To telephoto or not to telephoto, that is the OnePlus 12R question

The upcoming OnePlus 12 is bound to be a great Android flagship, but we’re equally excited for the OnePlus 12R. This phone is expected to be a budget flagship, bringing most of the practical perks of a flagship experience while skipping out on the avoidable fluff. However, there is some confusion on whether the OnePlus 12R will have a telephoto camera, and we can offer an alternate perspective on that.

Prominent leaker Digital Chat Station mentioned on Weibo that the final specifications of the OnePlus Ace 3 would exclude the previously rumored IMX709, which would have otherwise provided 2x optical zoom capabilities.

In a previous version of his post, he mentioned a 50MP + 8MP + 2MP camera setup but removed this spec later on.

Irrespective of the version of the post that you read, Digital Chat Station is clear that the telephoto camera is gone from the OnePlus Ace 3. The OnePlus Ace 3 is expected to be rebranded into the OnePlus 12R when it gets launched for international markets.

Previous OnePlus 12R leaks have insisted on the IMX709 being part of the OnePlus 12R’s camera setup, granting it 2x optical zoom.

There are two possibilities here that would align all of the leaks. One is that OnePlus has indeed canceled the IMX709 telephoto camera for the OnePlus Ace 3 and, by extension, the OnePlus 12R. In its place, users could get a measly 2MP camera (probably a depth sensor or a macro camera), which we’d consider nothing more than a spec sheet filler.

The other possibility is that the IMX709 telephoto sensor has been canceled for the OnePlus Ace 3 but not for the OnePlus 12R. We’ve seen OnePlus slightly alter the camera specifications when it rebrands “Ace” devices from China for the international market. For example, the OnePlus Ace 2V was rebranded into the OnePlus Nord 3, but the former has a 64MP primary camera while the latter has a 50MP primary camera.

However, reliable tipster 1NormalUsername suggests to us that the OnePlus Ace 3 and the OnePlus 12R will likely share camera specifications. He has also found evidence hinting at a 50MP + 8MP + 2MP rear camera setup for the OnePlus 12R, alongside a 16MP front camera.

So, it looks like the OnePlus 12R wouldn’t be as versatile with its camera as we had hoped it would be. We’ll likely find out on January 23, 2024, when the phone launches internationally.