OnePlus 12R vs iQOO Neo 9 Pro: Price, Specifications Compared

OnePlus 12R vs iQOO Neo 9 Pro: Which mid-premium smartphone should you buy?

These two smartphones offer a great balance of performance and value for money, but which should you pick?

The idea of a mid-premium smartphone might appeal to many, for rather obvious reasons - you want a strong performer, but you don’t necessarily want to spend upwards of Rs. 50,000. Fortunately, there are a fair amount of options that offer the right balance of design, features, and performance for less than that, including two recently launched devices - the OnePlus 12R and iQOO Neo 9 Pro. Both of these devices are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 mobile platform, and run on Android 14 out of the box.

Priced at ₹39,999 onwards, the OnePlus 12R brings with it established brand value and long proven credentials, but iQOO hopes to win over younger buyers with its edgy design and optimisations for gaming on the ₹35,999 (onwards) Neo 9 Pro. Which of these two mid-premium smartphones should you pick? Read on to find out.

OnePlus 12R vs iQOO Neo 9 Pro: Design and Display

It’s in the design that the big differences between the OnePlus 12R and iQOO Neo 9 Pro are most evident. While the OnePlus 12R has a more traditional and classic design that screams ‘OnePlus’ even before you look at the logo, the iQOO Neo 9 Pro straight away looks more unconventional and designed to appeal to a certain audience, namely young buyers looking for performance and gaming chops.

The displays of the two smartphones, while roughly the same size, resolution, and type, are slightly different as well. The OnePlus 12R has curved edges that slide into its slim sides, while the iQOO Neo 9 Pro sits flat with an even, squared-out grip on the sides. The iQOO device feels a fair bit lighter and easier to hold as well. Both phones have their buttons on the right side, SIM trays at the bottom, and in-display fingerprint sensors.

OnePlus 12R vs iQOO Neo 9 Pro: Specifications and Software

At the heart of both the OnePlus 12R and iQOO Neo 9 Pro is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, which was launched with flagship smartphones in 2023, including the OnePlus 11 and iQOO 11. Now this might seem a bit strange on a 2024 smartphone, but this is still a very capable chipset when combined with the otherwise fresh hardware and components of the 12R and Neo 9 Pro.

The OnePlus 12R also comes with the option of 8GB RAM and 128GB storage, or 12GB RAM and 256GB storage (LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 3.1 storage on both variants, as recently clarified by OnePlus). The iQOO Neo 9 Pro gets 256GB storage (UFS 4.0) as standard, with the option to choose between 8GB or 12GB of RAM (both LPDDR5X).

Both smartphones have similarly-sized and similar-resolution AMOLED displays, and support 5G connectivity and Wi-Fi 7. On the software front, both devices run on Android 14, but have their respective brand-based software overlays - OxygenOS 14 on the OnePlus 12R, and FunTouch OS 14 on the iQOO Neo 9 Pro.

OnePlus 12R vs iQOO Neo 9 Pro: Cameras

Multi-camera setups are common on devices across price ranges, but the quality of the camera sensors and the capabilities of the multiple sensors vary greatly. The OnePlus 12R and iQOO Neo 9 Pro also see some differences here; the former has a triple-camera setup at the back, while the latter gets a dual-camera arrangement.

While both primary cameras are rated at 50 megapixels, the iQOO Neo 9 Pro has the technically superior IMX920 sensor, compared to the IMX890 on the OnePlus 12R. The third sensor on the 12R is a dedicated macro lens, but the iQOO Neo 9 Pro manages to deliver decent portrait shots using its 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera for depth-of-field effects.

On comparison, both smartphones perform decently in daylight, while the OnePlus 12R uses its dedicated macro camera to produce slightly better portrait shots. Performance in low light is slightly better on the iQOO Neo 9 Pro, so on the whole the camera setups on the two phones come across as on par and fairly balanced.

OnePlus 12R vs iQOO Neo 9 Pro: Performance and Battery

Both the iQOO Neo 9 Pro and OnePlus 12R are powered by the same processor - the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, which was released with flagship Android devices in 2023. Given that both also run on Android 14 and has similar specifications of RAM and storage, you can expect similar levels of performance from the two devices. It’s worth pointing out here that the iQOO Neo 9 Pro’s UFS4.0 storage will help deliver slightly better read-write times when dealing with large amounts of data, but in practice you’ll find both phones operating at a similar level.

Software-based optimisations for gaming on the iQOO Neo 9 Pro ensure that you get slightly better performance in those situations. For everyday functionality, both phones are capable of managing heavy multi-tasking and running many apps at once over long periods.

When it comes to battery life, the OnePlus 12R has a slightly larger battery at 5500mAh, compared to the 5160mAh battery on the iQOO Neo 9 Pro. Depending on use, both devices can deliver up to two full days before needing a charge, but this of course depends on how you use the phone. Heavy usage such as gaming will drain the battery faster, but expect the iQOO’s optimisations to ensure more gradual and efficient drain with gaming.

Charging is very fast on both devices, with the OnePlus 12R coming with 100W fast charging and the iQOO Neo 9 Pro getting slightly quicker 120W charging. You’ll get able to get a full charge on both devices in less than 30 minutes.

OnePlus 12R vs iQOO Neo 9 Pro: Which one should you pick?

The OnePlus 12R and iQOO Neo 9 Pro are fairly well matched on paper and when it comes to parameters such as performance, battery life, charging, and display quality. The key differences are largely in the design, hand feel, and software experience of the two devices. It’s the design cues that really set the two apart, and what you pick will largely depend on the kind of look you want for your smartphone.

Apart from this, you’ll get a bit more in terms of gaming performance on the iQOO Neo 9 Pro thanks to software optimisations, while the OnePlus 12R features Trinity Engine which is said to enhance overall performance and multi-tasking in particular. In conclusion, the iQOO Neo 9 Pro stands out for gamers and young buyers, while everyday users are more likely to find the OnePlus 12R better suited to their needs.