First look McLaren's touches lift F1-inspired smartphone

Formula 1 teams are no strangers to tying up with mobile phone companies, but McLaren’s new partnership with Chinese smartphone company OnePlus has taken things to the next level.
Rather than this being a simple branding exercise – with just a pretty logo and a few photo opportunities with drivers – the new special edition OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition has delivered something that is of genuine interest to those who follow the sport closely.


Under the spotlights at McLaren’s Woking factory on Tuesday, the official launch of the handset revealed how the new generation of phone has F1's past and present at the heart of it.

OnePlus has embraced McLaren’s history, with the papaya orange box that the phone comes in making clear from the start that this is about saluting the team’s heritage.


Emblazoned on top is a ‘Salute to Speed’ message – which is the catchphrase the company has used for the new product. At the heart of the box is a small book that reflects on the legacy of Bruce McLaren and the F1 team, as it brings buyers through the history of the team.

But it is only when the smartphone itself is unlocked from the back section of the book does the scope of the tie-up between McLaren and OnePlus become clear.