The cheaper OnePlus 12 may be suspiciously familiar

Rumours about a second OnePlus 12 smartphone have been doing the rounds recently, but the 5 December launch in China saw just the one device revealed. Leaks continue to flow for the OnePlus 12R though, and it could be suspiciously similar to a phone already on the market.

A spec list and image for the OnePlus 12 has been posted on X (formerly Twitter) by tipster Abhishek Yadav, and appear to show a handset with a lot in common with the OnePlus 11.

If these specs are accurate - and it's worth taking them with a pinch of salt for now - the OnePlus 12R and 11 will share the same size 6.7-inch 120Hz screen, Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset and two of the three rear cameras (the 50MP main and 32MP telephoto sensors).

However the OnePlus 12R will apparently have a few small differences from the 11, packing a larger 5,500mAh battery, while its ultrawide rear camera could be downgraded from 48MP to just 8MP as OnePlus looks to make some cost savings to keep the new handset's price competitive.

Other features tipped to be included are NFC, an in-display fingerprint scanner, 100W charging, Android 14 and the OnePlus alert slider.

Coming soon

While there was no sign of the OnePlus 12R at its sibling's launch event in China, OnePlus has confirmed a global launch event is happening in early 2024. It also mentioned the OnePlus 12 would arrive alongside other products at this international event, which could well include the 12R handset.

Rumours suggest the OnePlus 12 and 12R may arrive globally in January, with 24 January a touted potential date for the event. Android Authority reports the OnePlus 12R may arrive sooner in China however, quoting 17 December as a potential launch date. The phone may well have a different name in the brand's home nation though, with leaks pointing to OnePlus Ace 3 as its name for China.

In short, there doesn't appear much of a wait to find out all about the OnePlus 12R and just how similar it will, or won't be to the OnePlus 11.