The Upcoming OnePlus 10R Might Just Be A Rebranded Realme Phone
In 2021, OnePlus added a couple of "R" series smartphones to the OnePlus 9 lineup, with the first of these devices being the OnePlus 9R. A scaled-down version of the OnePlus 9 with a much lower asking price, this model saw a limited launch and was available only in India. The company followed that up with another device called the OnePlus 9RT a few months down the line, one that received a much wider launch in several global markets, including some European countries. With OnePlus readying the very delayed global launch for the OnePlus 10 series, there has also been a lot of chatter around a rumored OnePlus 10R — and it looks like we finally have some details about this phone.
Indian publication 91Mobiles, in collaboration with leaker Yogesh Brar, recently posted alleged renders of the upcoming OnePlus 10R. Those with a keen eye will be quick to notice the phone featured in these renders appears to have an uncanny resemblance to the Realme GT Neo 3 – a handset made by the OnePlus sister brand Realme. If you recall, we talked about the Realme GT Neo 3 just a few days ago when it launched in China.
From the images, the OnePlus 10R looks like a fairly premium device with a slim profile. The model also packs a center-aligned hole punch for the front camera, a first for OnePlus devices, assuming the leak proves accurate. However, a key omission is the company's trademark alert slider, which seems to be missing from the device.
OnePlus 10R: Expected specifications
Unlike the OnePlus 9R, which features the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 SoC, its successor is rumored to make a jump to the recently launched MediaTek Dimensity 8100 SoC — which, at least on paper, sounds like a very capable piece of silicon. In addition, the device is likely to feature an E4 AMOLED panel that supports a 120Hz refresh rate and may also pack an in-display fingerprint scanner. While the lower RAM and storage configurations are unknown, it's likely safe to assume you will see the OnPlus 10R with a top-end 12GB/256GB configuration.
The triangular triple camera setup on the OnePlus 10R is expected to feature a 50MP primary camera, an 8MP ultrawide camera, and a 2MP macro sensor. The front-facing camera is likely to use a 16MP sensor. The report also claims the OnePlus 9R will feature support for 150W fast charging, which should charge the model's fairly large 4,500 mAh battery in a very short time. Like in the case of the Realme GT Neo 3, there is also talk about OnePlus launching another variant with a larger 5,000 mAh battery capacity — though it may include (relatively) slower 80W fast charging support. The model is also rumored to lack a 3.5mm audio jack.
Chinese smartphone brands have long had a penchant for rebranding products across their product lineups. Even though Xiaomi is known to take this exercise to extreme lengths (like selling the same phone under three different names), BBK-owned brands like OPPO, Realme, Vivo, and OnePlus have traditionally refrained from taking things to such levels. However, OnePlus seems to be gradually diverging from this strategy and the company has seemingly been inching closer to the rest of its BBK family members of late. Is the potentially rebranded OnePlus 10R only the first of many such future attempts?