Official OnePlus 12R reveal gives us our first glimpse at its design

OnePlus 12R shown in Cool Blue and Iron Grey.

(Image credit: OnePlus)

Call it a launch countdown, we’re less than a month away from the OnePlus 12 global launch event where we’ll hear official details about the company’s upcoming flagship phone. Not to be overshadowed by the flagship, we will also be learning a lot more about the OnePlus 12R — which interestingly enough we’re getting our first official look ahead of the event.

The company unveiled the first official image of its upcoming OnePlus 12R, complete with the two color options it’ll be available in: Cool Blue and Iron Gray.

A cursory look at the image reveals its similarities to the OnePlus 11, partly due to the circular camera housing on the back of the phone. Cool Blue has a glossy finish that gives it a bit of shine, while Iron Gray features a matte feel. Although, it does give off OnePlus 10 Pro vibes because of the patterned design of the rear casing.

Given that the OnePlus 12R is squished in the middle of its lineup, it’s impressive it borrows a lot from the flagship series. Don’t get us wrong, the Nord series feels incredibly well built for phones under $500, but they lack the premium materials and finish of the flagship series.

Smooth Beyond Belief

OnePlus 12R official photo. — (Image credit: OnePlus)

Rounding out the design is a matte metal frame and a OnePlus staple in the Alert Slider on the left edge. It’s been repositioned from its usual placement on the right side, so it might take some getting used to if you’re coming from the OnePlus 11 or OnePlus Open. The reasoning for this is due to the new integrated antenna system that OnePlus is implementing to deliver enhanced performance for online gaming.

Aside from that, the official first look at the OnePlus 12R pretty much matches leaked renders we’ve seen of the phone previously — albeit, the Alert Slider was on the right edge. And even though OnePlus doesn’t cough up any details around the hardware, a recent specs leak indicates it will be running a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, packing a 6.74-inch OLED with a 120Hz refresh rate, and a triple camera system.

We’re also eager to learn more about pricing because it should theoretically come in between the Nord series and its flagship kin in the OnePlus 12. Whatever price it ends up being, it could make some noise in the mid-range space to battle against phones like the Google Pixel 7a and Samsung Galaxy 23 FE.

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John’s a senior editor covering phones for Tom’s Guide. He’s no stranger in this area having covered mobile phones and gadgets since 2008 when he started his career. On top of his editor duties, he’s a seasoned videographer being in front and behind the camera producing YouTube videos. Previously, he held editor roles with PhoneArena, Android Authority, Digital Trends, and SPY. Outside of tech, he enjoys producing mini documentaries and fun social clips for small businesses, enjoying the beach life at the Jersey Shore, and recently becoming a first time homeowner.