OnePlus 9T not dead? OnePlus Twitter tease just gave us hope

OnePlus has further confused the situation around the OnePlus 9T, suggesting that rumors of the phone's demise may be unfounded.

A recent tweet from prolific OnePlus leaker Max Jambor had sparked reports that the OnePlus 9T might be dead, although OnePlus refused to comment on the situation. However, a tweet from OnePlus yesterday has seemingly teased the fact that a OnePlus 9T could be on the way after all.

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The tweet, which was posted just before Samsung unveiled its new Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 phones at its latest Unpacked event, was certainly on the cryptic side. It shows a OnePlus 9 phone nestled in tea, with the words "The #OnePlus9 in tea."

Then again, the tweet also says not to read too much into it, which feels as though the company is deliberately messing with people to see how they might react. OnePlus will be aware of the 9T rumors, and inviting people to speculate on the fate of an upcoming phone is an excellent way to drum up hype.

In a typical year, we'd certainly expect a OnePlus 9T to be on the way in the next few months. OnePlus' usual phone release schedule sees the arrival of a 'T' model each fall, bearing a few minor upgrades and keeping the product line fresh. That's what happened with the OnePlus 8T, which came with a higher refresh rate display, an extra camera, bigger battery and faster charging compared to the OnePlus 8, and the OnePlus 7T before it.

Then again, this isn't a typical year. The global chip shortage has caused production problems for many companies, and it's entirely possible that OnePlus may have decided to skip the 9's 'T' version. After all, there's no Samsung Galaxy Note 21 this year, so OnePlus would hardly be alone in making this decision, if indeed it has.

There's also good reason to think that a OnePlus 9T isn't even necessary. After all, the OnePlus 9 is an excellent phone in its own right, and as we've said before, OnePlus does have a rather messy portfolio of phones already. 

The company's latest tweet doesn't do a lot to clarify things either way, beyond indicating that OnePlus is aware of the speculation. We'll just have to wait and see what happens next on this one.  

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