The OnePlus 9 series burst onto the scene a few months back. As a follow-up, the company usually debuts a year-end T series device bringing a chipset bump and smaller improvements. You’d probably expect that phone to be the OnePlus 9T, however, 2021’s lineup could be a little different.
If the rumors ring true, OnePlus could soon debut a new hybrid device line melding its T and R series. The rumored OnePlus 9RT would be the first product to bear the new suffix and stand as the company’s year-end release. But what do we know about the phone? Below, we round up the hottest OnePlus 9RT rumors, leaks, and news thus far.
OnePlus 9RT: Name and release date
The first mention of the OnePlus 9RT moniker surfaced in mid-August, courtesy of an Android Central report. It’s important to note that OnePlus has yet to confirm the existence of the device.
Judging by its name, the OnePlus 9RT would be more a OnePlus 9R revision than a OnePlus 8T upgrade. Suggestions that the OnePlus 9R will be used as a base for the device adds credence to this theory. However, as OnePlus might not launch a OnePlus 9T series at all this year, the OnePlus 9RT could be filling a gap in that device line, too.
Our verdict: OnePlus 9R review | OnePlus 8T review
As for its launch date, it’s rumored that the OnePlus 9RT will make its bow in October, almost a year after the OnePlus 8T arrived and six months after the OnePlus 9R’s launch. Notably, other OnePlus T series phones have seen launch dates anywhere between September and November, so October does seem to be the Goldilocks estimate.
Specs and features
As the OnePlus 9RT is believed to be an upgraded OnePlus 9R, we expect the two phones to share plenty of aesthetic design traits and core features. This apparently includes the 6.55-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a 4,500mAh battery. We also expect UFS 3.1 storage, at least 8GB of RAM, and 65W charging to feature, too. However, key specifications could see a “modest” bump.
Starting with the rear camera array, the OnePlus 9RT will reportedly gain the OnePlus Nord 2‘s 50MP Sony IMX766 as its main camera, in favor of the 48MP Sony IMX586 used on the OnePlus 9R. There’s no word on its companion shooters, but it could retain the OnePlus 9R’s 16MP+5MP+2MP supporting setup.
See also: A history of every OnePlus phone so far
As for silicon, rumors point to the use of a “higher-binned version” of the Snapdragon 870 SoC, which may provide some performance improvements in terms of a higher clock speed.
The OnePlus 9RT is also believed to be the first in the company’s product range to arrive with Android 12-based Oxygen OS 12. The new UI will reportedly borrow heavily from Oppo’s Color OS, but will include several OnePlus-exclusive features, like Shelf. New additions are also touted, including floating windows, privacy improvements, and a new theme store.
Other rumored features include Gorilla Glass 5 protection on the display, stereo speakers with Dolby support, and NFC.
Pricing and availability
The OnePlus 9R remains an India exclusive smartphone, so we don’t expect the OnePlus 9RT to be available in too many additional regions. While some rumors point to the phone’s availability in China, there’s no indication that Europe or North America will gain access to the device. This could mean that users in the west could be without a T series OnePlus device in 2021.
What about pricing? Well, considering the slight upgrades, the OnePlus 9RT shouldn’t come in too much higher than the OnePlus 9R which debuted at Rs 39,999 (~$548) in India. The OnePlus 8T, meanwhile, came in at Rs 42,999 (~$588). We’d expect the OnePlus 9RT to slot in between these two devices, but don’t be too surprised to see pricing push the $600 mark, either.
What do you think of the OnePlus 9RT so far? Do you think it will be a worthy upgrade over the OnePlus 8T and OnePlus 9R? Let us know in the comments!