OnePlus has confirmed that there is no OnePlus 9T model in the brand’s launch pipeline for 2021.
Typically, OnePlus releases T model incremental updates of its main product line in the fall, however, the company’s CEO Pete Lau said in a round table interview with several publications, including The Verge that it “will not be launching a T-series product.”
The OnePlus 9T is expected to return in 2022 featuring a refashioned operating OxygenOS operating system, following its merger with Oppo in July. Both OnePlus and Oppo are owned by the same subsidiary, BBK Electronics. The move had OnePlus also merge codebases with Oppo’s ColorOS to showcase the best features of both software overlays and to allow for more frequent software updates, OnePlus said told publications.
Older OnePlus devices are already expected to benefit from the integration, as the OnePlus 9 series is set to receive a beta in October and the OnePlus 8 series will begin testing in December.
Meanwhile, OnePlus said there “will be other releases” in place of the OnePlus 9T, and rumors suggest that will be the OnePlus 9RT. Reports suggest this device could be announced as soon as October 15.
As OnePlus expands beyond its main product line, it launched the OnePlus 9R in late March as somewhat of a lite model in the OnePlus 9 series. The OnePlus 9RT would likely continue this trajectory, mixing some high-end outer features with mid-range to low-end-ish internal hardware, to appeal to such international markets, such as India and China.
The OnePlus 9RT is expected to feature a 6.55-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 chip with a higher clock speed, a 4,500mAh battery with 65W fast charging, a 50-megapixel Sony IMX 766 primary camera sensor, and an unlocked bootloader. The device could also potentially feature Android 12 if the timing is in alignment.
