The OnePlus 6T is on its way, and when it arrives, you'll be able to unlock the phone by placing your fingerprint directly onto the screen.
The news comes directly from OnePlus itself, which confirmed the feature and therefore, the existence of its forthcoming flagship phone, on Monday (Sept. 10). The phone maker supplied a screenshot, showing how the feature will visually present itself when the device is locked.
Apparently, OnePlus was originally intending to roll out in-display fingerprint sensing with the OnePlus 5T, though the company told CNET that the "technology wasn't mature enough" at the time. The OnePlus 5T launched last November, and the OnePlus 6T is rumored to launch this fall as well.
By the time the OnePlus 6T is revealed, it's likely that it will be the first handset sold in the U.S. to build fingerprint reading right into the screen. It's technically possible that Apple could beat the Shenzhen, China-based startup to the punch with the iPhone XS, which will debut this Wednesday (Sept. 12). However, every rumor to date on Cupertino's new phones strongly suggests they will once again skip the technology.
That said, it's not surprising that OnePlus of all companies would achieve this milestone, given that it shares close ties with Vivo, the company responsible for developing the Nex S.
We reviewed the Nex S earlier this year, and found that the recognition was typically hit or miss. You had to be extremely precise with the orientation of your fingerprint to get an accurate reading. OnePlus and Vivo aren't shy about sharing resources — they're all owned by the BBK Electronics conglomerate — so it's likely that a similar implementation will end up in the OnePlus 6T.
Today's news also may lend some credibility to last week's leak involving packaging that supposedly belonged to the OnePlus 6T. The box was inscribed with a sketch of the phone that included a fingerprint sensor icon at the bottom of the screen, though the icon looked different than the one we see in OnePlus' official screenshot. It also carried the slogan "Unlock the Speed" in various places.
We expect an unveiling event to be announced soon. OnePlus hasn’t said when the 6T is debuting, but the Oct. 17 date in the screenshot may provide a clue.
Between rumors of a T-Mobile launch and this new fingerprint sensor confirmation, the OnePlus 6T is shaping up to be quite a noteworthy flagship — not to mention a compelling distraction from the new iPhones and Pixels that consumers expect this time of the year. While we wait for the event, check out our dedicated OnePlus 6T rumor roundup for all the latest details.
