OnePlus 6T to start at $549 - unless you go with T-Mobile

The OnePlus 6T has been announced in a New York launch event, introduced by the company's CEO Pete Lau. The phone has most of the specs anticipated from a series of leaks and rumors that followed the phone right up until its launch. It will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset, have 6 to 8 GB of RAM and either 128GB or 256GB in internal storage. 

The 6T will also have an AMOLED 6.41-inch display at an aspect-ratio of 19.5:9. There was no mention of a resolution bump this time around, however. This suggests that the 6T will, like its predecessors, remain at  1080p. The 6T will run Android 9.0 out of the box, as expected. Speaking of expectations, Screen Unlock was introduced on the phone. OnePlus claims that, at an unlocking rate of 0.34s per screen-press, it is the fastest in-display fingerprint reader available - in the American market, that is. However, the phone was launched in its Midnight Balck and Mirror Black SKUs only, and not in the rumored, more novel purple variant.

The 6T will go on sale in November, at a starting price of US$549 for the 6GB/128GB model. However, there is an alternative to paying this price. OnePlus also announced their partnership with T-Mobile at the event. This will include a new trade-in program with the carrier, by which customers can exchange a range of older phones (including every pre-existing OnePlus flagship), for up to US$300 off a new 6T. 

Oddly enough, the list of phones eligible for this scheme was from older flagship generations (e.g. the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 rather than the Note 9). Hopefully, OnePlus and T-Mobile will have this issue ironed out soon.

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