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The OnePlus 12R is a premium-midrange option that launched alongside the OnePlus 12. This phone has been shrouded in controversy since its launch. It was supposed to have a 2X telephoto, but it was dropped from production last minute for cost reasons. The phone has a generic 8MP+ 2MP setup for the secondary cameras, and the focus is heavily on performance.
In the USA, at 499$, it’s still the best-performing phone. However, it has difficult competition in other markets. One of the key selling points for the OnePlus 12R was the UFS 4.0 storage with the 256GB model of the phone, according to the initial spec sheet listings and advertisements. The phone also has the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for never-seen-before performance at 499$.
UFS 4.0 is a major upgrade from UFS 3.1. It helps in better multitasking and opens heavier apps faster, file transfer speeds are faster, app installation speeds are faster, and it’s a lot more future-proof. Since it’s a lot more expensive, you can find this storage type on top-tier flagships. According to the initial advertisements, OnePlus brought this to the 256GB variant of the OnePlus 12R. However, this was entirely false. Information via Reddit and X reveals that even the 256GB option has UFS 3.1.
In China, the name of this phone is the OnePlus Ace 3. The OnePlus Ace 3 costs only 360$ in China, and it starts at 256GB of UFS 4.0 storage. In the USA, it starts with 128GB storage at 499$, and even the 256GB variant has UFS 3.1 storage and not UFS 4.0.
It’s understandable that there are several import costs and middlemen at play, so it makes sense to offer a cheaper 128GB variant with UFS 3.1. It’s still unethical to first advertise UFS 4.0 for the $600 256GB variant and then correct the spec listings only after users found out it wasn’t performing as well as UFS 4.0 storage should.
At the time of writing, it’s unclear whether OnePlus will offer any monetary compensation, gift cards, or refunds to those who bought the $600 variant of the OnePlus 12R specifically for the UFS 4.0 storage.
The Reddit post shows that both the 256GB and 128GB variants of the OnePlus 12R score nearly the same. The Antutu scores for both are a bit higher than UFS 3.1 but nowhere near the UFS 4.0 scores of the OnePlus 12. When they were called out for lower scores, they silently updated the website spec sheet to reflect UFS 3.1.
Eventually, they put out an official statement to the OnePlus Community that the phone ships with UFS 3.1 for all the storage variants and not with UFS 4.0. They claim it was a mistake in communication. OnePlus even changed the marketing material on Amazon to state UFS 3.1 even for the higher 256GB variant.
The Trinity Engine is a set of software algorithms that enhance the performance of OnePlus phones. This is the reason why it scores slightly higher than other UFS 3.1 phones. However, it’s still nowhere near UFS 4.0 speeds. They claim it’ll still perform very well and is still future-proof. However, it’s not the same as the original marketing.
We hope OnePlus issues refunds or compensation to those who bought the higher-end variant. This is misleading marketing.
