OnePlus 12 Review: A True-Blue Flagship – Not Just in Terms of Specs, But Experience Too

It is hard to believe that OnePlus has completed 10 years in the hyper-competitive smartphone industry. With the market continuing to be as dynamic as ever, OnePlus has managed to carve a niche for itself. While we would be first to admit that the brand has not necessarily stayed true to its original mission, in a world where change is the only constant, the BBK Electronics-owned company has ensured that it can evolve to meet consumer needs.

The OnePlus 12 is a fine example of that philosophy. It comes with top-tier specs – but that’s expected of a OnePlus flagship – what it truly managed to deliver is an experience par excellence. Intrigued? Read on to find out more.

OnePlus 12: Price in India and availability

The OnePlus 12 is available in two variants:

Since OnePlus devices do not offer memory expansion, you will need to carefully consider which variant you should go for. While the higher-end model also comes with more RAM, we believe if you do not need more storage, the base version of the OnePlus 12 would serve your needs well.

OnePlus 12: Camera Review

You might be wondering why we are starting with the OnePlus 12 camera performance… it’s simple – the cameras on this smartphone are dressed to impress. As mentioned in our first impressions, OnePlus has also managed to turn the sore point of its smartphones (with regards to imaging capabilities) into its biggest strength, a large part of that is courtesy Hasselblad partnership. In its fourth generation, you get an upgraded Master mode (we received this as a software update just recently, during our review) and the latest HDR algorithm.

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It is worth noting that OnePlus is following the Cupertino giant’s footsteps here – instead of chasing the megapixel count, it has focused on offering a click-it-and-forget-it experience. And that’s true across scenarios… be it landscapes, close-ups, portraits, or even dimly-lit settings. You get sharp images with punchy colours and minimal grains. Add to it the versatility provided by additional cameras, and you get functionality like 3x optical zoom (and digital zoom of up to 120x), 114-degree ultra-wide capture, and macro shots at just 3.5cm from the subject.

Camera Samples of OnePlus 12

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What about Hasselblad goodies? The Master Mode takes the pro features available in most phones to the next level, by letting you adjust not just parameters like ISO levels and shutter speed, but saturation, contrast, and sharpness too. The Portrait Mode also lets you simulate natural bokeh effects by choosing depth of field, and zoom levels (1x to 3x).

Coming to videos, OIS helps in getting stable footage. You also get Dolby Vision support to capture HDR videos.

Whether you are capturing selfies or doing virtual interviews, the 32MP camera on the OnePlus 12 makes sure that your best self is captured.

OnePlus 12 Review: Design and Display

Remember we mentioned that OnePlus has focused on offering a full-fledged flagship experience? Well, that’s because, the OnePlus 12 comes with IP67 certification, making it resistant to dust and water. OnePlus had opted for this protection just a couple of years back with the introduction of the OnePlus 8 Pro. The story does not end there, the phone also features Corning Gorilla Glass protection for the display and rear panel too.

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While all the phones are increasingly looking similar in terms of being rectangular slabs with the display covering the fascia, OnePlus is banking on its camera island to help it stand out. At the back of the OnePlus 12, you will find a unique-looking camera module. It immediately draws your attention, and is ably supported by the Flowy Emerald texture, which is inspired by the rivers of Southern Alps. In case, this colour does not appeal to you, there’s an option for the classic Silky Black hue.

The button and port placement have also switched sides (quite literally). The power button and volume rocker are on the right, while the mute switch is now on the left. The bottom edge is choc-a-bloc with a USB-C port, speaker grille, and dual SIM slots. The top features another speaker and an IR port (yes, OnePlus has offered this too). Speaking of that, the dual speakers offer rich and loud audio, thanks to Dolby Atmos support. OnePlus also goes a step further by supporting 3D Spatial Audio.

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At the front, the screen curves towards the edges, providing an immersive experience. If you just read the display specs, you know that the OnePlus 12 is staking a claim for the best Android smartphone in terms of visuals. we loved watching series on Netflix, be it day or night, and thanks to ample brightness, screen legibility in sunlight was not a challenge either. What aids display further is the brand’s proprietary picture quality engine, dubbed Display P1 chip, which promises better visuals without sacrificing the battery life.

Another useful, but not-often-talked-about feature is Aqua Touch, i.e. the ability to interact with the OnePlus 12’s display even when it’s wet due to the splash of rain or sweaty palms.

OnePlus 12 Design

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While the OnePlus 12 may not turn heads, it offers uniform weight distribution despite weighing 220g, making it ergonomic to hold for long durations. What we did not like, however, is its slippery build, unless you want to slap on a case. The palm rejection for the curved display could also have been better as there were several times that we were not able to type or use the screen because of our palms around the sides.

OnePlus 12: Hardware and Software Review

If you have been following OnePlus, you already know the brand’s recipe for this section – the all-powerful Qualcomm processor, high-capacity RAM with the latest technology, and ample built-in memory with the newest storage standards – all complemented by stock Android with Oxygen OS.

Hence, nothing is surprising in this regard. The OnePlus 12 easily works through anything thrown at it, without showing any trace of a lag. OnePlus has further optimised the usage experience with its Vitalization Engine. CPU-Vitalization for example, ensures better synergy between hardware and software, while ensuring that battery consumption is efficient too by studying the device usage and correlating it with required frame rates, CPU frequency, and more. Then there’s RAM-Vitalization which ensures that apps stay in the background without getting killed (up to 6 apps can resume from the point one leaves them for as much as 72 hours), along with offering smoother multitasking. Lastly, ROM-Vitalization promises that the device will remain as good as new for up to 4 years along with efficiently consuming the space.

The benchmark numbers also prove the performance mettle of the OnePlus 12, though they are not as high as other flagships with such hardware. The gaming is a delight too, be it for casual games or heavy-duty AAA titles like BGMI. Undoubtedly, you could play in the highest settings at 90Hz so much so that you can lose track of time. What’s more impressive is that the Cooling System ensures that the device is cool to the touch even after 30 minutes of gaming.

OnePlus has paid special attention to the cooling system as it boasts a new aerodynamic design with a large heat dissipation area and a shorter distance for gas-liquid circulation.

With the latest Android, and minimal bloatware, the OnePlus 12 is a perfect smartphone for power users.

OnePlus 12: Battery Review

While most phones, including flagships, pack up to 5,000mAh batteries, the OnePlus 12 one-ups them. It offers ~8% higher capacity, and that makes sure that the handset can last a day and then some more. During our usage, there was nary an instance where we were anxious about the battery. And there’s a good reason for that… you guessed it – OnePlus’ SuperVOOC charging. With the bundled 100W charger, the device does not even take 30 minutes to juice up fully… meeting the official claims of juicing up in 26 minutes.

Remember our point about the handset delivering a flagship experience? That continues here as well, for you get support for Wireless Charging. And not just basic support, you get 50W AIRVOOC charging… such speeds aren’t available with even wired charging in many flagships.

OnePlus 12: Alternatives

While we are crediting OnePlus for changing with time, the market is also evolving at a breakneck pace. What that means is that the OnePlus 12 competes with a variety of devices.

iQOO 12 (Review)

If you are simply looking for best-in-class performance while saving as much as possible, then the iQOO 12 is a perfect option for you. It matches most of the specs toe-to-toe, and leaps ahead in terms of 120W fast charging support and a refresh rate of 144Hz.

Vivo X100 (Review)

If you are looking for a camera that doubles up as a phone, then you cannot go wrong with the Vivo X100. With Zeiss optics, MediaTek’s flagship Dimensity 9300 chipset, and a 6.78-inch 120Hz AMOLED display, it is a solid option for the price.

OnePlus 12 Review: Final Thoughts

We have mentioned this in our OnePlus 12 first impressions, which remains true even after spending about 10 days with the device – buying a OnePlus device is no longer an eyes-closed decision. Depending on your budget or preferences, you can find plenty of options. Having said that, if you are looking for an all-rounder flagship, then the OnePlus 12 should not be ignored, unless you are enamoured by the AI capabilities in the smartphones.