The OnePlus 6 may have just launched a few months ago, but already it seems as though the OnePlus 6T is in the works. While we may not have too many details about what the phone will look like or feature under the hood, we are starting to get a better idea of how it will launch in the U.S. — for the first time in OnePlus’ history, its next flagship may have the backing of a major U.S. carrier.
According to CNET, T-Mobile will be the exclusive carrier partner for the OnePlus 6T when it’s released in October. To be clear, that doesn’t mean that the phone won’t also be available unlocked — it just means that it won’t be available from other U.S. carriers. Citing people familiar with the matter, CNET says that the partnership will include the release of a version of the phone optimized for T-Mobile’s network.
The report also notes that the phone is set to come in at $550 — though the price has not been finalized and it could end up costing a little more or less.
OnePlus has certainly come a long way in the past few years. The company started as a small startup aimed at developing phones with flagship specs that come at a much lower price than other flagship phones. OnePlus still isn’t really a well-known brand among those that aren’t into smartphones, but with carrier backing, it will likely attract much more mainstream awareness. It makes sense that OnePlus would go for T-Mobile too — OnePlus’ unlocked phones only work with T-Mobile and AT&T in the U.S., and T-Mobile’s brand of being free from the major carriers seems in line with OnePlus’ brand of being free from expensive flagship phones.
OnePlus could be one of the few Chinese smartphone brands to get carrier backing in the U.S. this year. Companies like Huawei and ZTE have faced a number of issues with the U.S. government of late, all related to security issues.
Other details about the phone have yet to be released, but it will likely feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor again, along with at least 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.
Editors’ Recommendations
- Everything you need to know about the 6-inch OnePlus 5T
- The OnePlus 6 is now available: Here’s where to buy it
- Everything you need to know about the OnePlus 5
- OnePlus 6: Everything you need to know
- OnePlus 2019 smartphone will be 5G ready, promises timely updates