OnePlus unveils 6T phone as low cost rival to Apple and Samsung

Chinese manufacturer OnePlus has unveiled its latest flagship smartphone, which hopes to offer a lower priced alternative to the likes of Apple and Samsung.

The new 6T has many features found on today’s premium phones – including a 6.41-inch AMOLED display, dual rear cameras and fast battery charging – but will start at £499, significantly less than most of its rivals.

The company has found success since launching five years ago and said it sold more than a million units of previous device the OnePlus 6 within a month of its release earlier this year.

OnePlus’ new 6T also houses a fingerprint scanner built into its screen, as well as facial recognition software for unlocking the device.

The phone arrives amid the busiest time of the year for new smartphone launches – Apple has just released the iPhone XS, XS Max and XR, Google has two new Pixel 3 devices and Huawei recently unveiled its Mate 20 Pro.

OnePlus said the 6T also includes another popular feature in premium smartphones, a low-light photography mode called Nightscape.

However, the Chinese firm hopes to entice customers looking to upgrade to switch to the 6T by selling it at less than £500.

In contrast, the new iPhone XR – the Apple device meant to be the most accessible in terms of price – starts at £749.

OnePlus founder and chief executive Pete Lau said: “We constantly challenge ourselves to give people the best experience possible, to do what’s right, no matter what.

“A great user experience means your phone needs to get out of the way and make you feel free – it has to enhance your life instead of distracting you from it. I’m so proud of what we’ve built with the OnePlus 6T, and can’t wait to see what people think when they use it.”

Mobiles expert Ru Bhikha, from uSwitch.com, said the 6T would appeal to consumers in an era where £1,000 has become a regular starting price for a premium.

“The 6T is the latest in a long line of reasonably priced smartphones released by OnePlus that punches well above its weight in terms of specs and design,” he said.

“The 6T is marginally more pricey than its ancestors, but it’s hard to see loyal fans and newcomers balking at the cost when four-figure price tags are quickly becoming the norm for very top end phones.

“The latest OnePlus takes lots of the elements you’d expect in these premium handsets and packages them into a smart and sharp mid-range device.”