This awesome phone could be the OnePlus 11T – if OnePlus changes its mind

OnePlus just launched the OnePlus Ace 2 Pro in China. The phone comes with excellent specs and a design that’s reminiscent of the OnePlus 11. Though the preceding OnePlus Ace Pro was also a China-exclusive phone, it launched worldwide as the OnePlus 10T last year.

The OnePlus Ace 2 Pro has an excellent spec list, featuring a 6.74-inch 120Hz OLED display that can hit up to 1200nits in bright sunlight; plus a 5,000mAh battery, and 150W fast charging, an upgrade over the already blistering-fast 100W you’d get in the OnePlus 11. 

The cameras include a 50MP IMX90 main camera with optical image stabilization (OIS), an 8MP ultrawide, and a third with a 2MP sensor. This would be an expected downgrade over the OnePlus 11 which offers a 50MP main camera, a 48MP ultrawide, and a 32MP telephoto, all with Hasselblad color tuning.

The phone is powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, combined with up to 24GB of RAM. By comparison, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra maxes out at 16GB. This means you’ll likely be able to run all the most popular apps and games on an Ace 2 Pro (and even niche ones) without a hitch.

Unlike the well-received OnePlus 11, which is a complete package, the Ace 2 Pro boosts specs in some areas while cutting corners in others (no Gorilla Glass Victus 2, for example). While it isn’t a superior phone, it’s certainly has appeal.

But why no T models?

The OnePlus Ace Pro launched last year worldwide as the OnePlus 10T, so you’d expect the OnePlus Ace 2 Pro to come as the OnePlus 11T. Well, turns out that may not be the case this year. According to reports, OnePlus says it won’t be launching a OnePlus 11T this year around in an effort to streamline the brand. The company also said it would not be launching any more ‘Pro’ phones for its flagship lines.

“Starting with our 2023 lineup, we are streamlining the flagship portfolio in North America (and globally) by removing our Pro lineup. In our opinion, you don’t need to have a ‘Pro’ name for a device that’s already ‘pro’,” a OnePlus spokesperson said earlier in the year. 

OnePlus’s statement most notably didn’t include any information about the T-series, but rather the Pro. Call it cope, but since the company hasn’t categorically ruled out a OnePlus 11T in its written statement, one could still be happening for select markets, just not the US.

Should the OnePlus Ace 2 Pro hit global markets as the OnePlus 11T, it would be an excellent handset for those upgrading in 2023 who don’t already own one of the best phones. The company did still roll out a OnePlus Nord 3 and a OnePlus Nord CE 3, so there’s an appetite for multiple devices in the same brand, at the very least.