OnePlus says 12R has slower storage than originally advertised (Update: Refund OK)

Updated February 12, 2024 (3:50 PM ET): The original article below states that we asked OnePlus what they plan to do regarding refunds regarding this OnePlus 12R storage controversy.with a message to Android permissionsa company spokesperson confirmed that anyone who feels the need to request a refund due to an error in this ad is welcome to chat with a customer support representative to resolve the issue.

Original article, February 12, 2024 (8:47 a.m. ET): The OnePlus 12R looks like one of the best mid-range phones of 2024, but it turns out this phone isn’t as good as OnePlus initially advertised.

OnePlus has claimed that some versions of the OnePlus 12R will come with UFS 4.0 storage. This is a newer storage standard that provides faster speeds than UFS 3.1. Specifically, the company said that the 128GB model will have UFS 3.1 storage, and the 256GB model will have UFS 4.0 storage.

Unfortunately, OnePlus has now retracted these claims and stated that all storage variants come with UFS 3.1 storage. Check out the screenshot below. You can see older archived lists on the left and newer lists on the right.

“I wrote this letter today to let you know that there was a mistake in our communication regarding the OnePlus 12R, and to explain what will happen next,” OnePlus President Kinder Liu wrote on the OnePlus Community Forum. I have written.

“By mistake, we stated that the storage enhanced by Trinity Engine will be UFS 4.0 in some versions. The storage in all versions of OnePlus 12R is still enhanced by Trinity Engine, but it is actually UFS 3.1. I have confirmed something.”

Trinity Engine refers to a set of software technologies for maintaining storage, RAM, and multitasking performance over time.

“On behalf of our team, I would like to apologize to everyone for this mistake,” Liu said, adding that consumers who purchased or pre-ordered the OnePlus 12R can contact customer service.

While this isn’t the biggest mistake in the world (you can’t expect OLED and it doesn’t offer an LCD screen), it’s still a notable mistake on the brand’s part to mislead customers. After all, UFS 4.0 storage is typically limited to flagship phones. This is also a shame, considering that the OnePlus Ace 3 (effectively OnePlus 12R in China) is equipped with his UFS 4.0 storage in all models.

We asked OnePlus whether customers who purchased the 256GB OnePlus 12R will be eligible for a refund. We also asked OnePlus to confirm the Ace 3’s storage specifications. If we hear from you, we will update the article.