There's a special version of the OnePlus 6T rolling into town - the OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition.

The first device from a new partnership between McLaren Racing and OnePlus, the 6T McLaren Edition comes close after the launch of the "regular" edition. The two have a lot in common, but there are some key differences too.

Stick with us and we'll quickly run you through a comparison. 

What's the same? 

Before we tell you what's different, let's clear out everything that's the same. 

The OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition is the same size and weight as the regular 6T, the visual design is mostly the same as is the layout of buttons and control. The display is the same 6.41-inch Full HD+ AMOLED, with that dew drop notch at the top with the 16-megapixel front camera. 

The rear cameras are the same - a 16-megapixel main camera and 20-megapixel secondary camera offering the same range of features and functions. 

The core hardware is the same too, with both phones using the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 platform and a 3700mAh battery.

When it comes to software, both run Android 9 Pie with Oxygen OS 9 - the McLaren Edition gets some new wallpapers and orange theme highlights, but it otherwise the same.


Best OnePlus 6T deals

 

What's different? 

Design gets a McLaren twist 

  • McLaren logo
  • Carbon fibre patterning in rear
  • Orange edge details

The biggest difference in these phones comes down to some design details. Flip to the rear of the phone and you'll find that deep in the black glass rear you'll see there's a carbon fibre weave detail. 

Both logos sit on the back in silver, while there's orange edge detailing on the bottom three quarters of the McLaren Edition handset. This is designed to represent the speedtail left when a McLaren car races past - traditionally, McLaren has used orange as the colour for its race cars. 

If you're a fan of carbon fibre (like McLaren is) then you'll also find a carbon cover in the box, carrying both logos again - normally these covers cost about £24. 

All these details on the OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition give it a little lift over the regular version - but they are subtle rather than being too overt, which we like.

Hardware gets a boost

  • 10GB RAM as standard, 256GB storage

The OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition comes in one version, so it's slightly different to the regular phone which offers 6/128GB and 8/256GB variants. The McLaren Edition has 10GB of RAM - which you can't get elsewhere - paired with 256GB of storage. 

The regular 256GB storage version of the 6T has 8GB RAM, so that’s where the McLaren phone is unique. 

What difference will that make? In terms of functionality there are no new features in the McLaren Edition, that RAM isn't being used for a specific task; there's no enhancement in the camera or anything else, so it's just a boost in system resources.

Whether that will actually produce a real world difference remains to be seen. We're putting the OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition through its paces to test this, but with OnePlus using Oxygen OS to optimise the experience and ensure that all its phones don't lose speed, it might be that 10GB of RAM doesn't bring you a huge difference in experience.

Fully charged 

  • Warp Charge 30
  • 30W charger in the box 

OnePlus got itself in hot water with Bragi over the use of the "Dash" name, but now there's Warp Charge, which makes its debut on the OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition. 

Warp Charge 30 gives you 30W charging and there's a special charger in the box for this. It's a custom charger carrying the McLaren logo and it's a 5V/6A charger, compared to the 5V/4A of the normal 6T. That means faster charging and the McLaren Edition will charge to 50 per cent battery in 20 minutes. 

The regular OnePlus 6T will charge to 50 per cent in 30 minutes, so it's a slightly difference in charging speed. The battery itself is the same capacity at 3700mAh. 

The box is a bit more special

  • Special edition goodies
  • Likely to become a collectable 

The box for the OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition is also rather special. There's a booklet celebrating OnePlus and McLaren, also presenting the phone. 

There's also a commemorative plaque with an embedded McLaren carbon fibre logo and the accessories are orange rather than red - so you have an orange Warp Charge cable that's fabric covered and orange headphone adapter.

The price is different, but not by much 

The OnePlus 6T starts from £459 which is good value for money. This is for the 128GB version with 6GB RAM. 

The regular 256GB version with 8GB RAM normally costs £579 - so there's only a £70 difference in price to the McLaren Edition. Considering that you get more RAM and a lot more in the box - the faster charger and a case - it's actually pretty good value for money.

The OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition will be available from 13 December.

oneplus 6t