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OnePlus 12 Overview: A Powerhouse Flagship With One Key Flaw

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Execs

  • Extraordinarily highly effective processor
  • Stellar battery life
  • Hyperfast charging
  • Large, vibrant show

Cons

  • Disappointing digicam efficiency
  • Rivals supply longer software program assist

The OnePlus 12 is full of potent tech from its supercharged processor to its superb display screen. In my time testing it, I discovered its battery life is nice and it prices in lightning-fast time. It is a telephone that works exhausting to justify its flagship title. However then it must, as its $800 beginning worth (with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage) makes it costlier than final yr’s OnePlus 11. The upper-end mannequin I reviewed (16GB RAM, 512GB storage) is available in at a princely $900. 

At a time when purse strings are nonetheless tight and competitors from rivals is fierce, upping the value of its telephones is a dangerous technique for OnePlus. Within the UK, issues are worse, with the top-of-the-line mannequin costing £999, or £150 greater than the totally maxed-out OnePlus 11. A direct foreign money conversion of OnePlus 12‘s $900 worth comes out to £708 on the time of writing, or about £850 together with tax. That is a £150 premium, making this telephone a really completely different worth proposition for UK customers. 

Image of oneplus phone in green

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

Within the US, it nonetheless manages to undercut its chief rival, Google’s Pixel 8 Professional, which begins at $999 (£999) with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. In some methods, the OnePlus 12 punches more durable than the Pixel, with higher processor efficiency and, in my testing, higher battery life. However the Pixel 8 Professional has a typically higher digicam, and it will get no less than seven years of software program and safety updates, simply besting the OnePlus 12’s 4 years of software program and 5 years of safety updates.

I additionally favor the Pixel’s software program. General, it is powerful to decide on between them, nevertheless it comes right down to what you need out of your telephone. Should you’re a eager photographer, go for the Pixel. Extra into cellular video games? The OnePlus is for you. 

OnePlus 11 and 12 pricing

Cellphone, RAM + storage US worth UK worth Australian worth
OnePlus 11, 8GB + 128GB $700 £729 NA
OnePlus 11, 16GB + 256GB $800 £799 AU$1,399
OnePlus 12, 12GB + 256GB $800 £849 Converts to AU$1,640*
OnePlus 12, 16GB + 512GB $900 £999 Converts to AU$1,930*

*Australian costs for the OnePlus 12 have but to be introduced. These conversions are from the UK worth, which like in Australia consists of 20% VAT.

A well-known design

Visually, the OnePlus 12’s design would not stray removed from the OnePlus 11’s. It options an virtually similar round digicam unit set right into a curving glass again with a shiny aluminum body. The 12’s glass again is frosted now although, with my inexperienced evaluation mannequin that includes a wavy sample that I moderately like. It is good to carry, with a strong, luxurious really feel that I believe is extra premium than the slippery shiny again of the OnePlus 11.

Image of oneplus phone in green

With the similar spherical digicam models, the OnePlus 12 appears acquainted to final yr’s OnePlus 11.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

That mentioned, I took the telephone to the pub and a number of other of my mates thought that it regarded, and felt, like “the plasticky laminate coating discovered on low cost kitchen work surfaces in pupil housing.” Like something, aesthetics are subjective, so possibly attempt to test one out within the flesh earlier than spending your money.

I like that the amount buttons have been moved to the identical aspect as the ability button, which makes them simpler to make use of with one hand, whereas the attribute OnePlus toggle change now occupies its personal spot on the left aspect. The entrance glass is Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2, and the again is produced from toughened Gorilla Glass 5. The telephone is IP64-rated to maintain it secure from spilled drinks or when you take calls within the rain. 

Utilizing the telephone when it is raining needs to be a bit simpler too, because the telephone’s display screen has been designed to acknowledge contact inputs, even when moist. I sprinkled the display screen with faucet water and whereas it was noticeably much less correct than when dry, it was nonetheless usable, with virtually no incorrect inputs acknowledged. I attempted sprinkling an identical quantity of water onto the display screen of my iPhone 15 Professional Max and located it to be virtually unusable. A win for the OnePlus right here. 

Image of oneplus phone in green

The show is vibrant, daring and even works when moist. Good.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

An extremely vibrant, vibrant show

At 6.82 inches, the OnePlus 12’s show is sufficiently big to provide you loads of room for movies and cellular video games, whereas its excessive decision implies that all content material is pin-sharp. Colours are extraordinarily vibrant too, doing justice to all of the colourful Netflix exhibits or neon-toned cellular video games you possibly can need. 

It has a variable refresh price from 1 to 120Hz to provide higher efficiency throughout extra intense duties like gaming, and OnePlus says it is the brightest show ever on a telephone, with a whopping 4,500-nit peak brightness. Theoretically, that makes it brighter than the Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely and about twice as vibrant because the iPhone 15 Professional Max. However these are lab-based figures. Facet by aspect, the distinction between the iPhone and OnePlus 12 is not that massive. There is a distinction, nevertheless, and there isn’t any query that the telephone is exceptionally vibrant, which makes it nice for outside use. 

Highly effective Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor

The OnePlus 12 runs the most recent Qualcomm Snapdragon 3 chip at its core, backed up by both 12GB or 16GB of RAM (as reviewed). As probably the most cutting-edge chip from Qualcomm, it is secure to count on it to be one thing of a powerhouse, however OnePlus additionally boasts that its “Trinity Engine” optimizes the CPU, RAM and storage for a quicker and extra steady expertise. 

Typically these claims are greatest taken with a pinch of salt, however the OnePlus 12 does really feel extraordinarily swift in use. The motion RPG Genshin Affect performed at maxed-out settings with extremely easy 60-frames-per-second gameplay with completely zero lag or stuttering seen at any level. Battle royale shooter PUBG was additionally buttery easy. Ditto for racer Asphalt 9: Legends. 

OnePlus 12 efficiency in contrast

OnePlus 12 5,066Galaxy S24 Extremely 4,415iPhone 15 Professional Max 4,193

Be aware: Longer bars equal higher efficiency

On 3DMark’s Wild Life Excessive graphics benchmark, it beat each the brand new Galaxy S24 Extremely and iPhone 15 Professional Max’s scores. In reality, its rating was the second highest I’ve ever seen on that check, crushed solely marginally by the brand new Asus ROG Cellphone 8 Professional, which can also be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.

Normal navigation across the telephone and multitasking is extraordinarily zippy and, the truth is, I struggled to search out something that appeared to sluggish it down in any respect. Clearly, the combo of potent chip and software program optimization is doing its half. OnePlus reckons that the larger profit is that it’ll stay easy over time, at the same time as your telephone fills up with apps and information. I’ve solely had the telephone every week, so that is one thing I will need to proceed testing over the approaching months. 

Image of oneplus phone in green

The OnePlus 12 runs Android 14.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

The OnePlus 12 runs on Android 14, with OnePlus’ Oxygen OS laid excessive. I fairly just like the interface — it is neat and straightforward to function. Android novices are simply as effectively catered to right here as skilled Android veterans. OnePlus presents 4 years of software program updates and a further fifth yr of safety updates. That is the identical as on the OnePlus 11 and, whereas that was respectable then, corporations like Google and Samsung now supply seven years of assist.

Longer assist durations imply your telephone can be safer to make use of over time, which is healthier for you and higher for the planet. Whereas 5 years is not dangerous, it is nonetheless disappointing to not see OnePlus attempt to up its recreation right here, and it is a key manner that the telephone lags behind the competitors.

Extra annoying nonetheless is that OnePlus has given longer assist to the OnePlus 12 than it has the cheaper OnePlus 12R, which will get one yr much less of each software program and safety assist. It is a irritating stance to take right here, because it means that sustainability is a premium providing reserved just for customers who can afford it.

Image of oneplus phone in green

Within the US, the OnePlus 12 helps 80-watt quick charging.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

Notable by its absence, although, is any main push for generative AI on the OnePlus 12. AI options have been massive components of Google’s Pixel telephones for a number of generations now, and AI was a significant a part of Samsung’s launch for the Galaxy S24 collection. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip powering the OnePlus 12 is even designed with AI expertise in thoughts. But, OnePlus hasn’t spoken about AI, and there aren’t any notable generative AI-based options baked into the software program. 

Personally, I discover this a refreshing stance from the corporate. I have never discovered any AI options on different telephones (just like the wallpaper generator on the Pixel 8 Professional) to be particularly helpful, and I am happy that OnePlus hasn’t jumped on a bandwagon right here, including redundant options merely in order that it might boast that it has them. Maybe I will be singing a unique tune for the OnePlus 13. 

Stellar battery life, extremely quick charging

The opposite facet to OnePlus’ software program optimizations is energy effectivity, which — along with the capacious 4,500-mAh battery (twin 2,700-mAh batteries) — permits the OnePlus 12 to ship glorious battery life. After an hour of streaming a YouTube video on Wi-Fi at max brightness, the telephone hadn’t dropped beneath 100%. After a second hour, it nonetheless confirmed as 100%, and it was solely after the third hour that it dropped to 95%, which is among the greatest efforts I’ve seen on this check. 

By comparability, the Galaxy S23 Extremely dropped from full to 95% after the primary hour and went right down to 82% after the third hour. Equally, the iPhone 15 Professional Max had dropped to 87% remaining after three hours of streaming. Even after virtually an hour of intense gaming at max settings, the OnePlus 12’s battery had dropped solely 10%. 

In brief, I am very impressed with the telephone’s energy administration, and I am assured you will simply be capable to get a full day of even demanding use. With extra cautious use, you possibly can most likely get many of the manner by means of a second day for these events if you forgot to provide it a cost in a single day. 

Image of oneplus phone in green

The OnePlus 12 is among the strongest telephones we have ever examined.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

Should you do occur to wish to high the juice up, the telephone’s fast-charging makes {that a} tremendous fast activity. Within the US, the OnePlus 12 helps 80-watt quick charging, which ought to take the telephone from empty to full in a bit over half-hour. My UK mannequin takes that even additional, with 100-watt wired charging permitting for a full recharge in 26 minutes, or from empty to half full in solely 11 minutes. 

Quick charging is one in all my favourite battery improvements in any telephone, because it means you needn’t fear fairly as a lot about your battery working out later within the day. Should you’re heading out for an enormous night time out and forgot to cost your telephone, you may simply give it a fast enhance when you wait in your Uber to reach and it will hold you going for hours. 

The telephone additionally has wi-fi charging — one thing not seen on the OnePlus 11 — which helps as much as 50-watt speeds, so long as you could find a appropriate high-speed wi-fi charger. 

Image of oneplus phone in green

The telephone has three essential cameras on the again.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

Disappointing cameras

OnePlus telephones have usually supplied glorious processor efficiency however solely OK imaging expertise, and that is very a lot the case right here. The OnePlus 12 comes with three rear cameras. They embrace a 50-megapixel essential digicam with a bigger picture sensor and broad f1.6 aperture, a 48-megapixel ultrawide digicam and a 32-megapixel telephoto digicam with a 3x optical zoom. 

A photo of an alley

OnePlus 12, essential digicam.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

a photo of people walking

OnePlus 12, essential digicam.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

a photo of a graffiti

OnePlus 12, essential digicam.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

In daylight, photographs from the principle digicam are respectable. Publicity is mostly good, there’s loads of element to be seen, and colours are largely fairly correct. 

a photo of a building on a river

OnePlus 12, essential digicam.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

a photo of a building on a river

OnePlus 12, ultrawide digicam.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

There’s much less colour shift if you change between essential and ultrawide lenses too, which was one thing I discovered to be a specific downside on the final mannequin. 

a photo of gulls on a roof

Even at 6x zoom (3x optical and digital mixed), this daylight shot is crisp and vibrant.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

The 3x zoom lens captures zoomed-in photographs with ample element, and even the 6x zoom can produce some handsome photos so long as you are taking pictures in vibrant situations. The 6x zoom does simply digitally crop into photos from the 3x lens, nevertheless, so there’s a discount in high quality. It is a disgrace to not see an extended optical zoom right here as I like the 5x zoom lens on the Pixel 8 Professional and the iPhone 15 Professional Max. 

a photo of a boat at night

OnePlus 12, essential digicam, night time mode.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

a photo of a boat at night

iPhone 15 Professional Max, essential digicam, night time mode.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

a photo of a boat at night

OnePlus 11, essential digicam, night time mode.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

At night time, efficiency considerably drops. Pictures from all lenses are surprisingly darkish, with the ultrawide specifically producing extraordinarily darkish photographs. I typically most popular photos taken on the OnePlus 11. 

a photo of a boat at night

OnePlus 12, ultrawide digicam, night time mode.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

The optical zoom has been very hit and miss, with some photographs trying OK, whereas others have come out with such mushy particulars that they give the impression of being out of focus.

a photo of a bar

Taken with the telephoto zoom lens, this nighttime picture has come out effectively, with respectable particulars and readability. 

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

A photo of a bridge

Whereas this shot, additionally taken with the telephoto lens, has horrible particulars.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

A photo of a building

By comparability, the iPhone 15 Professional Max’s shot from its 5x optical zoom lens is crystal clear.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

I have been moderately shocked on the poor nighttime efficiency, as the broader aperture of the lens and the big sensor dimension ought to assist it seize extra gentle in darker situations. And certainly in additional low gentle moderately than particularly night time mode situations, I did discover the digicam was in a position to take some handsome photos. 

General, I am underwhelmed by the cameras on the OnePlus 12. It is undoubtedly able to taking some nice photographs, so long as you are in good situations, and people of you who possibly simply need good snaps of your loved ones and mates can be effectively served. Nevertheless it’s not up there with its flagship rivals, with its night time mode photographs specifically letting it down. 

Do you have to purchase the OnePlus 12?

The OnePlus 12 has a lot to justify its lofty price ticket. It is extraordinarily highly effective, its battery life is great, and the colourful, vibrant display screen makes your video games and movies pop. It is also obtained a slick design that appears trendy but nonetheless good. 

Image of oneplus phone in green

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

It is a true flagship in lots of respects, however there are some issues that maintain me again from singing its praises utterly. Chief amongst them is the digicam, which actually did not impress, particularly at night time. If images is essential to your cellular expertise, it is value trying elsewhere. 

And whereas its software program assist is not the worst round, I actually hoped to see OnePlus extending its assist interval to match what each Samsung and Google are providing. 

Nonetheless, when you’re in search of a high-performance Android telephone for gaming, with a battery that’ll put up with actual punishment, the OnePlus 12 is effectively value a glance. 

How we check telephones

Each telephone examined by CNET’s opinions group is definitely utilized in the actual world. We check a telephone’s options, play video games and take pictures. We study the show to see if it is vibrant, sharp and vibrant. We analyze the design and construct to see how it’s to carry and whether or not it has an IP-rating for water-resistance. We push the processor’s efficiency to the extremes, utilizing standardized benchmark instruments like GeekBench and 3DMark in addition to our personal anecdotal observations navigating the interface, recording high-resolution movies and enjoying graphically intense video games at excessive refresh charges.

All of the cameras are examined in quite a lot of situations, from vibrant daylight to darkish indoor scenes. We check out particular options like night time mode and portrait mode and evaluate our findings in opposition to equally priced competing telephones. We additionally take a look at the battery life by utilizing the telephone every day in addition to working a collection of battery drain checks.

OnePlus 12 specs vs. Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely, Google Pixel 8 Professional, Apple iPhone 15 Professional Max

OnePlus 12 Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely Google Pixel 8 Professional Apple iPhone 15 Professional Max
Show dimension, tech, decision, refresh price 6.82-inch AMOLED; 3,168×1,440 pixels; 1-120Hz adaptive refresh price 6.8-inch AMOLED; 3,120×1,440 pixels; 1-120Hz adaptive refresh price 6.7-inch OLED; 3,120×1,440 pixels; 1-120Hz adaptive refresh price 6.7-inch OLED; 2,796×1,290 pixels; 120Hz adaptive
Pixel density 510 ppi 501 ppi 489 ppi 460 ppi
Dimensions (inches) 6.5 x 3 x 0.36 in 6.40 x 3.11 x 0.34 in 6.4 x 3.0 x 0.3 in 3.02 x 6.29 x 0.32 in
Dimensions (millimeters) 164.3 x 76 x 9.2 mm 163 x 79 x 8.6 mm 162.6 x 76.5 x 8.8 mm 76.7 x 159.9 x 8.25 mm
Weight (grams, ounces) 220 g (7.8 oz) 233 g (8.22 oz) 213 g (7.5 oz) 221 g (7.81 oz)
Cellular software program Android 14 Android 14 Android 14 iOS 17
Digital camera 50-megapixel (broad), 48-megapixel (ultrawide), 64-megapixel (telephoto) 200-megapixel (broad), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (3x telephoto), 50-megapixel (5x telephoto) 50-megapixel (broad), 48-megapixel (ultrawide), 48-megapixel (telephoto) 48-megapixel (broad), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 12-megapixel telephoto (5x optical)
Entrance-facing digicam 32-megapixel 12-megapixel 10.5-megapixel 12-megapixel
Video seize 8K 8K 4K 4K
Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Google Tensor G3 A17 Professional
RAM/storage 12GB RAM + 256GB; 16GB RAM + 512GB 12GB RAM + 256GB, 512GB, 1TB 12GB RAM + 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
Expandable storage None None None None
Battery 5,400 mAh (twin 2,700 mAh) 5,000 mAh 5,050 mAh Undisclosed; Apple claims as much as 29 hours of video playback (25 hours streamed)
Fingerprint sensor Beneath show Beneath show Beneath show None (Face ID)
Connector USB-C USB-C USB-C USB-C (USB 3.0)
Headphone jack None None None None
Particular options 4,500-nit peak brightness; 4 years of software program and 5 years of safety updates; 80W wired charging (100W wired charging outdoors US); 50W wi-fi charging with fan dock; Wi-Fi 7; Gorilla Glass Victus 2 cowl glass; Gorilla Glass 5 again glass Titanium body, 2,600-nit peak brightness; 7 years of OS and safety updates; 5G (mmWave); IP68 water and dirt resistance; wi-fi PowerShare to cost different units; built-in S Pen; UWB for locating different units; 45W wired charging (charger not included); Galaxy AI; Wi-Fi 7; Gorilla Glass Armor cowl glass 5G (Sub 6 and mmWave); VPN by Google One; 7 years of OS, safety and Function Drop updates; front-facing digicam has autofocus; 13W Qi wi-fi charging; 30W wired charging; USB-3.2 speeds through USB-C; IP68 mud and water resistance; Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on back and front 5G (mmw/Sub6), Motion Button, All the time-On show, IP68 ranking, MagSafe, Dynamic Island, 5x optical zoom (120mm equal), satellite tv for pc connectivity, eSIM, Thread networking expertise
US worth begins at $800 (256GB) $1,300 (256GB) $999 (128GB) $1,199 (256GB)
UK worth begins at £849 (256GB) £1,249 (256GB) £999 (128GB) £1,199 (256GB)
Australia worth begins at Converts to AU$1,640 (256GB) AU$2,199 (256GB) AU$1,699 (128GB) AU$2,199 (256GB)

We bear in mind extra options, like assist for 5G, satellite tv for pc connectivity, fingerprint and face sensors, stylus assist, quick charging speeds, and foldable shows, amongst others that may be helpful. And we stability all this in opposition to the value to provide the verdict on whether or not that telephone, no matter worth it’s, truly represents good worth. Although these checks could not all the time be mirrored in CNET’s preliminary evaluation, we conduct follow-up and long-term testing in most circumstances.



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