From “flagship killer” to “flagship and that’s it”: after trying OnePlus 12 for this reviewwe have no doubts that this smartphone is a real top of the range. The Hasselblad camera takes really interesting shots, the display impressed us positively and the combination of battery and fast charging are really hard to beat. There are also some interesting tidbits — and few downsides to speak of. But with a price just under a thousand euroscan it really compete with the best smartphones on the market?
Our review of OnePlus 12
Opening the bright red box we find a 100W charger and the USB-A/USB-C cable (also scarlet), in addition to the smartphone. The version of OnePlus 12 that we tested for this review has 16 gigabytes of RAM and 512 GB of UFS 4.0 memory (you can also find the 12+256 version), in color Flowy Emerald (there is also the more discreet variant Silky Black).
The design changes slightly compared to last year, but it doesn’t seem like a problem to us — on the contrary, it has a very clear identity. On the back we find the cameras in a round frame, which detaches from a metal profile joined to the frames of the device. The rear design makes it clear that this fourth generation Hasselblad camera is an essential selling point for the smartphone. And OnePlus wants to make everyone understand.
The emerald variant shows veins on the back of the smartphone that recall marble. We like the satin finish, although perhaps personally we would have opted for the more discreet black version. In any case, we really appreciate the fact that it does not retain fingerprints. The fact that it’s smooth didn’t cause us any problems during the review, even with damp hands — but many will prefer to have a cover. Which unfortunately will also cover the colored veins.
Il display curves slightly at the edges, greatly reducing the frames. The central punch-hole for the selfie camera is the only element that interrupts a screen which, as we will see, really impressed us.
On the right side we find the power and volume buttons, at the bottom the USB-C and SIM input, while at the top left the slider to put the smartphone in silent mode. An extra convenience that we appreciated. Just as we enjoyed the infrared sensor above, which transforms the smartphone into a remote control for any television: a technology that has almost disappeared from the top of the range, but is still useful.
With dimensions of 164.3 mm in height, 75.8 mm in width and a thickness of 9.15 mm, OnePlus 12 is certainly not a small smartphone. But we didn’t have much difficulty using it. The weight of 220 grams you can feel it. But it is well balanced: it shouldn’t be a problem, even if you are used to smaller smartphones.
A truly gorgeous display
The impressive ProXDR AMOLED display from 6.82 inches has a resolution of 3168×1440 pixel (510 ppi). Curve slightly on the sides. And it’s really well done. The colors seem very well calibrated and faithful to us, the variable LTPO refresh rate from 1 to 120Hz well done. The maximum brightness touches 1600 nits, with peaks of 4500 Nits. We used it in a spring sun in Mallorca and were able to see everything without any problems. The ProXDR screen has a variable refresh rate for each app, as well as support for HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. It’s a flagship display, without a doubt.
The coverage Gorilla Glass 2 it should ensure great protection from falls of all kinds, and you will already find a screen protector pre-installed on the device. The device is certified water and dust resistant IP65, which is not the best seen in the top of the range. But we appreciated the technology Aqua Touch, which allows you to use the display even if you have drops of water on the screen. It’s not perfect, but it works much better than smartphones that don’t have it.
A less positive note for the fingerprint reader under the screen. Don’t get us wrong: it works well, but there are faster and more accurate sensors in this price range (although we appreciated the placement). Facial unlocking is very quick.
OnePlus 12 review: full power
The smartphone runs OxygenOS 14.0 based on Android 14, which simply flies with the power of the chip Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (Qualcomm Kryo CPU and Adreno 750 GPU). Everything moves you at maximum speed, even when using battery-saving settings. And even when playing energy-intensive games for a long time, the temperature remains low. It only warms up slightly during fast charging, but nothing unmanageable. We also achieved excellent results in the benchmarks: in Geekbench 6 we obtained multiscore results above 5000 (enabling the high performance mode) and the same in 3D Mark Wild Life Extreme. Top of the range numbers.
Even the 12GB version has more RAM than it needs. But the 16GB model we tested is future-proof. Even from the point of view of connections, nothing is missing: 5G (also with eSIM), Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.4 with support for various audio codecs and NFC they work great.
The only missed opportunity concerns the AI functionality. Compared to other smartphones in this price range, which have announced advanced features, there is no “wow effect” tool on the OnePlus 12. Furthermore, although the four years of Android updates and five years of security patches are above average , do not compete with some rivals in the category. In other words: the top-of-the-line hardware is there, but the software and support are a little behind the competition.
An excellent photography department — but is it enough to compete with the best?
The camera of the OnePlus 12 stands out with its main sensor 50 megapixel Lytia LYT-808a wide-angle camera from 48 megapixel IMX581 and a periscope telephoto lens from 64 megapixel OmniVision OV64B.
The 23mm main camera he convinced us in the shots in any light condition. We really like Hasselblad colors when they can take in a lot of light, but even at night the color rendering is convincing. The wide angle is less precise in details (especially at the edges of the photos), but remains very versatile. The 70mm telephoto lens is really interesting, which thanks to optical stabilization allows you to zoom to 3x perfectly and remains effective up to 10x even in poor light conditions, with little noise. The digital zoom goes up to 120x, but you won’t want to use it. The portrait effect with 3x zoomwhile slightly inferior to some top-of-the-line rivals, we really enjoyed using it.
Stabilization in videos is not perfect, but still pretty solid. Here, however, we see a bit more of a gap compared to other more expensive options. The ability to shoot in RAW is missing, you can shoot in 4K at 60 fps and 8K at 24 fps.
The selfie camera manages light very well when it comes in excess, while it struggles a bit when you are in dim light or at night. The color rendering is quite good, but i details are lost quickly in less than perfect conditions.
Summing up: the photographic department is rather complete and well calibrated. Especially the main sensor and the telephoto lens will delight mobile photography enthusiasts. However, there are those who do better, even if at higher prices.
Champion of autonomy and excellent fast charging
The battery performance seemed simply excellent to us. With 5400 mAh, we struggled to put the OnePlus 12 on the spot during this review’s testing. You can play games, use Android Auto, listen to music, take photos and videos, surf more than ever before: you will still get to the evening without needing the battery saving mode. With more classic use, you can reach two days. And while on standby (at night, for example), it consumes very little.
The 100W SUPERVOOC charging It allows you to have enough autonomy to finish the day by staying next to the socket for just a few minutes. Less than half an hour is enough to reach above 90% and be able to take advantage of the great autonomy. However, for charging you need a compatible charger, which fortunately you find in the package. There is also wireless charging AIRVOOC da 50Wvery comfortable.
Conclusions: is it worth buying the OnePlus 12?
On the OnePlus website and on Amazon you can find this smartphone at 969 euro for the 12+256GB version e 999 euro for the 16+512GB one (the starting price is €1099). This second option, for the moment, seems the best. But is it advisable?
After trying it in this review, we can say that in the top of the range category there are those who do better than the OnePlus 12. But they are phones that, in general, cost from 200 to 600 euros more. When compared to smartphones that cost more or less the same as it (such as the basic versions of the top of the range Apple and Samsung), it defends itself much better.
The display and battery are excellent, the camera very good, the performance top. And then there are many small conveniences, such as the Aqua Touch screen and the infrared sensor. OnePlus 12 has no real flaws and has many advantages. Ma it doesn’t stand out compared to the competition in this price range. If, like in the United States, it cost the equivalent of $799, it would be a best buy. But close to a thousand euros the competition is high. Although, by purchasing it, you will certainly not be disappointed: it is an excellent smartphone.
