OnePlus 6T AMA: Why new OnePlus phone doesn’t have LED indicator, IP rating

Wondering why OnePlus 6T excluded the popular LED indicator? Read on.

Carl Pei says OnePlus designs phones for every day use, not for edge cases (OnePlus)

OnePlus earlier this week hosted an AMA (Ask Me Anything) session for OnePus 6T. Co-founder Carl Pei and other top executives participated in the session and responded to some hot questions relating to the latest flagship phone, OnePlus 6T. Here are the highlights of OnePlus 6T AMA.

OnePlus 6T: LED indicator

As you already know OnePlus 6T comes with a notch design that just covers the front-facing camera. The new design forced OnePlus to remove the popular LED indicator on the phone. The phone now has an Ambient Display which shows notifications on lock screen when the device is picked up.

"We wanted to maximize the amount of screen real estate while minimizing bezels from all sides. In terms of suggestions for future products, keep them coming. We consider all suggestions seriously," Carl Pei explained.

"We have improved our ambient display - you can pick up your phone to show notifications and tap the screen to show new notifications. These features will help you to check new notifications without turning on the display," said Manu J who spearheads Beta Program and Dev Relations at OnePlus.

OnePlus 6T: Bundled earphones

Just like previous OnePlus phones, OnePlus 6T doesn't come bundled with earbuds. The catch is OnePlus 6T also skips 3.5mm headphone jack, forcing users to rely on Bluetooth or USB Type-C headphones.

Carl Pei said, "We believe that it would unnecessarily create waste and increase the price of our products for something people already own. And most likely, they already own a pair of earphones that are better than what's usually included in the box."

OnePlus 6T: IP rating for water and dust resistance

Even though OnePlus 6T comes with a premium phone-like specifications and features, it does not have any IP certification for water and dust resistance. Phones like Apple iPhone XS Max and Samsung Galaxy Note 9 come with the highest IP68 rating.

"Same as before... We design our products for great every day use, not for edge cases. If you accidentally drop your phone in a puddle or spill some water (both of which are every day scenarios), it will survive. If you want to go diving with it (which isn't an every day scenario), it won't survive," said Carl.

Lous S who is a product manager at OnePlus explained, "To be certified for IP ratings, every component must go through rigorous testing which dramatically increases the cost - about 30 USD per device. Is it worth it to increase the cost of the device by $30 to serve a small selection of users, considering our own water resistance precautions? We think not."