OnePlus 4 release date, specs, news: flagship getting a new name and extreme makeover?

Rumor has it that the next flagship from OnePlus will not be named the OnePlus 4, as many media outlets expected, but the OnePlus 5.

It is believed that the China-based company is skipping the "4" numbering as it is considered bad luck in the country. This was also what Vivo did, releasing V5 after V3.

Interestingly, OnePlus and Vivo are under the same owner, which is BBK Electronics, making it more likely for the OnePlus 4 to be OnePlus 5 instead.

This prospect is also something that OnePlus CEO Carl Pei considered when was asked during a Reddit AMA session. He said, "Not a bad idea actually, maybe."

The name skip from OnePlus 4 to 5 is not just because the former is bad luck, but also because OnePlus 3T could work as the fourth iteration of its smartphone flagship line.

As for the possibility of new T-branded smartphones, Pei said, "Honestly don't know, we'll have to see how this one goes. It's too early to tell."

Another rumor suggests that the next OnePlus flagship will come with a ceramics chassis, which is also rumored to be used on the next-generation iPhone.

The ceramics will not only provide the OnePlus 4 (or OnePlus 5) a beautiful design, it will make the handset durable by making it scratch-free.

It will be a big step toward innovation for OnePlus although the use of ceramics is expected to be the next phase of evolution and modernization when it comes to the mobile smartphone design.

OnePlus also has a history of using ceramics. The OnePlus X flaunted the said material, which makes it more possible that the OnePlus 4 or so-called OnePlus 5.

At the moment, it is too early to figure out what the company has planned as it is still focusing on the OnePlus 3T, which was released last month.

As for the OnePlus 4 (or OnePlus 5), it is expected to arrive by June or July 2017.