Rumour mill’s roaring: OnePlus is reportedly crafting a dedicated gaming smartphone, complete with tactile shoulder triggers, a flagship-grade chipset, and a gargantuan battery—potentially tipping the scales at 8,000 mAh. If the whispers pan out, this could be the biggest shake-up in OnePlus’s lineup since the “Nord” concept was born.
Why OnePlus Needs a Gaming Sub-Series
OnePlus has long punched above its weight—offering flagship specs at near-midrange prices—and the success of the Nord family proved there’s gold in niche segments. But while the OnePlus 13 and 13s flex Snapdragon 8 Elite muscle and buttery-smooth 120 Hz screens, they lack the dedicated hardware touches that pro mobile gamers swear by. Enter: a sub-brand built from the ground up for sweaty-fingered battles, complete with trigger buttons, custom cooling, and deep software tweaks.
Rumour Rundown: Triggers, Chips & Cells
- Physical Shoulder Triggers
Tipster Yogesh Brar spotted an X post hinting at clicky, mechanical triggers—akin to those on the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro and RedMagic 10 Pro+. The aim? Ultra-precise fire-and-slide controls in games like Call of Duty Mobile without relying on on-screen hotspots. - Flagship-Level SoC
While nothing’s confirmed, all signs point to the latest Snapdragon flagship (likely the Gen 4 series) paired with LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 storage—giving a leg up on thermals and sustained frame rates. - Massive 8,000 mAh Battery
Weibo’s Smart Pikachu first teased an ≈8,000 mAh cell, potentially with 80 W fast wired charging and some form of graphene or high-silicon composition for density and safety.
Deep Dive: What Shoulder Triggers Bring to the Table
Hand-feel matters. Physical triggers not only reduce input lag but free up screen real estate—no more finger gymnastics blocking your sightline. Plus, the haptic feedback can be tuned for radius, pressure, and click-sensitivity, so each shooter or racer feels uniquely tuned. Early mock-ups on r/OnePlusLeaks show two flush-mounted buttons on the top corners—just enough to tap without fat-finger slip-ups.
Battling the Big Guns: ROG, RedMagic & Co.
- Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro
Known for its AeroActive Cooler, RGB lighting and GameCool 6 tech, the ROG line sets a high bar. But it also carries a premium price and sometimes feels like a Franken-phone with its side-mounted fan. - Nubia RedMagic 10 Pro+
Offers built-in cooling fans and a 720 Hz touch sampling rate. Sleek, but often plagued by software bloat and UI inconsistencies. - Black Shark 5 Pro
Xiaomi’s sub-brand nails haptics and trigger latency—but lacks the OnePlus polish on OxygenOS and broader carrier support.
OnePlus could steal the crown by marrying its streamlined design and OxygenOS optimizations with the raw firepower and button precision that hardcore gamers crave.
Community Buzz & Hype Metrics
On X (formerly Twitter), Brar’s trigger teaser racked up thousands of likes and replies pleading for a global launch. Over on r/OnePlusLeaks, fan-made renders are already floating around, and the demand for a European release is deafening. Some even propose a €499 price tag—undercutting the ROG’s €749 baseline—if OnePlus wants to capture that mid-tier sweet spot.
Potential Pitfalls & Launch Window
According to Brar, the project is still “experimental,” with OnePlus likely testing prototypes in China first. A global roll-out could hinge on component yields (those massive cells aren’t easy to pump out) and thermal-management breakthroughs. If all goes well, we might see a teaser at next year’s MWC, with a Q3 2025 China launch—global availability TBD.
Why This Matters to You
If OnePlus nails this, gaming phones go mainstream—no more paying ROG-tax for basic triggers and a big battery. This could push the entire market forward, leading to more trigger-equipped mid-rangers and trickle-down features in standard OnePlus handsets. Imagine firing off abilities in Genshin Impact with real buttons on a sleek, near-stock Android build—pure gamer bliss.
Sources:
- Govind Choudhary, “Is OnePlus working on a gaming smartphone…” LiveMint, 19 Jun 2025
- Yogesh Brar (@heyitsyogesh) X posts, May–Jun 2025
- “OnePlus gaming phone tipped…” NotebookCheck, 29 May 2025
- Sucharita Ganguly, “OnePlus Gaming Phone With Flagship Features…” Gadgets 360, 19 Jun 2025
