TheOnePlus 12was announced in China earlier this month as one of the first smartphones with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset. While it was expected to be joined by another device in the series at a different price point, little was known about it. Today’s leak changes that, shedding light on the yet-unknown OnePlus 12R. And it seems like it will also be making its way to North America.
The OnePlus 12made its regional debuta few weeks earlier than usual. It brought significant upgrades over its predecessor without a significant increase in its price — at least in China. Global pricing and availabilitywill be announced on August 14, 2025. Historically, OnePlus has always undercut the competition while holding its own in most regards. However, for 2024, BBK Group might have an ace up its sleeve against Google, Samsung, and Apple, in the form of the OnePlus 12R.
You’d be forgiven for not knowing much about OnePlus’ R series of phones, as the OnePlus 12R will be the first time one will make its way to the US. In the past, the R counterparts have been cheaper than the number series and the Pro series by opting for slightly lower-powered internals and build materials while retaining the essence of OnePlus.
The information comes courtesy of Max Jambor on X, a reliable leaker with a great track record when it comes to OnePlus. He states that the OnePlus 12R will once again be announced in China first on January 4, followed by a global announcement on January 23. No information on pricing was shared, but we can be certain it will be cheaper than the OnePlus 12, which starts at a competitive CNY 4,299 (around $600).
As per the leak, the OnePlus 12R will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, making it one of the most powerful “Lite” devices on the block — especially when compared to the likes of thePixel 7a,iPhone 15orGalaxy S23. It will be paired with up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB of UFS 4.0 storage. With these specs, the OnePlus 12R should bea great gaming phoneas well.
Another notable upgrade is the battery capacity. At 5,500mAh, the OnePlus 12R will have the biggest battery ever seen on a OnePlus smartphone. And with fast 100W wired “SuperVOOC” charging, it should be able to go from empty to full in about 30 minutes. The screen is no slouch either, spanning 6.78-inches (presumably flat) with ProXDR, 120Hz refresh rate and LTPO 4.0 support, along withGorilla Glass Victus 2protection on top.
The aspect where we expect the budget nature of the OnePlus 12R to be more apparent is with the cameras. Photography has often been the Achilles heel of OnePlus flagships, except for thefoldable OnePlus Open. In terms of hardware, we’re looking at a 50MP primary sensor with an 8MP ultra-wide lens and a 2MP macro shooter.
Jambor says that the OnePlus 12R will be available in Iron Gray and Cool Blue colorways, and shared a representative render of them in the tweet. The North American smartphone market is infamous for not being too competitive when it comes tomid-range or budget segments. If the leak pans out to be correct, the OnePlus 12R could be one of the most capable devices at around the $500 mark.
