OnePlus Adds 16GB OnePlus 15R Variant in India for INR 61,999

Q: Amid a global memory crisis, how can OnePlus afford to launch a 16GB RAM phone in India?

OnePlus can afford it because the 16GB OnePlus 15R is aimed at a part of the market where higher component costs can still be absorbed or passed on. The key point is pricing and positioning. At INR 61,999, the new 15R sits in India’s fast-growing premium band, where buyers are less price-sensitive and are already paying more as smartphone average selling prices rise. Analysts say the memory crunch has hurt budget phones most, while brands are protecting margins by pushing higher-value models. In India, the $600-$800 segment has been expanding even as overall shipments soften. OnePlus also benefits from scale. As part of OPPO, it can use group purchasing, longer-term supply agreements and centralized procurement to secure memory more efficiently than smaller brands. That does not make RAM cheap, but it can reduce exposure to volatile spot prices during a shortage. The product itself also justifies the cost. The extra RAM is being marketed as useful for heavy gaming, multitasking and especially on-device AI, where 12GB is increasingly a floor and 16GB gives more headroom for larger local models. In a market where AI features are becoming a selling point, high RAM is not just a spec upgrade but a differentiation tool. India is also a strategic market for OnePlus as it trims operations elsewhere and shifts to a leaner, online-focused model. Lower retail overhead and a tighter geographic focus make it easier to back a niche, high-spec variant even during a global memory squeeze.

3 articles · Updated · Android Authority · Jun 17

OnePlus has quietly launched a new OnePlus 15R configuration in India, pairing 16GB of RAM with 512GB of storage as the lineup’s third option.
INR 61,999 buys the new model on Amazon India and OnePlus’s local site, above the earlier 12GB+256GB and 12GB+512GB versions but still below the flagship OnePlus 15.
The upgrade targets buyers who want more headroom for demanding tasks such as on-device AI while keeping the 15R’s value-focused positioning, larger battery and fast charging appeal.
India is the only confirmed market so far, and the move may help OnePlus plug a gap after the OnePlus 15’s local price rose by INR 8,000 since launch.