With the rising costs of smartphones, OnePlus’s strategy has evolved from releasing just one smartphone a year to launching multiple handsets, each catering to different market segments. While the regular OnePlus 12 aims to be the company’s flagship offering, the upcoming OnePlus 12R would be a more budget-friendly option. Here’s everything you need to know about it.
When will the OnePlus 12R launch?
In classic OnePlus fashion, the OnePlus 12R will initially debut in China on January 4th, with a global release scheduled for January 23rd during the “Smooth Beyond Belief” event in India.
OnePlus 12R: Design and Display
Similar to its bigger brother, the OnePlus 12, the 12R adheres to OnePlus’s design philosophy with a rounded camera cutout seamlessly integrated into the frame. While specific dimensions are unclear, the device retains the beloved alert slider, albeit positioned on the opposite side.
On the front, the 12R sports a center punch-hole selfie camera and boasts a 6.78-inch FHD+ 120Hz OLED HDR10+ display. Additionally, the display can scale down to 1Hz and is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2.
However, it is important to note that the device will feature a slightly bigger chin when compared to its bigger brother. Finally, reports suggest global color options may include a Pixel-like “Iron Blue” and the standard “Iron Gray” variant.
Specifications
Specs have always been OnePlus’s strong suit, and the 12R is no exception. It is powered by the last-gen Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, which remains more than capable of handling modern 3D games with its Adreno 740 GPU. In terms of raw performance, the 8 Gen 2 achieves a score of 1982 in Geekbench’s single-core test and 5292 in the multi-core test.
In addition to the processor, the phone will offer up to 16GB of LPDDRX5 RAM and 256GB of fast UFS 4.0 storage.
Cameras
OnePlus’s camera strategy with its budget series has always been to provide a good primary sensor while skipping the telephoto lens. Keeping in line, the OnePlus 12R features a 50-megapixel Sony IMX890 primary sensor capable of recording videos up to 4K@60fps.
In addition to the main camera, the phone incorporates an 8MP 120˚ UltraWide lens and a 2MP macro camera to capture depth information.
Software
OnePlus’s software has been a topic of widespread debate over the past few years, primarily due to the company’s departure from stock Android. Nonetheless, it remains one of the fastest skins on a smartphone. The OnePlus 12R will debut with OxygenOS 14 based on Android 14 and get 4-years of software support.
Battery and Charging
Perhaps the biggest feature of the OnePlus 12R is its battery since it houses a massive 5,500mAh cell with support for 100W fast-wired charging. However, it is important to note that instead of the typical lithium-ion, the 12R includes a lithium-polymer cell, which tends to degrade faster over time.
How much will the OnePlus 12R cost?
While the official pricing remains undisclosed, recent reports hint at a range of approximately 40,000 to 42,000 Indian Rupees or $479-$500 for the OnePlus 12R.
