OnePlus 12 smartphone review: A great Samsung Galaxy S24+ alternative for way less

The folks at OnePlus recently sent me the new OnePlus 12 smartphone to review. I've put it to the test and discover first-hand if this new smartphone is a viable alternative to other higher-end, Android phones. (Spoiler alert: It really is, and for less.)

Keep reading to learn all about this new phone, discover how well it performs, and determine if it's the perfect phone for you. 

OnePlus 12: At a glance

Operating system: OxygenOS 14 (based on Android 14) | Display size: 6.82 inches | Display type: ProXDR with LTPO (QHD+) | Display resolution: 3,168 x 1,440 pixels (510 ppi) | Display refresh rate: 120Hz (dynamic) | Display max. brightness: 4,500 nits | Processor: Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Mobile | RAM: 12GB or 16GB | Storage options: 256GB or 512GB | Front camera: 32MP | Rear camera system: 50MP (wide), 64MP (periscope telephoto), 40MP (ultra-wide) | Max video resolution: 8K (24fps) | Wireless connectivity: Wi-Fi 6E (with Wi-Fi 7 support), Bluetooth 5.4 | Port: 1x USB 3.2 Type-C | Waterproof rating: IP65 | Battery life: Up to 18 hours | Wireless charging: Yes | Dimensions: 6.47 x 2.98 x 0.36 inches | Weight: 7.76 ounces 

There's a new Android smartphone -- one that's priced at just $800, but offers the most up-to-date processor, display and wireless communication capabilities, combined with a powerful camera system, a long battery life and a handful of other value-added features. These features include an IPX65 waterproof rating, Dolby Atmos audio support, HDR video support, an in-display fingerprint sensor and more.

The OnePlus 12 is a feature-packed device that offers most of the features you'd expect from the highest-end Android phones from Samsung, Google or Motorola, but this one costs a fraction of the price. This phone comes unlocked and works with just about any cellular service provider.

OnePlus 12 Smartphone: First impressions

Before even turning it on, I noticed its thin, rectangular and minimalist design with rounded edges and modern appearance. The phone is a mere .36 inches thick and weighs 7.76 ounces, so it fit comfortably in my hand. 

As with all of the latest Android phones and tablets, the initial setup process took less than five minutes. I was prompted to sign into my Google account, and it immediately imported my preferences and asked if I wanted to transfer content from an older phone. Even without doing that, the phone populated the pre-installed Gmail, Google Contacts and Google Calendar with my data.

My favorite features quickly became the in-display fingerprint sensor and fast responding face recognition -- both of which unlock the phone quickly.

I noticed the sharp and vivid detail offered by the ProXDR with LTPO (QHD+) display and how responsive it is to touch commands, taps and swipes. I also liked that all of the preinstalled Google apps are in a Google folder on the home screen, but at the same time, Google Chrome, Meet and the Play Store app icons appear on the same screen for easy access, along with the Phone, Messages, Camera, Games, Photos, YouTube, YouTube Music and Netflix icons.

The speed and excellent responsiveness comes in part from the Snapdragon 9 Gen 3 Mobile processor, the same one that's in the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. Compared to the previous generation, it offers 98% faster AI performance, 30% faster CPU performance, 25% better GPU performance, 20% greater CPU power efficiency and 25% greater GPU power efficiency. As a result, battery life of the OnePlus 12 is very good -- up to 18 hours.

I noticed this speed as I installed and jumped between apps. But it was when I tried streaming content from Paramount+ that I noticed how stunning the 2K resolution display is, with its 120Hz refresh rate and 4,500 nits maximum brightness. This is one of the few smartphones with a display that supports Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and HDR Vivid, so whether you're using the phone indoors or outdoors in the sunlight, whatever is on the screen remains sharp and highly visible. 

The phone's touchscreen impressed me too, as I used it to shoot images and  8K video, and when I tested out a few graphic and action intensive games. I also watched multiple shows and movies, streamed music via Spotify, ran several Google apps, including Docs, Chrome, Google Maps and Gmail and of course made calls and texts.

I alternated between using the phone's built-in speakers and testing how the spatial audio worked with noise-canceling, wireless earbuds. Regardless, it was consistently clear and robust sounding. 

OnePlus 12: Who's it best for?

The OnePlus 12 will appeal to everyday smartphone users, but it also handles business apps and multitasking exceptionally well. It did a great job as a communications tool and takes full advantage of the latest OS features to provide customizable and intuitive interaction.

Between the display quality and touchscreen responsiveness, processor speed and sound capabilities, the OnePlus 12 is also a wonderfully interactive entertainment gadget for video, audio and games. The phone's battery life exceeds many other Android smartphones. When it comes to charging, the OnePlus 12 supports wireless or wired fast charging. 

The advertised recharge rate of 30 minutes using the supplied 80-watt charger (or 55 minutes using wireless charging) turned out to be accurate. I was also impressed that this phone comes with both a bright red USB Type-A to USB Type-C charging cable (slightly over three feet long) and a charging adapter. Most other phones these days sell the charging adapter separately. 

OnePlus 12: Operating system and CPU

With a few exceptions, the OnePlus 12 ($800) can easily be compared to the Samsung Galaxy S24+ (starting price $1,200). Feature-for-feature, both are pretty equally matched. One distinction is that the OnePlus 12 runs using the Oxygen 14 OS, which is 100% compatible with Android 14. 

The version of the OnePlus 12 that comes with 256GB of storage also includes 16GB of RAM. This is more RAM than the Samsung Galaxy S24+ or Galaxy S24 Ultra (both of which come with 12GB of RAM in conjunction with either 256GB or 512GB of internal storage). And the OnePlus 12 runs using the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Mobile processor, while the latest Samsung phones run the same processor, but with a slightly faster clock speed (3.3GHz versus 3.9GHz).

One area where the OnePlus 12 excels over the competition: wireless connectivity. This phone supports Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.4, but at the moment, it's also one of the few smartphones that will support Wi-Fi 7 once this wireless protocol launches.

OnePlus 12: A camera system co-developed by Hasselblad

One of the three rear cameras offers a 50MP resolution, wide angle lens that uses a 1/1.4 inch sensor. It offers an 85-degree field of view and a F1.6 aperture, with a 23mm focal length equivalent. The 48MP ultra-wide camera uses a 1/2-inch sensor, offers a 114-degree field of view and a 14mm focal length equivalent. The 64MP periscope telephoto lens camera that uses a 1/2-inch sensor, has a 33-degree field of view and a 70mm focal length equivalent. This camera offers up to 3x optical or 6x in-sensor zoom. Meanwhile, the phone's rear cameras offer up to a 120x digital zoom, but to use this level, you'll need to hold the phone very still. 

There's also a 12-channel multi-spectral sensor to capture light and colors more accurately, and an LED flash.

The phone's cameras incorporate Hasselblad tech that among other things, captures authentic lighting and colors in just about any setting. Whether you're shooting still images or video, the cameras offer impressive image stabilization that kicks in automatically.

Meanwhile, the phone's front-facing camera has some handy features. When shooting video, if you activate dual-view, both the front and back cameras will record video at the same time -- a feature that's great for vloggers or capturing vacation memories.

OnePlus 12: Taking photos

One of the really nice things about Android 14 (and Oxygen 14) is that the Camera app has been decluttered. You still get a wide range of features and functions, but some are accessed by either tapping on an icon in the top-right corner of the viewfinder, or by selecting the more option in the shooting mode menu. 

In auto mode, the phone measures things like ambient light and adjusts accordingly, but if you switch to pro mode, you gain manual control over things like ISO, focus, white balance and more. Zooming is as easy as tapping on one of the zoom icons  on viewfinder, or using a pinch/reverse-pinch on the screen.

I found the Camera app to be very easy to work with, especially since the menu options are more intuitive than ever. The integrated still image and video shooting capabilities (not to mention the editing) are far more sophisticated than what you get using Apple flagship iPhone 15 Pro Max. Yet in many ways, the camera app preinstalled in the OnePlus 12 is easier to use.

OnePlus 12: Video shooting

This is one of the few smartphones that allows video to be shot in 8K resolution (24fps). Since not everyone needs this resolution, the camera can also capture 4K video at 30 or 60fps, 1080p video at 30 or 60 fps, or 720p video at 30 or 60 fps. At 1080p resolution, you can activate ultra steady mode when shooting at 60 fps for smoother content. Using pro mode (at 4K 30fps), you capture impressively detailed video without having to tinker with settings. 

Putting the OnePlus 12 cameras to the test

I brought the phone to Borderland State Park in Massachusetts to see how well the cameras performed in a variety of shooting situations. 

OnePlus 10: Likes and dislikes

There's a lot to like about the OnePlus 12 that goes beyond its low price. Here are the 10 things I initially liked the most about it, as well as five things I didn't.

10 things I like most about the OnePlus 12

• The phone offers an elegant design with smooth edges. It's also very thin and light. The rounded edges give it a bezel-less appearance when using some apps that showcase video.
• The fingerprint sensor and front camera (which serves as a face recognition scanner) make unlocking the phone very quick and easy.
• At the time of purchase there are very few decisions to make. Choose the black or emerald housing color and between 256GB or 512GB of storage. That's it.
• The 6.82-inches touchscreen offers impressively high resolution, combined with a 120Hz refresh rate and a maximum brightness of 4,500 nits. By comparison, the maximum brightness of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is 2,600 nits.
• When watching video, you get support for Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, HLG and HDR Vivid. This means you'll enjoy bright and accurate colors.
• From a performance standpoint, the OxygenOS powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Mobile processor is equal to or better than most of the Android phones on the market.
• Right out of the box, the phone supports Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.4, but will work with Wi-Fi 7 once this protocol launches.
• Battery life is up to 18 hours, but you get fast charging capabilities using a wired or wireless connection.
• Video can be shot at up to 8K (24fps), or you can select 4K (30 or 60fps), 1080p (30 or 60fps) or 720p (30 or 60fps). 
• OnePlus has pledged four years of major OS updates and five years of security-related updates.

Five things I don't like about the OnePlus 12

• The OnePlus 12 lacks a microSD card slot to expand storage.
• Unlike the Samsung S24 Ultra, the OnePlus 12 does not come with a stylus, nor does it support one. 
• The ultra-smooth design looks fantastic, but it can get slippery, especially if it gets wet. 
• The shinydisplay picks up fingerprint smudges. I found myself needing to wipe the screen often.
• A few apps from the Google Play Store did not install on the OnePlus 12 because they have not yet been updated to support Android 14 (a problem that most app developers should rectify quickly).

OnePlus 12: Final thoughts...

This phone checks off all the boxes in terms of the key features you'd want from a phone --  including a large, bright and responsive touchscreen; impressive sound quality; a slim and lightweight design; a fast and capable processor that makes multitasking a breeze; easy integration with all Google apps and services; and a lot of customizable options.

You get easy access to the Google search engine using the on-screen field or voice commands via Google Assistant. The home screen is highly customizable. Of course, you can customize the lock screen as well. 

I found the quality, vibrance and smoothness of fast-moving content to be superior to my iPhone 15 Pro Max, plus, this screen is significantly brighter. Even photos taken on the iPhone, but viewed on the OnePlus 12, looked a bit sharper. 

Returning to what cellular phones were initially designed to handle -- phone calls, text messaging and video calls -- the OnePlus 12 handles these exceptionally well. But If you're in a loud environment or participating in calls outside, I do recommend using wireless earbuds with noise cancellation.

My overall impression of the OnePlus 12: It excels in almost every way and offers a great value for the money. 

Also, be sure to check out our full review of the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max, our round up of the best Android smartphones for 2024, the 5 best cell phones of 2024 and our coverage of the best folding smartphones.

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