OnePlus is anticipating a third phone called OnePlus 9R
OnePlus is looking for a third, cheaper phone in the upcoming OnePlus 9 series called the OnePlus 9R, and the suspense comes just a few days before the full reveal of the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro.
The suspense confirms rumors that OnePlus may also announce a less expensive phone in addition to its new flagship phones.
OnePlus CEO, Pete Lau, said in an interview with News18: The company wants to go further than it did with OnePlus Nord, in terms of the technology and design included.
The company had announced OnePlus Nord as a mid-range phone available in Europe and India or as a budget phone released in the US.
It is not clear what part of the price range to the performance OnePlus is targeting, although some Lau comments indicate that the OnePlus 9R may be closer to the upper mid-range phones.
Lau said: The OnePlus 9R has 5G, and he talked a lot about gaming in relation to this device, about smooth scrolling, and other display adjustments.
He explained that the company wants the phone to provide fast and smooth experiences for heavy play, and Lau stressed that this phone will be a member of the main series with the leading industrial design in its class.
As with budget phones, the OnePlus 9R will likely include a screen with a refresh rate of 90Hz or faster, and as for the gaming focus, that could be more of a marketing focus than a hardware focus.
It is rumored that the third phone contains a Snapdragon 865 processor from last year, which goes against the habit of bringing the latest chips to gaming phones.
For example, the ROG Phone 5 contains Snapdragon 888, up to 18GB of RAM, and a 144Hz screen.
The rest of the interview does not include additional concrete details, as Lau did not talk about pricing or availability outside India, but it does give an idea of what OnePlus thinks about the 9R.
And with the event date approaching, it may not be long before we find out for sure.