Chinese smartphone company, OnePlus, is expected to launch a new variant of its flagship OnePlus 3 smartphone at some stage in the not-so-distant future. While the OnePlus 3 is a fairly solid device in its own right, the upcoming variant is likely to be an upgraded model that is expected to come with a higher price-tag, as the company is believed to be looking at ways to increase its razor-thin profit margins. While we have had information trickling in about the upcoming device for quite some time, recent reports have suggested that OnePlus’ new flagship will, in fact, be named OnePlus 3T instead of OnePlus 3S that was being rumored earlier. Now, a post on Chinese microblogging site, Weibo, seems to suggest that device will use Sony’s 16-megapixel IMX398 sensor for its rear-facing primary camera.
The new Sony sensor, which comes with an f/1.7 aperture and dual-core autofocus, can already be found on a few devices that have been announced recently, like the Oppo R9s and R9s Plus. The sensor is said to be faster and more accurate than traditional PDAF (phase detection auto focus) technology, and will apparently help reduce motion blur while capturing moving objects. The device will also apparently be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821, which is said to be faster and more power-efficient than the Snapdragon 820, which does duty in the OnePlus 3. The Weibo post also says that the upcoming smartphone will come with 6GB of RAM, which is just as well, seeing as the current flagship already sports that much memory.
While not much else is yet known about the OnePlus 3T, the device will reportedly come with a $479 price-tag, which would be an $80 premium over the OnePlus 3. The device may come with Android 7.0 Nougat pre-installed, but it will be interesting to see what other changes it will bring along that will justify the $80 premium. The latest rumor notwithstanding, information about the OnePlus 3’s hardware still remains sketchy. The device will apparently come with some minor tweaks in the hardware department, although its external design is expected to remain pretty much identical to that of the OnePlus 3. There’s no info, however, on when the OnePlus 3T will be available for purchase.