OnePlus 12 review: Not a Pro or Ultra, doesn’t need to be

After claiming the flagship-killer status again last year with the OnePlus 11 (review), OnePlus’ new OnePlus 12 is all about refinements. While there aren’t noticeable changes on the surface, there are loads of upgrades underneath, including a new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, a bigger battery, and even wireless charging support. The OnePlus 12 also marks the fourth year of the brand’s partnership with Hasselblad for camera tuning. Speaking of cameras, the primary camera now leverages the LYT-808 Image Sensor, also available on our best foldable of 2023, the OnePlus Open (review).

However, the new additions come at some costs – physically and monetarily. The 5,400mAh battery and wireless charging have increased the overall thickness of the OnePlus 12 from 8.53mm to 9.15mm. The starting price has also been increased from Rs 56,999 to Rs 64,999. An increased thickness and a pricier phone for OnePlus standards may not go well with hardcore fans. But should that matter? Let’s find out.

Verdict

The OnePlus 12 continues to embody OnePlus’ flagship-killer mantra. It may not focus heavily on generative AI features yet, but it provides a reliable performance, which most regular customers value. For upcoming content creators, some versatile editing tools should help you up your Instagram game. For professional content creators, OnePlus 12 can be a good choice. However, the iPhone 15 Pro and Google Pixel 8 Pro (review) offer more versatile cameras.

Design and display

As mentioned, the OnePlus 12 looks more or less similar to the OnePlus 11 of last year but thicker. There are a couple of physical upgrades, purely for ergonomic reasons, but these aren’t substantial. For instance, the position of the volume buttons and alert slider has been interchanged. The volume buttons also rest above the power button, which is more convenient for me.

This year’s colour options remain the same as before, coming in Black and Green. I received the green colour variant of the OnePlus 12, which doesn’t disappoint by any measure. A closer look would also reveal that the camera module now adopts the same colour as the smartphone for uniformity. Shiny accents on the round camera module add a fantastic touch, especially under bright lights. The sides maintain a metal frame for added durability. The box also includes a protective case that matches the smartphone’s overall aesthetics.

Sadly, there’s nothing to hide the increased thickness and weight of the OnePlus 12. While the weight may not bother you at first, it can be a bit tiresome to hold the smartphone for prolonged gaming or watching movies. To be fair, it’s a common problem with most flagships as they continue to get thicker or heavier to incorporate extra hardware.

The display now incorporates a couple of new upgrades, including the placement of the cutout of the selfie camera. The selfie cam is now at the top centre instead of the top left. The taller 6.8-inch AMOLED display offers 2K resolution (3,168 x 1,440 pixels) with up to 4,500 nits peak brightness. The OnePlus 12 also incorporates advanced LTPO technology to adjust refresh rates more efficiently, ranging from 1Hz to 120Hz. The addition of ProXDR technology, first introduced on the OnePlus Open, adjusts the brightness more accurately. Theoretically, ProXDR and LTPO technologies aim to improve battery life.

While it’s difficult to validate accuracy without proper equipment, the OnePlus 12 provides a comfortable viewing experience, both indoors and under harsh sunlight. The curved display doesn’t present any accidental touch problems, which used to be an issue with older smartphones featuring the same screen type. However, curved displays pose some challenges during gaming, which I’ll delve into later. For regular movie viewing or reading, the tall screen of the OnePlus 12 offers a crisp and vivid experience. The stereo speakers with 3D Spatial Audio improve the overall viewing experience.

The screen is also protected by Corning Gorilla Victus 2, plus there’s an Aqua Touch feature that allows using the phone even with wet fingers. It gets an IP65 rating for dust and water resistance. The IP68 rating remains the gold standard for modern flagships.

Cameras

One of the biggest updates that the OnePlus 12 incorporates is an upgraded camera system. The rear camera setup now includes a 50MP primary camera with a new Sony LYT-808 image sensor (1/1.4-inch) and a 64MP periscope-style telephoto camera with 3X optical and up to 100x digital zooming. There’s also a 48MP ultra-wide camera. The front now includes a 32MP that can capture videos in 4K resolution at 30fps.

Typically, the OnePlus 12 prioritises natural colours, although you will notice a cooler tone in most photos. The primary and telephoto cameras are particular highlights of the smartphone, capturing stunning images in daylight and well-lit conditions. I was pleased with the results, even up close for sharpness. Though I didn’t get many chances to capture photos in harsh sunlight (thanks to Delhi’s dense fog), most of what I captured balanced over-exposed areas well.

Even skin tone detection with the primary camera is improved, though the OnePlus 12 still tends to brighten complexions, which some users may not mind. The telephoto camera portrait shots are lush with a bokeh effect, though there could be an inconsistency with the skin tone.



In low-light conditions, the 50MP primary and 64MP telephoto provide satisfactory results, but this time with high contrast, which may lead to prominent shadows for a dramatic effect. From a visual standpoint, the photos don’t look bad at all, though the dynamic range might get compromised. Even lens flare issue remains, but not too prominently. In my opinion, the Google Pixel 8 Pro handles that the best with its software tweaks. The 48MP also captures natural colours, but it tends to soften photos. In low light, the OnePlus 12’s UW camera struggles to retain details in the photos by over-softening elements for a noise-less result.

I like the result with selfie cameras, at least the daylight or well-lit shots. Without the portrait mode, photos look natural and the skin tone detection is also near accurate. When using the portrait mode, the complexion either appears over-brightened or dull.

Moving to the video front, there are some improvements, especially in stability. If you’re an upcoming content creator, there are loads of effects and modes to play with in the native editing tool. The rear camera can also shoot 8K videos at 24fps, which is standard for high-end smartphones. However, ultra-stabilisation only works with 1080p60fps videos, so even 4K videos cannot leverage this. Generally, videos with the OnePlus 12 tend to maintain balanced colours, but you may also notice some grains in the clip. The output will still be YouTube upload-worthy.

However, if you’re a professional content creator, the iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max (review) offers the best cinematic mode for a rich bokeh effect.

Performance and software

The OnePlus 12 comes in two storage variants, with the base model having 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB of UFS 4.0 storage. The unit I am reviewing comes configured with 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 512GB of UFS 4.0 storage, priced at Rs 69,999. As mentioned, the OnePlus 12 draws power from Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC.

In terms of pure benchmarks, the OnePlus 12 achieves decent scores on Geekbench v6 and AnTuTu (performance mode enabled) – much better than that of the Pixel 8 Pro with Tensor G3 SoC. However, the iQOO 12 (review) with the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 performs better in the same test. Even in the Throttle Test, the iQOO 12 exhibited more stability than the OnePlus 12.

In real life, it can be difficult to distinguish differences between speeds. For example, Instagram, YouTube, Netflix, and Camera all load almost simultaneously on the OnePlus 12 and iQOO 12. The former also captures photos in normal mode instantly. The OnePlus 12 offers brilliant read and write speeds, thanks to the USB 3.2 standard on the USB-C port. I also did not face any abrupt app crashes during my review.

However, the OnePlus 12 is perhaps not the best companion for professional gamers. While it easily handles heavy titles, including BGMI, Call of Duty, Genshin Impact, GTA, and Asphalt 9, the curved screen occasionally leads to mis-touches. The OnePlus 12 generally maintained 60fps with most of these games, but the iQOO 12 offered a smoother FPS with the same settings.

But using the OnePlus 12 for regular productivity-focused users shouldn’t be an issue. It is the first OnePlus smartphone to ship with Android 14-based OxygenOS 14. The smartphone is also assured to receive four years of Android upgrades, which may seem tiny compared to the Google Pixel 8 (review) and Samsung Galaxy S24 series’ seven years of Android update promise. Either way, four years are good enough for most flagships.

The OnePlus 12 offers a clean Android experience (almost), which is a good step forward. The addition of the Infrared blaster to manage heavy appliances like TVs and AC directly via the smartphone makes the OnePlus 12 more versatile for productivity-focused users.

There’s also support for 5G. With an Airtel 5G Plus sim, I got up to 250Mbps speeds at my house in South Delhi. Do note that speeds vary based on the coverage.

Battery and charging

To support all the new features, the OnePlus 12 now houses a bigger 5,400mAh battery. In a nutshell, the OnePlus offers an excellent battery life. With performance mode enabled, the highest screen resolution and refresh rate, and heavy gaming, the OnePlus 12 easily lasted for 12 hours. Toning down on these settings will easily fetch a longer battery life.

With 100W charging support (box includes 100W charger), the OnePlus 12 took around 35 minutes to attain 100 percent charge. There’s also support for 50W AirVOOC wireless charging.

Final Verdict

The OnePlus 12 remains a value-for-money flagship, providing some exceptional features in all areas – be it display, performance, battery, or cameras. For productivity-focused users, the smartphone’s clean Android 14 experience can be blissful too. For a price-focused Indian customer, the company remains thoughtful by providing a premium protective case and charging brick.

Otherwise, there’s scope for improving the next-gen OnePlus numbered flagship by making the smartphone slimmer without compromising features. A better water-resistant build will also be appreciated by many.

Currently, its only challenge in the premium space will be the narrative around its smartphones. With the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S24 series and Google Pixel series later this year, there will be a lot of focus on native generative AI features, which OnePlus barely touches on the OnePlus 12. Another aspect is creating an ecosystem to successfully compete with the likes of Apple, Samsung, and Google, something which OnePlus is trying to do as well. Overall, you cannot go wrong with the OnePlus 12.

Editor’s rating: 8 / 10

Reasons to buy

• Stunning display for movie viewing. The stereo speakers provide clear and loud audio.
• Clean Android 14 experience out of the box.
• Primary and telephoto cameras are reliable and perform well under good lighting conditions.
• Excellent battery back with 100W charging.

Reasons not to buy

• The ultra-wide camera on the OnePlus 12 needs improvement.
• The thickness and weight of the OnePlus 12 are on the higher side.