Despite having no plans to unveil a mainstream 9T flagship for the entire world, OnePlus is not done releasing interesting high-end smartphones this year, and the same goes for budget-friendly AirPods alternatives.
We've known for a fairly long time that the 5G-enabled OnePlus 9RT and OnePlus Buds Z2 were supposed to go official at some point this fall, and predictably enough, the company has finally confirmed exactly when that will happen.
Unfortunately, said confirmation comes from Weibo (via Android Authority) rather than Twitter or Instagram, strongly suggesting the two products are primarily designed with China and possibly other Asian markets in mind. If that doesn't kill your excitement... yet, you might be glad to hear that a couple of different leakers have just outed a bunch of new high-quality renders depicting both devices scheduled for a formal October 13 announcement in great detail.
The OnePlus 9RT 5G certainly looks familiar
Closely related to both the "standard" OnePlus 9 5G and the slightly humbler 9R unveiled in countries like China and India back in April, the 9RT seemingly sports a triple rear-facing camera system composed of two larger imaging sensors and a smaller lens at the bottom.
What's in the booooox?
Interestingly, the OnePlus 9RT looks set to turn the OnePlus 9's secondary 50MP cam into its main shooter while reportedly settling for a fairly modest 16MP secondary snapper and a largely useless 2MP tertiary lens.
Perhaps even more intriguingly, the latest rumors point to a state-of-the-art Snapdragon 888 processor powering the upcoming phone instead of the previously speculated Snapdragon 870 silicon that was also found inside the 9R.
As all the new renders reveal, the 6.55-inch display will stay flat and perforated at the top left corner while rocking relatively thin bezels and almost definitely supporting 120Hz refresh rate technology. With a 4,500mAh battery, blazing fast 65W charging support, 8GB RAM count, and 128 gigs of internal storage space (at least to start with), the OnePlus 9RT could absolutely mount a challenge for the title of this year's best budget 5G phone.
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It remains to be seen just how competitively the high-ender can be priced, with recent rumors circling the pretty much irresistible 3,000 yuan ($465 or so) mark in China. Why can't this device be released in the US again?
The OnePlus Buds Z2 could steal the AirPods Pro's thunder
Similar to Samsung's non-Pro Galaxy Buds 2, the second-gen OnePlus Buds Z are widely expected to borrow the best features from the high-end OnePlus Buds Pro while cutting the $150 starting price.
Tipped to slot somewhere between the OG Buds Z and Buds Pro, the OnePlus Buds Z2 could well come to the US with a $100 or so price tag attached to their name while offering everything from state-of-the-art active noise cancellation technology to a stellar battery life of up to 38 hours (charging case included) and IP55 water and dust resistance.
The Buds Z2 cannot be accused of cloning the AirPods or AirPods Pro's design either, based on all of the leaked images so far, looking... pretty unconventional in both black and white colors with long stems and short but wide rubber tips.
It remains to be seen how good the ANC functionality and overall audio performance will actually prove in the real world. If they're at least halfway decent and if OnePlus can pull off wide enough availability around the world, these bad boys could definitely give both the AirPods and AirPods Pro a run for their money, bidding for the title of best wireless earbuds money can buy right now.
Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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