Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus is expected to release its new OnePlus 2 smartphone by next week, on July 27. The OnePlus 2 smartphone is the successor to the OnePlus One handset that was released last year in June, after it was announced in April.

Recently, China's certification authority TENAA has just released new images that give a glimpse of the new smartphone's design including a new home button, according to The Verge. Reports add that the new phone looks identical to its predecessor in terms of the design.

In terms of the specifications, the new OnePlus 2 handset is expected to sport a 5.5-inch LTPS LCD display screen with a 1440 x 2560 pixel resolution, protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 4. It will have a powerful 16-megapixel camera on the back and a 5-megapixel camera on the front.

The new phone is expected to run on the new Android 5.1 version Lollipop operating system (OS) and will pack a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor under the hood.

In addition, the phone will be powered by a large 3300 mAh battery, and will have 4GB RAM and up to 64GB internal memory space. According to GSM Arena, the colors that will be available include sandstone black and silk white.

The Verge adds that the OnePlus 2 will cost about less than US$450. This price indication was confirmed by the vendor's chief executive officer Pete Lau via his Twitter account. The previous OnePlus One handset costs about US$300, which is a good price for a smartphone that comes with high-end specs.

A day after this launch event, Motorola Mobility is expected to announce its new devices at an event that will take place in New York City.  According to recent rumors, these new devices, which Motorola is expected to announce, will include the company's new Moto G, Moto X, and Moto 360 2 smartwatch.