OnePlus 9 Pro's missing model — where the heck is the $969 version?

OnePlus 9 Pro'due south missing model — where the heck is the $969 version?

(Epitome credit: Tom's Guide)

The OnePlus 9 Pro features much improved cameras, a brandish that dynamically adjusts its refresh rate, super-fast charing engineering, and a starting price that'due south lower than both the iPhone 12 Pro and Galaxy S21 Plus. But good luck finding that version of the new OnePlus flagship right now.

The entry level OnePlus 9 Pro costs $969, giving you a phone with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. That'due south a practiced value, and a few dollars less than the $999 comparable phones control. Just OnePlus currently doesn't list the $969 version of the OnePlus nine Pro in its online store.

The all-time Android phones: Where OnePlus ranks
OnePlus 9 Pro vs. iPhone 12 Pro: Which phone is tops?
Plus: Galaxy Z Fold 2 price drops — could a new foldable be on the way?

Instead, your only pick for the Pro model is a $one,069 version with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. That's also a decent price when compared comparable phones, which can toll $ane,099, but it'south going to frustrate would-be shoppers who might balk at having to spend four figures on a smartphone.

OnePlus' shop isn't the simply place where the $969 OnePlus nine Pro model is MIA. We also couldn't find it at Amazon and Best Purchase, which sell unlocked versions of OnePlus' new devices. T-Mobile, the only Usa carrier offering the OnePlus 9 series, is but selling the $1,069 OnePlus 9 Pro at the moment.

Also, the less expensive OnePlus nine is supposed to come in ii versions besides — the $729 model with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage and an $829 configuration with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. At the moment, but the $729 version is listed at OnePlus.com.

We've reached out to a OnePlus representative to find out if in that location'due south an caption for the missing models. If we have to guess, though, OnePlus might exist another victim of the global semiconductor shortage. Fleck makers have struggled to keep upwardly with the demand for components, and the ensuing shortage is affecting availability for everything from new gaming consoles like the PS5 to phones.

There's no word on when the less expensive OnePlus nine Pro model might arrive — again, we'll update this story if OnePlus provides us with a meliorate timeline. For now, shoppers intrigued by the OnePlus ix Pro volition either have to pay up for the $1,069 model, put off their purchase or consider another phone entirely if the 9 Pro's asking price is a bit too steep.

Philip Michaels is a senior editor at Tom'due south Guide. He has stiff opinions about Apple, the Oakland Athletics and old movies. Follow him at @PhilipMichaels.