OnePlus has steadily expanded its footprint across the globe, but the U.S. market is nothing like China or India. The success of any smartphone company in the U.S. is directly proportional to how willing cellular carriers are to sell a device on their network. And now, it seems OnePlus has finally got its chance to shine in the carrier-led market such as the United States.
OnePlus' disruptive strategies, from making value-for-money phones to positioning itself in a niche premium category, has helped the brand grow by leaps and bounds. The success story of this young Chinese brand is likely to continue even as it steps inside the U.S. market.
OnePlus is launching OnePlus 6T on October 30 and it is a major event for the company as the new flagship is going to be the first ever device by the company to be sold by a U.S. network. T-Mobile, one of the three major carriers in the country, will offer the OnePlus 6T with monthly payment plans in its stores.
This is a huge break for OnePlus in the U.S., but that doesn't stop the company from selling unlocked, carrier-free phones in the country. OnePlus 6T, like other OnePlus phones sold in the country in the past, will run on GSM-based carriers, including AT&T and T-Mobile, their prepaid subsidiaries, and the various MVNOs using their networks.
But that's not the big news. According to a report by PCMag, "multiple different industry sources" have confirmed that the upcoming 6T smartphone will be the company's first handset ever to support Verizon's network. Not to be mistaken here, the popularly nicknamed Big Red won't sell the 6T directly, but buyers can use it on Verizon's network.
If you're wondering why it is such a big deal, Verizon has a massive reach across the U.S. and OnePlus 6T will be an LTE-only device on the network. Yes, the phone won't be able to use Verizon's 2G or 3G bands, but that isn't a deal breaker as the Big Red's LTE coverage exceeds its aging CDMA network.
The report further adds that OnePlus 6T will support LTE band 13, which promises good compatibility with Verizon. The carrier is reportedly in the process of certifying the phone and it looks like OnePlus will be ready to make an official announcement at the launch event on October 30.
As a result, end users with OnePlus 6T on Verizon's network can experience faster speeds and better voice quality on LTE. But let's not jump to conclusions until users have tested the new pair in the real world.
