Just one month after Qualcomm announced its new Snapdragon 690 processor, we're learning about an upcoming device that looks like it'll have that new chipset in tow.
An upcoming version of the OnePlus Nord could be powered by the Snapdragon 690. The folks at XDA-Developers dove into OxygenOS 10.5 for the current Nord and found calls to a method "isSM6350Products". This checks for the model of the device and will return as true if the model number matches "BE2025", "BE2026", "BE2028", or "BE2029".
As Qualcomm's website confirms, SM6350 is the part number for the Snapdragon 690. There's no current OnePlus device with any of those BE model numbers, but it's suspected that that "BE" is a reference to the singer Billie Eilish, just like the OnePlus Nord's model numbers "AC2001" and "AC2003" are references to the DJ Avicii.
Finally, code in the OnePlus Launcher APK includes references to two devices called "billie2t" and "billie8t", suggesting that there could be two versions of this new Snapdragon 690 device in development.
We recently heard that a different version of the OnePlus Nord will launch in the US later this year, and this mysterious SD690 device could be it. The Snapdragon 690 is a new mid-range chipset that includes 5G support, a first for the Snapdragon 600-series. That would help make it more appealing to US carriers, who OnePlus would likely team up with on the launch of this new device. The 690 also offers up to 20% faster performance and 60% faster graphics compared to its predecessor.
Additionally, because the Snapdragon 690 is a mid-range chip, it would make sense for being included with a more affordable OnePlus Nord series device rather than a flagship follow-up to the OnePlus 8 or 8 Pro.
The OnePlus Nord is looking like a pretty great device for folks who want a more affordable Android phone, offering high-end features like a 6.44-inch display with 90Hz refresh rate, 5G, and a 48MP camera in a package that's quite a bit less costly than a flagship phone. And since the Nord won't be available in the US, this Snapdragon 690-powered device could be a good alternative.