China-based OEM OnePlus has been rumored to have the successor of its OnePlus 3 smartphone, dubbed the OnePlus 4, in the works.
However, now if the grapevine is to be believed, then OnePlus will bypass the OnePlus 4 moniker in favor of the OnePlus 5 name, as well as not tout a metal body.
OnePlus 5 Not OnePlus 4
That's correct, the successor of the OnePlus 3 will be the OnePlus 5 and not the OnePlus 4. Why? Possibly because the number 4 is considered unlucky in China as it is symbolic of death. The latest news comes courtesy of a report from online publication Phone Radar.
Is OnePlus Opting For OnePlus 5 Because Of OnePlus 3T?
Even though OnePlus released the enhanced variant of the flagship OnePlus 3 i.e. the OnePlus 3T, the company is not jumping to OnePlus 5 because of the intermediate release.
BBK Electronics is the parent company of OnePlus and also owns the Vivo brand. Vivo too jumped straight from the V3 to V5 model, skipping the V4 smartphone in the process. Therefore, there could be some credence to the current rumor of OnePlus also skipping the OnePlus 4 and opting for OnePlus 5 instead.
Ceramic Not Metal Body
The report also discloses that the OnePlus 5 will take a cue from sibling OnePlus X, which launched in 2015, and sport a ceramic body vis-à-vis a unibody metal design. The OnePlus X was released in a zirconia ceramic finish, which was a limited edition.
The buzz is that the OnePlus, 5 with its ceramic body, will use a material that has been supplied by the same company which provided ceramic material for the Mi MIX handset from Xiaomi. This company has confirmed that OnePlus is also its client.
Why Ceramic?
The logic behind the use of ceramic instead of metal for the OnePlus 5 is that the latter is a terrible conductor for 5G signals. Owing to this reason, several OEMs are opting to use ceramic for their future handsets.
A ceramic body vis-à-vis a metal one will be prone to fingerprint marks and is slippery. However, it is scratch resistant, and one will not face corrosion issues which is a problem with metal. Moreover, ceramic is capable of withstanding higher temperatures.
That said, the production of ceramic handsets is more difficult as opposed to a metal or glass one, as well as more expensive. Therefore, if OnePlus indeed opts for a ceramic body for the alleged OnePlus 5, it will need to ramp up production to meet the release deadline.
Whether the OnePlus 5, and not the OnePlus 4, sporting a ceramic body instead of a metal one will make its way to consumers in 2017 remains to be seen.
