The new Cyberpunk 2077 OnePlus 8T is currently a China-exclusive special edition version of the company’s latest smartphone that is themed around the new upcoming CD Projekt Red game.
The phone has the same specs as the OnePlus 8T but looks premium, has a variety of exciting elements for fans of the game… and it’s downright weird.
Special edition phones are always a strange entity. Often they’re made in partnership with either a company or a media franchise in an effort to connect a manufacturer with a new group of fans.
We’ve put together a look at some of the strange special edition handsets we’ve seen over the last few years. That means we won’t be talking about the Samsung Matrix tie-in device the SPH-N270 from the early 2000s.
Instead, we’re focusing on some of the strange modern smartphones, many of which you’ll find you’re still able to buy. Sadly, you’re unable to buy the Cyberpunk OnePlus 8T as that’s just for China at this stage.
1. Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus BTS Edition
K-pop band BTS are one of the biggest bands in the world right now, and South Korean manufacturer Samsung saw that as an opportunity for a tie-in phone that would encourage fans to pick up this year’s Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus.
The BTS Edition of the phone comes in an exclusive purple shade that you can see above, and compared to some other special edition handsets this one has a relatively light touch with its K-pop themes.
In fact, even TechRadar Senior Staff Writer Adam Vjestica says he would like one of the phones for himself despite never listening to BTS before in his life. This is the sort of special edition that looks strange on paper, but grabs the eye with that unique purple shade.
2. OnePlus 6 Marvel Avengers Edition
And just like that, we’re back to OnePlus tie-ins. This time, we’re talking about the OnePlus 6 special edition that was themed around the world’s biggest movie franchise – the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
It was released to tie in with Avengers: Infinity War, and it featured a Kevlar-textured rear that looked premium. The odd thing was the lack of recognizable characters on the device itself, instead opting for the Avengers logo at the bottom of the rear of the phone.
If you wanted it to have a more distinctly Marvel look, the handset came with a case modeled on Iron Man’s helmet, and there was a wallpaper with the Avengers logo as well. This is now difficult to come by, but you may still be able to find one.
3. HTC Exodus 1 Binance Limited Edition
Remember the HTC Exodus 1? You may not because it wasn’t a big product for the company. It was the company’s first foray into the world blockchain-powered phones, and was released in 2018.
In 2019, the phone was refreshed with a new edition made in partnership with Bitcoin exchange Binance. Yes, this is a phone made in partnership with a cryptocurrency exchange for those who love both HTC devices and crypto trading.
The special edition came with native support for Binance’s own exchange, and you could only buy the phone directly with cryptocurrency. When we tried to purchase the phone in late 2020 we found it was out of stock, so we’re going to spend our Bitcoin elsewhere.
4. Oppo Reno 10X Zoom FC Barcelona Edition
FC Barcelona are undeniably one of the biggest soccer clubs on the planet, but do they have enough fans to justify their own special edition of a smartphone? Oppo believed so with the Oppo Reno 10X Zoom FC Barcelona Edition.
This isn’t the sort of phone you’re going to buy if you’re not a fan of FC Barcelona either. The club’s iconic colors are all over the rear of the handset, and while it may be a good look for fans of the club it certainly restricts who would want to buy it.
This may be an odd choice for a tie-in, but it’s a remarkably different looking color design and employs a look you don’t see on many other modern smartphones, with bold colors. If you’re a fan of Barcelona and Oppo, you’re in luck here.
5. Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus Star Wars Edition
There are many, many tie-in Star Wars phones that we could have chosen for this list. We settled on the latest Star Wars special edition for 2019’s Rise of Skywalker, and it’s a restyled version of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus.
If you’ve seen the latest Star Wars trilogy, you’ll be familiar with Supreme Leader of the First Order and patricide committer Kylo Ren. Would you like him on the rear of your phone?
He’s undeniably one of the most iconic silhouettes of the modern trilogy, but it still feels like an odd choice of character to have emblazoned on the rear of your phone. The red S Pen is a lovely touch though.