After spending a few weeks with the OnePlus 12, it’s hard to imagine anyone who wouldn’t be satisfied with the brand’s latest smartphone. There are some quirks, and one aspect of the phone that’s pretty disappointing, but as a complete product and with a competitive price, the OnePlus 12 makes a strong case for its consideration alongside many of the biggest players in the Android smartphone market.

OnePlus 12 Delivers One of the Brightest Displays Ever

The OnePlus 12 makes a big splash right out the box with its stunning 6.8-inch display.

oneplus 12 phone review

OnePlus 12 Display Specs:

  • Type: 120Hz ProXDR Display with LTPO
  • Resolution: 3168x1440 (QHD+), 510 ppi
  • Peak Brightness: 1600 / 4500 nits
  • Refresh Rate: 1-120 Hz dynamic
  • Cover Glass: Corning® Gorilla® Glass Victus 2

The number that should instantly jump out to anybody is the 4,500 nits peak brightness, which is about 2,000 nits higher than any phone currently on the market. There’s no question that the display can get bright, but it doesn’t feel like the 4,500 nits is as noticeably brighter as the numbers might suggest. Next to a phone capable of 2,500 nits you can tell that the OnePlus 12 is brighter, but it doesn’t feel 2x as bright.

Nevertheless, the screen itself, with rounded edges and thin bezels, is stunning to look at. Admittedly, the bezels are a bit more noticeable on the top and bottom of the display than on the sides, but it’s nothing too noticeable, and it doesn’t feel like it intrudes on screen real estate. Even the pinhole selfie camera is relatively small.

Every detail comes through crisp and clean, whether you’re watching a YouTube video or just reading a news article. As mentioned, the display does have rounded edges around the sides, which I found made it easier to grip and made thumb navigation more comfortable. It’s a personal preference thing – some prefer the flat face of the newer iPhones – but OnePlus 12 has its own sense of style.

OnePlus 12's Camera System is Eye-Catching

On the backside of the phone is the recognizable, circular camera system of the OnePlus brand with the Hasselblad H etched into the side. The texture on the phone is very subtle, but it gives the device a good amount of grip and feels good in the hands. It’s an unmistakable design and one that makes a statement to any who see it.

With a camera system that sticks out more than the average mobile phone, the expectation is that the OnePlus 12 will deliver high-quality photos from a variety of ranges. As part of its continued partnership with Swedish-based camera maker Hasselblad, OnePlus has made sure that this phone more than meets expectations. In optimal light, low light, up close or at a significant distance, the camera system on the OnePlus 12 is very impressive.

oneplus 12 review
oneplus 12 review

The phone is equipped with three rear cameras and one selfie camera:

  • 50MP main camera
  • 64MP telephoto camera
  • 48MP ultrawide camera
  • 32MP selfie camera (up to 90-degree FOV)

While the three lenses on the camera array perform exceptionally, the telephoto delivered the most amazing results with its 3x optical and 6x in-sensor zoom, albeit only in decent-quality light. Its ability to preserve clarity from a significant distance is stunning, even without some of the AI tech that OnePlus’s competitors use. At nighttime, however, some of that detail is lost with zoomed-in photos, which look processed and fuzzy. Motion can also give the camera system trouble in low light, as it struggles to keep things from looking blurry.

Night shooting quirks aside, the accurate reproduction of color is great on all three cameras, and solid on the pinhole selfie cam. So much so that the OnePlus 12 became my go-to mobile phone when it came to taking photos at events or capturing treasured moments. The argument can certainly be made that there are better smartphone cameras on the market, but the results of our testing matched up with some of the best.

Some Photos Taken with the OnePlus 12 Main Camera System

Snapdragon 8 Gen3 is a Monster Chip for Phones

The Snapdragon 8 Gen3 is the chip du jour for smartphones in 2024 (it is in the Asus ROG Phone 8), and the OnePlus 12 takes full advantage of the horsepower that the hardware provides. Combined with either 12GB or 16GB of LDDPRX RAM, it’s an ultra-snappy phone that jumps between programs instantaneously and can multi-task with the best of them.

Popping into the settings of the OnePlus 12 reveals a High-Performance mode toggle that is, honestly, the best way to experience the phone. In that mode, most tests put the OnePlus 12 on par with some of the best smartphones on the market, and made the overall experience just a touch faster. Without the mode on, there is no noticeable lag or general flaws with the phone – it's actually plenty fast without high performance – but if the plan is to get the most out of it and charge the phone every night, it’s worth toggling the mode on.

Strong Battery Life Plus Fast Charging = Win/Win

Even with that power, the OnePlus 12 is superb at giving users as much battery life as it can. The 5,400 mAh battery could easily last throughout a day, and even several days with minimal use. OnePlus also packs in an 80W charger that can get the phone back up to 100% from 0 in less than 30 minutes. It’s certainly one of the most impressive phones in terms of battery life for 2024.

Preference is going to take precedence, but the OxygenOS operating system that the OnePlus 12 packs in never gave me any trouble. I found it to be just as easy to navigate and use as any other Android phone. At the end of the day, one’s comfort with Android is going to indicate how well the UI works for you.

oneplus 12 phone review

For gaming, however, OxygenOS is very capable, thanks to buzzwords like HyperBoost, HyperRendering, and HyperTouch. In simpler terms, the OnePlus 12 is a great gaming phone just as much as it is a daily driver. The precision (thanks to HyperTouch) while playing mobile games is solid and the performance is up there with some of the leaders in the market. It’s not a phone that is designed specifically with gaming in mind, but the OnePlus 12 still gets the job done if you want to pop into some Genshin Impact or Fortnite for a few hours.

OnePlus might not have the cache that some other brands in the smartphone market do, but the company has fast been establishing itself as a genuine competitor. More importantly, the OnePlus 12’s $800 starting price point puts it ahead of some of the higher-end phones while still delivering comparable performance and specs. And outside of disappointing nighttime photos, the OnePlus 12’s camera system can deliver high-quality photos rich in detail and color accurate. And gaming on the phone is solid, even if the brand might be more focused on daily use. Overall, the OnePlus 12 impressed with its all-around performance and the brand continues to be one to watch as it rises.

The OnePlus 12 is available now at a starting price of $800. Game ZXC was provided a unit for this review.