Bought OnePlus 8T Or OnePlus 9R? A Surprise Hardware Upgrade Awaits You

It is a known fact that the OnePlus 9R dwells on the OnePlus 8T with a new chipset -- the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 SoC. OnePlus, at the time of launch confirmed that the OnePlus 8T and the OnePlus 9R offer LPDDR4x RAM, while the more expensive OnePlus 9 and the OnePlus 9 Pro uses LPDDR5 RAM.

A few users are now reporting that their OnePlus 8T or the OnePlus 9R now comes equipped with LPDDR5 RAM, which is a surprise hardware upgrade. Brands usually do not ship older smartphones with the latest technology, as it could translate to an increased bill of materials.

Reason Behind The Upgrade

In this case, the price of the LPDDR5 RAM might have come down or there could have been some issue with the LPDDR4x supply chain, hence, the brand has chosen to ship these devices with LPDDR5 RAM. This is a good and surprising move from OnePlus, given it will definitely create positivity for the brand.

When compared to LPDDR4x, LPDDR5 RAM consumes less power and also offers higher memory bandwidth. As per the pricing, the LPDDR4x is cheaper than the LPDDR5, as the latter is being based on the latest technology. Hence, only the high-end smartphones use LPDDR5 type RAM while the most budget and mid-range smartphones use either LPDDR4 or LPDDR4x RAM.

Real World Use Cases

Though the LPDDR5 is more powerful and power-efficient when compared to LPDDR4x, a user might not notice any difference in normal day-to-day usage on the OnePlus 8T or the OnePlus 9R, fitted with LPDDR4x and the LPDDR5 type RAM. Tech enthusiasts will definitely feel happy that their phone comes with the latest hardware.

However, there is still a possibility that you might just buy the OnePlus 8T/9R with the LPDDR4x, as only the newly manufactured devices are equipped with the LPDDR5. Some stores might have previously manufactured models, which just offer LPDDR4x RAM.

If you are planning to buy the OnePlus 8T or the OnePlus 9R, then you are definitely getting a slightly better device than the company's claim. However, don't just buy a smartphone because it comes with the latest hardware, as software optimization is as important as hardware on both smartphones and computers.

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