The OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro are finally official, but the former isn't coming to the United States. Instead, the OnePlus 6T is going to stick around and get a price drop, serving as the budget alternative to the new flagship.
This marks the first time that OnePlus is keeping an older smartphone around and in production after taking the wraps off a new one.
OnePlus 6T Price Drop
The OnePlus 6T will cost $30 less at OnePlus.com starting on May 17, the same day the OnePlus 7 Pro is scheduled to be available. That makes its starting price $549, which is for the model with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of native storage. Meanwhile, the variant with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of capacity will be priced at $599.
For the record, the OnePlus 7 is destined for India, China, and other markets in Europe.
OnePlus 6T vs. OnePlus 7
A previous leak pointed out that the difference between the OnePlus 6T and OnePlus 7 isn't going to be too big, making it seem like it's just going to be a mere spec bump. However, the latter is coming in with some notable improvements over its predecessor.
For starters, the OnePlus 7 will have UFS 3.0 storage, a better under-display fingerprint reader, improved image processing software for HDR, and Dolby Atmos sound technology, which is for those who watch videos without earphones or maybe use their phone as a makeshift boom box. Other notable upgrades include a jump to Snapdragon 855 and a 48-megapixel primary camera.
In contrast, the OnePlus 6T has a Snapdragon 845 and a 20-megapixel main camera. Just like the newer model, it has the same 3,700 mAh battery and 6.41-inch AMOLED display with a 2,340 x 1,080 resolution and even the same teardrop notch.
While the two do share a lot in common across the board, it's clear that the OnePlus 7 would've been welcomed with open arms in the U.S. market, and it arguably would've been the preferred option for buyers. Who knows, OnePlus might have a change of heart and roll it out in the end in the country, but that may be a bit of a stretch.
