Today in New York, OnePlus held its biggest US launch event yet to announce its 6T flagship smartphone.
Succeeding the 6, which launched in May and has allegedly been the brand’s most popular device, the 6T has a slightly larger AMOLED screen – 6.41in, up from its predecessor’s 6.28in – making it the largest ever in a OnePlus handset. Resolution is an impressive 2340 x 1080, and there are five calibration screen modes to cater for different user preferences.
OnePlus has shrunk the front camera notch and reduced the body’s chin to give its screen even more real estate, and the 6T’s 3700mAh battery is up from the 6’s 3300mAh juicebox.
But arguably the most interesting feature of the 6T is what OnePlus is calling ‘Screen Unlock’. The OnePlus 5T introduced the fingerprint scanner to the OnePlus smartphone, and now the 6T is introducing a new way to unlock your screen.
Screen Unlock is an in-display fingerprint technology that allows users to simply press their finger on the screen to unlock it. A press emits light and the light reads your fingerprint.
OnePlus says the feature was actually designed for the 5T, but it wasn’t accurate enough back then. Apparently its responsiveness and speed is up to scratch now, promising a 0.34-second unlocking time.
The 6T runs the latest Android OxygenOS 9.0 and, like the 6, is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845 processor.
The camera specs aren’t too dissimilar from the 6’s either - the snappers are 16mp and 20mp. However, there is a new mode for improving low-light performance when taking photos at night, and an also-new ‘Studio Lighting’ feature works to analyse and attenuate lighting when taking portraits.
The best news? The base model (6GB RAM, 128GB storage) is priced just $549, followed by $579 (8GB RAM, 128GB storage) and $629 (8GB RAM, 256GB storage) versions. UK buyers will be able to get up to £205 off a 6T purchase by trading in an old handset (select models only) or any OnePlus smartphone.
The OnePlus 6T comes in ‘Mirror Black’ and ‘Midnight Black’ finishes and will be available starting 1st November in Europe and the US.
Last but not least, OnePlus is also celebrating its fifth anniversary by launching a red version of its Bullets Wireless in-ear headphones.
