage options are out of stock.
With the reported shortage, it is now being rumored that OnePlus is starting to clear out shelves with any remaining OnePlus 5 devices. This is due to the company gearing up for the next version, namely the OnePlus 5T. The same situation happened last year when OnePlus 3 became out of stock and the OnePlus 3T suddenly arrived in November 2016.
However, it is uncertain if OnePlus will go on with another iterative "T" upgrade for the OnePlus 5. For one, there are not enough new hardware features to introduce in OnePlus 5T, with Qualcomm not yet releasing the follow-up chip to Snapdragon 835. There are also less reports about OnePlus 5T this time of the year compared to last year when OnePlus 3T was about to launch.
It is becoming more likely that OnePlus will go ahead with the OnePlus 6, but it does not seem that the OnePlus 5's successor will be released as early as 2017. It is expected that the OnePlus 6 will be launched a full year after its predecessor's unveiling last June. As reported by Inquirer, the soonest possible arrival of OnePlus 6 will be in the early part of 2018. The big reveal may happen at next year's Mobile World Congress (MWC).
According to the rumors, the OnePlus 6 will sport a massive 6-inch display with slimmer bezels and 2,880x1,440 QHD+ screen resolution. The bezels will be greatly reduced to make more space for an all-screen display. The fingerprint reader will also have to be transferred to the smartphone's rear. The OnePlus 6 will be powered by Snapdragon 845, the next high-end chipset after Snapdragon 835.
