Compact flagship smartphones are rare in today’s market, dominated by oversized screens and hefty builds. Yet, OnePlus seems ready to carve a niche for users who crave a smaller, high-performance device. According to report, the company is developing a compact smartphone featuring a 6.3-inch flat OLED display with a 1.5K resolution and Qualcomm‘s cutting-edge Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset.

The upcoming OnePlus device is expected to sport a minimalist design reminiscent of Google’s Pixel series, with a horizontal camera layout. The main camera will reportedly be a 50 MP Sony IMX906 sensor, but it won’t include a periscope lens, likely focusing on high-quality standard shots instead.

Under the hood, the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor promises flagship-level performance in a smaller form factor. OnePlus is experimenting with biometric options, currently testing an optical in-display fingerprint sensor while considering an upgrade to ultrasonic technology. This deliberation suggests that the phone’s release may still be a few months away.

Speculation links this new compact phone to the OnePlus Ace series, potentially as the Ace 5 Mini or Ace 5 Pro Mini. If true, it would debut alongside the Ace 5 series, expected to launch in China in December 2024. However, broader availability may extend to the second quarter of 2025.

This move aligns with a broader trend where manufacturers like Vivo and Oppo are launching smaller, performance-oriented flagships. Oppo’s upcoming Find X8 Mini and Vivo’s X200 Mini reflect a growing appetite for compact, powerful devices. If OnePlus delivers on the promise of a high-end compact smartphone, it could mark a resurgence of interest in “small but mighty” phones.

In a sea of oversized smartphones, OnePlus’s rumored compact offering might just hit the sweet spot for users seeking premium performance in a pocket-friendly size.