Technologies

OnePlus 12R Hands-On: Comes With a Small Price, but Big Compromises

We’ve been testing the more-affordable flagship phone from OnePlus and have some early thoughts.

The OnePlus 12 impressed us already with its powerful performance and epic battery life, but if its $800 starting price is too steep, you might want to look toward the $500 or £649 (roughly AU$1,250) OnePlus 12R. This cheaper alternative to the flagship shares some of its pricier sibling’s visual cues, along with a capacious battery. Yet it makes some key tradeoffs to achieve its more affordable starting price.

It runs on a slightly older Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor — rather than the brand new 8 Gen 3 chip found in the flagship — so you can expect different performance here. It also has a pared-back camera setup, featuring a 50-megapixel main camera, 8-megapixel ultrawide and a 2-megapixel camera with a macro lens. I’ve used similar low-resolution macro lenses on previous OnePlus phones (including the 10T) and often find them essentially redundant.

Read more: Best Android Phone of 2024

Both these tradeoffs are absolutely to be expected for a more budget-focused phone, but what I find less excusable is the shorter support period. OnePlus offers only three years of software updates and four years of security updates on the OnePlus 12R — a year less of each than the company offers on the standard OnePlus 12. Longer support means your phone will remain usable for longer, which is better for you and better for the planet.

Intentionally offering shorter support periods on its cheaper model is a disappointing stance for OnePlus to take here, as it suggests that sustainability is a premium offering only available to those willing to spend more on the top model. I already argued that OnePlus needs to offer longer support on the OnePlus 12, as both Samsung and Google offer at least seven years of support on their higher-end phones. And even Samsung’s more midrange $599 Galaxy S23 FE is getting four years of software updates and five years of security updates. At the very least I’d want to see OnePlus offer the same support periods on both phones, but ideally take that even further to remain competitive with its rivals.

On the upside, the phone packs a whopping 5,500-mAh battery, which is even bigger than the one found in the OnePlus 12. The 12 put in some of the best results I’ve ever seen on our battery drain tests, so it’ll be interesting to see how the 12R fares here. While it’s easy to think that a bigger battery will last longer, it’s important to keep in mind that the OnePlus 12’s cutting-edge 8 Gen 3 chip will offer different power efficiency over the older 8 Gen 2 in the 12R.

The 12R sports a frosted glass back, which I find offers a sturdy, premium feel when you hold it. The 6.78-inch display looks very bright and vibrant in my testing so far, and it offers the same wet-touch tech seen on the 12 that allows the screen to still be responsive even when wet.

Other key features include IP64 water resistance, an in-screen fingerprint scanner, 80-watt fast charging (in the US, 100W in the UK), and a vapor-chamber cooling system to help keep the processor running at full whack during demanding tasks like gaming. Unlike the OnePlus 12, the 12R doesn’t come with wireless charging.

I’m still testing the OnePlus 12R so I’ll reserve my judgment on it for the full review. But so far it seems like a capable phone with a reasonable price. While it’s no flagship killer, it’s got a solid lineup of specs for those of you looking for a good all-around Android phone that doesn’t require emptying your bank.

OnePlus 12 and 12R Have an Elegant but Familiar Design

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OnePlus 12 Vs 12R specs comparison chart

	OnePlus 12	OnePlus 12R
Display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate, brightness	6.82-inch AMOLED; 3,168×1,440 pixels; 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate	6.78-inch AMOLED; 2,780×1,264 pixels; 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate
Pixel density	510 ppi	450 ppi
Dimensions (inches)	6.5 x 3 x 0.36 in.	6.43 x 2.96 x 0.35 in.
Dimensions (millimeters)	164.3 x 76 x 9.2 mm	163.3 x 75.3 x 8.8 mm
Weight (grams, ounces)	220 g (7.8 oz.)	207 g ( 7.3 oz.)
Mobile software	Android 14	Android 14
Camera	50-megapixel (wide), 48-megapixel (ultrawide), 64-megapixel (telephoto)	50-megapixel (wide), 8-megapixel (ultrawide), 2-megapixel (macro)
Front-facing camera	32-megapixel	16-megapixel
Video capture	8K	4K
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
RAM/storage	12GB RAM + 256GB; 16GB RAM + 512GB	8GB + 128GB; 16GB + 256GB
Expandable storage	None	None
Battery/charging speeds	5,400 mAh (dual 2,700 mAh)	5,500 mAh
Fingerprint sensor	Under display	Under display
Connector	USB-C	USB-C
Headphone jack	None	None
Special features	4,500-nit peak brightness; 4 years of software and 5 years of security updates; 80W wired charging (100W wired charging outside US); 50W wireless charging with fan dock; IP65 water and dust resistance; Wi-Fi 7; Gorilla Glass Victus 2 cover glass; Gorilla Glass 5 back glass	100W wired charging outside US; IP64 water and dust resistance; Wi-Fi 7; Gorilla Glass Victus 2 cover glass
US price off-contract	$800 (256GB)	$500 (128GB)
UK price	£849 (256GB)	£649 (256GB)
Australia price	Converts to AU$1,640 (256GB)	Converts to AU$1,250 (256GB)

Technologies

Apple CEO Tim Cook Steps Down, John Ternus Replaces Him

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Tuesday, April 21

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for April 21

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? I thought that 4-Across, 7-Across and 3-Down were pretty fun — little puzzles inside of the puzzle. Read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Like the name Phil Quickley, for a speedy crossword solver?
Answer: APT

4A clue: What connects these names: Al Green, Betty White, Rose Byrne
Answer: COLOR

6A clue: Star ___ (plant with a pointy pod)
Answer: ANISE

7A clue: What connects these names: Tennessee Williams, Georgia O’Keeffe, Denzel Washington
Answer: STATE

8A clue: Teslas and Rivians, for short
Answer: EVS

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Assumed name
Answer: ALIAS

2D clue: Washington paper
Answer: POST

3D clue: What connects these names: Chris Pine, Zach Cherry, Willow Smith
Answer: TREE

4D clue: Detective’s assignment
Answer: CASE

5D clue: Currently broadcasted
Answer: ONTV

Technologies

OnePlus Reveals New Phones Despite Uncertain Future

Amid rumors of leaving certain markets, the company introduces the Nord CE6 and Nord CE6 Lite.

There’s uncertainty about OnePlus’ future in the UK and Europe, but it’s full steam ahead in Asia for now. The Chinese-based tech company said Monday in a post on X that it will launch two new phones — the Nord CE6 and Nord CE6 Lite — in India on May 7. OnePlus didn’t say when the phones would be available in the US and other markets and didn’t say how much they would cost.

That’s unfortunate, as both Nord phones build on the brand’s recent set of phones with large-capacity batteries. But whereas last year’s flagship OnePlus 15 has a 7,300-mAh one, the Nord CE6 has a massive 8,000-mAh battery, which should last for 2.5 days on a full charge, according to the phone’s listing. While it doesn’t share how fast the phone’s wired or wireless charging is, it does note that the Nord CE6 has 27-watt reverse charging to donate battery charge to other devices. The Nord CE6 Lite, presumably the cheaper version, has a 7,000-mAh battery.

The Nord CE6 and CE6 Lite, visible in a listing on Amazon in India, don’t have prices yet, but they do have a launch date of May 7.

The OnePlus Nord CE6 is powered by a Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 system on a chip alongside a Touch Reflex chip. The Nord CE6 has a 1.5K AMOLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate that reaches up to 1,800 nits of peak brightness. The cheaper Nord CE6 Lite includes a MediaTek Dimensity 7400 Apex chipset, and its screen also has a 144Hz refresh rate.

The Nord CE6 will be available in three colors — fresh blue, lunar pearl and pitch black — while the Nord CE6 Lite will have two options: vivid mint and hyper black.

The announcements come amid uncertainty about OnePlus’ status in non-Asian markets. Android Authority reported that several high-level employees in the UK and Europe have recently left the company, which is reportedly «evaluating its regional roadmap and product strategy.» There were also rumors that the company might shut down its operations in the UK and Europe. OnePlus is owned by Chinese conglomerate BKK Electronics, which also owns phone brand Oppo.

A representative for OnePlus did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

We loved the OnePlus 15’s battery

Earlier this year, CNET revealed its picks for the best battery life among phones, after rigorous testing of 35 models. The iPhone 17 Pro Max was our winner, and the iPhone 17 and OnePlus 15 were both tied for second place.

CNET also compared the OnePlus 15 and OnePlus 15R, with the choice basically coming down to whether you want a bit more premium (at a higher price) or a decent version for $100 to $200 less.

Austin Evans, a tech tester with 5.76 million subscribers to his YouTube channel, said he’s «really happy» that the Nord CE6 and Nord CE6 Lite phones are at least launching in India for now.

«I like OnePlus, they’ve been a disruptive force for years and generally provide pretty good value,» Evans said. «That being said, I’m wary of how ironclad their commitment to the US market will be. Everything I’ve heard suggests they’re narrowing scope significantly to focus on growth markets like India. Fair play, but I’m still a bit concerned about the long-term plans for the company.»