OnePlus 3 hardware may be revamped due to shortage of AMOLED panels

OnePlus may be mulling a temporary halt to its supply of OnePlus 3 until it can release a new model of the flagship with some significant changes, according to reports. The device has just made it to some European markets almost four months after its release and retailers in many regions have already run out of stock.

According to a report by GizmoChina, shortage of AMOLED panels that are used in the phone has led the company to chalk out a replacement plan. Owing to the shortage and unable to maintain production in line with the demand, the company is considering shifting from AMOLED to LCD panels for the phone.

Apart from that, the company may also be considering a chip upgrade by bringing in Qualcomm's Snapdragon 821 SoC instead of the Snapdragon 820 that is currently used in the OnePlus 3.

OnePlus CEO Peter Lau had earlier said that the company wants to focus on just one smartphone this year and will be gearing up for the OnePlus 4 in 2017. However, if the OnePlus 3 is in fact going to get hardware upgrades, they will have to shift their focus on this new model which could eventually delay the launch of OnePlus 4 next year.

The latest rumour from China comes at a time when fellow smartphone maker Samsung has discontinued its production of the Galaxy Note 7 due to faulty batteries. This will give OnePlus an even better chance of positioning the upgraded OnePlus 3 provided it can make it available on time.