The OnePlus 12 marks a full decade since the original OnePlus One took the smartphone world by storm in 2014 — and it’s clear that the company wants this anniversary model to remind everyone what made it special in the first place. A lot has changed in those ten years, but OnePlus seems to be rediscovering its flagship mojo with the OnePlus 12.
While the brand is no longer the scrappy upstart it once was — now deeply tied to Oppo — the OnePlus 12 still brings a powerful combination of top-tier performance, excellent display tech, and rapid charging that rivals any premium smartphone today.
Design: Familiar but Refined
The OnePlus 12 doesn’t stray too far from its predecessor’s design. The rounded camera island — inspired by luxury watches, according to OnePlus — gives it a signature look. The new Flowy Emerald colorway, inspired by New Zealand’s Dart River, is particularly eye-catching with its shimmering green tones.
OnePlus continues its trend of combining elegance with practicality. The phone feels sturdy and well-built, even if the overall design evolution is subtle rather than revolutionary.
Display: Stunning Visuals with Next-Level Brightness
OnePlus packs in a 6.82-inch LTPO OLED display with a 1440×3168 resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and Dolby Vision support. The screen is razor-sharp, color-accurate, and buttery smooth.
Peak brightness reaches up to 4,500 nits in HDR scenarios and around 1,200 nits in typical high-brightness conditions, meaning outdoor visibility is excellent. With adaptive refresh rates between 1Hz and 120Hz, the display balances performance and power efficiency smartly.
Battery Life: Efficient and Reliable
The 5,400mAh battery is a welcome bump from last year’s 5,000mAh cell, and it delivers solid results. The OnePlus 12 achieved an Active Use Score of 14 hours and 11 minutes, putting it among the top performers in real-world battery endurance.
Gaming battery life is just average, but video playback and web browsing performance are impressive — a good balance for everyday use.
Charging: Blazing-Fast as Always
OnePlus continues to lead the fast-charging race. The OnePlus 12 supports 100W SuperVOOC wired charging (80W in the U.S.) and comes with a charger in the box — something many rivals have abandoned.
From 0 to 100% takes just 24 minutes, or around 28 minutes if you don’t enable Smart Rapid Charging. It also supports 50W wireless charging, which can top up the battery in under an hour.
Software: OxygenOS, But Make It Oppo
Running Android 14 with OxygenOS, the OnePlus 12 promises four years of major updates and five years of security patches. However, long-time fans may feel the software has lost some of its signature OnePlus personality — OxygenOS now feels nearly identical to Oppo’s ColorOS.
Still, the interface remains smooth, clean, and highly customizable, with features like dynamic wallpapers, adjustable dark modes, and edge lighting.
Performance: Snapdragon Powerhouse
Under the hood, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 powers the show, paired with up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 512GB of UFS 4.0 storage. The OnePlus 12 runs fast and fluid, easily handling demanding games and multitasking without breaking a sweat.
OnePlus’ thermal management and “High Performance” mode give the phone extra muscle for intensive workloads, making it one of the most capable Android flagships of 2024.
Cameras: Polished and Powerful
On the back, you get a 50MP Sony LYT-808 main sensor, a 48MP ultrawide lens, and a 64MP periscope telephoto with 3x optical zoom. This is essentially the same camera setup found on the OnePlus Open and Oppo Find N3 — and that’s a very good thing.
Photos are sharp, detailed, and vibrant in most lighting conditions. The telephoto lens delivers strong zoom shots, while the ultrawide doubles as a capable macro camera. Even selfies from the 32MP front camera impress with good color and clarity.
Video quality during daylight could be a bit better, but stabilization is excellent, making it great for handheld shooting.
Verdict: A Confident Comeback for OnePlus
The OnePlus 12 isn’t a revolutionary device, but it’s an undeniably excellent one. It nails the fundamentals — fast performance, beautiful display, superb charging, and strong cameras — while only falling short in small areas like water resistance and slightly inconsistent video performance.
If you’ve missed the days when OnePlus flagships stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the best from Samsung and Google, this is the comeback you’ve been waiting for.
✅ Pros:
- Gorgeous, ultra-bright AMOLED display
- Lightning-fast 100W charging (charger included!)
- Excellent camera setup with powerful telephoto zoom
- Great battery life
- Premium build and design
❌ Cons:
- No IP68 rating (limited water resistance)
- Software feels less “OnePlus” than before
Bottom line: The OnePlus 12 is a true flagship killer reborn — fast, premium, and packed with features that make it one of 2024’s best Android smartphones.
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