OnePlus 17 tipped to join wide screen trend, could offer better gaming experience
The wide-screen party just got wider. According to a new leak emerging from China, OnePlus could be rethinking the display format for its next numbered flagship. The OnePlus 17 will reportedly be among five wide-screen flagship phones launching next year, with the wider panel looking to improve gaming on the phone. It would put OnePlus in the company of OPPO, Vivo and Xiaomi, all of which are said to be working on phones with shorter, wider displays. Interestingly, this isn’t just a foldable phone trend anymore. Manufacturers are also looking at bringing the format to regular smartphones.
OnePlus 17 wide display tipped
Tipster Smart Pikachu made the claim on Weibo but didn’t share the OnePlus 17’s expected screen size or aspect ratio. An earlier report from Digital Chat Station (DCS) also suggested that OnePlus was exploring a wide-screen phone. That report raised the possibility of the company developing it as an alternative to a successor to the compact OnePlus 15T.
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Given how much OnePlus has focused on display performance in its recent flagships, this leak is notable. The OnePlus 16, which launched in October, features a 6.78-inch AMOLED display with a refresh rate of up to 185Hz in supported games. It’s powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chipset and also packs a 200MP main camera and a 9,000mAh battery.
The OnePlus 17 could retain that focus on performance while changing the shape of the display. A wider panel would give games more horizontal space, making on-screen controls easier to manage. There was also an earlier rumour about OnePlus testing a 240Hz display, although there’s no confirmation that it will make it to the next flagship.
OnePlus won’t be alone if the leak pans out. OPPO is reportedly developing a conventional smartphone with a 16:9 or 16:10 display, while Xiaomi and Vivo are also said to be working on wide-screen phones. These would be regular slab smartphones, rather than foldables, where the format has already gained enough ground. Huawei’s Pura X Max, Xiaomi 18 Fold, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Apple’s iPhone Duo all use wider proportions than traditional book-style foldables. Huawei has also experimented with the idea on a regular phone through the Pura X View.
The news is worth watching for gamers as there would be more horizontal room without having to unfold a device. The trade-off could be ergonomics, particularly if the wider body makes one-handed use awkward. Anyone considering a gaming phone may want to wait for more details if a wider screen appeals to them, but do note that the OnePlus 17 is still nearly a year away.
