
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
OnePlus CEO Pete Lau thinks it’s weird that other smartphone makers are focusing so much on cameras.
OnePlus, the Chinese smartphone startup that made a mark in the West
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.

But these high refresh rates are hardly unique to OnePlus. While the 90Hz display on the OnePlus 7 Pro was unexpected last year, high-refresh screens have turned into a hot trend for phones in 2020.

Lau’s wide-ranging conversation with Luo also touched on OnePlus’s experience selling phones abroad. The company is a rare example of a Chinese tech brand that’s found success in the US, where bigger giants like Huawei and Xiaomi have failed to make a dent.
Lau said it hasn’t always been smooth sailing. In its early days, his company stumbled on what he characterized as cultural differences.
Still, Lau said OnePlus is more comfortable selling overseas than in China. Without naming names, he said Chinese phone brands like to engage in a war of words.
“I don’t like hyping and I don’t like bickering either,” he said. “It’s a lot simpler overseas. It really is all about the product… And I think everyone cares a lot about this kind of value, which is, if you’re always squabbling with others, people in other places will find it very offensive. But in China, there is a lot of noise.”
