OnePlus 12 evaluation: refreshingly primary

In 2024, there’s one factor conspicuously lacking from the gross sales pitch for the OnePlus 12: AI. And you realize what? That’s high-quality. Nice, even, relying on what you need out of your telephone.

OnePlus’ flagship telephone seems to be sitting out on the cellular tech development of the 12 months, which is much more apparent on the heels of Samsung’s Unpacked AI-palooza. The OnePlus 12 isn’t chasing the most recent cutting-edge factor, it’s going again to the fundamentals. And I feel it will get them proper — a minimum of, lots nearer to “proper” than OnePlus has within the final three years.

You recognize what’s not a scorching buzz phrase in cellular tech proper now? Battery life. You recognize what issues a complete lot to individuals shopping for a telephone? Battery life. OnePlus put in some work right here, and it exhibits: battery efficiency is among the many better of any main flagship telephone I’ve examined up to now six months. Wi-fi charging, a prerequisite for a flagship telephone in 2024, is again after an absence on the OnePlus 11. OnePlus even kicked the IP score up a notch from IP64 to IP65, which supplies me just a bit extra confidence in its long-term sturdiness.

These enhancements have come at a value: an additional hundred bucks, or $799 versus $699 for the OnePlus 11. However that’s nonetheless on the low facet for a high-end telephone in 2024, particularly one with an enormous 6.8-inch show. All of it makes the OnePlus 12 a extra compelling package deal than its predecessor — it’s a telephone worthy of a “Professional” or “Plus” title that prices a number of hundred bucks much less.

None of those options are the varieties of latest, groundbreaking tech you’ll see in Samsung or Google adverts for his or her new telephones. However at this stage, AI on cellular gadgets hasn’t precisely confirmed itself to be indispensable. Certain, a Galaxy or Pixel telephone holds some extra attraction past AI in case you’re entrenched of their ecosystems — or in case you’re hooked on a Galaxy Watch or the Pixel Recorder app (it’s me).

It’s additionally doable that these flashy new AI options will include an additional value someplace down the road. When you’re not already devoted to a different Android ecosystem, you need to sit out this hype cycle, otherwise you simply need a telephone that does telephone issues properly, then the OnePlus 12 would possibly simply be the one.

For a telephone priced properly beneath $1,000, the OnePlus 12 actually comes by with top-tier processing energy beginning with its Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor. OnePlus isn’t pushing any proprietary AI options, like generative AI picture modifying or automated language translation on telephone calls, however due to that chipset it’ll be prepared for no matter AI providers Google finally bundles and sells with a Google One subscription. You recognize, in all probability.

On prime of that, the $799 base mannequin OnePlus 12 will get you 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. For $899, you get 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, like my evaluation unit. For reference, the $799 Samsung Galaxy S24 and the $699 Google Pixel 8 each include 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. In sensible phrases, it’s exhausting to throw something on the OnePlus 12 that it might probably’t deal with. It warms up noticeably with intensive gaming, however in any other case handles heavy processing duties with ease.

OnePlus tells us that it labored straight with Qualcomm to squeeze out an additional half-hour of battery life on prime of what the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is able to out of the field. That’s type of not possible to check, nonetheless, I can say that I received by a full day of journey, together with a two-hour flight delay, and not using a downside. Once I lastly received on board my flight, my seatmate talked about that her telephone was nearly useless as she scrounged round for an outlet. I stored scrolling by Threads, untethered to wall wart or battery, simply as smug as might be. That was with the always-on show enabled full time and with display decision on the highest 1440p setting, not the default 1080p.

Naturally, the OnePlus 12 affords extremely quick wired charging — as much as 80W with the included adapter and cable. Wi-fi charging comes and goes from OnePlus’ flagships, and I’m thrilled that it’s again on the 12. It helps as much as 50W with the corporate’s proprietary charger (a cool $70 further!) or 15W on a daily Qi charger (supplied the charger itself can do 15W). Certain, it’s neat to drop it on a wi-fi charger and are available again not an hour later to search out it totally charged.

However actually, I’m simply thrilled I can drop it on the identical gradual Qi charger that I exploit with each different telephone and get up to a totally charged gadget. There’s no Qi2 right here, so in case you have been hoping for MagSafe-style equipment, you’ll need to accept a third-party magnet case and “MagSafe-compatible.”

The OnePlus 12’s 6.8-inch display sings at that full 1440p decision setting. It goes as much as 120Hz so it seems fancy and clean, and it’s as vibrant and detailed as any flagship telephone display I’ve checked out in current historical past. It’s a 19.8:9 panel, so it’s somewhat taller and skinnier than its diagonal measurement suggests. I’m not an enormous fan of massive telephones, however I did discover the OnePlus 12 simpler to make use of one-handed than one other, wider 6.8-inch telephone I’m testing. The curved edges assist somewhat right here, too, however I’d gladly commerce them in for the flat panel edges which can be in vogue now. Particularly in shiny gentle, viewing angles get somewhat wonky towards the sides of the display.

The beloved alert slider is right here, and OnePlus has principally reused the 11’s design for the 12. The rear digicam “bump” is now see-through with somewhat sparkle that catches the sunshine. The again glass panel makes use of a clean matte end that’s really extra slippery in your hand than a shiny panel. The entire thing is IP65 rated, which implies it’s totally dustproof, whereas merely waterproof. Leaping up from IP64 means it’s higher protected towards water spray, so it ought to deal with even the worst splashes and downpours high-quality. Simply don’t anticipate to take it for a dip with out penalties. 

OnePlus claims this display has a peak brightness of 4,500 nits — that’s frankly bonkers shiny. Most different flagships declare someplace between 2,000 and a pair of,400 nits at their brightest, and that’s sufficient to maintain the display comfy to make use of in direct daylight. I didn’t have any hassle utilizing the OnePlus 12 exterior on a shiny day, however I additionally didn’t see something that regarded even near 4500 nits of brightness. Cellphone Enviornment has a superb rationalization of why that is likely to be, but it surely comes all the way down to how display brightness is measured. In observe, I didn’t have any hassle utilizing it on a shiny day, however don’t anticipate the eye-searing brightness the specs recommend.

The OnePlus 12 runs Oxygen OS 14, which seems lots like Oxygen OS 13. There’s a brand new Dynamic-Island-esque standing indicator referred to as Fluid Cloud that at present solely appears to work with a handful of apps — not one of the rides or meals deliveries I ordered popped up within the little tablet icon on the prime of the display, however timers do. I feel we’re transferring towards a future the place each telephone has some type of Dynamic Island of its personal, and I’m for it. It’s a helpful strategy to verify time-sensitive stuff it doesn’t matter what else you’re doing, and if there’s one good function to crib from Apple, then that is it.

Usually, although, in case you disliked the Coloration-OS-ification of Oxygen OS, then you definitely in all probability gained’t like this one a lot both. I discover it inoffensive. I nonetheless choose out of utilizing the “shelf” — a delegated web page within the system UI for widgets that’s often accessible by swiping down on the homescreen — and as a substitute assign the downward swipe to open the notification shade, because the lord supposed. Personally, I’m having fun with Zen Mode an increasing number of currently. It’s been round because the OnePlus 7 Professional, and it performs the type of ambient spa music I have to be listening to whereas I write. It locks you out of sure apps, too — additionally useful to the writing course of. That is only a be aware of appreciation; don’t go purchase a OnePlus telephone for it.

OnePlus guarantees 4 years of OS upgrades and 5 years of safety updates for the 12, which might be about so long as most individuals would plan to maintain this telephone. Just lately, although, Google and Samsung have upped the ante by providing seven years of OS upgrades, together with seven years of safety updates for his or her flagship telephones. If you wish to squeeze absolutely the most out of your funding, then seven years seems fairly good, ROI-wise. However, realistically, 5 years will in all probability just do high-quality for lots of people.

The soar from a 2x to 3x telephoto lens doesn’t sound like a lot on paper, however the upgraded telephoto digicam on the OnePlus 12 makes an actual distinction. You get just a bit nearer to the small print on distant topics, and it offers a flattering angle for portrait topics. The telephoto comes with optical picture stabilization and makes use of a 50-megapixel sensor, so there’s sufficient decision to reap the benefits of lossless crop zoom by utilizing the pixels on the center of the chip.

In low gentle, the telephoto will wrestle to maintain shutter speeds quick sufficient for transferring topics, however that’s an issue no telephone maker has actually cracked. However with loads of gentle, the 3x turns in numerous element. At 6x, the everyday flaws of a tiny cellular digicam lens are amplified and particulars can look smudgy, however provided that you actually go searching. All in all, it’s an enormous improve from the OnePlus 11.

OnePlus’ partnership with Hasselblad continues, and it’s, like, 75 p.c advertising and marketing hype. The place I feel the collaboration has paid off is within the colour tuning — colour and distinction are a number of the greatest within the enterprise. The OnePlus 12 digicam is aware of precisely what to do with heat backlighting, and it doesn’t look as susceptible as earlier OnePlus cameras to over brightening indoor scenes. Utilizing the 50-megapixel foremost digicam in the usual capturing mode, I received much more sharp pictures of my child in a dimly lit youngsters’s museum than I anticipated. Portrait mode is somewhat trickier, however once more, OnePlus isn’t alone in that wrestle.

Whereas Samsung and Google are busy transport cellular AI options as quick as they will, the OnePlus 12 type of looks like a refreshing break from the hype. I feel there are reputable makes use of for AI on our telephones, however I additionally suppose we’re a 12 months or two away from them actually hitting their potential. In the meantime, OnePlus has made some significant tweaks to its present method, moderately than going all in on one thing new. And it’s working.

The improved telephoto coupled with wonderful picture processing means the OnePlus 12 has a digicam system that may actually compete with the incumbent flagships. Wi-fi charging is again, appropriately, and a slight improve in water resistance makes me really feel somewhat higher about carrying this telephone across the Pacific Northwest in all seasons. 

And I don’t need to undersell one of many 12’s foremost sights: the display. It’s not as fantastically shiny because the specs recommend, but it surely’s a superb all-around panel. Extra importantly, it’s huge, and the individuals need huge telephones. I’m an exception to the rule, however I do know my place. You’re simply not going to search out one other 6.8-inch panel that appears this good at this worth. 

There are nonetheless good causes to contemplate one of many aforementioned incumbents. The Samsung Galaxy S24 and the Pixel 8 sequence each embody IP68 scores for resistance towards full water immersion and 7 years of promised OS upgrades. They arrive with full-featured ecosystems of earbuds, tablets, and sensible watches — one thing that OnePlus remains to be constructing out. And naturally, they’re proper on the forefront of the AI telephone future — for higher and worse. However for a big-screen gadget that will get all of the common telephone stuff proper, the OnePlus 12 is splendidly primary.

Images by Allison Johnson / The Verge