Should You Buy the OnePlus 12? An In-Depth Review
OnePlus has earned a top spot among beloved Indian mobile brands for its “Never Settle” motto and flagship-rivaling phones at reasonable prices. However, with more manufacturers offering premium features and slick UIs, OnePlus’ signature clean, minimalist OxygenOS seems dated compared to offerings from OPPO, Xiaomi and others.
In response, OnePlus has pivoted from its niche geek status to mass appeal, focusing more on price-performance and folding signature OxygenOS into parent company OPPO’s ColorOS starting with the OnePlus 9 series.
Loyal fans watched this shift with dismay, but continue to eagerly await new OnePlus flagships. The OnePlus 12 launched as a 10-year anniversary product, promising show-stopping power and photography in an iconic OnePlus design.
But can the OnePlus 12 live up to the hype and justify an upgrade from older OnePlus devices or strong competitors? Let’s analyze the specs and real-world performance.
OnePlus 12 Key Specs
- Display: 6.82" QHD+ LTPO AMOLED, 120Hz adaptive refresh rate
- Chipset: Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
- RAM/Storage: 8GB/12GB/16GB RAM, 128GB/256GB/512GB storage
- Rear Cameras:
- 50MP main (Sony IMX890)
- 48MP ultrawide
- 64MP telephoto
- Front Camera: 32MP
- Battery: 5000mAh
- Charging: 100W wired, 50W wireless
- Software: ColorOS 13 based on Android 13
- IP Rating: IP54 water and dust resistance
- Colors: Volcanic Black, Forest Emerald, Eternal Green
Striking Design with Premium Finish
Visually, the OnePlus 12 carries forward the OnePlus 11’s rounded camera bump but enlarges it slightly for an imposing look. The alert slider, mute switch and trademark OnePlus branding also make a reappearance.
However, the OnePlus 12 stands out through small details like “starry” accents around the camera lenses rather than dots, a scaled pattern on the aluminum camera rim and barely-there OnePlus logo anodized onto the glass back.
Our test unit came in Eternal Green, which has a soft frosted glass-like feel but with an etched pattern that adds graininess. The matte texture resists fingerprints beautifully. Volcanic Black offers a silky glass finish, while Forest Emerald features glossy ceramic-like glass.
At 220g and 9.15mm thick, the OnePlus 12 has noticeable heft but feels comfortable to grip thanks to the flowing curved display glass.Buttons and switches also retain OnePlus’ signature precise tactility.
Vibrant 120Hz QHD+ Display with LTPO 3.0
The OnePlus 12 sports a stunning 6.82-inch flexible AMOLED panel made by BOE featuring LTPO 3.0 technology alongside a native 120Hz refresh rate. The peak 1500 nits brightness and color depth surpass phones double its price.
It also has a low-brightness 2160Hz PWM dimming, 10-bit HDR10+ support and 0.35 JNCD color accuracy for comfortable viewing in all conditions. The 120Hz refresh rate switches dynamically from 1-120Hz as needed through LTPO efficiency, preventing battery drain.
Gaming and movies shine with vibrant, fluid motion devoid of light bleeding or ghosting issues thanks to a well-tuned panel. The OnePlus 12 takes the #1 DisplayMate A+ spot among 1440p Android phones.
Blazing Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Performance
As a 2023 flagship, the OnePlus 12 predictably packs Qualcomm’s cutting-edge Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset built on an efficient 4nm process. Our 16GB RAM + 512GB storage model felt consistently speedy when jumping between apps, editing media files or playing games.
An advanced cooling system called Laval Airflow, which debuted on the OnePlus Ace 2, includes a large vapor cooling chamber covering over 9100mm^2. Even graphically-intensive games like Genshin Impact ran at a smooth 60FPS average over half an hour without any perceivable heat buildup or throttling.
The OnePlus 12 posted an AnTuTu benchmark over 2202000, making it one of the highest-scoring Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 phones tested. Real-world experience lives up to expectations with no lags across both intense gaming and general usage.
Hasselblad Imaging Power and Impressive Zoom
OnePlus continues its Hasselblad partnership for superior mobile photography.The custom IMX890 sensor co-developed with Sony offers excellent dynamic range and color rendition comparable to phones twice the cost.
It holds up well in challenging backlit situations, accurately restoring details in shaded regions while preventing highlights from blowing out. Hasselblad’s tuning lends a warmer, more vibrant tone that excels in sunsets and other vibrant scenes.
A 48MP ultrawide lens doubles as a macro shooter, while an OV64B 64MP telephoto enables impressive 2-5x lossless zoom as well as up to 20x hybrid zoom.This versatile array captures crisp wide landscapes and minute details up close with ease while enabling more creative framing.
Low light photos do ramp up shadows quite strongly through aggressive HDR algorithms leading to slightly undersaturated results. But color tuning and clarity continue to surpass expectations for a sub-₹50k device. Portraits showcase excellent edge detection and bokeh.
All-Day Battery Life with 100W Charging
The OnePlus 12 houses a 5000mAh cell supporting blazing-fast 100W charging. Using the in-box charger, the battery hit 52% at 10 minutes and 92% by 20 minutes, enabling extremely quick top-ups.
For battery benchmarks, we tested continuous heavy use consisting of gaming, video streaming, Bluetooth audio, web browsing and more at 50% brightness and 5G/Wi-Fi turned on. The phone lasted nearly 5 hours of screen time with 35% charge remaining - easily a full day plus change even for demandings users.
More moderate use should stretch to 1.5 days without charging. Combining stellar battery life reserves with ultrafast charging makes the OnePlus 12 a winner for on-the-go use.
OnePlus 12 Review Summary
With a vibrant 120Hz LTPO display, cutting-edge Snapdragon performance, versatile photography and speedy charging, the OnePlus 12 delivers virtually every feature expected from a 2023 Android flagship. OnePlus also retains signature flourishes like the handy Alert Slider and balanced tactile buttons.
IP54 water resistance provides peace of mind against splashes. At its price point below ₹50k, the OnePlus 12 raises the bar for affordable flagships. Unless you need higher-end extras like 70-100x zoom cameras or stylus support, it handily trounces competitors as an overall package.
OnePlus fans seeking the ultimate photography or stylus-toting experience may prefer spending extra on the OnePlus 12 Pro or Ultra models respectively. But most users will find the well-rounded OnePlus 12 an incredible blend of power, utility and value difficult to pass up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How good is the OnePlus 12's display compared to rivals?
A: With a vibrant and color-accurate 6.82" 1440p LTPO panel, the OnePlus 12 achieves DisplayMate's highest A+ rating in its class, matching or exceeding any competitor below ₹60,000 for color depth, responsiveness, sunlight visibility and more.
Q: Does the OnePlus 12 face overheating issues during gaming or charging?
A: No, an advanced Laval Airflow cooling system prevents thermal throttling even in graphically-intensive games like Genshin Impact. The phone remains cool when charging rapidly at 100W speeds as well thanks to carefully optimized internals.
Q: Can the OnePlus 12 capture distant objects clearly like other flagships?
A: Yes, the 64MP telephoto camera enables impressive optical zoom up to 2-5x magnification as well lossless hybrid zoom reaching 20x, allowing you to capture crisp long range shots comparable to ₹80k flagships.
Q: How long does the 5000mAh battery last with heavy use?
A: In stress tests with continuous gaming, video playback and more at 50% brightness, the OnePlus 12 exceeded 5 hours screen-on time while retaining 35% charge, easily lasting over 1.5 days for most people. Standby time is equally strong.
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