
Execs
- Extraordinarily highly effective processor
- Stellar battery life
- Hyperfast charging
- Large, vibrant show
Cons
- Disappointing digital camera efficiency
- Rivals supply longer software program assist
The OnePlus 12 is filled with potent tech from its supercharged processor to its superb display. In my time testing it, I discovered its battery life is nice and it costs in lightning-fast time. It is a cellphone that works laborious to justify its flagship title. However then it must, as its $800 beginning value (with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage) makes it dearer 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 absolutely maxed-out OnePlus 11. A direct forex conversion of OnePlus 12‘s $900 value comes out to £708 on the time of writing, or about £850 together with tax. That is a £150 premium, making this cellphone a really completely different worth proposition for UK buyers.

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 tougher than the Pixel, with higher processor efficiency and, in my testing, higher battery life. However the Pixel 8 Professional has a typically higher digital camera, and it will get at the very least 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 desire the Pixel’s software program. Total, it is powerful to decide on between them, nevertheless it comes right down to what you need out of your cellphone. When you’re a eager photographer, go for the Pixel. Extra into cell video games? The OnePlus is for you.
OnePlus 11 and 12 pricing
Telephone, RAM + storage | US value | UK value | Australian value |
---|---|---|---|
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 value, which like in Australia contains 20% VAT.
A well-known design
Visually, the OnePlus 12’s design does not stray removed from the OnePlus 11’s. It options an nearly equivalent round digital camera 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 somewhat like. It is good to carry, with a stable, luxurious really feel that I feel is extra premium than the slippery shiny again of the OnePlus 11.

With the equivalent spherical digital camera items, the OnePlus 12 seems to be acquainted to final yr’s OnePlus 11.
That stated, I took the cellphone to the pub and a number of other of my mates thought that it seemed, and felt, like “the plasticky laminate coating discovered on low cost kitchen work surfaces in pupil housing.” Like something, aesthetics are subjective, so perhaps attempt to verify 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 facility 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 constituted of toughened Gorilla Glass 5. The cellphone is IP64-rated to maintain it secure from spilled drinks or in case you take calls within the rain.
Utilizing the cellphone when it is raining needs to be a bit simpler too, because the cellphone’s display has been designed to acknowledge contact inputs, even when moist. I sprinkled the display with faucet water and whereas it was noticeably much less correct than when dry, it was nonetheless usable, with nearly no incorrect inputs acknowledged. I attempted sprinkling an identical quantity of water onto the display of my iPhone 15 Professional Max and located it to be nearly unusable. A win for the OnePlus right here.

The show is vivid, daring and even works when moist. Good.
An extremely vivid, vibrant show
At 6.82 inches, the OnePlus 12’s show is large enough to provide you loads of room for movies and cell video games, whereas its excessive decision signifies that all content material is pin-sharp. Colours are extraordinarily vibrant too, doing justice to all of the colourful Netflix exhibits or neon-toned cell video games you could possibly 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 cellphone, with a whopping 4,500-nit peak brightness. Theoretically, that makes it brighter than the Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely and about twice as vivid because the iPhone 15 Professional Max. However these are lab-based figures. Aspect by aspect, the distinction between the iPhone and OnePlus 12 is not that large. There is a distinction, nonetheless, and there isn’t any query that the cellphone is exceptionally vivid, which makes it nice for out of doors 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 sooner and extra steady expertise.
Usually these claims are finest taken with a pinch of salt, however the OnePlus 12 does really feel extraordinarily swift in use. The motion RPG Genshin Impression performed at maxed-out settings with extremely clean 60-frames-per-second gameplay with completely zero lag or stuttering seen at any level. Battle royale shooter PUBG was additionally buttery clean. Ditto for racer Asphalt 9: Legends.
OnePlus 12 efficiency in contrast
OnePlus 12 5,066Galaxy S24 Extremely 4,415iPhone 15 Professional Max 4,193
On 3DMark’s Wild Life Excessive graphics benchmark, it beat each the brand new Galaxy S24 Extremely and iPhone 15 Professional Max’s scores. The truth is, its rating was the second highest I’ve ever seen on that take a look at, crushed solely marginally by the brand new Asus ROG Telephone 8 Professional, which can be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.
Basic navigation across the cellphone and multitasking is extraordinarily zippy and, actually, I struggled to seek out something that appeared to gradual 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’s going to stay clean over time, at the same time as your cellphone fills up with apps and recordsdata. I’ve solely had the cellphone per week, so that is one thing I am going to need to proceed testing over the approaching months.

The OnePlus 12 runs Android 14.
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 nicely catered to right here as skilled Android veterans. OnePlus provides 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, firms like Google and Samsung now supply seven years of assist.
Longer assist durations imply your cellphone will likely 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 sport right here, and it is a key method that the cellphone 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 buyers who can afford it.

Within the US, the OnePlus 12 helps 80-watt quick charging.
Notable by its absence, although, is any main push for generative AI on the OnePlus 12. AI options have been large elements of Google’s Pixel telephones for a number of generations now, and AI was a serious 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 abilities in thoughts. But, OnePlus hasn’t spoken about AI, and there are not any notable generative AI-based options baked into the software program.
Personally, I discover this a refreshing stance from the corporate. I have not 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 may well boast that it has them. Maybe I will be singing a distinct 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 cellphone hadn’t dropped under 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 finest efforts I’ve seen on this take a look at.
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 nearly 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 cellphone’s energy administration, and I am assured you may simply be capable to get a full day of even demanding use. With extra cautious use, you could possibly in all probability get many of the method via a second day for these events if you forgot to provide it a cost in a single day.

The OnePlus 12 is among the strongest telephones we have ever examined.
When you do occur to wish to prime the juice up, the cellphone’s fast-charging makes {that a} tremendous fast job. Within the US, the OnePlus 12 helps 80-watt quick charging, which ought to take the cellphone 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 among my favourite battery improvements in any cellphone, because it means you needn’t fear fairly as a lot about your battery working out later within the day. When you’re heading out for an enormous evening out and forgot to cost your cellphone, you may simply give it a fast increase when you wait to your Uber to reach and it will hold you going for hours.
The cellphone 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 will discover a appropriate high-speed wi-fi charger.

The cellphone has three fundamental cameras on the again.
Disappointing cameras
OnePlus telephones have sometimes supplied glorious processor efficiency however solely OK imaging abilities, and that is very a lot the case right here. The OnePlus 12 comes with three rear cameras. They embody a 50-megapixel fundamental digital camera with a bigger picture sensor and huge f1.6 aperture, a 48-megapixel ultrawide digital camera and a 32-megapixel telephoto digital camera with a 3x optical zoom.

OnePlus 12, fundamental digital camera.

OnePlus 12, fundamental digital camera.

OnePlus 12, fundamental digital camera.
In daylight, photographs from the principle digital camera are respectable. Publicity is usually good, there’s loads of element to be seen, and colours are principally fairly correct.

OnePlus 12, fundamental digital camera.

OnePlus 12, ultrawide digital camera.
There’s much less colour shift if you change between fundamental and ultrawide lenses too, which was one thing I discovered to be a specific downside on the final mannequin.

Even at 6x zoom (3x optical and digital mixed), this daylight shot is crisp and vibrant.
The 3x zoom lens captures zoomed-in photographs with satisfactory element, and even the 6x zoom can produce some handsome photographs so long as you are taking pictures in vivid situations. The 6x zoom does simply digitally crop into photographs from the 3x lens, nonetheless, 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.

OnePlus 12, fundamental digital camera, evening mode.

iPhone 15 Professional Max, fundamental digital camera, evening mode.

OnePlus 11, fundamental digital camera, evening mode.
At evening, efficiency considerably drops. Photos from all lenses are surprisingly darkish, with the ultrawide particularly producing extraordinarily darkish photographs. I usually most popular photographs taken on the OnePlus 11.

OnePlus 12, ultrawide digital camera, evening mode.
The optical zoom has been very hit and miss, with some photographs wanting OK, whereas others have come out with such mushy particulars that they give the impression of being out of focus.

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

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

By comparability, the iPhone 15 Professional Max’s shot from its 5x optical zoom lens is crystal clear.
I have been somewhat stunned on the poor nighttime efficiency, as the broader aperture of the lens and the massive sensor dimension ought to assist it seize extra mild in darker situations. And certainly in additional low mild somewhat than particularly evening mode situations, I did discover the digital camera was in a position to take some handsome photographs.
Total, 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 perhaps simply need good snaps of your loved ones and mates will likely be nicely served. Nevertheless it’s not up there with its flagship rivals, with its evening mode photographs particularly letting it down.
Do you have to purchase the OnePlus 12?
The OnePlus 12 has lots to justify its lofty price ticket. It is extraordinarily highly effective, its battery life is excellent, and the colourful, vivid display makes your video games and movies pop. It is also received a slick design that appears fashionable but nonetheless sensible.

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 digital camera, which actually did not impress, particularly at evening. If images is essential to your cell expertise, it is value wanting 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, in case you’re in search of a high-performance Android cellphone for gaming, with a battery that’ll put up with actual punishment, the OnePlus 12 is nicely value a glance.
How we take a look at telephones
Each cellphone examined by CNET’s evaluations workforce is definitely utilized in the actual world. We take a look at a cellphone’s options, play video games and take images. We study the show to see if it is vivid, 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 taking part in graphically intense video games at excessive refresh charges.
All of the cameras are examined in quite a lot of situations, from vivid daylight to darkish indoor scenes. We check out particular options like evening mode and portrait mode and evaluate our findings towards equally priced competing telephones. We additionally try the battery life by utilizing the cellphone 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) |
Cell software program | Android 14 | Android 14 | Android 14 | iOS 17 |
Digicam | 50-megapixel (huge), 48-megapixel (ultrawide), 64-megapixel (telephoto) | 200-megapixel (huge), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (3x telephoto), 50-megapixel (5x telephoto) | 50-megapixel (huge), 48-megapixel (ultrawide), 48-megapixel (telephoto) | 48-megapixel (huge), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 12-megapixel telephoto (5x optical) |
Entrance-facing digital camera | 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 exterior 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 mud 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 Characteristic Drop updates; front-facing digital camera 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, At all times-On show, IP68 score, MagSafe, Dynamic Island, 5x optical zoom (120mm equal), satellite tv for pc connectivity, eSIM, Thread networking know-how |
US value begins at | $800 (256GB) | $1,300 (256GB) | $999 (128GB) | $1,199 (256GB) |
UK value begins at | £849 (256GB) | £1,249 (256GB) | £999 (128GB) | £1,199 (256GB) |
Australia value begins at | Converts to AU$1,640 (256GB) | AU$2,199 (256GB) | AU$1,699 (128GB) | AU$2,199 (256GB) |
We take note of 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 steadiness all this towards the value to provide the verdict on whether or not that cellphone, no matter value it’s, truly represents good worth. Although these checks might not at all times be mirrored in CNET’s preliminary evaluation, we conduct follow-up and long-term testing in most circumstances.