OnePlus 5T is almost here, but will the price go up again?

In the past few weeks, OnePlus has begun doling out none-too-subtle hints about the feature set of its next flagship smartphone, the OnePlus 5T. Now, ahead of its official unveiling in Manhattan, New York City later this month, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau has teased the device’s final price tag.

Replying to a fan question on Chinese microblogging site Weibo, Lau confirmed that CNY 4,000 ($603) would be “enough” spare change to afford the upcoming handset. This suggests that we’re looking at a sub-$600 asking price for the OnePlus 5T.

What Lau’s response doesn’t answer, however, is how close will OnePlus get to that $600 threshold. Up until know, all of the OnePlus 5T leaks have focused on the device’s slimline, ‘bezel-less’ form factor. OnePlus itself has also steered conversation towards the phone’s rumoured camera improvements and, just last week, the Chinese OEM’s decision to stick with the traditional headphone jack.

On the price front, however, it’s all been suspiciously quiet. What we do know is that OnePlus has slowly raised the price of its flagships over the years, and this could continue with the OnePlus 5T.

While OnePlus had historically stuck to a single flagship device per calendar year, that all changed with the OnePlus 3T in 2016. Arriving less than six months after the debut of the $399 OnePlus 3, the OnePlus 3T bumped up the price to $439.

Another price increase followed with the OnePlus 5 earlier this year with buyers asked to stump up $479 at launch. If it wasn’t obvious already, we’re far beyond the days where OnePlus was able to offer its first ‘flagship killer’ smartphone for just $299. OnePlus and the wider market has morphed dramatically since 2014, with Apple now pushing the boundaries of what a flagship smartphone costs to beyond $1,000.

Nevertheless, any further price increase from team OnePlus is likely to draw criticism from some corners. However, even if the base model OnePlus 5T hits the maximum price suggested by Lau, is $599 really a huge ask for an elite Android flagship in 2017? That would still put OnePlus’ latest below, or on par, with high-end offerings from Samsung, HTC, and LG, as well as the recently released Pixel 2 from Google.

We’ll find out for sure in the coming weeks once OnePlus pulls back the curtain on its next marquee smartphone. Until then let us know in the comments whether or not a theoretical $120 price jump would put you off the OnePlus 5T.

As for the device itself, you can find out more in our dedicated OnePlus 5T rumors piece.