OnePlus 12R Genshin Impact Edition Review

OnePlus is no stranger to special edition smartphones. Over the years, the company has partnered with companies such as Marvel, McLaren, CD Project Red, etc. to launch special edition version of their smartphones. They have now partnered with video game publisher miHoYo, to launch a new limited run OnePlus 12R Genshin Impact Edition smartphone.

Genshin Impact is an incredibly popular video game that has amassed over over 150 million downloads till date on iOS and Android. It was launched back in September 2020, and has grown in popularity by leaps and bounds. The OnePlus 12R Genshin Impact Edition is launching in celebration of the game’s success, and it is themed on an in-game character, Keqing. Let’s see what and all you get in the box when you purchase the Genshin Impact Edition of the OnePlus 12R.

In this review, we will only be focusing on the ‘special edition’ portion of this smartphone. For a complete in-depth review of the OnePlus 12R and why we believe it is a value king among smartphones, click here.

As we mentioned earlier, the theme of the OnePlus 12R Genshin Impact Edition is based on an in-game playable character called Keqing. She is a 5-star character belonging to the “Liyue” region in the game and is beloved by Genshin Impact’s fan base. Her character design is based on the element “Electro”, which has a violet colour scheme and this is present throughout the smartphone’s unboxing experience.

The unboxing experience starts with, well, the box. It is a big violet box that promises a lot of goodies inside for fans of the game. On the front, you get a square poster of Keqing, where she is holding the OnePlus 12R in her hand. The poster is removable from the inside, which is neat. From here, there is another box that opens up to the smartphone, its accessories and extra goodies.

Let’s start with the smartphone itself. While the physical dimensions and design of the smartphone is unchanged, OnePlus has done an excellent job with the visual design of the smartphone. OnePlus calls the colour as “Electro Violet” and there are shades of it on the rear glass, camera bump and on the aluminium side frames.

The rear frosted glass is etched with flowy designs that are inspired by Keqing’s clothing along with her signature Lightning Stiletto, and it looks beautiful in my opinion.

Another hidden easter egg in the exterior design of the smartphone is the etching of the word “Keqing” on the top edge of the smartphone. This etching is hidden when viewed normally. However, when you shine a light against it, it reflects the word “Keqing” onto a surface!

Moving on to the rest of them items in the box, it is filled with unique collectible accessories. To start with, there is a display box to showcase all the collectibles included in the box. The included case is a Keqing-Themed custom phone case, which is different from the regular silicone case that comes with the regular OnePlus 12R.

Following the theme, the SIM ejector tool is in the shape of Lightning Stiletto, and you also get custom Tinplate Shiny Character Badge in the box.

Deeper into the box, there is a set of 8 Chibi commemorative metal badges, which feel high-quality, and you also get a set of 8 Chibi stickers of Keqing in various cute poses.

And of course, the included custom “Glinted Lightning” 100W SuperVOOC charger cannot be missed. It is violet in colour with the words “Keqing” written on top and the Electro logo on the bottom. The cable too is custom, with a violet LED on its tip that lights up when the phone is charging. The cable is also right-angled, which is convenient for when you need to charge the phone while gaming.

Next, there is an acrylic stand ornament and a Chibi acrylic phone stand included in the box. And lastly, there is A Letter to the Traveler, which is the term that miHoYo uses to address the player in game.

The fun doesn’t end here as OnePlus has also made a lot of customizations for the software experience of the OnePlus 12R. There are custom animations when powering-on the smartphone, charging it, unlocking the phone with your fingerprint, and it comes with a unique Always-On-Display option.

Naturally the UI is themed with violet colours with a custom background and some of the system icons are themed too! One small issue I have is that not all system icons have a custom theme, and this includes the “Phone” app. Lastly, there are custom notification sounds for alarms, messages and calls, recorded by the voice actor for Keqing.

OnePlus also claims to have optimized the OnePlus 12R for Genshin Impact with its Trinity Engine. This includes faster load times, more consistent performance and extreme graphics quality. In our experience, we observed that the smartphone performed mostly identical to the regular OnePlus 12R, but it is nice to have these optimizations.

In my opinion, if you are one of among the million fans of Genshin Impact, then the OnePlus 12R Genshin Impact Edition is a unique collectible that is worth its price. There are plenty of cool and delightful items included in the box, and it is clear that OnePlus has put a lot of thought behind the experience.

The OnePlus 12R Genshin Impact Edition is launching in India on March 19th, at a price of Rs. 49,999, available at oneplus.in. It is Rs. 4000 extra when compared to the regular OnePlus 12R. However, when you consider the whole experience, I think it is worth the price!