OnePlus 3T release date, specs: Step-up flagship to make its first airing at Nov. 15 press event?

Featured in the image is the OnePlus 3.One Plus official website

OnePlus has teased that the rumored step-up version for its OnePlus 3 flagship may come out as early as next week.

In a teaser video posted on its Twitter account, OnePlus mentioned an event on Nov. 15, ostensibly highlighting the newest Snapdragon 821 processor. Speculations suggest that the China-based tech maker will launch its newest flagship next week.

However, instead of the anticipated OnePlus 4, the press launch scheduled on Nov. 15 is about the rumored OnePlus 3T. Prior to the footage being released, OnePlus is rumored to come out with a step-up variant for its current-gen flagship, the OnePlus 3. Supposedly, OnePlus needs this refresh cycle to come out before the year ends, as the current-gen iteration is up for competition against newer, more recent releases that features the new Snapdragon 821 chipset.

Although the OnePlus 3 is still considered a current-gen flagship, being launched just in June this year, the flagship is featuring a previous-gen processor, Snapdragon 820.

Meanwhile, supposed specs and features of the OnePlus 3T have already made their way online. Aside from the newer chipset, the step-up iteration is also likely to get an updated design, along with other new features. Ostensibly, the OnePlus 3T will house an upgraded camera setup, with a Sony IMX398 sensor. In addition, the new iteration is said to be Daydream VR-ready, which hints that it may come out with Android Nougat 7.0 right out of the box.

Other specs and features are likely to remain similar, like a 5.5-inch display, a fingerprint sensor, at least 6 GB of RAM, and a 3,000-mAh battery. However, OnePlus is said to favor an LCD display for the refresh, rather than the OLED panel on the original OnePlus 3.

With the improvements on the upcoming iteration, it is also likely that the OnePlus 3T will come out with a heftier price tag than its predecessor. The OnePlus 3T is said to fetch up to $480, higher than the original $399 price tag on the OnePlus 3.