The OnePlus 3T marked the beginning of a T-branded OnePlus lineup that has since spawned at least one model every twelve months. But five years on, that long tradition could come to an unexpected end.
There won’t be a OnePlus 9T in 2021
Leaker Max Jambor has revealed in a cryptic tweet that there won’t be a OnePlus 9T, marking the first time since 2015 that OnePlus will have chosen to release only one set of flagship smartphones in a calendar year.For context, Jambor was the first person to reveal that OnePlus had canceled last year’s OnePlus 8T Pro in order to focus on the more affordable OnePlus 8T, which launched in October and was met with positive reviews.
A reason for the OnePlus 9T series cancelation hasn’t been given, though it could be related to the ongoing global chip shortage, which is affecting most major smartphone brands including Samsung and Huawei.
The former has been forced to cancel the Galaxy Note 21 and delay the Galaxy S21 FE, whereas the latter is toying with the idea of canceling the Huawei Mate 50 so that it can focus on the Huawei P50 series.
Wait for the OnePlus 10 or settle for the OnePlus 9
In reference to future product launches, earlier this year OnePlus said that it didn’t anticipate any “big issues” in Europe as a result of the chip shortage. However, since then the situation has arguably worsened so OnePlus’ position on the matter may have changed.
The second half of 2021 could be quiet in the world of smartphones too. The cancellations from OnePlus and Huawei coupled with LG’s smartphone exit mean that it’ll be up to Apple, Samsung, Google, and Xiaomi to keep things exciting.