OnePlus's CEO has confirmed a third, cheaper phone will debut as soon as part of the upcoming OnePlus 9 series.

In an interview with News18 (via Android Police), CEO Pete Lau said his phone company is "excited to launch the OnePlus 9R" in India.

"We are focused on expanding our smartphone offering to cater to different user requirements with the OnePlus 9R by providing a robust flagship experience at a more accessible price point," Lau added. "The OnePlus 9R also reinstates our promise to make the premium OnePlus smartphone experience accessible to more users by introducing new products at a wider range of price points".

This announcement comes just five days before the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro are set to debut, and it confirms existing rumours that OnePlus has been developing a cheaper phone to be announced alongside its new flagships.

It's unclear if the OnePlus 9R will be a budget phone or a mid-range phone, though some of his comments in the interview suggest the latter. He said the phone will feature 5G, and he talks about gaming, claiming it can provide “fast and smooth experiences” for “heavy gameplay".

All that said, the OnePlus 9R has been rumoured to feature a Snapdragon 865, which is a processor from last year. For more about what the phone is expected to have at launch in India, see our round-up here.

Lau didn't mention anything about pricing or availability outside of India.