Could this be the OnePlus Mini?

The OnePlus 2 has been making waves in a sea of smartphones vying for your attention, but the next model could already be visible on the horizon, boasting a more rounded design and a circular fingerprint scanner on the rear.

Leaked snaps from Mobile-Dad also show off two speaker grilles on the bottom, and two rear-mounted cameras coupled with LED bulbs. What’s more, the phone is a lot thinner and sleeker than before, leading many to dub this the “OnePlus Mini”.

OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei has said that a third model would be launched before the year is out, and after two successful releases, a “Mini” might seem a natural progression – but we’re only going to get really excited about it if it takes a leaf out of the Sony Xperia Z5 Compact‘s book by offering flagship specs in a smaller package.

With fantastic scores in the power, screen size and battery life departments, our five-star review praised the OnePlus 2 for matching the best in the business at a fraction of the cost. An even cheaper, smaller model could tip things even further in the Chinese company’s favour.

That said, it’s not as if people aren’t biting already (keen gadgeteers are still waiting to be invited onto a reservation list for the OnePlus 2, for goodness sake) and we’ve not had much to confirm the rumours so far, so hold your horses for the time being.

Written by Joe Baker

[Mobile-Dad via Tech Radar]