OnePlus' CEO, Pete Lau, has confirmed that the company's next smartphone - the OnePlus Nord 2 5G - will be unveiled on 22 July 2021.

To be honest, it's not a massive surprise - plenty of rumours about the next mid-ranger have circulated for the last couple of months, including a name slip by OnePlus itself in May. However, this is the first confirmation of an actual launch event for it.

"Today, I’d like to share with you something many of you have anticipated for a while: the OnePlus Nord 2 5G," said Lau in a post on the OnePlus forum.

"[It] is a comprehensive upgrade from the first OnePlus Nord, from camera to performance to charging, as well as the newly AI-focused Dimensity 1200-AI SoC. We are confident that it delivers the dependable OnePlus fast and smooth experience you love, and lives up to the 'Never Settle' ethos."

We first heard official confirmation on the MediaTek processor from the chip manufacturer itself. The Dimensity 1200-AI SoC will be exclusive to OnePlus and this handset.

No other specs have been revealed as yet, but speculation points to a 6.43-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate, up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.

There will also be a triple rear camera and 32-megapixel front cam, it is said.