The OnePlus 12 is the model’s common flagship, which for a number of years has been following one straight line, trying to nail the fundamentals. It’s the flagship that many OnePlus followers will attain out for (versus the pricier Open), however not like earlier fashions, there appears to be no seen compromise. You get a really succesful digital camera system from the OnePlus Open, an IP ranking and even wi-fi charging. But one space OnePlus has stayed silent about is AI. Unlike Google’s Pixel 8 sequence and Samsung’s Galaxy S24 sequence, the 12 has no user-facing and enjoyable generative AI software program options. Apple, too, is predicted to announce a number of generative AI options with iOS 18 this yr.
So, is the dearth of AI-enabled includes a huge deal in a smartphone section that has stagnated over time? Or has OnePlus carried out sufficient to make one neglect concerning the absence of AI options? Let’s discover out.
OnePlus 12 Review: Price in India
Unlike the OnePlus Open, the OnePlus 12 is on the market in two variants. The seen bump in its price ticket (from Rs. 56,999) appears justifiable on condition that the bottom variant now presents 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, which is priced at Rs. 64,999. The second variant, with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, retails at Rs. 69,999, which appears fairly aggressive, conserving the {hardware} on supply.
The OnePlus 12 is on the market in Flowy Emerald and Silky Black. We acquired the Flowy Emerald end of the 512GB variant for assessment.
In the field, OnePlus presents a mushy TPU case, a Type-A to Type-C charging cable and a 100W charger. This looks as if fairly a handful, on condition that Samsung’s Galaxy S24 solely offers a charging cable within the field.
OnePlus 12 Review: Design
The OnePlus 12 sticks to its roots in relation to design and selection of fabric. Unlike the OnePlus Open, which was a step in a distinct course altogether, the OnePlus 12 builds on the larger modifications. These have been caused by the OnePlus 10 Pro, which launched the odd-looking, gasoline stove-like structure. With time, this structure, which began off with 4 digital camera cutouts (one among which was for the dual-LED flash) set right into a sq. with rounded corners, developed right into a round module, which gave the impression to be pressed into the raised glass rear panel on the OnePlus 11.
The OnePlus 12’s curved glass display has curved edges on the high and backside as properly
For the brand new OnePlus 12, OnePlus goes with a flat glass rear panel and a similar-looking round digital camera module, with the identical wraparound design on the left facet of the body. To make it seem completely different, the corporate went with a flat holder for the round digital camera module, which has flat glass fitted into the round holder that resembles a premium timepiece and appears very elegant. But for some purpose, this one is not completed to the standard OnePlus requirements.
The half the place the digital camera module wraps across the fringe of the body is kind of sharp at each corners, and the plastic filler that connects each the digital camera module and mid-frame collectively appears a bit misaligned as properly, leading to a noticeable ridge, which breaks the seamlessness of the curved flap. I’ve inspected another OnePlus 12 items, and the sharp corners, together with the misaligned filler, certainly appear to be a design and high quality oversight. These tolerances certainly appear to be just like those initially reported by some customers in China on the launch.
(*12*)
The wrap-around digital camera module has some actually sharp edges close to the mid-frame with some misaligned plastic fillers
Thankfully, these misalignments and becoming points do not seem to have an effect on the IP ranking of the system. The IP65 ranking additionally surprisingly aligns with the above, so there is no purpose for a person to immerse the telephone in water as it is just designed to deal with splashes of it. This is a bit limiting as a number of smartphones in and beneath this section supply an IP67 or IP68 ranking for mud and water resistance.
As for the end, I just like the polished steel body, which provides a degree of grip, given the fantastically textured glass of the Flowy Emerald end. Fans will probably be glad to see the return of the enduring Alert Slider, however for causes finest identified to OnePlus, it is now situated on the left facet as an alternative of the appropriate. The energy and quantity buttons at the moment are on the appropriate. This is a structure just like the OnePlus Open in an unfolded state.
OnePlus 12 Review: Specifications and software program
As at all times, this flagship has the most recent and finest core {hardware} accessible. This would come with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC, there is a most of 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and as much as 512GB of UFS 4.0 storage however no room for storage enlargement. The fingerprint reader is embedded into the show, is of the optical selection, and labored reliably in the course of the course of this assessment.
Communication requirements embody Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC and help for a number of international satellite tv for pc positioning programs. There’s additionally help for loads of 5G bands and house for two bodily nano SIM slots and dual-5G standby.
The telephone seems and feels fairly premium and in addition has an official IP65 ranking this yr
The telephone has a 5,400mAh (dual-cell) battery, and OnePlus features a 100W charger within the field. However, charging speeds are capped at 80W. The telephone additionally presents 50W wi-fi charging utilizing the corporate’s proprietary wi-fi charging dock, which is bought individually at Rs. 5,499.
The telephone runs OxygenOS 14.0, which relies on Android 14. OnePlus guarantees 4 years of OS updates and 5 years of safety updates, which appears adequate. As for the OxygenOS 14, it just about seems the identical because the earlier model of the ColorOS-derived software program.
Among the minor visible updates is one thing new referred to as Fluid Cloud capabilities like iOS’s Live Activities. The characteristic provides a Dynamic Island-inspired capsule on the acute left within the standing bar that gives related information (like a countdown timer for a supply service) for native and third-party apps. Like iOS, you may faucet and maintain the capsule to broaden it to an even bigger card with further buttons (to pause or cease the exercise) or faucet as soon as to open the app itself. The identical information additionally seems on the lock display as properly. The characteristic can be accessible on the Android 14 variations of Oppo’s ColorOS and Realme UI 5.0 (referred to as Flash Capsule).
OxygenOS 14’s Fluid Cloud works properly however is proscribed to some apps.
Also new is Smart Suggestions, which works with Fluid Cloud on the house display and on the lock display but in addition exhibits related updates from Zomato and Swiggy (for now) on the Always-on Display (AOD). It’s a nifty new characteristic that takes benefit of the telephone’s AOD characteristic, lowering the necessity to decide up your telephone, unlock it, and examine notifications for updates.
While the general software program expertise is fairly polished, the telephone doesn’t supply any generative AI software program options, which is the present occasion trick for premium gadgets this yr. There are a number of AI-enabled options in the event you look for them, like Smart Touch, which principally extracts textual content from a screenshot. Smart Imaging Matting, in line with Oppo, additionally makes use of AI to chop out folks and objects from photographs, however that is one thing we’ve already seen on Samsung gadgets and even on iPhones previously yr, so it is nothing new.
This isn’t just the case with OnePlus but in addition with all manufacturers beneath the BBK Electronics umbrella, as was the case with Vivo X100 Pro, which is priced at Rs. 89,999. While Google and Samsung appear to have made a enjoyable and helpful use-case for their respective generative AI capabilities, it has certainly but to return to the purpose the place a client will begin to anticipate or demand such options from each flagship smartphone.
With Samsung and Google becoming a member of palms to push for extra generative AI options on their respective smartphones, the BBK manufacturers will quickly begin to miss out and danger shedding clients if they do not cook dinner up one thing attention-grabbing in coming updates. This is extra so as a result of Apple, which has for lengthy steering cleared of “AI” can be anticipated to go huge on it with its iOS 18 software program replace.
OnePlus 12 Review: Performance
With the most recent {hardware} inside, my expectations, whether or not it was the person expertise with software program or uncooked efficiency in artificial benchmarks, have been sky-high. Software efficiency is buttery clean, however benchmarks even with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC come up brief when in comparison with the iQoo 12 (additionally Snapdragon 8 Gen 3) and have been noticeably much less when in comparison with the Vivo X100 Pro (MediaTek Dimensity 9300), particularly in AnTuTu and Geekbench. The OnePlus 12 scored 1,629,220 factors on AnTuTu, whereas Vivo’s X100 Pro managed 2,020,631 factors on the identical check.
As for uncooked efficiency, the telephone performs properly whereas taking part in Call of Duty: Mobile. It simply manages 120fps when set to ‘medium’ graphics and ‘extremely’ body charge. Setting the graphics and body charge to Very High additionally appears to not stress out this telephone. More importantly, the massive vapour cooling chamber appears to be doing its job of conserving the telephone cool each when taking part in high-end 3D video games and even when utilizing the digital camera app to shoot 4K movies again to again.
The OnePlus 12 (proper) seems very completely different from its foldable cousin, the Open (left)
More importantly, the 120Hz show retains up, with the contact sampling charge being on level and really correct, making this a really dependable cellular gaming machine. The show exhibits largely correct colors when considered within the Pro Screen color mode. Pictures and textual content seem tack sharp at 510 ppi. The OnePlus 12 nonetheless stays one of many solely smartphones to supply such a high-resolution QHD+ show at this worth level, and I had this set to its full decision in the course of the assessment.
With 4,500 nits of peak brightness, out of doors utilization just isn’t an issue both. But this additionally works properly in its favour when watching HDR10+ or Dolby Vision content material on supported streaming apps. The ProXDR show additionally comes into use when viewing photographs of their full dynamic vary, and the identical applies to Dolby Vision 4K 30fps video recordings, which the telephone is able to. The audio high quality is fairly good as properly, and it sounded very immersive whereas taking part in video games. It was additionally adequate when it got here to watching the video. Aqua Touch additionally works fairly properly when there’s water on the show and is usually a lifesaver on wet days, on condition that the telephone lastly helps an IP65 ranking.
The telephone’s QHD+ show could be very sharp and will get actually vibrant at 4,500 nits of peak brightness
Battery life can be equally spectacular. The telephone managed a strong 28 hours and 6 minutes in our normal video loop battery check, which was properly above expectations for a smartphone each at this worth level and above. With every day utilization, I simply managed round 9 hours of screen-on time or a couple of day and a half of heavy utilization (related to each information and W-Fi), which additionally included digital camera utilization, an hour of gaming and about 3 hours of video streaming.
And when the battery did ultimately die out, charging it was fairly quick, with the 80W capped wired charging managing 99 % in half-hour and finishing the cost in 37 minutes. Wireless charging can be accessible, however OnePlus didn’t present us with their AirVOOC charger, so we couldn’t check it.
OnePlus 12 Review: Cameras
The OnePlus 12 packs a powerful digital camera setup, which has been largely borrowed from the OnePlus Open, the corporate’s book-style foldable. Its major digital camera’s Sony LYT-808 50-megapixel sensor is barely completely different from the Sony LYT-T808 digital camera used on the OnePlus Open, however the outcomes are very comparable. The fundamental variations I observed when evaluating the 2 have been all the way down to focusing pace and reliability together with barely superior picture processing, which might be all the way down to the marginally superior ISP within the new SoC because the OnePlus Open has a barely older Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC.
This yr’s digital camera module has been impressed by wristwatches
The major digital camera captures detailed pictures with glorious distinction and color, exhibiting loads of particulars in shadows and never going overboard within the brighter areas of the scene. Sharpness is on level, and particulars are glorious, whether or not it is textured surfaces and even foliage. Low mild efficiency additionally comes fairly shut however drops a bit by way of element and dynamic vary.
OnePlus 12 digital camera samples. Top to backside: Ultra-wide, major and telephoto (3X) (faucet broaden pictures)
Like the OnePlus Open, the 64-megapixel 3X telephoto digital camera is the showstopper and manages jaw-droppingly spectacular photographs in every kind of lighting circumstances. Pictures of objects and topics come out fairly sharp, even beneath synthetic mild, with a pure bokeh. It’s glorious for portrait photographs of pets and other people alike, and I loved utilizing this one to snap photographs of my 4-year-old. However, this digital camera prioritises publicity over shutter pace and can’t deal with shifting topics properly. So, regardless of packing OIS, there are probabilities that your topic might seem a bit blurry in the event that they transfer throughout seize. In phrases of zoom, the telephone manages good photographs as much as 6X (lossless in-sensor zoom), past which picture high quality begins to deteriorate.
The major digital camera (high) captures good photographs in low mild, however the telephoto digital camera (backside) performs even higher (faucet picture to broaden)
One element that OnePlus has, for some purpose, nonetheless not managed to repair (even on the Open after updates) is the white stability of its telephoto digital camera. Images captured with it seem fairly heat and saturated in comparison with the first digital camera, which is nearer to correct. This leads to photographs that seem yellowish, particularly when taking pictures one thing largely white.
Given how properly the first and the telephoto carry out, I did anticipate the ultra-wide to carry out equally properly (hoping that the brand new SoC would make a distinction), however it handles imaging in the identical means the Open did. While they appear alright on the telephone, they lack sharpness and element and one way or the other appear a bit mushy, not simply in low mild however in daylight as properly. Indeed, these are removed from what Google’s Pixel 8 Pro manages, however it’s priced so much larger.
The OnePlus 12 shoots detailed selfies in daylight (high) however doesn’t carry out properly in low mild (backside) (faucet pictures to broaden)
Macro photographs pack in loads of element, and the telephoto digital camera additionally lets me shoot close-ups that seem fairly sharp. Selfies come out properly with good dynamic vary, correct pores and skin tones and edge detection in daylight, however low-light photographs are fairly common and go away so much to be desired.
Video high quality has notable enhancements over the OnePlus 11, footage captured at 4K seems very steady and exhibits barely vibrant color as properly. Dynamic vary is superb, and so is the bitrate. Quality takes a slight hit in low mild, however noise is stored to a minimal. Colours are in examine, and stabilisation can be dealt with properly. I additionally tried out the 8K video, which nonetheless feels a bit gimmicky, on condition that the telephone can not deal with a gradual framerate whereas taking pictures.
OnePlus 12 Review: Verdict
The OnePlus 12 performs properly on all fronts and simply outdoes the smartphone it replaces. And so, it is easy to suggest as an improve even for those that personal the earlier mannequin.
OnePlus has adopted its typical method and delivered a smartphone that matches in completely between the sub-Rs. 50,000 premium gadgets and the high-end sub-Rs 90,000 section, which incorporates gadgets like Google’s Pixel 8 (Review) (begins from Rs. 75,999) and Samsung’s Galaxy S24 (begins from Rs. 79,999). However, each of those contenders do pack some cool AI methods which the OnePlus 12 correctly avoids.
If you’re the kind that desires to check out one thing new and hop aboard the AI bandwagon, then the latter two are a more sensible choice. But in the event you do not care about AI, it is actually laborious to disregard the OnePlus 12 because it presents glorious worth for cash, getting you an even bigger (and higher show), higher efficiency, versatile cameras and glorious battery life (with wi-fi charging) for much less.
