OnePlus 6T to launch soon but should you wait for next OnePlus flagship?

OnePlus 6T is set to launch next month. The phone is expected to come with big design change and minor specifications upgrade. But should you just wait for OnePlus 7?

The “T” series is to OnePlus as what the “S” series is to Apple (HT Photo)

Isn't it a big dilemma? Be it Apple's new iPhone or Google's Pixel, whenever you're making up mind to buy the new phone, there's always a better version coming soon. OnePlus is no exception. But unlike Apple or Google, OnePlus has shorter product upgrade cycle. For instance, OnePlus 6T is launching just six months after the OnePlus 6 launch.

Based on OnePlus's product launch cycle, OnePlus 7 shouldn't be far away. What makes things more irking for OnePlus users is that new OnePlus phones arrive at almost the same price as the older ones.

OnePlus 5T launched in India in November 2017 at a starting price of ₹32,999. Six months later, OnePlus 6 launched in India at a base price of ₹34,999. In case of OnePlus 6T, the phone is speculated to be priced slightly higher at a starting price of ₹36,000. The price, however, isn't the final and could remain aggressive, in line with OnePlus' strategy for the Indian premium phone market.

In simpler words, those who buy OnePlus 6T will find their phone obsolete in roughly six months. Earlier this year a Express.co.uk report claimed that OnePlus devices lose their trade-in value by 80% in just six months. It also highlighted that OnePlus 5 lost almost 80% of its trade-in value shortly after OnePlus 5T launch.

The "T" series is to OnePlus what the "S" series is to Apple - incremental upgrades and minor design changes. At least that has been the case for devices until OnePlus 5T.

OnePlus 6T, however, looks like big upgrade over OnePlus 6, but not in terms of specifications under-the-hood. It will still run on Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor with multiple RAM variants. Specs wise, minor improvements are expected in the camera and battery department. According to reports, OnePlus 6T will feature a 3,700mAh battery, roughly 20% bigger than OnePlus 6's 3,000mAh. For photography, OnePlus 6T had been initially rumoured to come with a triple-camera setup. But recent renders and TV ads suggest at the same dual-camera setup. Expect a bump in sensors size and megapixel counts.

The major change, however, is confirmed in the design department. OnePlus 6T will skip 3.5mm headphone jack after resisting the change in the last two phones. The phone though will embrace a more advanced and convenient in-screen fingerprint technology. As the name implies, the phone will let you unlock by just tapping the screen.

A small yet important change is coming to the screen design. Gone is the boat-shaped notch. The phone will have a waterdrop notch which is tinier and gives the display more real estate.