I always considered OnePlus as the “supercar of smartphones,” a name that fits very well also for the last flagship, the OnePlus 12. Not a revolution, but rather an update that improves some features.
OnePlus 12: our tops and flops
In the smartphone landscape, the OnePlus 12 continues to be an excellent and different choice from the usual. It is not a “business” phone, as it lacks some features otherwise present in the Android panorama, such as simply the ability to create multiple accounts. But it is an excellent phone primarily for its battery life, which is impressive and manages to outperform the previous version, as well as for the lightning-fast speed of both the system and charging. Additionally, the Hasselblad camera combined with AI is capable of taking great photos even in low light, while videos do improve, though there is still room for improvement. I recommend it if you are looking for a fast phone, among the most affordable flagship models with the right power for gaming and performing any operations, as well as excellent build quality and display.
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The Aesthetics of the OnePlus 12
Compared to the OnePlus 11, the two models are practically identical. Of course, it remains a rather large and heavy device, especially due to the camera system. The dimensions are 164×76 mm, thickness is 9.15 mm, and weight is 220 grams, 15 grams more than the previous model, again due to the updated camera system.
The button positions are still the same, with power and volume on the right side, and the alert slider, a unique feature, which has instead changed side, apparently to improve the phone’s reception. The textured rear remains, which increases ergonomics, while the chrome and thin curved edges contribute to making it quite slippery. New compared to the OnePlus 11 is the IP65 certification, not a total waterproofing but still a step forward.
The test model is black, but I believe it looks much better in the Flowy Emerald green, which makes it more personal and elegant.
Great Photos
In any case, the real news is in the camera system: still in collaboration with the Swedish Hasselblad, the OnePlus 12 inherits from the OnePlus Open the main 23 mm f/1.6 50 MP lens produced by Sony, but above all introduces the 3x telephoto lens for a much more accurate optical zoom with really satisfying results.
Contributing to the improvement of the photographic experience, especially for the laymen who are the almost totality of its users, is the significantly improved camera app, and even better integrated with artificial intelligence.
There have been significant improvements, especially in night shots, which are never noisy and actually manage to deliver quite good contrasts and details, provided you do not use the wide-angle lens which still appears a bit underwhelming at night compared to the others.
From our preview of BYD Seal U in Milan, Italy
The shot is lightning-fast, like the whole phone, and without having to do anything you always get well-balanced shots in terms of light and quality. Moreover, there is the option to shoot in RAW for those who want to enjoy post-production.
Both the main lens and the new 3x periscope Omnivision telephoto lens are excellent, and especially good in color management, very natural and often even better than more expensive smartphones. For those who are more skilled, the OnePlus 12 introduces the Master mode, heir to the Pro mode: which allows customizing all shooting parameters, from exposure to ISO.
Videos are much better, now much more stable, with improved audio management and good quality.
There is also the cinema mode for recording in 21:9, and the smartphone generally allows recording up to 4K and 60 fps.
Endless battery
For the rest, the OnePlus 12 confirms itself as a very fast phone, thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, which also makes it very powerful for gaming, where it remains one of the best. I used it often with Xbox Game Pass Cloud to play Forza Horizon 5 or other titles, which are really well rendered.
Thanks also to the Dual Cryo-Velocity VC cooling system, which makes it difficult to get this smartphone to extremely high temperatures, even after gaming, and consequently makes bugs and slowdowns difficult and preserves the battery (we’ll get to that). The OS is OxygenOS 14, based on Android 14, clean and quite minimalist and simple to use.
The display is beautiful, bright, and well-defined, and large at 6.82 inches. Naturally OLED, it also supports Dolby Vision and ProXDR, making multimedia content enjoyable, even though it remains a smartphone. Also, customization returns here, as you can choose the type of display you want, between Natural, Vivid (perhaps a bit too saturated), and Pro.
One of the most impressive features of the OnePlus 12 remains its 5,400 mAh battery, which guarantees excellent autonomy: if you don’t game or make too many videos, it lasts up to two days. Coming from an iPhone, which rarely lasts until evening with 20%, it’s a significant change.
The SuperVOOC charging technology remains, requiring 25 minutes to bring the phone to 80% with the included 100W charger. Also new is the AIRVOOC system at 50W, the fast wireless charging that is a true novelty and allows, wirelessly, to reach 100% in one hour from zero.
On the OnePlus 12, you can have two SIMs, one physical nano and one eSIM, and reception is quite good. WiFi is also among the best: there are 16 antennas, three of which are designed to offer optimal performance when gaming.
