OnePlus 9R could be the cheap flagship we’ve been waiting for

OnePlus 9R could exist the cheap flagship nosotros've been waiting for

(Image credit: Lets Go Digital/Concept Creator)

The name of the entry-level version of the OnePlus 9 might take been revealed past OnePlus' own website.

Testify of the OnePlus 9R, every bit it's apparently called, was found and published by leaker Evan Blass of Voice. There's been a number of possible names suggested for this telephone, including the OnePlus 9E and OnePlus ix Low-cal. This leak may take simply settled the matter.

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The reason Blass claims information technology'south the 9R rather than 9E, nine Lite or anything else is a snippet of HTML code from the guides section of OnePlus' website. OnePlus 9, OnePlus 9 Pro and OnePlus 9R all have stub pages, whereas other names result in 404 errors, Blass mentioned in a follow-up tweet.

OnePlus 9R in HTML — (Paradigm credit: Evan Blass/Voice)

A OnePlus 8 Light was rumored to launch alongside the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro last year. That never came to fruition, although a cheaper OnePlus line did sally in the course of the OnePlus Nord, OnePlus Nord N10 5G and OnePlus Nord N100. This year, the rumors of a cheaper flagship from OnePlus seem to be much stronger, and have remained so as the predicted launch window draws nearer.

OnePlus was founded with a focus on well-priced merely powerful phones, only that'southward inverse over the past couple of years every bit it's full-bodied more on premium "Pro" hardware. Now that Apple tree and Samsung are trying to offer cheaper flagship models, such as the iPhone 12 and the Milky way S21, a cheaper OnePlus ix, like this rumored 9R, will be important for OnePlus to continue competing properly.

Blass might exist wrong, however. Co-ordinate to fellow leaker Max Jambor, he's not willing to endorse this new name for the cheaper OnePlus ix. It makes sense since Jambor has himself been claiming the phone is named the OnePlus 9E.

As Twitter users replying to Jambor indicate out, 9R it could easily exist a typo for 9E, a name that's been rumored for some time. Information technology's besides possible that OnePlus will employ different names for the basic OnePlus 9 internally and when marketing the telephone, hence the confusion.

We are anticipating a release date for the OnePlus nine series around March or April, based on launch dates from the final few years. When the phones finally launch, we will be eager to find out if both will be capable of beating the Samsung Galaxy S21 series and taking a spot among the all-time Android phones we've tried this year.

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Richard is a Tom's Guide staff writer based in London, roofing news, reviews and how-tos for phones, gaming, audio and whatever else people need advice on. Following on from his MA in Magazine Journalism at the University of Sheffield, he's as well written for WIRED U.K., The Annals and Creative Bloq. When not at work, he's likely thinking about how to brew the perfect cup of specialty coffee.