OnePlus has been on most Android users radars as just another option. The company has quietly been moving into more premium segments of the market. I’d even argue that with the OnePlus 11 last year, it officially became a direct Samsung competitor in terms of performance and hardware prowess.
This continued with the phenomenal OnePlus Open late last year. Now it’s 2024, and the OnePlus 12 hits with the same “here we are” mentality with a truly top-tier Android device. Most smartphone find ways to compromise, and this is the first offering from OnePlus that they are legitimately hard to find.
Design
The general design is very similar to both the OnePlus 11 and the Open. Actually, it’s very similar to the Open with the extra screen snapped off, but we’ll leave that visual to Jerry Rigs Everything. You get a ProXDR 6.84-inch screen capable of 120Hz refresh rate. And this screen is fantastic. Short of Samsung’s own ones, the OnePlus 12 is the best screen I’ve used in recent memories.
The screen has a curved edge on each side. I’m not usually a fan, but OnePlus has done a great job of molding this into the back of the design. It seamlessly flows into the rest of the phone.
The back of the phone has a textured glass back familiar to those coming from other OnePlus phones. It’s not quite the sandstone of past devices, but has a good feel over a slippery panel. One additional item of note is the legendary OP alert profile switch. This glorious hardware slider has made its return in the recent OnePlus phones after being removed from the OnePlus 10T.
Taking up a massive section of the back panel is the camera. We’ll cover the overall results from the shooter later, but you have to point out the size of this thing. Much like the OnePlus Open, it really is the centerpiece of the backing. It’s unabashedly large and in your face.
Performance
The OnePlus 12 is a beast of internal specs. You get the new Snapdragon Gen 3 chipset paired with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. To supercharge things even more, you have the largest Cryo cooling system OnePlus has ever produced.
All this hardware lends to a fantastic day-to-day experience. You shouldn’t have any issues with anything you throw at the OnePlus 12. I’ve found normal transitions, gaming, and media playback all just work to perfection. I’ve yet to see this phone even stutter from any outputs.
Software
I’ve been torn by the latest generations of OnePlus software. While I enjoy that they do some similar things to Samsung that takes into account of the size of its devices, I don’t enjoy the general look and feel of it. I like some added things in the notification or quick tiles area, but the base them and launcher just aren’t for me.
I know that’s a little thing these days, and I can fix most of this with a custom launcher replacement, but it’s worth mentioning. If you’re coming from a Moto or Google Pixel, it’s going to be jarring. The UI may seem clunky and menus are going to be much more layered and busy for no reason.
On the flip side, if you’re coming from a Samsung, this will feel much more natural a transition. As I mentioned, OnePlus puts its own spin, but it seems heavily influenced by One UI from Samsung. And that’s probably smart. In a store setting, the interfaces are going to be a wash and the added value of OnePlus may force you to pull the trigger on the 12 over the latest Galaxy.
Thankfully, under all that window dressing, you have Android 14 running the show. This gives the OnePlus 12 the latest offering from Google, and the company has a decent record of offering security updates. OnePlus is promising four years of full OS updates and five years of security software patches.
Camera
This is another area that OnePlus has struggled in the past. Photos often underperformed regardless of the sensor sizes in previous models. Thankfully, the OnePlus 12 and its continued partnership with Hasselblad great outperforms other models. These improvements started with the OnePlus Open and have continued here with the OnePlus 12.
This is all powered by the previously mentioned massive sensor array on the back of the phone. This includes a 50MP Sony main sensor with OIS and f/1.6 aperture. Atop this main shooter is a 64MP with 3X periscope for telephoto, and a 48MP 114-degree ultra-wide. Combined this gives you a fantastic range of shots with up to 6X zoom and the ultra-wide is great.
Lastly, the post-processing in the OnePlus Open and now the 12 has far exceeded previous OnePlus offerings. This is an area that OnePlus has improved with the partnership with Hasselblad more than anything else. The resulting shots are finally as good, if not better, than the main competition of Samsung and Google.
Battery life
OnePlus historically has one of the better battery management performance. The OnePlus 12 is no exception. I’ve consistently been getting around five hours of screen time before I get the low battery warning. That’s pretty solid of mixed to heavy usage.
AND FINALLY… we have the return of wireless charging. Thank you, OnePlus. I was tired of including that tagline of omission with every device released. In the world where the Pixel 7a and iPhone SE both have it, leaving it out of another flagship makes it just personal at this point.
Thankfully, not only is wireless Qi charging onboard, OnePlus supercharged it with the optional AIRVOOC charging stand. This allows for 50W of wireless charging you just can’t find elsewhere. I’m a firm believer that wireless should just be for ancillary and overnight charging, but I love that OnePlus is pushing the norm here.
Along with the 80W SUPERVOOC (OnePlus for the love, please change this branding), you have two top of the market ways to charge the OnePlus 12. This allows you to recharge the 12 with the included power cable and charger in under 30 minutes, and get a 50% recharge on the optional wireless charger in under 25 minutes.
Conclusion
It’s early in the year, but OnePlus already has a strong competitor for phone of 2024 with the OnePlus 12. Outstanding performance, long-lasting battery, and greatly improved cameras all combine to make this flagship worthy.
You can preorder the OnePlus today, January 23rd via the official OnePlus storefront. It’s available in both Silky Black and Flowy Emerald. The Silky Black is the base model and comes in 12GB/256GB variants as well as the 16GB/512GB combo. The Flowy Emerald only comes in the larger RAM and storage.
Pricing is $800 USD for the base Silky Black, and the upgraded models will cost $900. OnePlus is bringing back the “trade in any phone in any condition” promotion with the OnePlus 12 as well. Regardless of condition or whether it even works, OnePlus will spot you a $100 credit at purchase of the OnePlus 12.
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