OnePlus 9R might be the third device in OnePlus 9 family

OnePlus revolutionized its smartphone business last year by introducing more than flagship devices. Now, the brand has a regular flagship series and a bunch of mid-range devices under the OnePlus Nord series. This year, the company might give a step further to expand its smartphone portfolio by adding a third, probably cost-effective, flagship. In the next month, the brand is expected to launch the OnePlus 9 series composed of OnePlus 9, OnePlus 9 Pro, and a third cost-effective model. According to a fresh leak from renowned leakster Evan Blass, the third model will actually carry the OnePlus 9R moniker.

The third model designation has been changing a lot lately. Back in November 2020, reliable tipster, Max Jambor had revealed that the third device of the OnePlus 9 would be named as OnePlus 9E. Now, the report from Voice reveals a picture of a code from the developmental firmware of the handset. It shows the OnePlus 9R moniker. Since March is just around the corner, we believe that any leak popping out now will be more accurate than leaks from several months ago. After all, at this point, the device must be in the final stages of development before an official announcement.

“Say Goodbye to OnePlus 9E / SE / Lite”

Interestingly, Android Central came up with their exclusive saying that OnePlus would call it the OnePlus 9 Lite. If you recall, in the last year, we have been hearing multiple reports about an OnePlus 8 Lite. But the device was in fact the OnePlus Nord, or if you like conspiring, a prototype that never saw the light of day. Now, Evan Blass is pretty much confident about the naming of the handset as he says “Goodbye, OnePlus 9E/SE/Lite”. Honestly, the OnePlus 9R is more original than the previous monikers. Samsung had a Galaxy S10e, Apple is commonly associated with the SE naming, and Lite is somewhat generic for a brand like OnePlus that… “Never Settles”.

The OnePlus 9R will likely come with Snapdragon 870 SoC

Despite this, Max Jambor expressed his doubts about the naming. Whether the OnePlus 9R naming turns out true or not, the fact that there is a third OnePlus 9 device coming soon is a consensus. Android Central previously said that the device would debut with a Snapdragon 865 chipset. However, this report came before January, when Qualcomm revealed the Snapdragon 870. This chipset is like an evolution for the Snapdragon 865 series and is cheaper than the Snapdragon 888. With many companies adopting it, it seems more plausible for OnePlus to use it on its OnePlus 9R.

Other specifications include a 6.5-inch FHD+ display with a 90Hz refresh rate, a 64MP primary camera with an 8MP ultrawide. The device will come with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage and will have a 5,000mAh battery. With the devices coming next month, we expect more details to appear soon.