OnePlus’ 10T launch was a weird return to in-person events

There is nothing minimalist about the scene at the 10T launch event. The audience is covered in a blue glow as the ceiling and walls are lit up in bright red. There is a chandelier in the middle of the ceiling.

Ahead of its launch event, the company hasn't left much to imagination. The jig is up because there are a couple of 10Ts embedded in the wall. Ahead of time, the company has released a number of specifications, from the Chipset to the missing alert button. It's a color-by-numbers picture of the phone, except for the price.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge
• 
• 
• 
• 

I had a OnePlus 10T for testing under embargo for a couple of weeks, just like everyone else. We know how it works, how much it costs, and who should or shouldn't buy it. We are not here to learn anything new, we are here for a bit of theater.

So are a few hundred other attendees, and it is not just tech industry types who were given the chance to attend. A guy with Extreme Movie Announcer Voice informs the crowd that there are more chairs coming and that they are crowding into the standing room in the back.

There aren't enough chairs for everyone, but the event starts anyways, and it's every bit as cinematic as the venue implied it would be: projectors light up the walls above and around the stage to emphasize what's being announced

There is a slide early on in the presentation that gives a round of applause. There is a man behind me who calls out to the people in front of him. This is a different type of drama.

Related

OnePlus 10T review: call it a comeback

The presentation drags on a bit and we are ready to get out of our seats at the end. A person nearby is playing a game on their phone. It is a good use case. Maybe the presentation went on too long and I have to pee. It wouldn't be a problem if this were a virtual event. There is a wall of people blocking my way out of the room. We are encouraged to go to the demo stations at the back of the theater after the big prize reveal.

It might be a new perspective after two years of a somewhat isolated existence, but the demo situation is familiar but not. There are a lot of iced coffees with names like the "long life latte." There's a whole menu of snacks and drinks like this, but the branding doesn't go far as to cover a Bud Light logo on one of the coolers

A model of the phone's cooling system is doused in dry ice and lit up in one room. As far as the eye can see, there is a wall of previous phones from the company.

There are bags on the way out with a view of 36th Street and oppressive heat. The person presenting at the event is waiting for a ride. I linger for a moment before rushing to the next thing on my calendar. It wasn't quite Hamilton, but it was fun.

Allison Johnson is a photographer.