The £399 OnePlus 3T hits the UK on November 28th

OnePlus’ motto is “never settle,” but it’s probably best not to remind OnePlus 3 owners of that right now. Less than six months has passed since the launch of that flagship, and yet the company has already announced a new model to replace it. The OnePlus 3T is basically an improved variant, with a Snapdragon 821 chip, bigger 3,400mAh battery and better 16-megapixel front-facing camera for high-quality livestreams. The primary shooter is now covered with sapphire glass to ward off scratches, too. The only other major change is the higher price, with the OnePlus 3T costing £399 for the 64GB model or £439 for the 128GB config when it launches in the UK on November 28th.

That’s direct from OnePlus, anyway, but in a continuation of the exclusive carrier partnership established all of two months ago, O2 will also be ranging the 3T on contracts starting at £31 per month with a £10 upfront payment for the 64GB version, or £33 per month and no upfront payment for the 128GB model — but bear in mind these cheapest options only come with a measly 500MB data cap. O2 is going to sell the OnePlus 3T outright, too, for £418 or £456 depending on how much internal storage you want. That’s a mark-up on OnePlus’ prices, but you still might want to take the hit for the sake of getting the device a few days early. You can only do that at O2’s Oxford Street store on the 24th November, though, at a special event starting at 3:02PM.

Otherwise, you can pre-order the OnePlus 3T on O2 from tomorrow, November 17th, in-store or online. There’s no way to pre-order the handset directly from OnePlus, but you can still settle for the retiring OnePlus 3 for £329 while stocks last.

Source: O2

Report: Snapchat secretly, officially filed for its IPO

It’s no secret that Snap Inc. (née Snapchat) has been thinking about selling stock to the public, but it looks it has officially — and quietly — pulled the trigger. According to a report from Reuters the ephemeral messaging company confidentially filed for an initial public offering just before the US presidential election, a move that would keep its crucial financials away from its competitors’ prying eyes for at least a little longer. That initial sale of stock could take place as early as next March, and if all goes well (according to Bloomberg, anyway) the company could raise up to $4 billion.

The potential problem with an IPO, of course, is that organized shareholders and activist investors could influence the company’s plans in motion. The folks at Twitter have had to mull this problem over recently too, but hey — we’re getting ahead of ourselves a bit. This IPO was only matter of time.

Batting away a multi-billion dollar offer from Facebook in 2015 was a crystal clear signal that Snap Inc. had ambitions beyond just being another company’s subsidiary, and lots of outside money would be needed to fuel that growth. That’s why so few people were surprised when CEO Evan Spiegel said the company “needed” to IPO not long after he had rebuffed Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s financial advances. Since then, we’ve seen the company face down clone-like competition from Facebook’s own products — Instagram Stories, anyone? — and broaden its focus with the release of its first hardware product, a pair of funky camera-laden sunglasses called Spectacles.

Make no mistake: the company’s flagship product will always be Snapchat, which continues to act as an eyeball magnet for around 150 million daily users around the world. They’re not just dining and dashing, either — as of this past February, people spent around an average of 25 to 30 minutes in the app daily, a metric Spiegel seems to value even more strongly than the sheer number of people using Snapchat. With any luck, a big influx of cash could help Snapchat stave off competitors and firm up its position as a prime player in social media for years to come.

As expected, a Snap Inc. spokesperson declined to comment.

Engadget presents the Best of CES 2017!

The Consumer Electronics Show is just two months away, which means it’s time once again for us here at Engadget to kick CES planning into high gear. Not only are we excited to get our hands on the latest gadgets and gear at the country’s biggest tech show, but this will also be the fourth year in a row that Engadget is hosting the official Best of CES awards.

Just as in years past, our team of intrepid editors will search out the cream of the crop, nominate our finalists and pick the winners of the show. Oh, and you too will have your voice heard in the People’s Choice award. Want to know more? Well, head on over to our newly launched awards hub or read on further for a list of our award categories. And if you happen to be a company who wants to submit your product for such high honors, we’ve got instructions for that too.

These are the Best of CES award categories for 2017:

• Best Accessibility Tech: Technology that helps those with disabilities achieve healthier and more independent lives
• Best Startup: The startup showing great sophistication and innovation while also demonstrating a clear path to real-world availability.
• Best Digital Health and Fitness Product: A product exhibiting the most innovative use of technology to improve users’ health and well-being. Eligible products include smart scales and activity monitors.
• Best Wearable: The best gadget at the show that can be worn on your person. Examples include smart watches, augmented reality glasses and any wearable item (be it socks or shorts) that have sensors in them.
• Best Automotive Technology: Technology related to the ever-advancing science of getting from here to there. Eligible products include infotainment systems and advances in self-driving technology.
• Best Home Theater Product: This award is all about home entertainment. Eligible products include set top boxes, streaming players, tuners and audio systems, among other things.
• Best (Connected) Home Product: A product that belongs in the connected home. Examples include smart refrigerators, connected thermostats and smart lighting.
• Best Innovation (Disruptive Tech): The product or service that challenges the status quo with its innovative twist on technology.
• Best Mobile Device: The smartphone or tablet that most impresses with its combination of specifications, design and overall ability.
• Best TV product: The television that is deemed the best in terms of display, design and overall quality, or the product that might most revolutionize your use of that screen.
• Best Gaming Product: The product that best moves forward the broader field of gaming. Example products include game-specific tablets and PCs, video game consoles, controllers and gaming services.
• Best Offbeat Product: The product that turns heads on the International CES show floor without necessarily fitting into any defined product category. This product may not be the best of the best at the show, but it will be one of the most talked-about.
• Best Maker-Friendly Technology: This product is geared toward the DIY/maker community. Examples include 3D printers and Arduino-like processing units.
• Best PC: The best laptop or desktop, judged based on its design and specifications.
• Best Robot or Drone: A drone or robot that is deemed the best of this unique category.
• Best of the Best Award: The device, service or technology in any category that stands clearly above the rest, judged based on its innovation and design quality.
• People’s Choice Award: The product from this year’s show that most captured the hearts and minds of our readers. The winner will be determined by viewers and readers.

Now, if you’re looking to submit something for consideration, check that you meet our eligibility requirements and then enter in all your information in our submission form here. In order to be eligible, your company must have an official presence at CES and the product must fit within one of the award categories above. It does not have to be announced at the show, but it always helps. And of course it can’t be older than a year — use your judgment! Submissions will stay open until 11:59pm PT on the evening of Monday, January 2nd, before press day kicks off on January 3rd. Please include the following required items for a product to be considered:

• Product name
• Company name
• Product description
• Which of the 16 Awards category/categories your nomination should be considered for. Companies can submit their products for more than one category.
• Contact information for both media relations and internal point(s) of contact while at the show. We need to be able to reach someone on-site in the event you’re a finalist or winner!

Whenever possible, companies should submit the following materials as well:

• Photos
• Spec sheet(s)
• Press release(s)
• Release date
• Price

Good luck!

OnePlus already has a new flagship with modest upgrades

It hasn’t even been six months since OnePlus took the wraps off its latest flagship, and the company already has an upgraded version. The OnePlus 3T will replace the OnePlus 3, bringing improvements like a newer Snapdragon 821 CPU, a larger battery and sharper front camera. Of course, these enhancements come at a price. The OnePlus 3T starts at $439 for a 64GB model — a $40 increase over the original.

Although it hasn’t gained any girth or heft, the Oneplus 3T managed to squeeze in a larger 3,400mAh battery — a 400mAh increase over its predecessor. That, together with the power efficiency of the new chip, should make for longer battery life. The original OnePlus 3 already delivered pretty impressive endurance during our review, so this could mean even more stamina. Plus, it supports rapid charging, with OnePlus claiming a day’s worth of juice after just a half-hour of being plugged in.

While a 16-megapixel front camera sounds like a horrifying way to show your followers just how large your pores actually are, OnePlus said it made the 3T’s selfie lens sharper for better livestream quality. The rear camera now has a sapphire crystal cover for protection against scratches.

Although most companies wait a year before refreshing their flagships, OnePlus said it wanted to make sure its customers “do not have to wait for the best possible user experience.” The indie phone maker is able to offer such a quick update schedule, it said, primarily because it’s focusing on a small selection of markets, instead of expanding to more areas globally. That, and its small size and startup culture allows it to be more agile than the Apples and Samsungs of the world.

The OnePlus 3T appears, on paper, to be a solid replacement for the OnePlus 3, which the company will soon stop selling. If you still want an excellent phone for $400, you might want to grab the OnePlus 3 before it sells out for good. However, if you’d like a faster, potentially longer-lasting phone with a super sharp front camera, the OnePlus 3T will be available on November 28th. You can get a 128GB option for $479. Those who prefer the soft gold-colored version will have to wait (we don’t know how long) until those become available.

Oh, and remember OnePlus’ notorious supply problems? They shouldn’t be an issue this time around. The company told Engadget it already has product available and awaiting shipment in the US. Stay tuned for our review to see if the specs improvements translate to real-world enhancements for the OnePlus 3T.