OnePlus 9R will launch in India alongside the OnePlus 9 and the OnePlus 9 Pro on March 23, OnePlus Co-Founder and CEO Pete Lau confirmed in a media interview. The smartphone was initially rumoured as the OnePlus 9 Lite and later speculation was that it would be called the OnePlus 9E. Lau said that the OnePlus 9R will bring a “robust flagship experience at a more accessible price point.” Despite being more affordable than the other two OnePlus 9-series phones, the OnePlus 9R is expected to have a high screen refresh rate and 5G support.

The OnePlus 9R will feature “smooth scrolling, immersive gaming controls, and a superior viewing experience” to bring a flagship-like experience, Lau said in an interview with News18. Although the executive didn’t provide any clear details about the pricing part, he did suggest that the new phone would come under the mid-range price segment. It is also described as a “premium-tier device” in the company’s 2021 portfolio.

Lau said that the plan with the OnePlus 9R is to “go even further” than the company did with the OnePlus Nord last year, in terms of bringing out “a balanced handset with the latest technology and class-leading industrial design”. The smartphone appears to be targeted at mobile gamers. However, it isn’t likely to have advancements such as dedicated game controls, support for accessories to enhance your gameplay experience, or top-notch hardware. You’ll get all this on a traditional gaming phone, such as the recently launched Asus ROG Phone 5.

The OnePlus 9R, which was rumoured as OnePlus 9 Lite and OnePlus 9E earlier, is speculated to have Qualcomm Snapdragon 690 SoC and a 90Hz display. The phone is also likely to come with multiple rear cameras.

Lau’s comments confirmed that the OnePlus 9R will debut in India alongside the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro. However, it is still unclear whether the affordable model will be exclusive to India or also be available in other parts of the globe. Gadgets 360 has reached out to OnePlus to get clarity on that front and will update this space when the company responds.

In addition to the OnePlus 9R, Lau suggested plans to bring new smart home products to the Indian market. He, however, didn’t provide any specific timelines for their launch.

The OnePlus 9 series launch is just a few days away — scheduled for Tuesday, March 23. We’re likely to get more details about how OnePlus is shaping its overall ecosystem at the launch event.

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Is Mi 10i a OnePlus Nord killer? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.