Those of us who don’t need high-end specs from our phones should take a close look at OnePlus’ latest mid-range phone, the OnePlus 12R. It offers a pretty great user experience for a lot less than its higher-end sibling, the OnePlus 12, without feeling like a budget phone at all.

The unit I got to try out is a nice light blue (in marketing terms, “cool blue”) that looks good when sat on a table or counter. The camera array on the back of the device looks similar to the Hasselblad collaboration 12, but it has lesser camera specs than the more expensive model.

I've had the chance to try out the 12R for a few weeks and honestly, it feels like a premium phone. I have no complaints about its functionality; it has all the apps and games I could want and runs smoothly compared to the OnePlus 12. And that's for $300 less.

The OnePlus 12R (163.3 x 75.3 x 8.8mm) is negligibly smaller than the OnePlus 12 (164.3 x 75.8 x 9.2mm), with a slightly smaller display as well (OnePlus 12: 6.82”, 19.8:9, OnePlus 12R: 6.78”, 19.5:9). However, it’s very difficult to tell which phone is which beyond looking at the colors. They feel essentially the same in my hand.