OnePlus Z will be aimed at the Apple iPhone SE and the upcoming Pixel 4a. (Image credit: Max J)

There has been a lot of chatter around OnePlus Z, a new low-cost smartphone from OnePlus. While the company hasn’t confirmed the smartphone yet, a tweet by OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei suggests that the device could start at $299 (Rs 22,799).

Pei’s new tweet links to an older tweet by OnePlus from April 2014, when the company unveiled its first smartphone, OnePlus One. While the tweet doesn’t reveal the upcoming phone, it hints at the possibility of the OnePlus Z launching at the same price as the OnePlus One. Just for your information, OnePlus One was priced at $299 for the 16GB model and $349 for the 64GB model.

Rumours suggest that the company is working on a cheaper Android smartphone aimed at the Apple iPhone SE and the upcoming Pixel 4a. Right now, OnePlus does not offer a smartphone that competes with the iPhone SE in the international markets. The company’s new flagships, OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro, are directly aimed at the iPhone S11 and Galaxy S20.

Over the past few years, OnePlus has made a name of itself in the high-end smartphone segment. There are limits, however, as far as the growth is concerned. Those who want and can pay for a premium smartphone likely has one. OnePlus wants to continue growing its business, it’s going to need a phone aimed at the mass market. A low-priced smartphone with respectable specifications is what OnePlus needs in these unprecedented times.

It's been a while… https://t.co/O61EoIa3Gc

— Carl Pei (@getpeid) June 19, 2020

Even though not much is known about the smartphone, many believe the OnePlus Z could become a headache for the competition. The OnePlus Z is expected to launch with a 6.4-inch 90Hz OLED display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G SoC,  quad cameras, and a 4,000 mAh battery. Expect the OnePlus Z to cost less than Rs 25,000 for the base version.