OnePlus 12 review

Introduction

Like it was yesterday - the OnePlus One was introduced in 2014, and all of a sudden, it's 10 years later, and we have the OnePlus 12. This anniversary edition of sorts has made it to our test bench and we now have all the details for you.

The OnePlus 12's press materials underscore the value of all this experience, and we'll be quick to point out that a lot has changed over the past decade in the brand's concept and focus. The 'startup' from 2014 that was built on guerilla marketing and aggressive pricing for top-tier hardware has, indeed, gradually become a mainstay in the flagship space. As time went on, the brand also went on to develop a wide-ranging lineup lower down the ranks. In that process, however, OnePlus lost a lot of its identity and morphed into just another branch of the parent company - at present, that would be Oppo.

But we digress. As we advance, we'll try to refrain from such musings on philosophical topics and devote our full attention to the OnePlus 12 itself. And it does deserve it.

A proper high-end package, the 12 starts things off with a supreme display that has it all - resolution, brightness, adaptive high refresh rate, Dolby Vision - the lot. The latest top-end Snapdragon is no surprise either and the OP benefits from being in the first wave to go on sale with it. The world may not be getting the bonkers 24GB/1TB top-spec China version, but we'll somehow make do with just half a terrabyte.

The cameras aren't region-specific, thankfully, and it's quite the compelling configuration. A one-incher is still missing, but there's another high-end Sony imager headlining a competent triple setup. A reasonably large-sensor ultrawide with autofocus is on one end of the zoom range, while a 3x telephoto should also be able to deliver top-class 6x shots, if our previous encounter with it (Oppo Find N3/OnePlus Open) is any indication.

A welcome development this year is the increase in battery capacity to 5,400mAh - a widespread move across the Oppo/OnePlus/Realme portfolio. The OnePlus 12 comes with a 100W charger, so speedy top ups are to be expected as well.

OnePlus 12 specs at a glance:

• Body: 163.3x75.8x9.2mm, 220g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass), aluminum frame; IP65, waterproof and dustproof.
• Display: 6.82" LTPO AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 600 nits (typ), 1600 nits (HBM), 4500 nits (peak), 1440x3168px resolution, 19.8:9 aspect ratio, 510ppi.
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM8650-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4 nm): Octa-core (1x3.3 GHz Cortex-X4 & 5x3.2 GHz Cortex-A720 & 2x2.3 GHz Cortex-A520); Adreno 750.
• Memory: 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM, 1TB 16GB RAM, 1TB 24GB RAM; UFS 4.0.
• OS/Software: Android 14, OxygenOS 14 (International), ColorOS 14 (China).
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.6, 23mm, 1/1.43", 1.12µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS; Telephoto: 64 MP, f/2.6, 70mm, 1/2.0", 0.7µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom; Ultra wide angle: 48 MP, f/2.2, 14mm, 114˚, 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF.
• Front camera: 32 MP, f/2.4, 21mm (wide), 1/2.74", 0.8µm.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, Auto HDR, gyro-EIS, Dolby Vision; Front camera: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS.
• Battery: 5400mAh; 100W wired, PD, QC, 1-100% in 26 min (advertised), 50W wireless, 1-100% in 55 min (advertised), 10W reverse wireless.
• Connectivity: 5G; eSIM; Dual SIM; Wi-Fi 7; BT 5.4, aptX HD; NFC; Infrared port.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical); stereo speakers.

Some other bits in the specsheet that stick out include the IP65 rating - it's not quite the IP68 that's quietly become the flagship standard. On the other hand, the 12 features an infrared emitter - that's sort of the first number-only OnePlus to have it - maybe it makes up for the other thing. Stereo speakers, optical fingerprint reader, alert slider - some things are just a predictable check mark.

OnePlus 12 unboxing

The OnePlus 12 arrives in the usual red cardboard box, now with a large '12' debossed on the lid and some less prominent OnePlus and Hasselblad branding here or there. Inside it, you'll find a 100W adapter (80W max if plugged into a 110V outlet) and a USB-A-to-C cable to go with it.

There's no protective case in our European retail bundle - there wasn't one on the previous two generations either, but the Indian market does get a case in the 12's box. What the paper sleeve above the phone does hold in all locales, other than the documentation, is three stickers to spread the OnePlus love across your other devices, as well as a 'Red Cable Club' membership card for discounts when shopping for accessories.