OnePlus seems to have the bit between its teeth at the moment, as rumours have appeared about another new phone that should arrive in 2022, joining what feels like 500 other models set to arrive in the coming month.
Here’s all we know so far about the OnePlus Ace.
When will the OnePlus Ace be released?
We don’t have an official release date for the Ace, with OnePlus yet to confirm it exists. But, with the device turning up on Geekbench recently, plus leaks from China that suggest it’s a rebranded version of the Realme GT Neo 3, it does seem that the device is pretty much ready to go.
Another strong rumour we’re seeing is that the OnePlus Ace will in fact be the device previously thought to be the OnePlus 10R. We’ve already seen reports that the 10R was expected to release in May 2022, so if that remains the case, the Ace will arrive very soon.
How much will the OnePlus Ace cost?
As with the release date, there’s no confirmation on pricing, but we do have a few clues thanks to the previous OnePlus 10R rumours and the Realme GT Neo 3 that’s already been released. Here’s how the OnePlus 9R lined up in terms of cost:
OnePlus 9R 5G (8GB+128GB): ¥2599/₹39,999 (approx £399/$519/€469)
OnePlus 9R 5G (12GB+256GB): ¥2999/₹43,999 (approx £439/$579/€519)
OnePlus 9RT (8GB+128GB): ¥3299/₹42,999 (approx £425/$559/€499)
OnePlus 9RT (12GB+256GB): ¥3799/₹46,999 (approx £469/$615/€559)
This led us to predict that the OnePlus 10R would be priced in a similar fashion, and that’s now bolstered by the Realme GT Neo 3 that’s available in these configurations:
Realme GT Neo 3 (6GB/128GB, 80W charging): ¥1,999 (£235/€285/$315/₹23,915)
Realme GT Neo 3 (8GG/128GB, 80W charging): ¥2,299 (£270/€330/$360/₹27,505)
Realme GT Neo 3 (12GB/256GB, 80W charging): ¥2,599 (£310/€370/$410/₹31,100)
Realme GT Neo 3 (8GB/256GB, 150W charging): ¥2,699 (£320/€385/$425/₹32,290)
Realme GT Neo 3 (12GB RAM/256GB, 150W charging): ¥2,899 (£345/€415/$455/₹34,685)
As you can see, the Realme is a bit cheaper, although these prices could rise with VAT or other duties in other territories.
What specs and features will we see in the OnePlus Ace?
The strongest rumour we’ve seen so far is from the usually reliable Chinese tech tipster Digital Chat Station, who posted:
“It can finally be made clear that the new OnePlus equipped with the Dimensity 8100 is the OnePlus Ace series. Yes, it is the Ace that used to be Oppo Ace. It still focuses on fast charging and games, so I piled up 150W super flash charging + Dimensity 8100 + IMX766, and the back cover is polished to a texture.” [Translation via Google Translate]
This was backed up by GSMArena, which states that “the device is expected to be a rebranded Realme GT Neo 3,” while posting the results of the Geekbench scores thought to be for the Ace. This tallies, as the Realme also features the exact specs mentioned in the Digital Chat Station post.
Here’s a breakdown of the technical specifications for the Realme GT Neo 3:
6.7in 120Hz Full HD+ AMOLED display
1000Hz touch sampling rate
HDR10+ support
MediaTek Dimensity 8100 chipset
Dedicated GPU
Stainless steel + copper vapour chamber cooling
6GB/8GB/12GB RAM (LPDDR5)
128GB/256GB storage (UFS 3.1)
Rear cameras:
50Mp main f/1.8 Sony IMX766 sensor w/ OIS
8Mp 119° ultrawide
2Mp 4cm macro
16Mp front-facing camera
Stereo speakers
5G
4500mAh/5000mAh battery
80W/150W UltraDart fast charging (50% in five minutes)
Colours: Le Mans (blue), Silverstone (white), black
If these rumours turn out to be true, then the OnePlus Ace is very likely to feature that same specs as those listed above. If this seems strange to you, with one company copying another so closely, then it’s worth knowing that Oppo, Realme, and OnePlus are all owned by BBK Electronics.
This has resulted in close sharing of technology, research and designs, with some teams integrated across the brands. Oppo itself used to use the name Ace on a range of smartphones, so it does seem that the new OnePlus Ace is a collaboration across the three companies.
We’ll be updating this article with more details as they are confirmed, but until then be sure to check out our guides to the best OnePlus phones, best mid-range phones and best phones coming in 2022.
