While we were expecting the flagship OnePlus 9T to launch as the next of the company’s phones, rumors suggest we’re getting the more affordable OnePlus 9RT instead – and a new leak shows off the phone in what look like official renders.
Noted leaker Evan Blass aka @evleaks tweeted out a trio of photos showing off the back of the purported OnePlus 9RT in crisp detail. These seem to be press renders, though they look sharp enough to be photos, and the last image even has a neat red OnePlus-style box, lending added authenticity to the leaks.
Per the photos, the OnePlus 9RT seems to have slightly rearranged cameras compared to the OnePlus 9 Pro, and could pack one more lens than the OnePlus 9, suggesting it could have a wider photographic range.
Blass followed up the images with a cryptic tweet with only one word, “Martin” – potentially a codename for the phone – as well as the numbers 10/13. Presumably, that could be a launch date, October 13, and would be the first clue to when we may see the OnePlus 9RT revealed.
Analysis: OnePlus 9RT isn’t the OnePlus phone we were expecting
The OnePlus 9RT is certainly not the phone we were expecting – for years, the company would release an updated version of that year’s flagship as a ‘T’-branded model. Thus, we anticipated a OnePlus 9T to come out in October or November that would refine the OnePlus 9’s features and perhaps add more perks. But in August, we heard a rumor that the 9T wouldn’t be coming out, and instead, we’d get a OnePlus 9RT.
Presumably, this would follow up on the OnePlus 9R released in April 2021 as a more affordable alternative to the OnePlus 9 with some slightly less impressive specs – a Snapdragon 870 instead of the leading Snapdragon 888, for instance. That phone was released in India only, so the OnePlus 9RT could be an updated version with a wider release.
What have we heard about it? Multiple OnePlus 9RT specs leaks suggest will have the same Snapdragon 870 chipset, 4,500mAh battery and 65W fast charging speed as the 9R, but a slightly improved 50MP main camera. A different rumor asserts that a Geekbench score was made by a OnePlus 9RT with a Snapdragon 888 chipset, though, so it’s possible the phone may bump up the performance of its more mid-range predecessor up to flagship speeds. We’ll wait to see how these predictions pan out, though.
