OnePlus 5T: Is THIS our first look at the new OnePlus ahead of the UK release date?

The rumours around OnePlus continue to swirl.

The popular Chinese smartphone startup is purportedly planning to launch an incremental update to its flagship OnePlus 5 smartphone – dubbed OnePlus 5T – before the end of the year.

OnePlus is currently running , which has fuelled speculation a new smartphone is around the corner.

This would not be the first time OnePlus has debuted a minor upgrade ahead of the holiday shopping period.

Last year, the company launched the – a minor update to its flagship smartphone – six months after its launch.

If the Chinese company is sticking to the same schedule, the OnePlus 5T is likely to surface in the coming weeks.

There have been a number of leaks around the so-called OnePlus 5T over the last few weeks, with most focused a Galaxy S8-esque redesign of the body.

New images purporting to show the OnePlus 5T this week were published on Chinese social network, Weibo.

According to the , OnePlus will shave the bezels around the display to compete with the likes of the LG V30, Galaxy S8, Pixel 2 XL and iPhone X.

OnePlus also looks set to use a new 18:9 ratio display, the leaked render appears to show.

Unfortunately, it looks like OnePlus has been forced to relocate the fingerprint scanner to accommodate the new display, with the sensor now found above the logo on the back of the phone. It’s difficult to tell from the leaks, but it appears OnePlus will not follow Samsung’s lead and opt for a dual-curved display.

Aside from the new edge-to-edge design, it looks like the dual-camera system will remain the same as the OnePlus 5.

The latest OnePlus leaked image tallies with a number of previous rumours about the next OnePlus device, including the new all-screen design.

Like all rumours, it’s worth taking these leaks with a healthy pinch of salt.

It’s possible OnePlus will wait until next year to launch its next flagship smartphone.

After all, by this time last year, there had been more rumours of a new OnePlus handset on the horizon.

Coupled with that, Qualcomm had launched a new flagship chipset, the SnapDragon 821, which offered significantly more power than the Snapdragon 820 used in the OnePlus 3.

Qualcomm has only launched one top-of-the-line processor this year, the SnapDragon 835, which is inside the OnePlus 5.