OnePlus thinks smartphone makers should build better screens

OnePlus has been criticized for the quality of their cameras, but CEO Pete Lau says people should focus on a quality screen

Reading Time:2 minutes

Why you can trust SCMP

OnePlus CEO Pete Lau in conversation with Smartisan founder Luo Yonghao. (Picture: Luo Yonghao via Weibo)

Karen Chiu

Published: 9:10pm, 17 Apr 2020Updated: 9:10pm, 17 Apr 2020

This article originally appeared on ABACUS

OnePlus CEO Pete Lau thinks it’s weird that other smartphone makers are focusing so much on cameras.

“I think there’s something strange with this industry now, which is that everyone is talking about the camera,” the executive said in a video interview with former smartphone entrepreneur turned live stream host Luo Yonghao.

OnePlus, the Chinese smartphone startup that made a mark in the West

While OnePlus is now widely considered one of the best Android brands by reviewers, the company’s past handsets were often criticized over camera quality. OnePlus cameras aren’t necessarily disappointing, as we noted in our OnePlus 7 Pro review last year, but they’re not the best smartphone cameras money can buy.

Recent reviews suggest that’s changing with the OnePlus 8 Pro, which has a camera that’s been compared favorably to other flagship phones. That doesn’t extend to the regular OnePlus 8. But Lau claims people are focusing on the wrong part of the phone.

“Cameras are important and we have, in fact, made pretty good cameras,” Lau said. “But everyone is neglecting the screen. You’re actually looking at the screen on your smartphone every day. It’s really important too.”

Lau said he thinks a better phone display makes for a more fluid user experience, which he thinks is what consumers actually want. So the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro have 90Hz and 120Hz displays respectively, which Lau said make scrolling and other interactions smoother.