Phones

What is the Greatest Cellphone for the Cash?

OnePlus caused a surprise last month when it added a third phone to the OnePlus 9 series – the OnePlus 9R. The phone is essentially a reborn OnePlus 8T, but with the new Snapdragon 870 SoC, which in itself is a reborn Snapdragon 865. Phew … too many revivals in the tech industry these days. The OnePlus 9R is strangely limited to the Indian market, where the device is priced around $ 550 and plays on the budget battlefield. While the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro have entered bonafide flagship territory, the OnePlus 9R will be an option for buyers torn between Samsung and Apple’s vanilla flagships that don’t necessarily cost a bomb.

In particular, the OnePlus will be on the list of potential buyers with their eye on the iPhone 12 Mini or the vanilla iPhone 12. Let’s jump right into our comparison between OnePlus 9R and iPhone 12 series and find out which is the right choice for you:

Pocketnow Advisory: In the event that you are torn between OnePlus 9 and iPhone 12 or between OnePlus 9 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro, we have also carried out separate comparisons for these models at Pocketnow to help you make the right decision. Additionally, we’ve compiled useful lists of the best cases to keep your shiny new OnePlus flagships, both the OnePlus 9 and Pro sibling, safe. And in case you’re not sure where to buy them, we’ve made a detailed listing of offers for the OnePlus 9 series for that too. Oh, and read carefully because you could save a few bucks with ongoing discounts!

OnePlus 9R vs iPhone 12: structure and aesthetics

OnePlus 9R

Both the OnePlus 9R and the iPhone 12 have a glass-metal sandwich design. However, the biggest difference between the two phones is their intrusion protection. The iPhone 12 Mini and its mini sibling are IP68-certified and designed to be immersed in up to 6 meters of water for 30 minutes. If IP rating is high on your priority list, then you should be putting your money on Apple’s offerings.

READ MORE: OnePlus keeps evolving, but it’s in a tough spot right now

OnePlus relies on Corning Gorilla Glass to protect the smooth 120 Hz display, while Apple devices rely on Ceramic Shield, which is said to be four times more powerful when wiping accidental drops. The OnePlus 9R has a curvier profile and is slightly heavier than the Apple phones, especially when compared to the compact iPhone 12 Mini. But if you like flat sides that add some classic iPhone 4 vibes (and a huge notch), the iPhone 12 Duo should suit your tastes well.

iPhone 12 Mini (picture for illustration only)

Now let’s talk about color options. The iPhone 12 pair is available in five colors: black, white, red, green, and blue. The OnePlus 9R, on the other hand, will only be available in two colors – Lake Blue and Carbon Black.

display

This is one area where the OnePlus 9R leaves the iPhone 12 pair way behind thanks to one special feature – a 120 Hz panel. It is equipped with a 6.55-inch FHD + display (2400 x 1080 pixels) that has a pixel density of 402 PPI and a circular hole punch cutout in the upper left corner. However, it’s the 120Hz refresh rate that really sets it apart, providing a smooth visual experience for all kinds of tasks, from Doom scrolling your Twitter feed to playing Fortnite.

The iPhone 12 Mini offers a 5.4-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display (2340 x 1080 pixels, 476PPI pixel density), while the standard iPhone 12 has a 6.1-inch display (2532 x 1170 pixels , 460 PPI) with a peak brightness of 1200 nits. The screen quality is top notch, but the 60Hz refresh rate is a limiting factor. It’s actually disappointing, especially when phones that cost almost a third offer a 90 Hz panel.

Internals

The OnePlus 9R is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870, which is essentially the Snapdragon 865 that was revived under a different marketing name. But that doesn’t mean it’s slow, as the latter was Qualcomm’s top processor for 2020 and can handle anything you throw at it with no problem. The phone is available in two configurations – 8 GB + 128 GB and 12 GB + 256 GB.

The lightning-fast A14 bionic chip ticks in the heart of the iPhone 12 Pro Duo. As usual, Apple has not disclosed the RAM size, but you can choose between three memory configurations: 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB.

OnePlus 9R Apple iPhone 12
display 6.55 in
AMOLED
Resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels
120Hz refresh rate
402 PPI pixel density
Aspect ratio: 20: 9
6.1 inch OLED display
Resolution of 2532 x 1170 pixels
60Hz refresh rate
460 PPI
1200 nits of peak brightness
Ceramic sign
processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 Apple A14 Bionic
R.A.M. 8 GB / 12 GB – –
warehouse 128 GB / 256 GB 64 GB / 128 GB / 256 GB
Cameras back::
48MP primary (f / 1.7, OIS)
16 MP ultra wide (f / 2.2, 123 °)
5MP macro lens
2MP monochrome camera front::
16 MP
back::
12MP primary (f / 1.6, OIS)
12 MP ultra wide (f / 2.4, 120 °)
2x optical zoom out
Digital zoom up to 3xfront::
12MP
Video
properties
4K at 30/60 FPS
FHD at 30/60 FPS
Slo-mo HD at 480 FPS
Slo-mo FHD at 240 FPS
4K at 24/25/30/60 FPS
HD at 25/30/60 FPS
Slo-mo 1080p at 120/240 FPS
battery 4,500 mAh
65W wired fast charging
No wireless charging
20W wired fast charging
15W MagSafe Wireless
IP rating – – IP68
Weight 171 grams 162 grams
Dimensions 151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9 mm 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4 mm

Now let’s talk about battery longevity. OnePlus has equipped its latest “budget flagship” with a 4,500 mAh battery. Again, Apple hasn’t disclosed its battery capacity, but it does say the iPhone 12 and its mini sibling can last up to 17 hours and 15 hours of video playback, respectively, on a single charge. However, real life tests have shown the iPhone 12 Mini struggled to last a day of use.

In addition, charging speeds are achieved at which the OnePlus 9R leaves the iPhone 12 Duo far behind. The OnePlus 9R has support for 65W fast charging, which aims to fill the tank from 0 to 100% in just 39 minutes. However, it lacks support for wireless charging. The iPhone 12 pair achieves a maximum wired fast charge of 20 W (up to 50% juice with 30 minutes of charging time), while the MagSafe system delivers a wireless charging power of 15 W.

Cameras

Before we get into comparing the number of megapixels, I’ll make this clear early on – The OnePlus 9R leads the way in terms of versatility while the iPhone 12 is easy to win in terms of features and capabilities. The OnePlus 9R’s quad rear camera setup includes a 48-megapixel main sensor, a 16-megapixel wide-angle snapper, a 5-megapixel macro shooter, and a 2-megapixel depth-sensing camera. There is a 16-megapixel camera on the front for selfies and video calls.

On the iPhone 12 and its mini version, you get a 12MP wide-angle and a 12MP ultra-wide-angle camera. Selfies are taken by a 12MP front snapper. However, The iPhone 12 pair supports Dolby Vision HDR video recording at 30 frames per second for both the front and rear cameras. Apple has expanded Deep Fusion and Smart HDR3 technology to all three cameras, while the front snapper also supports night mode. For more information on the iPhone 12’s camera performance, see the video below:

Prices and availability

The iPhone 12 Mini starts at $ 699, while the base 64GB iPhone 12 will set you back by $ 799. The OnePlus 9R is priced at 39,999 rupees (approximately $ 550 at current exchange rates). The tricky part, however, is that the device is unlikely to make it outside of the Indian market.

Check out the iPhone 12 at Best Buy

Check out the iPhone 12 Mini at Best Buy

Check out the iPhone 12 Mini over at Verizon


Nadeem Sarwar

I’ve been writing about consumer technology for over three years, having worked with names like NDTV and Beebom in the past. Leaving the latest news aside, I’ve checked out my fair share of devices that range from smartphones and laptops to smart home devices. I’ve also interviewed tech managers and appeared as a moderator on YouTube videos talking about the latest and greatest gadgets.

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