A third phone in the next OnePlus 9 series was confirmed by the company’s CEO, in an interview with News18 (through Android Police) The announcement, which is coming just five days before the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro are fully revealed, confirms rumors that the OnePlus would also be announcing a cheaper phone, in addition to its new flagships. So far, however, the phone is only confirmed to reach India.
In the interview, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau says that the company wants to “go even further” than it did with OnePlus Nord, with regard to the technology and design included. Depending on how close you follow the OnePlus, you can remember the Nord as a mid-range phone that was available in Europe and India, or as a budget phone launched in the United States. What part of the price-performance spectrum the OnePlus is targeting is not clear yet, although some of Lau’s comments indicate that it may be closer to the middle range.
He says the phone will have 5G and speaks much about games compared to the 9R, saying the company wants the phone to provide “fast and smooth experiences” for “heavy gameplay”. References to “smooth experiences” and “smooth scrolling” suggest that, as with its recent budget phones, the OnePlus is likely to include a 90 Hz or faster screen. As for the focus on games, it may be more of a marketing focus than a hardware focus.
The 9R is rumored to have a Snapdragon 865, a processor from last year – where we normally expect gaming phones to be equipped with the latest and greatest chips. For example, the ROG Phone 5 has the Snapdragon 888, up to 18 GB of RAM and a 144Hz screen. None of this is exactly cost-friendly, so perhaps OnePlus’ claims that it will be for heavy players should be viewed with caution.
The rest of the interview is light on concrete details, with Lau not talking about price or availability outside India, but it does give you an idea of what OnePlus is thinking for the 9R. With the event coming, it won’t be long before we’re sure. If you are curious about the cutting edge 9 and 9 Pro, you can read our summary of pre-announcement information.