New leaked information on the OnePlus 9 has revealed some details about the phone's RAM and display design.

These changes are likely to be a welcome improvement over the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro. More specifically, OnePlus seems to be positioning the new models as less of a spec monster and more of a great hardware package at a great price.

According to a tweet from leaker Max Weinbach, the OnePlus 9 Pro will feature 12GB RAM. This is the same amount of RAM as the higher spec versions of the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro.

Samsung's Galaxy S21 Ultra has 16GB RAM, so this is not the most RAM for a phone this year. Still, it's probably enough memory for the 9 Pro to quickly perform everyday tasks and score well in benchmark tests.

What really determines the performance potential of the OnePlus 9 is the chipset; OnePlus was expected to use the latest Snapdragon 888 chip from longtime partner Qualcomm. However, there is also a less powerful but less expensive flagship-grade chip, the Snapdragon 870, and it is possible that OnePlus will opt for the 870 to save on silicon costs and undercut rivals in the price of the handset.

Weinbach did not mention the basic OnePlus 9 in his tweet. This may be because he simply could not get specific details from his sources. However, this could be interpreted as a sign that OnePlus will not offer 12GB on the base model.

As to why OnePlus would do this, one can look to OnePlus' competitors. Samsung and Apple, with the iPhone 12 and Samsung Galaxy S21, respectively, offer a cheaper way to purchase their flagship smartphone series. But most users won't miss out. Perhaps the standard OnePlus 9 will follow this example.

For U.S. users, Weinbach states that there are T-Mobile versions of both the OnePlus 9 and the OnePlus 9 Pro; T-Mobile only offers the OnePlus 8, not the Pro.

The displays will also change slightly; a comment on Weinbach's tweet includes a message from leaker Max Jambor claiming that the OnePlus 9 will have a flat screen and the 9 Pro will have a curved one, but "less curved than the 8 Pro."

Curved displays are visually appealing, but frustrating for certain users who find the rounded edges easy to accidentally touch; OnePlus appears to be trying to find a compromise with this year's Pro model, which will be a "flat screen" display that is "less curved than the 8 Pro.

Based on the release dates of previous OnePlus phones, the OnePlus 9 is expected to arrive in late spring or early summer. However, there are rumors that the OnePlus 9 series could arrive as early as next month in order to have a larger gap between the OnePlus 9 and the OnePlus 9T, which will arrive this fall.

Tom's Guide really likes the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro, even if the OnePlus 8T is a bit disappointing.

With a few upgrades like the leaks mention, the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro would definitely make our best Android phones list, if not our overall ranking of best phones. But to really shine, they may need a slightly better camera.