A gaming phone on a budget – that is the elevator pitch for the new OnePlus Ace Racing edition. As the name suggests, it is related to the OnePlus Ace, specifically, it uses the same Dimensity 8100-Max chipset, an efficient 5nm chip that gives even the Snapdragon 888 a run for its money.
Speaking of money, the original Ace launched at CNY 2,500 for an 8/128GB model. The MSRP of the Racing edition is CNY 2,000 ($300/€280/₹23,00), 20% cheaper than is sibling. For comparison, the related Realme GT Neo3 (with 6GB of RAM instead of 8GB and with 80W charging) costs CNY 2,000. Those are the MSRPs anyway, the Racing edition actually costs a bit less now thanks to a launch discount.
OnePlus Ace Racing edition
How did OnePlus reduce the budget? Well, it dropped the 6.7” AMOLED display and swapped it out with a slightly smaller 6.59” LCD. It still offers 120Hz maximum refresh rate (there are six modes: 30/48/50/60/90/120 Hz). The touch sampling rate is lower, 240Hz (vs. 720Hz).
This is still a high quality display as it offers 100% coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut. At 600 nits peak it is not as bright, however, and it is not a 10-bit panel. There is also HyperBoost technology on board, which tries to keep games running at a constant frame rate.
The battery changed as well, it is a 5,000mAh power cell with support for 67W fast charging. This is close to one of the OnePlus 10R variants, which has a 5,000mAh/80W battery. The 67W system can get from zero to 80% in 29 minutes, the 80W one does a full charge in 32 minutes.
The camera setup has been swapped out as well, now featuring a 64MP main camera next to the 8MP ultra wide-angle module (119°), there is also a macro lens on the back. The selfie camera has a 16MP sensor.
For comparison, the regular Ace has a 50MP main (with OIS). Also, the video recording of the Racing edition top out at 4K at 30fps, while the regular model can do 4K at 60fps.
A few other changes to note start with the addition of a 3.5mm headphone jack to the OnePlus Ace Racing edition. It also supports high quality Bluetooth audio (aptX HD, LDAC, LHDC), but with a wire you don’t have to worry about charging your headset or latency. If you play without headphones, the phone offers stereo speakers with Dirac Audio support.
Interestingly, OnePlus worked with Razer to make gamers feel more at home. The two companies tried to recreate the look and feel of Razer’s BlackWidow and Mercury keyboards. The haptic feedback that tries to simulate the key presses is done using an X-axis linear motor.
The OnePlus Ace Racing edition is up for pre-order in China through the OppoShop.cn store. As we mentioned, there are some discounts available during the pre-order stage, which will last 14 days.
The base 8/128GB model is CNY 1,900 (down from CNY 2,000), there is an 8/256GB model for CNY 2,200 (discounted from CNY 2,200) and a decked out 12/256GB model for CNY 2,400 (down from CNY 2,500). You can choose between Gray and Blue.
OnePlus Ace Racing Edition comes in Gray and Blue
It’s not yet clear if the Ace Racing Edition will be made available globally. The global OnePlus 10R is similar to the original Ace, though with two battery/charging options. Here is a direct comparison between the original Ace and the Racing edition.
Esports fans in China will soon be able to see the OnePlus Ace Racing edition at the Peacekeeper Elite League’s Spring tournament as the phone of choice (Peacekeeper Elite is the local version of PUBG Mobile).
Author: Peter
Source: GSMArena
