The upcoming OnePlus 8 launch will feature at least one model that is reminiscent of OnePlus' roots as a budget smartphone manufacturer And it could have a new name that will be somewhat familiar to longtime OnePlus fans

Leaker Max Weinbach reported on Twitter this weekend that the Chinese phone maker is trying to resurrect the old OnePlus X handset; in a subsequent tweet spotted by 9to5Google, Weinbach said his source told him the cheap phone will be known as the OnePlus Z, which is almost certainly the rumored OnePlus 8 Lite model and will feature some - but not all - of the specs planned for the upcoming OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro

You may recall that in late 2015, OnePlus released the OnePlus X as a lower-priced alternative to its main flagship At the time, we admired the OnePlus X's high-end design but were less impressed with its mediocre camera and poor battery life But what mattered to smartphone shoppers was that the $249 OnePlus X was $80 cheaper than the company's then flagship OnePlus 2

If Weinbach's tweet is accurate, history may repeat itself with the upcoming OnePlus 8 lineup Since the first mockups of the budget OnePlus device appeared late last year, we've heard rumors of its lite version Now, it appears that the OnePlus Z will be a lower-priced version of the OnePlus 8 model with more complete features [Like other OnePlus 8 models, the OnePlus Z will have a display with a 90 Hz refresh rate, but the panel may be slightly smaller at 64 inches According to leaked specs, the OnePlus Z will have three rear cameras and a 4,000 mAh battery

The biggest difference between the OnePlus Z and the more expensive OnePlus 8 model may be the processor: while the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro are expected to feature the Snapdragon 865 chipset, the OnePlus Z will instead use the MediaTek Dimensity 1000 system-on-chip could be used This chipset will not give up 5G connectivity with the OnePlus Z, as it still has a 5G modem

Pricing is still unknown, but rumors and OnePlus history suggest that the OnePlus 8 Lite/OnePlus Z models will be $50 to $100 cheaper than the standard model; leaked specs from Giztop put the OnePlus 8 Lite at $499 but we do not know if that is accurate

The OnePlus 8 is expected to debut in April; it is unclear if the OnePlus Z will join that announcement or if OnePlus will hold off to announce that phone by the end of the year We expect more details about OnePlus' phone plans to leak between now and the rumored April launch date