Despite previous rumours suggesting otherwise, the latest leak indicates OnePlus may still opt to power its smaller, lower cost smartphone model with a Snapdragon processor. 

A tweet from leaker @MaxJmb suggests we'll see the Snapdragon 765 processor inside the OnePlus Z (or OnePlus 8 Lite), and that means it won't be quite as powerful as the other phones in the OnePlus 8 series.  

If the rumour is accurate, it'll be the first time OnePlus has opted against using a flagship 800-series processor in one of its smartphones. Even the smaller, nimble OnePlus X had the Snapdragon 801 which - at the time - was the most powerful Qualcomm-made processor around. 

Despite that being a break in tradition, OnePlus fans will undoubtedly be pleased that the company isn't switching towards another brand of processors as was originally rumoured. 

Early speculation suggested OnePlus would use MediaTek's Dimensity 1000 chipset in its lower cost smartphone.

MediaTek is typically used in low cost budget phones, but that can often mean a drop in performance versus the Snapdragon equivalent, and it might just have been one step too far for loyal OnePlus community members. 

With a Snapdragon 765 processor inside, the phone should still be fast enough to keep most customers happy, although it may still be a bit of a tough sell for those who care about having the top spec components in their phones. 

Having missed the OnePlus 8 series launch, it's been suggested that the OnePlus Z will be released in July 2020, although that is yet to be confirmed by the company itself.