S addressing to sources close to the company's projects, Android font learned that Verizon had signed a partnership with the Chinese smartphone manufacturer OnePlus. These sources said that, given the history of past transactions, Verizon plans to market a OnePlus smartphone on its network in 2020. It was not clear when or which smartphone (or phones) would be the first to arrive on the carrier. , or if they accepted Verizon's nascent 5G mmWave technology (which OnePlus had previously avoided).

PhoneArena announced yesterday that Verizon was planning to exclusively market the OnePlus 7T Pro 5G McLaren Edition in the United States, although our own sources have not been able to corroborate an exact model or release date.

Given that the formerly obscure operator is now in its second partnership with Sprint – along with the fact that the OnePlus 7 Pro is even officially compatible with Verizon – it is no exaggeration that these relationships continue to grow . OnePlus manufactures attractive products at extremely competitive prices, and even though its latest phone is its most expensive, it's hard to say that the company still does not provide the best overall value of the flagship phone space in 2019.

However, the obstacles to Verizon's official launch may not be fully resolved: the United States plans to apply a 15% tariff on all smartphones made in China in December. While President Trump has already delayed these tariffs once to try to offset their perceived public impact on consumers, his administration has already let tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars worth of Chinese products come into effect. A 15% increase in prices on OnePlus phones could have a significant impact on sales: such an increase would theoretically raise the base price of a 7 Pro to 770 USD, an increase of 100 USD. This may not be enough to deter OnePlus fans from making a purchase, but it may make it a less attractive target for commission-based retail sales representatives, who are generally more motivated by incentives and offers. only by the merit of a product.

Nevertheless, this is a big step forward for OnePlus, which could significantly increase its visibility to US consumers. Verizon is much bigger than T-Mobile or Sprint, the current OnePlus partner operators, and reaching this type of critical mass could also allow OnePlus phones to find their way to resellers like Best Buy and Costco. The US telephony market is heavily influenced by operators and many consumers still buy their phones in physical outlets, in contrast to the general consumer trend in the United States. OnePlus is right to move in this direction, despite its outdated appearance in a global context.

As our sources have told us, although Verizon and OnePlus have every intention of going ahead with the agreement, it is still possible that things will not happen. do not go well Huawei knows a little bit. But at this point, the next major partnership with OnePlus in the United States seems to be accelerated.