Hands on with the new smartphone from OnePlus, the OnePlus 5T

OnePlus announced its new OnePlus 5T smartphone on Thursday, just five months after the company released the OnePlus 5.

It seems to be the new norm for OnePlus phone releases, as the company made a similar move in 2016 by releasing its OnePlus 3T smartphone just six months after it released the OnePlus 3 in 2016.

It's a move that could have angered OnePlus fans, but the OnePlus 3T was a minor upgrade from the OnePlus 3 with few design changes. As a result, OnePlus fans didn't have much to be disappointed about if they bought the OnePlus 3.

It's a different story with the OnePlus 5 versus the OnePlus 5T. The new smartphone has an updated screen design that looks decidedly better and more modern than the OnePlus 5's classic design, and there are a couple of feature updates that some original OnePlus 5 owners may feel they're missing out on.

Why does OnePlus do this? The company told me it was ready to release a phone with new features and design elements, and it didn't feel the need to wait another six months for a typical smartphone annual release cycle.

Based on my short hands-on time with the OnePlus 5T, anyone looking to upgrade from an older smartphone should pay seriously close attention to OnePlus' new device as a potential candidate. I'll have the full review after I've used the OnePlus 5T for a few more days.

For now, check out the new phone from OnePlus: