OnePlus 6T McLaren edition could have 10GB of RAM and 256GB of storage

Earlier this week OnePlus teased us with the announcement that is was teaming up with performance car maker McLaren for a launch on December 11, and leaks pointing to a OnePlus 6T McLaren edition have now surfaced.

According to sources who spoke to MySmartPrice, the rumored handset will apparently come with a huge 10GB of RAM and sizable 256GB of storage.

To date, the top-end OnePlus 6T variant packs in 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, so if the leaked specs are accurate, the amount of RAM would not only be a first for the firm, but also a world first in a phone make it one of the first phones in the world to offer it, after Xiaomi launched the Mi Mix 3 last month (hat tip: Ian S).

The planned December 11 launch event is called 'Salute to Speed', so a rumor suggesting we'll see a handset with 10GB of RAM isn't overly surprising - however we do question whether it's really necessary.

Loads of RAM, but is it needed?

While increasing RAM improves multi-tasking, heavy lifting tasks and helps devices avoid performance bottlenecks, smartphones do have an upper limit of how much they can do.

Some of the best performing smartphones from 2018 pack just 4GB of RAM (handsets such as the iPhone XS, XS Max, Google Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL and Samsung Galaxy S9) and our in-depth reviews of these handsets show there are no obvious performance flaws.

The likes of the Galaxy S9 Plus (6GB) and Galaxy Note 9 (8GB) do pack in more RAM, but still only Xiaomi has hit the 10GB mark to date. 

With 4GB still so common in flagship devices, it feels that if OnePlus was to speed ahead with 10GB in the OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition, it may not make a noticeable difference on-screen.

And if the 10GB of RAM is going to be a key selling point for a handset which will likely cost more than OnePlus' currently top-end $629 / £579 handset (as we've seen with the prices for the Porsche and Lamborghini special editions from Huawei and Oppo respectively) it may be difficult to justify.

Of course, this latest rumor needs to be taken with a pinch of salt, as nothing is official just yet - although it is one of the more believable leaks we've seen.

John McCann
Former Global Managing Editor

TechRadar's former Global Managing Editor, John has been a technology journalist for more than a decade, and over the years has built up a vast knowledge of the tech industry. He’s interviewed CEOs from some of the world’s biggest tech firms, visited their HQs, and appeared on live TV and radio, including Sky News, BBC News, BBC World News, Al Jazeera, LBC, and BBC Radio 4.

Latest in OnePlus Phones
OnePlus 13
OnePlus is ditching the Alert Slider for an iPhone-style customizable button - and I’ll be sad to see it go
OnePlus Open camera bump up close
Bad news: the OnePlus Open 2 won’t be released in 2025, OnePlus confirms
The Oppo Find N5 next to the Galaxy Z Fold 6
OnePlus Open 2 could make the Galaxy Fold 6 look old with invisible crease, according to new teaser
OnePlus 13R from the back
New OnePlus Mini 13 leak suggests its camera setup won't be as impressive as we thought
OnePlus Open
Oppo is launching the world's thinnest foldable in two weeks – and the OnePlus Open 2 should follow soon
OnePlus Open
The OnePlus Open 2 rumored to get a camera upgrade even the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra doesn't have
Latest in News
A super close up image of the Google Gemini app in the Play Store
It's official: Google Assistant will be retired for phones this year, with Gemini taking over
Quordle on a smartphone held in a hand
Quordle hints and answers for Sunday, March 16 (game #1147)
NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background
NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, March 16 (game #378)
NYT Connections homescreen on a phone, on a purple background
NYT Connections hints and answers for Sunday, March 16 (game #644)
Three iPhone 16 handsets on show
Apple could launch an iPhone 17 Ultra this year – but we've heard these rumors before
Super Mario Odyssey
ChatGPT is the ultimate gaming tool - here's 4 ways you can use AI to help with your next playthrough