What you need to know
- OnePlus showed off an early look at the design of the OnePlus 12R.
- The phone will be available in two color variants — Cool Blue and Iron Gray.
- Although earlier variants in the series were limited to India, the OnePlus 12R will be available globally.
- Like the regular OnePlus 12, the 12R has an alert slider.
OnePlus is getting ready to launch the OnePlus 12 globally, with a launch event scheduled for January 23. That's not all on the cards, however, as the OnePlus 12R is launching alongside the device. This is intriguing, to say the least; the OnePlus 11R was a terrific alternative to the OnePlus 11, and it undercut the device by a significant margin — OnePlus is looking to do the same with the 12R.
Just like it did with the OnePlus 12, the manufacturer is showing off the design of the OnePlus 12R, and what's immediately evident is that it is nearly identical to the standard model. The OnePlus 12R will be available in Cool Blue and Iron Gray color variants, and the device will feature a metal mid-frame that's coated with a matte texture. With the 11R using a polycarbonate mid-frame, it's good to see the 12R offering better structural rigidity.
Other than that, the alert slider is intact on the device, and it sits to the left this time — the same as the OnePlus 12. The design looks good, and the Cool Blue version is interesting. And if you were thinking that there would be a Pro or Ultra model in the OnePlus 12 series, that won't be the case — OnePlus confirmed that it is launching just these two models in Q1 2024.
What makes it stand out is that the OnePlus 12R is going global; earlier models in the series were limited to India, so it's refreshing to see the device heading to global markets — the 11R is one of the best OnePlus phones of 2023, so I'm excited that the 12R is launching in other regions.
That said, OnePlus didn't say when the device would be available, only revealing that it is launching globally in Q1 2024. If I had to venture a guess, OnePlus will announce the device alongside the OnePlus 12, with sales kicking off a few months later — that's the playbook it followed with the OnePlus 11 and 11R this year.
