OnePlus 5T render leaks online, shows a full-screen display

We reported earlier this month that OnePlus might not be releasing the OnePlus 5T. But the rumour mill is not letting this die. OnePlus seems to have pulled OnePlus 5 off the shelves and just might be looking to release the updated version next month (which is roughly the same time when the OnePlus 3T came out). New leaked renders coming out of China show what the OnePlus 5T could look like. What the renders show, as you see above, OnePlus seems to be joining the full-screen, nearly bezel-less bandwagon. The Home button doesn’t seem to exist beneath the 6-inch screen but we see a fingerprint sensor above the OnePlus logo at the back.

Some of the rumoured specs for this device include an 18:9 aspect ratio, a dual-rear camera setup with optical image stabilization and a 20-megapixel and 16-megapixel rear setup as well as a 16-megapixel front camera. Joining another trend, the OnePlus 5T might do away with the headphone jack. It’ll reportedly run on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset. Again all of these are speculation at this point, OnePlus is still keeping mum about the possibility that this device is coming out.

Source: GizmoChina

OnePlus has been collecting user data without permission

OnePlus seems keen on getting on the bad side of its users. This time, a software engineer named Christopher Moore discovers that the company has been sending not just analytics data of its phones’ users but other personally identifiable pieces of data like IMEI numbers, MAC addresses, mobile network names and IMSI prefixes, serial numbers, and many more. Moore discovered this activity while participating in a hack challenge. His OnePlus 2 was sending time-stamped information about locks, unlocks, and unexpected reboots, too. The code responsible for collecting this data is part of OnePlus’ Device Manager and Device Manager Provider.

Addressing this issue, OnePlus claims you can turn this activity off on your own saying, “We securely transmit analytics in two different streams over HTTPS to an Amazon server. The first stream is usage analytics, which we collect in order for us to more precisely fine tune our software according to user behavior. This transmission of usage activity can be turned off by navigating to ‘Settings’ -> ‘Advanced’ -> ‘Join user experience program’. The second stream is device information, which we collect to provide better after-sales support.” We’re not sure why OnePlus didn’t make this an opt-in feature if all they’re really after is analytics data and supposedly better after-sales support (which we might want to point out is something people have been complaining about). It frankly leaves a bad taste in our mouths. 

Source: Android Authority + Android Police

Rumour has it there won’t be a OnePlus 5T, OnePlus 6 expected early 2018

If you’ve been holding for OnePlus to release a OnePlus 5T, you might not get your wish. Rumour has it that OnePlus isn’t planning on releasing a T version for the OnePlus 5. Instead, they are setting their sights on releasing OnePlus 6 in early 2018. Last year, OnePlus released the OnePlus 3T to upgrade the OnePlus 3’s processor from a Snapdragon 820 to 821. The OnePlus 5 is a pretty powerful device on its own so we’re not surprised that an upgrade isn’t in the cards—or at least this is what the rumours suggest.

Source: GSMArena

OnePlus and designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac launch special edition OnePlus 5

We reported earlier about a special OnePlus event happening in Paris that has the brand collaborating with fashion designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac. Well, now we get to see what the two brands are working on. As expected we get a limited edition OnePlus 5 JCC+ smartphone that will go on sale in Paris on September 22^nd. OnePlus will be holding pop-up event at 10 a.m. CEST at the fashion boutique Colette. And then starting October 2^nd, the phone will be sold on OnePlus.net in Europe. This version of the OnePlus 5 gets a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage. It features a slightly different colour scheme with a blue power button, yellow sound profile button, red volume rocker, and writings on the back. It’ll retail for €559 (around CA$825).

On top of the phone, OnePlus is also launching a collection of holsters, bags, shirts, and caps that reflect Castelbajac’s chromatic design. This “Callection” as they call it will be sold in Europe, North America, China, and India. The limited edition t-shirts and tote bags will be available for purchase on October 2^nd for US$29.95 (around CA$35) and US$24.95 (around CA$30), respectively. The baseball cap, case bag, and holster will all come later via limited sales drops.

Source: Android Authority