The name of the entry-level version of the OnePlus 9 may have been revealed by OnePlus' own website.

Evidence of what is apparently being called the "OnePlus 9R" was discovered and published by Voice leaker Evan Blass. Various names have been proposed for this phone, including OnePlus 9E and OnePlus 9 Lite. This leak may have settled the matter.

The reason Blass is claiming 9R rather than 9E, 9 Lite, etc., is a fragment of HTML code in the guides section of the OnePlus website: the OnePlus 9, OnePlus 9 Pro, and OnePlus 9R all have stub pages, and the other names are 404 error, Blass mentioned in a follow-up tweet.

The OnePlus 8 Lite was rumored last year to launch alongside the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro. This did not happen, but a less expensive OnePlus line was introduced in the form of the OnePlus Nord, OnePlus Nord N10 5G, and OnePlus Nord N100. This year, rumors of a cheaper OnePlus flagship seem to be getting stronger, and the rumors continue as the expected launch date approaches.

OnePlus was founded with a focus on high-priced but powerful phones, but that has changed in the last few years as the company has become more focused on premium "Pro" hardware. Now that Apple and Samsung are trying to offer cheaper flagship models like the iPhone 12 and Galaxy S21, a cheaper OnePlus 9 like this rumored 9R will be important for OnePlus to continue to compete properly.

However, Blass may be wrong. According to fellow leaker Max Jambor, he is not willing to endorse a new name for this cheaper version of the OnePlus 9, which makes sense since Jambor himself claims the phone is called the OnePlus 9E.

As a Twitter user replying to Jambor pointed out, 9R could also be a typo for the previously rumored 9E. It is also possible that OnePlus is using different basic names for the OnePlus 9 internally.

We expect the OnePlus 9 series to launch sometime in March or April, based on release dates over the past few years. When it finally launches, we're eager to see if both models can beat Samsung's Galaxy S21 series and join the ranks of the best Android phones we've tried this year.