Some OnePlus 12R units have slower storage speeds than originally advertised, company admits
Upon its launch, the OnePlus 12R was touted as a potential top contender in the mid-range phone market in 2024. While that could still hold true, a new fact has come to light that may put this model's reputation at risk: an error causing confusion regarding the speed of the device's storage.
That said, the company appears to be providing a way to right this wrong. Although no specifics were given on what the exact plan was, Liu has asked for the community to be patient in finding a resolution, and has asked for a few more days (specifically until February 15th, 2024) before flooding the support lines.
This is definitely an uncomfortable situation for both the company and the customers. On one hand, OnePlus has come forward to shed light on the error that has occurred, which deserves some credit. On the other hand, this is a hard pill to swallow if you made a purchasing decision based on incorrect information.
OnePlus initially advertised that the 256GB configuration of the OnePlus 12R will include UFS 4.0 storage instead of the older and slower UFS 3.1. This is exactly what Android Authority spotted that the now archived product listing page stated, a page that has since then been updated to state that UFS 3.1 is actually the default for all storage options.
This error was confirmed by the company in a statement to the OnePlus Community, where OnePlus President Kinder Liu stated:
During the launch of the OnePlus 12R, we announced Trinity Engine, a new set of software algorithms that help keep your phone’s memory and storage running fast and smooth for years to come. Due to an error, we stated that the storage enhanced by Trinity Engine would be UFS 4.0 in some variants. I can now confirm that the storage in all variants of the OnePlus 12R is still enhanced by Trinity Engine but is actually UFS 3.1.
This post has, of course, sparked a frenzy of both complaints and kudos by customers who have either felt cheated by the bait and switch of the device's specs or who consider that the company's open admission makes up for the mistake. However, as some have said, even though the difference between UFS 4.0 and UFS 3.1 might not be noticed by the average user, it is not acceptable to make such a mistake as it feels like cheating the customers who have ordered a higher variant thinking they were getting better specs.
On behalf of our team, I’d like to apologize to everyone for this error. We remain hugely excited about the OnePlus 12 and OnePlus 12R and hope you’ll love your device as soon as it arrives with you. Of course, I understand that some of you who have purchased or pre-ordered a OnePlus 12R may want to discuss this further with our team, and I’d encourage you to contact our Customer Service team through the usual channels.
Source: OnePlus Community
It remains unclear which route OnePlus will take pertaining to the existing orders of the OnePlus 12R —will the company provide refunds to the affected customers or throw in an accessory to make up for the difference? We will be staying tuned to the company's following announcements to find out.
Things that are NOT allowed: