OnePlus 12 Review: An Affordable But Premium Smartphone

OnePlus 12

4.4

Overall

4.4/5

The Good Stuff

• Bright good-looking display
• Impressive battery life
• Impressive 3x periscope zoom
• Good performance
• Includes wireless charging
• Midrange price tag

The Bad Stuff

• Somewhat low light photos
• No AI features & tools yet

OnePlus 12 Review

OnePlus 12

“The OnePlus 12 delivers a top-tier phone experience without the usual flagship phone price gouge.”

Overview

OnePlus is on a roll! Last year, the OnePlus Open surprised everyone (including us!) by taking the crown for the best foldable phone. Now, the OnePlus 12 has a shot at propelling the brand to the top of the smartphone food chain.

For years, OnePlus phones have come close to achieving “elite” status, but usually fell short due to camera limitations. The OnePlus 12 aims to fix that with a significantly upgraded camera system, improved image processing, and larger sensors.

But the improvements go beyond the camera. Wireless charging is back, adding to the phone’s overall value. And staying true to their “never settle” motto, OnePlus kept the price tag the same as the previous model.

With all these compelling features, the OnePlus 12 is definitely a phone to watch. In our full OnePlus 12 review, let’s delve deeper into how it performs in all aspects. Can OnePlus finally break through and become a top-tier phone contender? We shall see. 

Specs

A Stunner with a Hidden Upsides and Minor Downsides

The OnePlus 12 deserves a standing ovation for its design. It’s a head-turner with a unique circular camera module, sleek metal accents, and a textured back that minimizes fingerprints. Plus, its narrower frame makes it comfortable to hold in one hand compared to some competitors like the Galaxy S24 Ultra and iPhone 15 Pro Max.

While the design retains its overall style from the OnePlus 11, there are a few tweaks. The silent switch is now on the left side, and there’s a bonus IR blaster on the top edge – perfect for controlling all your home entertainment devices! The only thing holding the design back a bit is the weight. The OnePlus 12 is slightly heavier than its predecessor, making it feel a tad top-heavy. It’s not a dealbreaker, but it does require a little more care when handling to avoid accidental drops.

Bright, Smooth & Shower Friendly Display

The OnePlus 12 boasts a 6.82-inch 2K ProXDR display that shines (literally) in several ways. OnePlus claims it reaches an incredible 4,500 nits peak brightness, which would be a game-changer for outdoor viewing. While I haven’t confirmed that peak number, the display delivers impressive brightness in direct sunlight, keeping everything clear and crisp.

Realistically, even if it doesn’t hit 4,500 nits, surpassing the 1,300 nits of the OnePlus 11 is a significant improvement. The 120Hz refresh rate adds to the smooth user experience, making even fast-paced games display fluidly. A unique feature of this display is Aqua Touch technology. This ensures the screen remains accurate even when wet. For those who like to multitask in the shower (scrolling feeds, playing music), Aqua Touch will be a welcome addition.

Impressive Performance

While not the first with the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, the OnePlus 12 packs a punch. Daily tasks like navigating the interface and running apps are smooth and responsive, thanks in part to the buttery-smooth 120Hz refresh rate. 

Benchmark tests confirm the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 excels in graphics processing. It produces impressive frame rates in demanding games like 3DMark Wild Life Unlimited and even surpasses the iPhone 15 Pro and Galaxy S23 Ultra in some benchmark scores.

However, the OnePlus 12’s video editing performance in Adobe Rush Premiere lags a bit behind the competition. While benchmark scores are helpful, real-world experience matters more. The phone runs graphically intense games like Diablo Immortal flawlessly, and in everyday use, it never feels sluggish. So, while it might not be the absolute top performer, it delivers excellent performance for most users.

Battery Life Champ

OnePlus fans rejoice! Not only is wireless charging back with the OnePlus 12, but it boasts a blistering-fast 50W charging speed, leaving the competition in the dust. Battery life has always been a strong point for OnePlus phones, and the OnePlus 12 continues the tradition. The massive 5,400 mAh battery easily lasts a full workday for most users. Real-world testing confirms this, with the phone typically reaching 25% capacity by the end of the day.

Official benchmark tests are still ongoing, but from testing it, the results shows that the OnePlus 12 lasts a monstrous 17 hours and 41 minutes – potentially the best battery life ever seen in a flagship phone! This improvement is likely due to a combination of the power-efficient Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip and software optimizations.

Fast charging gets a boost too. In just 15 minutes, the OnePlus 12 can reach a solid 60% charge. And unlike the previous model, which maxed out at 97% after 30 minutes, the OnePlus 12 achieves a full 100% charge in the same timeframe.

These are truly impressive results, solidifying OnePlus’ reputation for exceptional battery life. The return of wireless charging with a top-of-the-line speed simply sweetens the deal, making the OnePlus 12 a more complete package than ever before.

Decent Camera Features

OnePlus has a reputation for lagging behind in the camera department, but the OnePlus 12 aims to change that with a new triple camera system. Let’s check out the camera features.

The main camera remains 50 MP, but the ultrawide jumps to 48 MP and the telephoto gets a significant boost to 64 MP with 3x optical zoom (up from 2x). This translates to sharper zoomed-in photos with more detail, especially evident in the 6x in-sensor zoom. The 50MP main camera doesn’t show a drastic improvement over the OnePlus 11 in good lighting.

Overall picture quality is better across all cameras, with good details, realistic colors, and decent dynamic range in most lighting conditions. Even ultrawide photos hold up well in high-contrast situations. With Portrait mode, the performance here is very similar to the OnePlus 11.

While low-light photos might be slightly underexposed with a warmer tone compared to the OnePlus 11, the photos appear less noisy and captures more detail.

Video Recording shoots in up to 8K for future-proofing and allows for cropping during 4K export. Main camera video captures crisp details, and the zoom goes up to 18x. Pro & Movie Modes provide enthusiast-level controls for those who like to fine-tune their shots. Video recording would benefit from preset zoom options instead of just a slider.

Unlike some competitors (like the Galaxy S24), the OnePlus 12 lacks AI-powered photo and video editing tools.

Overall, the OnePlus 12 camera is a clear step forward for OnePlus, especially in zoom capabilities and low-light noise reduction. However, it misses the boat on incorporating the AI features that are becoming increasingly common in high-end smartphones. This might be a dealbreaker for some users who prioritize advanced editing options.

Verdict

The OnePlus 12 is a game-changer. It brings back wireless charging, boasts an impressive telephoto lens, and delivers all this at a competitive price tag. For value-conscious users, it’s the clear winner in the flagship phone race.

Sure, it might lack the fancy AI features of some competitors, but the significantly lower price point more than makes up for it. The OnePlus 12 delivers a top-tier phone experience without the usual flagship phone price gouge.

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