When OnePlus launched the 9 Pro, the company highlighted the $969 starting price for the new phone in an 8GB/128GB "base" model. Unfortunately, it wasn't actually available for purchase in the US at the time, and all you could buy was the more expensive $1,069 version of the phone. In April, OnePlus told us that this base model was still coming, it had simply been delayed. But now, the company has made an about-face, and it has confirmed to us that the 8/128GB base model OnePlus 9 Pro is never coming to the US or Canada.To date, neither OnePlus nor any of its North American retailers or carrier partners have sold the base model of the phone. When we first reached out to OnePlus about the subject in April, an explanation for the delay wasn't provided. However, the company did claim that version would eventually be coming here, a plan that has apparently changed:

"The OnePlus 9 Pro 8x128 GB variant was originally set to be sold in North America for $969. Unfortunately, due to unforeseen supply constraints specific to North American devices, we recently concluded it is no longer possible to bring this configuration to the United States and Canada. In North America we are prioritizing the 12x256 GB version to ensure our users have access to the highest spec device."

The current explanation matches our initial guess that supply chain issues are responsible for the delay, though it's at least a little odd that OnePlus could still to secure parts for the more expensive version of the phone. But if you were hoping to buy the sub-$1,000 base model OnePlus 9 Pro in the US, you're out of luck: it's not coming. The OnePlus 9 Pro is only available in the more expensive $1,069 version here.