OnePlus was all set to unveil its highly-anticipated new smartphone on Tuesday Oct. 30 at 11 a.m. in New York City. And it would have gotten away with it to, if it weren't for that pesky Tim Cook.
With Apple also holding an Oct. 30 event, OnePlus has decided to move the launch event for the OnePlus 6T ahead by one day to avoid being buried under the weight of everything Apple could announce on Oct. 30. The OnePlus 6T will now bow on Monday, Oct. 29 at 11 a.m. — the same time as before, only a day earlier.
That's probably a very smart idea, given that Apple is gearing up to deliver at least a few different products on Oct. 30. There will likely be a new iPad Pro and an all-new MacBook Air fitted with a Retina Display for the very first time.
"For hours, we talked to our press contacts to gain insight into how Apple’s announcement could affect the launch of the OnePlus 6T," the company said in a blog post. "We received considered, honest and thoughtful feedback. They showed us that if we chose to stick to our original timeline, launching the OnePlus 6T on October 30, we would be overshadowed by Apple."
MORE: OnePlus 6T Rumors: Everything You Need to Know
"But, we know the most important voices are yours – our community. We talked to some of our most loyal users, knowing we could not make a decision of this magnitude without your input. Because we know you would be most affected by this change. Flight tickets have been booked, hotel rooms reserved, and plans made. Internally, we were incredibly divided on this decision. We debated for hours before we came to one of the most painful decisions we have ever made."
The OnePlus 6T figures to be a very big deal, as it should be the company's first phone made available through a U.S. carrier in T-Mobile. It'll definitely have an in-display fingerprint sensor and no headphone jack. It'll also have a redesigned notch that dips into the display like a teardrop — very evocative of the just-revealed Huawei Mate 20.
The OnePlus 6T will also likely end up a bit more expensive than its predecessor, as OnePlus has a history of inching up the price of its handsets with every new model. The OnePlus 5T launched at $499, and the OnePlus 6 started at $529 — so a hike to $559 (or thereabouts) for the base OnePlus 6T is well within the realm of possibility. At least recent rumblings suggest the phone might run on CDMA networks like Verizon — a detail that would surely be a huge boon for customers of the nation's largest network.
Nevertheless, OnePlus will likely deliver flagship-level specs for hundreds less than the iPhone XS, Pixel 3 and Galaxy Note 9, so the OnePlus 6T should make a splash.
We'll have to wait a little more than a week before we get answers to all of these questions. — though at least we won't be waiting quite as long as we would have if Apple didn't spoil OnePlus' party.
