OnePlus 12 Review: 8.7/10 - Flagship Value King Returns
Overview
The OnePlus 12 is a return to form for the company, delivering genuine flagship hardware at a price that undercuts the competition by several hundred dollars. With the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, a brilliant LTPO AMOLED display co-developed with BOE, and a Hasselblad-tuned camera system, it competes directly with the Galaxy S24 Ultra and Xiaomi 14 Ultra - while costing significantly less. It’s not perfect - IP65 instead of IP68 and no Qi2 wireless charging are notable omissions - but for sheer value, nothing in the 2024 flagship class touches it.
Design & Build
The OnePlus 12 adopts a refined design language with a large circular camera housing on the back, a curved Gorilla Glass Victus 2 front, and an aluminum frame. The Flowy Emerald finish has a subtle marbled texture that catches light beautifully, while the Silky Black option is more understated. At 220 grams and 9.2mm thick it’s not a lightweight, but the weight distribution is even and the curved back makes it comfortable to hold. The alert slider returns on the left edge - a OnePlus hallmark that power users appreciate. IP65 water resistance means it can handle rain and splashes but not submersion, which is a step behind the competition.
Performance
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 paired with up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM delivers blistering performance across the board. Geekbench 6 scores of 2,203 single-core and 6,511 multi-core put it in the top tier, and sustained gaming performance is excellent thanks to a large vapor chamber cooling system. Genshin Impact at max settings maintains a steady 58-60 fps even after 30 minutes of play. OxygenOS 14 (based on Android 14) is smooth and clean with minimal bloatware, and OnePlus has committed to 4 major OS updates and 5 years of security patches. The 5400 mAh battery is the largest in any current flagship - it easily lasts a full day and a half, and the 100W wired charging fills it from 0-100% in just 26 minutes.
Features
The 6.82-inch BOE X1 AMOLED display is one of the best in the business, with a peak brightness of 4,500 nits in HDR and excellent color accuracy (99.5% DCI-P3 coverage). The LTPO technology scales from 1 Hz to 120 Hz seamlessly. The Hasselblad-tuned triple camera system delivers improved color science and natural skin tones. The 64MP periscope telephoto with 3x optical zoom (up to 120x digital) is a standout performer in good light. The 50MP main sensor captures detailed shots with excellent dynamic range. Wireless charging at 50W is competitive, and reverse wireless charging at 10W is handy for topping up earbuds.
Pros
- Exceptional value for flagship specs
- Best-in-class battery life with blazing-fast 100W charging
- Gorgeous 4,500-nit LTPO AMOLED display
- Smooth, clean OxygenOS software
Cons
- Only IP65 water resistance, not IP68
- No Qi2 wireless charging support
- Camera system is very good but not class-leading at the telephoto end
- Curved screen still attracts accidental touches for some users
Verdict
The OnePlus 12 delivers 95% of the ultra-premium flagship experience at 70% of the price. If you can live without IP68 and the absolute best telephoto camera, this is the smartest flagship buy of 2024.
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Technical Specifications
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