OnePlus 4 release date, specs rumors update: OnePlus 4 production will be delayed following OnePlus 3T launch late 2016

Over the past several weeks, there have been rumors that the OnePlus 4, tagged as the "flagship killer," is now being developed. Like the handset's previous iterations, the OnePlus 4 is expected to boast top-of-the-line specs and a more sophisticated design, possibly rivaling or even surpassing that of the flagship gizmos of Apple and Samsung in 2017. The better news is that the OnePlus 4, like its predecessors, will have an affordable price, another major edge over the usually pricey iPhone or Galaxy S-series smartphones.

However, it was recently reported that OnePlus may have to delay the development and production of their ultimate flagship killer for the next year. According to Phone Radar, the company may not be over yet with the current OnePlus 3 model. It is now rumored that a follow-up device for the OnePlus 3 will be released in the coming weeks or months, although this is not necessarily going to be the OnePlus 4 or a totally different model. The upgraded OnePlus 3 handset is tagged as either the OnePlus 3S or OnePlus 3 Plus. Although, it appears that the next level OnePlus 3 will be a "turbo" version, thus being named as the OnePlus 3T.

The OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T may not be too different, but there will be a few boosts that the users will see in the turbo version. According to Indian Express, OnePlus 3T will be powered by the enhanced version of the Snapdragon 820, known as Snapdragon 821 SoC. The SD 821 has a top clock speed advantage over OnePlus 3's SD 820, running at 2.4GHz compared to SD 820's 2.15 GHz.

Meanwhile, Yibada reported that the OnePlus 3T will still feature Optic AMOLED screen displays, as OnePlus CEO Carl Pei earlier revealed that the AMOLED screens will remain in their products "for the foreseeable future." This is despite the rumors that the company is experiencing shortage in OLED panel supply, thus opening a possibility that the OnePlus 3T will go back to the traditional LCD panel screen.

It is possible that the OnePlus 3T will arrive later this year, or possible in time for the Christmas season. As for the OnePlus 4's release, it is still expected that the flagship killer will be out sometime next year, although the potential launching of a new OnePlus 3 variant in the coming months may push back the release of OnePlus 4 to a later date in 2017.