OnePlus unveiled the new OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro on March 23, 2021, but those aren't the only two Android phones the company announced — there's also the cheaper OnePlus 9R. The 9 and 9 Pro stand out as two of the most expensive OnePlus smartphones to-date, which has been an ongoing trend for the company. Both do deliver really great value considering all the specs and features they bring to the table, but compared to the days of the $299 OnePlus One, spending $729 or $969 for the OnePlus 9 or 9 Pro, respectively, is a pretty stark difference.
In the months leading up to the OnePlus 9 Series launch, there were rumors that OnePlus was crafting a 'OnePlus 9 Lite' or 'OnePlus 9R' as a cheaper variant of its proper flagships. The 9R didn't get mentioned at all during OnePlus's product launch for North America, but the phone is real and does actually exist — just not for everyone.
As of right now, the OnePlus 9R is only available for customers in India. The phone starts at ₹39,999 for the model with 8GB of RAM and 128GB storage, which roughly translates to around $550 USD. That's nearly $200 less than the regular OnePlus 9, which is a pretty considerable price difference. There's also a more expensive model with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, but that still costs just ₹43,999 (about $600).
What Specs Does The OnePlus 9R Have?
Despite the dramatically lower prices, the OnePlus 9R actually has really strong specifications in almost every regard. The display is a 6.55-inch AMOLED one with a 2400 x 1080 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate — exactly the same as the OnePlus 9. The OnePlus 9R doesn't have any of the Hasselblad integrations found on the 9 and 9 Pro, but its camera setup does seem quite good given the price. The OnePlus 9R comes equipped with a 48MP primary camera, 16MP ultra-wide camera, 5MP macro camera, and 2MP depth sensor. For selfies and Zoom calls, there's a 16MP front-facing lens.
Taking a look under the hood of the OnePlus 9R, the hits keep coming. The phone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 chipset, which is essentially a rebranded Snapdragon 865+ that was in phones like the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. It's not quite as fast as the Snapdragon 888 found in the regular OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro, but it should still be more than capable for just about any workflow.
Also present with the OnePlus 9R is a 4,500 mAh battery, 65W wired charging, dual stereo speakers, and two colors to choose from (Carbon Black and Lake Blue). All of that makes the OnePlus 9R sound like an absolutely killer value, but as of right now, it remains uncertain if the phone will ever come to the United States. OnePlus has brought phones like the Nord N10 5G and Nord N1000 to the U.S. after first launching them in other markets, but with other devices like the original OnePlus Nord and OnePlus's TV offerings, the company has no problem keeping certain products out of the United States entirely. Until OnePlus says otherwise, envious North American shoppers will just have to appreciate the OnePlus 9R from afar.
Source: OnePlus