OnePlus 9 Pro's missing model — where the heck is the $969 version?

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The OnePlus 9 Pro's base model is MIA at the OnePlus store and elsewhere

OnePlus 9 Pro review
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

The OnePlus 9 Pro features much improved cameras, a display that dynamically adjusts its refresh rate, super-fast charing technology, and a starting price that's lower than both the iPhone 12 Pro and Galaxy S21 Plus. But good luck finding that version of the new OnePlus flagship right now.

The entry level OnePlus 9 Pro costs $969, giving you a phone with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. That's a good value, and a few dollars less than the $999 comparable phones command. But OnePlus currently doesn't list the $969 version of the OnePlus 9 Pro in its online store.

Instead, your only option for the Pro model is a $1,069 version with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. That's also a decent price when compared comparable phones, which can cost $1,099, but it's going to frustrate would-be shoppers who might balk at having to spend four figures on a smartphone.

OnePlus' store isn't the only place where the $969 OnePlus 9 Pro model is MIA. We also couldn't find it at Amazon and Best Buy, which sell unlocked versions of OnePlus' new devices. T-Mobile, the only US carrier offering the OnePlus 9 series, is only selling the $1,069 OnePlus 9 Pro at the moment.

Likewise, the less expensive OnePlus 9 is supposed to come in two versions as well — the $729 model with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage and an $829 configuration with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. At the moment, only the $729 version is listed at OnePlus.com.

We've reached out to a OnePlus representative to find out if there's an explanation for the missing models. If we have to guess, though, OnePlus might be another victim of the global semiconductor shortage. Chip makers have struggled to keep up with the demand for components, and the ensuing shortage is affecting availability for everything from new gaming consoles like the PS5 to phones.

There's no word on when the less expensive OnePlus 9 Pro model might arrive — again, we'll update this story if OnePlus provides us with a better timeline. For now, shoppers intrigued by the OnePlus 9 Pro will either have to pay up for the $1,069 model, put off their purchase or consider another phone entirely if the 9 Pro's asking price is a bit too steep.

Philip Michaels
Philip Michaels

Philip Michaels is a Managing Editor at Tom's Guide. He's been covering personal technology since 1999 and was in the building when Steve Jobs showed off the iPhone for the first time. He's been evaluating smartphones since that first iPhone debuted in 2007, and he's been following phone carriers and smartphone plans since 2015. He has strong opinions about Apple, the Oakland Athletics, old movies and proper butchery techniques. Follow him at @PhilipMichaels.