OnePlus' next battery monster flagship killer to be challenged by rival smartphones with different superpowers

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is Qualcomm's highest-end chipset for flagship smartphones - for now. However, the next new handset in which it features might be a mid-ranger instead, as part of a trickle-down event that might take effect even before the 8 Gen 4 is released later in 2024.

A Pro version of the device sold on Amazon as the OnePlus 12R might be one of those: an allegedly slim and particularly elegant smartphone, despite packing a series-first 6,100mAh battery.

OnePlus' fellow BBK Electronics brands are also now projected to counter its release with 8 Gen 3-powered rivals that might, for example, debut as the OPPO K12 Pro. It thought to drop hopes of fighting in the super-high-capacity smartphone arena in favor of the high-sensitivity ultrasonic fingerprint sensor upgrade also thought to feature in the upcoming Find X8 Ultra.

Eminent leaker Digital Chat Station also now seems to expect Vivo and Realme to release their own next-gen premium mid-rangers, each with some kind of exclusive attribute to do battle with the Ace 3 Pro's rumored endurance. Then again, one of those companies already has its own new flagship killer in the form of the GT 6.