OnePlus's usual smartphone cycle revolves around two main flagship series. There's a mainline model in the spring, followed by an upgraded half-step successor in the fall. At least, that's how it normally goes. A new report gives us a good idea of what's in store for OnePlus throughout the next few months, and what's on the way might catch you off guard.

According to Android Central, the next smartphone in the works is the OnePlus 9 RT, with a fall launch planned for India and China. As the name implies, this new phone is an upgraded version of the OnePlus 9R, the company's region-exclusive device announced alongside the mainline series earlier this year. The 9 RT is mostly unchanged from its previous iteration, keeping the same 120Hz AMOLED panel, Snapdragon 870, and 4,500mAh battery with 65W fast-charging.

The main improvements here focus on the camera, swapping the 48MP Sony IMX586 sensor for the 50MP Sony IMX766 found in the OnePlus 9 and Nord 2, where it'll take over as the primary lens. The original 9R's cameras were a significant weak point for the phone, so this should boost photos across the board. No word yet on whether it'll get the Hasselblad branding treatment, though.

The 9 RT will also mark the debut of OxygenOS 12 available out of the box. Based on Color OS, OnePlus's software has been a real point of contention for fans of the company's phones lately. Reportedly, OxygenOS 12 will keep the same appearance as its current version, opting not to include the dynamic theming supplied by Material You.

As with the original phone, the 9 RT will launch in India and China in October. This is the only flagship device OnePlus has planned for the rest of the year, so if you've been waiting on a potential 9T, you might be out of luck. That's a big shift from years past, and it leaves the company without competition for Samsung and Google in North America and Europe this holiday season.