A 5G-capable OnePlus smartphone has been confirmed as incoming by the Chinese maker.
The news, which is reported on by PhoneArena, relays comments made by OnePlus CEO Pete Lau at Mobile World Congress Shanghai that the company was already "working with US carriers" as it plans to launch a 5G smartphone next year.
Now, this is very exciting news for three key reasons.
Firstly, it shows us that 5G devices and, naturally, networks are rapidly approaching, and as we explain in our guide to 5G, the benefits both will deliver will be huge.
Secondly, the OnePlus 6 is already one of the absolute fastest smartphones on the market today, and in our OnePlus 6 review we were blown away by its "absolutely atomic power and speed".
As such, a OnePlus 7 device equipped with even faster and more potent internals, OnePlus' typically super-refreshing lack of bloatware, and a 5G connection, would likely make it one of the most slick and fast smartphones of all time.
A 5G-capable OnePlus 7 smartphone would be a direct competitor to the Samsung Galaxy S10.
A 5G OnePlus 7 would also be an incredibly potent rival to the Samsung Galaxy S10, which is already looking like it is going to be an insanely powerful device.
And, third and finally, if OnePlus is "working with US carriers" right now, then that means that the 5G-capable OnePlus, almost certainly next year's flagship the OnePlus 7, will be available for US customers through carriers on monthly plans, meaning they wouldn't have to be able to buy the device outright to pick one up.
This would be great for OnePlus, too, and its next natural stepping stone, as it would allow a far greater number of people to pick up a OnePlus device, which we would love to see as the cult maker has a history of producing amazing devices.
Whatever 5G hotness OnePlus has in store we're excited and can't wait to hear more.
