OnePlus, Qualcomm plan to start 5G trials in India

Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus said it plans to work with chipset maker Qualcomm on 5G trials in India.

In a statement, OnePlus said it will be "amongst the first OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) to launch smartphones powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 mobile platform in India and plans to work with Qualcomm on 5G trials".

Pete Lau, Founder and CEO, OnePlus. Said: "We have been loyal to Qualcomm′s 800-series Snapdragon chipsets since the release of our very first flagship device. This strong partnership with Qualcomm makes us believe that we could bring the best 5G device to the world."

OnePlus said it began research on the new-age 5G technology in 2016 and a year later, it started working with Qualcomm on OnePlus′ 5G device development.

The Chinese player cornered the largest share of the premium smartphone segment in India during the December 2018 quarter with 36 per cent share, ahead of rivals like Samsung and Apple.

OnePlus had entered the Indian market in 2014 and started selling its devices through Amazon India. While initially the company had an invitation-based model, it opened up sales to larger public with subsequent launches.