OnePlus 3T Possible Release Date On December 2016? Incremental Upgrades Actually Make Sense

If the rumor mill is to be believed, the OnePlus 3T’s release date would be revealed very soon, as the smartphone maker appears to be gearing up for a late 2016 release. With supplies of the company’s latest flagship phone, the OnePlus 3, allegedly running low, the smartphone firm is rumored to be in the works for a device that would address the great demand for the company’s acclaimed “flagship killer.”

Speculations about the OnePlus 3T have been very encouraging so far. While the only concrete rumor about the device is the registration of the device through the China Compulsory Certification, the Asian superpower’s version of the FCC. According to an alleged OnePlus designer, the upcoming device would be referred to as the OnePlus 3T.

Unfortunately, the release date of the OnePlus 3T has not been leaked as of this date. However, considering that the company’s next flagship in line, the OnePlus 4, is speculated to be released sometime in June 2017, rumors are high that the OnePlus 3T would be released around December 2016.

Releasing the OnePlus 3T on December would be a very strategic move for the upstart smartphone maker, especially since the device would be able to saturate the market before the arrival of the Samsung Galaxy S8, which is speculated to be released within the first quarter of 2017. If OnePlus could get to the Android market first before Samsung’s flagship, the 3T might be able to get a significant chunk of would-be customers who are fans of devices like the Galaxy S series.

OnePlus devices entered the market presenting itself as the “Flagship Killer.” Seemingly targeting Samsung’s Galaxy S series, OnePlus’ phones matched the South Korean tech giant’s halo devices in almost all aspects, for a fraction of the price. With the OnePlus 3, the upstart smartphone maker went even further, releasing a device that exceeds Samsung’s best for a very reasonable price.

The company’s current flagship, the OnePlus 3, was critically and commercially successful, with both consumers and critics lauding the device for its powerhouse performance and its premium looks. With the Snapdragon 820 coupled with 6GB of RAM, the OnePlus 3 met and exceeded the flagships of more prominent Android rivals such as Samsung and LG.

The OnePlus 3 was so successful that just months after its release, rumors were abounding that the flagship was running low on stocks. Just a few years after entering the highly-competitive smartphone market, OnePlus was allegedly struggling to meet the demands for its most recent device.

Thus, instead of producing more OnePlus 3 models, it appears that the smartphone maker would instead be releasing a slightly upgraded version of its current flagship instead. As far as specs are concerned, however, the OnePlus 3 is already pretty high up the list. Thus, speculations are high that the 3T would be upgrading only one key component of the flagship device.

The OnePlus 3T is rumored to be equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821, which is notably faster and more efficient than the OnePlus 3’s Snapdragon 820. As for the other specs of the device, however, speculations are high that the 3T would most likely feature the same 6GB of RAM, 5.5-inch Full HD AMOLED display, 64GB of storage, and 3000mAh battery that is featured on the OnePlus 3.

One thing that the OnePlus would be able to address with the release of the 3T is the emerging trend of mobile VR. Samsung has already established itself as a mainstream manufacturer of smartphones that can double as virtual reality devices, and Google’s Pixel phones were launched specifically with the Daydream VR platform in mind.

Thus, it is possible that the OnePlus 3T would not only be a half-step upgrade over the OnePlus 3. It might also be the upstart smartphone maker’s way of entering the mobile VR market with a device that is both reasonably priced and powerful enough to run the most taxing mobile VR applications available in the market right now.

The OnePlus 3T only exists in the rumor mill for now. Thus, it is best to take these speculations with a significantly-sized grain of salt. As far as rumors go, however, those surrounding the OnePlus 3T, as well as its speculated December 2016 release date, have gotten Android fans very excited.

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