Smartphones have matured to the point that choosing one over another comes down to preference or the intangibles they offer. Most consumers aren’t just buying one of the best Android phones. They’re buying into a mobile ecosystem that includes smartphones and devices like great smartwatches, earbuds, tablets, and laptops. Buying all those devices can get pricey fast. But does it have to?
I spent a few weeks immersed in OnePlus’ budget ecosystem, which includes the OnePlus 12R, the OnePlus Watch 2R, and the OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro. I already put the OnePlus 12R up against the Google Pixel 8a and found that it’s the cheapest phone you can get that feels like a flagship. Now that the Watch 2R and Nord Buds 3 Pro launched, the midrange OnePlus family is complete with all the essentials. Let’s figure out how the experience compares to that of Google and Samsung.
Phone and software
The OnePlus 12R has the hardware of a flagship, but OxygenOS is inconsistent
The core of every mobile ecosystem is the smartphone. It’s the piece that ties everything together. In this case, it’s the OnePlus 12R. This is the most ambitious and competitive $500 phone we’ve seen in years. The biggest knock against the OnePlus 12R is its curved display panel, which feels outdated in 2024. Beyond that, it’s shocking how close the OnePlus 12R gets to being a OnePlus 12.
The OnePlus 12R and Google Pixel 8a at maximum brightness, on a sunny day but in a shaded area.
I’ve become a display snob in recent years, especially where brightness is concerned. I spend a lot of time looking at my phone, so I don’t want to compromise on the screen to get a lower price point. OnePlus outperforms in this category with the OnePlus 12R. The screen is an LTPO OLED panel with a 2,780 × 1,264 resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. It looks brilliant and appears better when matched with phones in its price bracket.
Peak brightness claims are sometimes nonsense, and I don’t put much stock into the specifics of the 4,500-nit rating claimed by the OnePlus 12R. However, this screen is plenty bright, even in direct sunlight. This is a huge plus for me. I can get past a curved display, but I can’t get past a lower-quality, less responsive, or dimmer panel. It seems OnePlus picked the right areas to make the OnePlus 12R feel like a flagship.
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OnePlus 12R review: A real flagship killer for $500
A phone that packs all the power you need for the price you want to pay
Under the hood, the OnePlus 12R is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset and 8GB or 16GB of RAM. It’s a last-gen chipset, but this phone is plenty fast. OnePlus destroys the competition with a 5,500mAh battery that can be charged at speeds of up to 80W with the right cable. The cameras are decent, although not outstanding, thanks to a 50MP, f/1.8 main sensor.
From a hardware perspective, I had no problem leaving my iPhone 15 Pro Max and Google Pixel Fold behind to use the OnePlus 12R. My concerns come from the software, and it may be a dealbreaker for some. This phone ships with OxygenOS 14, which is based on Android 14. I’m not a big fan of OxygenOS. I prefer the Material You and Nothing OS design languages. The bigger problem is that OnePlus promises only three years of OS upgrades and four years of security patches for this phone.
While many flagships offer up to seven years of updates and AI features, OnePlus can’t keep up. The OnePlus 12R isn’t a bad centerpiece for a mobile ecosystem, and the hardware is impressive for the price. However, the software challenges are something to consider. A budget ecosystem from OnePlus might cost half the price of Google’s, but it might also last you half as long.
Wearables and fitness
I like the OnePlus Watch 2R and the OHealth app for activity and run tracking
Aside from a smartphone, the two mobile ecosystem components I consider essential are a smartwatch and a pair of truly wireless earbuds. OnePlus has the first one covered with the OnePlus Watch 2R, a budget smartwatch that retails for $230. It’s based on the regular OnePlus Watch 2, with the main differences being the lighter and cheaper aluminum chassis. I like the lightweight and stylish look and feel of my green OnePlus Watch 2R. It’s one of my favorite Android smartwatches at any price point.
The highlight of OnePlus smartwatches is their excellent battery life, and the Watch 2R offers up to 100 hours on a single charge. This watch also has the Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 wearable platform for smarts and a custom BES2700BP chip that helps with efficiency. There’s an OLED display and various health sensors, including an accelerometer, gyroscope, optical heart rate sensor, geomagnetic sensor, light sensor, and barometer.
In daily use, the OnePlus Watch 2R doesn’t disappoint. The one thing it can’t do is serve as a standalone device since there isn’t an LTE option. That’s a bummer, but everything else is excellent. I particularly enjoyed fitness tracking on the OnePlus Watch 2R and using the OnePlus OHealth app for more insights. Comparing the Watch 2R with the Apple Watch Ultra and the Garmin Instinct 2 Solar, I confirmed that OnePlus’ data is accurate. It’s presented in a detailed yet engaging and colorful way, which matters.
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More than enough for most people
Audio
Nord Buds 3 Pro are great for their price point, but upgrade them if you can
The weakest part of OnePlus’ budget ecosystem is the Nord Buds 3 Pro. Don’t get me wrong, you get a great feature set for the earbuds’ usual $80 retail price. The sound quality is decent, there’s ANC and transparency mode, and the charging case was overhauled this year. Compared to options in this price range, like the Beats Solo Buds, the Nord Buds 3 Pro easily steals the crown.
If you have an extra $100 or $200 to spend on your mobile ecosystem, I suggest putting that on better earbuds. The OnePlus 12R and Watch 2R are competitive with flagship offerings in their respective categories. The gap between the Nord Buds 3 Pro and something like the OnePlus Buds Pro 3 is massive by comparison. I’ve only used those new $180 earbuds for a few days and can already say they’re $100 better than the Nord Buds 3 Pro.
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Is the OnePlus budget ecosystem worth it?
Well, you can get a whole ecosystem for less than the cost of one flagship phone
Let’s add everything up. The OnePlus 12R is $500, the Watch 2R is $230, and the Nord Buds 3 Pro is $80. So, the OnePlus ecosystem I tested costs $810, and you get more than only a Google Pixel 9 Pro or Samsung Galaxy S24+. You can get a capable ecosystem for less than the price of a flagship phone by itself, and this is worth considering for buyers on a budget. The experience is close enough to the Google and Samsung ecosystems, and it’s easy to overlook any deficiencies due to the cost savings.
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OnePlus 12R
The OnePlus 12R is the cheaper sibling of the OnePlus 12, delivering almost the same experience as the flagship at a lower price point. It achieves this using a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, a 6.78-inch FHD+ OLED display, and a beefy 5,500mAh battery.
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OnePlus Watch 2R
The OnePlus Watch 2R packs the same impressive specs and features as its more expensive sibling — the OnePlus Watch 2 — at a lower price point. It achieves this by switching to an aluminum chassis, which helps reduce its weight by 25% to 59g.
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OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro
The OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro are some of the best earbuds you can get for under $100. They sound fantastic with a spacious soundstage, offer surprisingly good active noise-cancelling, a super comfy fit, and have a little durability to boot.
