OnePlus is about disruptions as well as traditions. With the launch of OnePlus 6, the company has shown its strength and strong intentions to lead a wave of disruption in the premium smartphone category, but a recent AMA discussion confirmed that OnePlus will continue to release two flagships annually.
OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei, in a recent "OnePlus 6 and Bullets Wireless" AMA session, indirectly confirmed that OnePlus 6T is happening. Responding to one of the questions about OnePlus' plans to launch two devices in a year or go back to the old days of one per year, Pei said the company has no plans "change our strategy at this moment."
Is this good news?
OnePlus started launching a "T" variant of its flagship in 2016 with the OnePlus 3 series. The move was lauded by fans as the OnePlus 3T was seen as a sensible upgrade to those who didn't buy the OnePlus 3, but not a regret for OnePlus 3 owners.
Things changed with OnePlus 5 when the OnePlus 5T came with incremental upgrades in just five months, making owners of the former flagship envious. But it's unclear if OnePlus is going to go the OnePlus 3 or OnePlus 5 route for its OnePlus 6T.
Depending on the turnout, it can either be good or bad news for OnePlus fans. OnePlus 6 is already a great device with limited room for improvement, which makes it logical for OnePlus to go with nominal upgrades instead of revamping the whole flagship like it did with OnePlus 5T.
OnePlus 6 comes with the latest Snapdragon 845 chipset paired with 6GB or 8GB RAM depending on the model, an improved dual camera setup at the back and a revamped design with a glass back, full-screen display and a notch. This setup begs the question – what's left for improvement.
In our view, OnePlus 6T could get a boost in battery since the current flagship did not bring any upgrades in that department whatsoever. In addition, it will be interesting to see wireless charging support added to the phone given the foundation of glass back already in place. But it would mean a major upgrade – something that'll make OnePlus 6 owners jealous.
OnePlus 6T is a complete mystery, but that's not affecting the sales of OnePlus 6. In India, OnePlus recorded sales worth Rs 100 crore within just 10 minutes of the first flash sale. Priced at Rs 34,999 for the 6GB RAM + 64GB ROM model and Rs 39,999 for 8GB + 128GB configuration, OnePlus 6 is one of the most eligible flagship choices of 2018, which makes it natural to set new sales records.
