OnePlus CEO Pete Lau confirms there won't be a OnePlus 8T Pro

OnePlus 8 Pro (Image credit: Daniel Bader / Android Central)

What you need to know

OnePlus founder and CEO Pete Lau took to Weibo to announce that there won't be a OnePlus 8T Pro.
OnePlus is instead focusing on the OnePlus 8T, and positioning the OnePlus 8 Pro as the default option for enthusiast users.
The OnePlus 8T is set for an official unveil on October 14.

We've known for a few weeks that there won't be a OnePlus 8T Pro variant, with OnePlus instead focusing its attention on the regular OnePlus 8T. Now we have official confirmation thanks to a Weibo post by OnePlus founder and CEO Pete Lau.

In the post (via Android Authority), Lau mentions that users looking for a Pro model can get the OnePlus 8 Pro:

OnePlus 8T Pro Weibo — Source: Weibo / Pete Lau (Image credit: Source: Weibo / Pete Lau)

It makes sense for OnePlus to not offer an 8T Pro this time around. The OnePlus 8 Pro launched just four months ago and offers some of the best hardware money can buy, and OnePlus must have felt that it wouldn't have been able to offer a meaningful upgrade with an 8T Pro. That was the case last year as well with the 7T Pro, which was nearly identical to the OnePlus 7 Pro. The OnePlus 7T, meanwhile, was the standout option.

In a statement to Android Central, OnePlus said it decided to focus on the OnePlus 8T instead and make it an "even more competitive option" in the flagship category:

We're confident the OnePlus 8 Pro continues to be one of the best smartphones in its class, featuring a 120Hz AMOLED QHD+ display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 mobile platform and Warp Charge 30 wireless technology.With the OnePlus 8T, we felt that we could offer an even more competitive option in the premium space by upgrading some key components like the 120Hz display.Overall, we think this is going to better balance our product portfolio and offer users even better, smarter options to choose from in each of their respective price categories

The OnePlus 8T is confirmed with a 120Hz display, and it will be the first OnePlus phone to offer 65W fast charging via Warp Charge 65. It will also have 48MP quad cameras at the back, a larger 4500mAh battery, and come with Android 11 out of the box.

The OnePlus 8T is set to go official on October 14, and we should get more details on the device soon.

Harish Jonnalagadda is Android Central's Senior Editor of Asia. In his current role, he oversees the site's coverage of Chinese phone brands, networking products, and AV gear. He has been testing phones for over a decade, and has extensive experience in mobile hardware and the global semiconductor industry. Contact him on Twitter at @chunkynerd.

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