How many phones is too many phones to release? According to newly tweeted rumors about the OnePlus 9 and its various models, OnePlus may be planning to find the answer early next year.

OnePlus tends to release a new top-of-the-line model every six months or so, so one would expect OnePlus to release a new flagship model sometime in the spring. It will be the OnePlus 9, and as has become customary in recent years, the emerging handset maker will release both a standard and a pro version.

But wait a minute. Cell phone leaker Max Jambor declared on Twitter that a third model will be added to the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro. It is the OnePlus 9E, which appears to be an entry-level model for those who find the OnePlus 9's regular price too high.

Max Jambor, who posted a follow-up description of the OnePlus 9e, stated that the idea behind this new model is to emulate Samsung's flagship lineup and produce models in all price ranges.

You may recall that earlier this year, Samsung added the Galaxy S20 FE, which offered most of the features of the regular Galaxy lineup but was $300 cheaper.

The OnePlus 9E will theoretically take a similar approach, debuting at a lower price and cutting a few features here and there. But who knows what those features will be.

We have seen CAD drawings of the OnePlus 9 Pro and OnePlus 9, but we know very little about the features of these upcoming phones other than that they will likely have fast update displays and support 65W charging.

We've heard rumors before that OnePlus is coming out with a lower-priced flagship; before the OnePlus 8 was released, there were rumors of a OnePlus 8 Lite; that model never materialized, unless you count the OnePlus Nord.

That's why we're a bit puzzled by the OnePlus 9E rumor; OnePlus already has the OnePlus Nord, a phone that strips away some features in exchange for a lower price. That particular model never made it to the US, but OnePlus has since announced two lower-priced handsets, the OnePlus Nord N10 5G and the OnePlus Nord N100.

Adding the three rumored OnePlus 9 models to the mix brings the phone lineup to half a dozen models, a far cry from the days when OnePlus only released one phone every six months (although you could choose the amount of RAM and storage).

If the OnePlus 9E materializes, OnePlus will be responsible for clearly differentiating all its phones and explaining that the various priced models will each offer a unique feature set.

If OnePlus can pull it off, consumers will welcome the increased choice; no one will complain about the iPhone 12 having four models to choose from, and OnePlus will be able to offer a variety of models at different price points.

There is a long way to go before the OnePlus 9E arrives, and the release date for the new OnePlus 9 lineup could be in March. Expect many more details about the new model to be announced between now and then.