Is this OnePlus 5T render ‘leak’ proof of new slim-bezel design?

We may have glimpsed the rumoured OnePlus 5T smartphone for the first time, thanks to a leak on Chinese social media.

The OnePlus 5 launched as recently as June 2017, but if last year’s OnePlus phone releases are anything to go by, we’re expecting a new model very soon. In fact, there’s been a flurry of rumours in recent weeks that suggest we could see a sequel smartphone as soon as November – and it’s tipped as the OnePlus 5T.

Adding fuel to the fire is a fresh leak out of China, which happens to be the home nation of Shenzhen-based OnePlus. An image of what’s claimed to be the phone has been posted to China’s Weibo social media site, which is sort of a cross between Facebook and Twitter. The website is a hotbed for mobile leaks, although naturally it’s impossible to verify the legitimacy of such leaks.

In any case, it’s still interesting to take a look at what could be coming up, so here’s the supposed leak:

The image depicts the handset from both the front and back, with the pictured phone looking almost identical to the already-available OnePlus 5.

However, there’s a key difference: a slim bezel. On the front of the phone, the Home button has been scrapped – and presumably replaced by virtual Android navigation buttons. This has made it possibly to significantly increase the amount of space on the front of the phone that’s occupied by screen.

This is a design trend that’s becoming increasingly popular, with flagship handsets like the Samsung Galaxy S8, Samsung Galaxy Note 8, LG V30, and iPhone X all having adopted it to date. The OnePlus 5 still uses an older, thick-bezel design, which is one of the main reasons why industry commentators think OnePlus may be toying with the idea of launching a slim-bezel update to its flagship handset.

Of course, OnePlus hasn’t confirmed any such device, so we’re still in the dark – at least in terms of official information. As such, take all leaks with a pinch of salt until we hear news directly from OnePlus HQ.