OnePlus won't go the Apple way; triple rear camera in 7T will come in a circular dial

OnePlus made official, the first renders of its upcoming OnePlus 7T smartphone on Tuesday, putting to bed rumours that the Shenzhen-based company would go the Apple way apropos the rear camera module. The OnePlus 7T features a triple camera setup at the back – placed in a circular dial - and is expected to house the in-screen fingerprint sensor that does duty on the OnePlus 7.

The display will have a notch, smaller than that on the earlier iteration of the phone. OnePlus switched to a dewdrop-shaped notch starting from the OnePlus 6T. It also teased a 90Hz, AMOLED display, akin to one it used on the OnePlus 7 Pro. ‘T’ badged phones from the OnePlus stable have traditionally been marketed with visually differentiating features, and the upcoming 7T is expected to stick to the trend. It will be available in a new colour – Nebula Blue.

Pete Lau, CEO, OnePlus, wrote on the company’s official forum that the OnePlus 7T will feature new materials, improving the finish and durability of the existing phones, which are in keeping with OnePlus’ design philosophy.


“While we were extremely happy with our matte-frosted glass, we didn't stop there. We kept exploring, improving, and trying new things. The result? A new smooth matte surface with a brilliant metallic radiance, and we're excited to be introducing this new finish on our upcoming flagship,” he wrote.

He added that the aesthetic considerations contributed to the decision to switch to a circular camera module. It is meant to contrast against the straight lines of the phone’s rectangular frame for a balanced feel. The design was selected after sifting through multiple renders, 50 of which made it to the final shortlist. The smartphone will be unveiled on September 26, alongside the OnePlus TV – the company’s first foray into the smart TV space.

OnePlus is not the only smartphone maker that is dabbling with smart TVs. Xiaomi is already and entrenched player in market, while Motorola is a relatively new entrant. Lenovo-owned Motorola’s portfolio includes an Android 9-based smart TV that offers native support for Android game controllers.

The pricing ranges from Rs. 13,999 and Rs. 64,999 for the 32-inch and 65-inch variants respectively.

Xiaomi on Tuesday launched a new range of smart TVs, adding more screen sizes to its existing portfolio sold under the Mi TV Pro 4X and Mi TV 4A product lines. The PatchWall UI interface has been updated to include out-of-the-box support for streaming platforms like Amazon Prime and Netflix. OnePlus has been tight-lipped about its upcoming smart TV, but leaks suggest that it will feature and minimalist design and might offer voice-based controls through Amazon Alexa.


The OnePlus 7T and OnePlus TV will be released on September 26, with the company hosting a launch event at 7 p.m. in New Delhi. It will be live-streamed on OnePlus’ website and on its social media accounts.