-
OnePlus 12
OnePlus 12 shows that OnePlus has come back to creating one of the best smartphones in the world, and it’s once again exciting to buy a phone from the company.
Pros- Incredibly bright display
- More RAM and storage for the base model
- Improved, brighter cameras
Cons- The price of the base model will probably be higher
-
OnePlus 11 5G
$670 $700 Save $30
The OnePlus 11 is still a great buy, especially considering its long Android update support. It might pale in comparison to the newest model, but the incoming discount will surely make up for the worse camera system.
Pros- The display is still awesome
- Great software with years of updates
- Super fast charging
Cons- Cameras are a weak point
- No wireless charging
Key Takeaways
- OnePlus celebrates its 10th birthday with the release of its newest flagship, the OnePlus 12, reaffirming its position as one of the best phone manufacturers on the market.
- The OnePlus 12 offers improvements over its predecessor, including a faster processor, more memory and storage options, a versatile camera system, faster charging, and a brighter display.
- While the OnePlus 12 is a top-of-the-line device, the OnePlus 11 still has plenty of life left and may be a better option for budget-conscious buyers, especially when discounted upon the release of the OnePlus 12.
OnePlus is celebrating its 10th birthday in style. The company started with a humble flagship-killer smartphone available only through invitation, but has come a long way in the 10 years since then. Throughout the years, it has had ups and downs, but the Chinese giant has established itself as one of the best phone manufacturers on the market, and its newest flagship, the OnePlus 12, is here to show that this is still the case.
OnePlus 11 5G review: ‘Pro’ in all but name
OnePlus’ flagship phone for 2023 has dropped the ‘Pro’ name, tightened up the experience and delivers a stellar experience (mostly).
It was just a year ago that the Oneplus 11 was hailed as OnePlus’ return to form after some time of launching some underwhelming devices. So, did the company manage to outdo itself and make its flagship even better, or are you better off sticking to last year’s proposition? Let’s investigate if it’s already time to upgrade.
Price and availability
OnePlus’ old flagship, the OnePlus 11, was released globally in February 2023, while the release date in its homeland China was a month earlier. It came to market with a reduced price compared to a few previous OnePlus generations, starting at $699 for the 8/128 GB model.
OnePlus 11 tips and tricks: Get the most from OxygenOS 13
With its latest software, OnePlus offers plenty of tinkering opportunities. Dive in with us as we explore some of our favourite software features.
Of course, that was the case almost a year ago, so today you can expect to find the phone discounted by quite a bit off launch price, especially now that the 12th generation has been released and stores are trying to clear their inventory of the previous model.
Moving on to the OnePlus 12, the newest flagship from the manufacturer, is much more recent. It was released in China on 5 December 2023, but it has not yet made its way to the global market. However, do not fret, as the company announced that it’ll be available internationally with pricing soon, so we won’t all be missing out. We do not know the exact date of its global release yet, but OnePlus announced that it will happen sometime in 2024.
The other big unknown is the price of the upcoming phone. As it is only available in China for now, we do know its Chinese pricing – it’s 4,299 yuan (around $600) for the base 12/256 GB model.
OnePlus 11, on the other hand, was released in China with a price tag of 3,999 yuan (around $560). So, when it comes to the base model of the OnePlus 12, we can expect a slight price bump compared to the last generation, a difference of around $40 (without tariffs and taxes added). Keep in mind though that the base models vary quite a lot specs-wise, giving you much more storage and RAM in the base configuration, so the price difference also reflects that change.
Specifications
-
OnePlus 12 OnePlus 11 5G Brand OnePlus OnePlus SoC Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 X70 Display 6.82-inch AMOLED 6.7-inch LTPO3 AMOLED Storage UFS 4.0 128GB UFS 3.1/256GB UFS 4.0 Battery 5400 mAh 5000 mAh Ports USB-C, USB 3.2 Gen 1 USB-C Operating System Android 14 OxygenOS 13.0 based on Android™ 13 Front camera 32MP 50MP Colors Titan Black, White, Eternal Green Eternal Green, Titan Black Weight 220g 205g IP Rating IP65 IP64
So, speaking of the specs differences, let’s look at them a bit more thoroughly. The OnePlus 11 starts with 8GB of LPDDR5X RAM and can be configured with up to 16GB. The phone also comes with 128GB of internal storage as standard, but there is also a 256GB version. However, there is no microSD slot, so you cannot expand it after buying your phone.
Additionally, the OnePlus 12 changed the specs of its base model quite a lot, and it’s great news for any potential buyers. The phone now starts with 12GB of RAM and you can also get 16GB and 24GB versions, all of them using LPDDR5X memory. The internal storage was also increased, growing to 256GB in the base model, with 512GB and 1TB versions also available.
The other big change is, of course, the SoC. As usual, with the next generation of a flagship also comes the latest processor. The OnePlus 11 is equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, while the OnePlus 12 sports the newest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 – the name here really says it all.
OnePlus
As we do not yet have any review units for the OnePlus 12, we cannot really judge how much faster the new phone will be. You can expect it to perform better both in everyday tasks, and in more demanding apps, such as graphically-intense games. Qualcomm says that the new chip will be around 30% faster than its predecessor, but we’ll have to verify that in our review. It does have to be said that the last-gen Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is already a great, speedy chip, so improvements here are more of a future-proofing measure, not something absolutely necessary today – both of these phones will be fast enough for everything you throw at them.
Upgraded Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 again tipped for Samsung’s Galaxy S23
Qualcomm is giving Samsung as special version of its flagship phone chip.
However, the change also means that the Oneplus 12 comes with the new Bluetooth 5.4 standard, compared to the older Bluetooth 5.3 in the OnePlus 11. Aside from the performance improvements, you can also expect the new Snapdragon processor to be more energy efficient, so your phone will not only be faster, but it’ll also last longer on a single charge.
It’s also worth mentioning that the OnePlus 11 came to the market with Android 13 and OxygenOS 13, while the OnePlus 12 will be released with Android 14 and OxygenOS 14 on board. This ensures that the new generation will get more updates, making it last longer if you buy it today. For both of these phones, OnePlus promises four years of major OS updates and five years of security updates (starting from the release date), so you can expect both of them to last you quite a while.
Finally, it’s also worth mentioning that the Oneplus 12 has received an official waterproofing rating for the first time, but it’s only IP65. Still, it’s much better than its predecessor, as the Oneplus 11 did not have any rating at all.
Design
While both of these phones differ quite a lot under the hood, outside you will not find as many differences. The design language of both the OnePlus 11 and the OnePlus 12 is quite similar, with rounded edges and an off-center camera system at the back. However, there are some differences that are worth mentioning.
The first one is the size of these two phones. OnePlus 11 was already quite big, with a 6.7-inch screen and 163.1 x 74.1 x 8.53mm dimension. The OnePlus 12 goes even further, increasing the screen size to 6.82-inch and increasing dimensions to 164.3 x 75.8 x 9.2mm.
For the fans of the series, there is one more change that might be quite shocking at first. The OnePlus 12’s buttons are changing places. The volume rocker and the power button are now placed on the phone’s right side, while the alert slider is located on the left edge, so your muscle memory will have to be readjusted a bit.
The OnePlus 12 has one more ace up its sleeve – it was released with one more color than the previous generation. Unfortunately, it’s nothing that exciting. In addition to the Black and Green of the Oneplus 11, the OnePlus 12 adds a White variant. The company didn’t go for anything more vibrant or unusual, which we think is a bit of a shame.
Display
No flagship phone would be complete without a stellar display – after all, that’s the part that we look at most of the time when using these devices, scrolling through content, playing games, and doing basically anything other than simply calling someone. That’s why it’s so important that the screen is of great quality, and traditionally, OnePlus delivers great results on this front.
OnePlus 11 was already great, with its 6.7-inch, 3216 x 1440px AMOLED, LTPO display with a 1-120Hz variable refresh rate. It also reached 1300 nits peak sustained brightness.
The OnePlus 12 takes these stats up a notch. This year, the company’s flagship sports a 6.82-inch display with a resolution of 3168 x 1440px. It is once again an AMOLED, LTPO panel, with an adaptive refresh rate in the range of 1-120Hz. However, the biggest change you’ll notice is the display’s peak brightness.
OnePlus says it reaches a peak brightness of 4500 nits, making it the brightest display on the market right now. However, this measurement is only for peak momentary brightness. The peak sustained brightness value is 1600 nits, which is still a lot, but not as impressive as the other number.
OnePlus
Interestingly, OnePlus is also going to equip the OnePlus 12 with a slew of interesting display tech. Its screen comes with a slew of eye protection features, including what the company calls “melatonin protection,” which is supposed to help you sleep better at night after using your phone. It also debuts a Rain Water Touch tech, allowing the screen to work better when it is moist.
Finally, the display will also be much better protected this time around. While the OnePlus 11’s screen was covered with Gorilla Glass 5, the next generation uses the much more resistant Gorilla Glass Victus 2. It should handle being dropped much better and help you keep your phone in pristine condition.
Cameras
The one thing that OnePlus phones have not been the best at is its cameras. Don’t get me wrong – the cameras were alright, but they never gave a run for their money to the likes of iPhones or Google Pixels. This is supposed to change with the OnePlus 12 and its hardware and software improvements.
The OnePlus 11 came out with a triple-camera setup at the back and a single front-facing camera for selfies. The same is true for the next generation, but almost all the sensors in the new phone are changed.
Let’s start with the main camera. The older flagship was equipped with a 50MP Sony IMX890 sensor with OIS. It is a decent camera, but it lacks a bit of refinement. This time, the OnePlus 12 opted for a bigger sensor. It is still 50MP, but the Sony LYT-808 is larger and with a bigger aperture, making it much easier to get brighter photos and better contrast ratios, which were two of the weak spots of the previous generation.
Best camera phones: Handsets that take pro photos and videos
With the best camera phones, you can take take pro-level photos and videos without the bulky DSLR bag.
What’s more, the telephoto lens on the new phone is also different this year. Previously, the OnePlus 11 was equipped with a 32MP Sony IMX709 2x zoom camera, used for both zoom photos and portrait shots. This time, OnePlus opted for a periscope lens with a 3x zoom and a much bigger OmniVison OV64B sensor, once again addressing the issues of the previous generation.
OnePlus
What didn’t change was the ultrawide camera. It is once again using a 48MP Sony IMX581.
Lastly, the front-facing camera was also changed. While the OnePlus 11 was equipped with a 16MP front shooter, the new phone gets a 32MP Sony IMX615 sensor with a wider aperture, which should help in lower light conditions, making your selfies and video calls clearer and brighter.
Battery and charging
The great thing that OnePlus brought to the mainstream is fast charging. For quite a while now, the company’s products can charge extremely quickly, and paired with large batteries make for great companions for people who need their phones to be ready for everything.
The OnePlus 11 supports 100W wired charging, but it unfortunately lacks wireless charging support, which was a problem for many generations of OnePlus flagships. It allows the 5000 mAh cell to charge from 1% to full in under 25 minutes.
The next generation of OnePlus’ flagship takes it up a notch. It retains the 100W wired SuperVOOC charging, but pairs it with – for the first time for OnePlus – a 50W wireless charging option, making the phone so much more versatile. What’s more, you also get a larger, 5400 mAh battery, so the phone will not only be much easier to charge, but it’ll also last even longer with the bigger cell and a more energy-efficient processor.
It’s also worth mentioning that the Oneplus 12 comes with a USB 3.2 Gen 1 USB-C port, allowing you to not only charge your phone quickly but also transfer your data rapidly. In comparison, the OnePlus 11 was equipped only with USB 2.0.
OnePlus 12 vs OnePlus 11: Is it time to upgrade?
The OnePlus 12 is setting out to be one of the contenders for the best phone of the upcoming generation. Even though it didn’t change much on the outside compared to the OnePlus 11, as we all know – it’s what’s on the inside that counts. And the OnePlus 12 brings a lot of good stuff on the inside.
The OnePlus 12 is here, and those flagship specs don’t disappoint
The OnePlus 12 has been been announced. Here’s the full spec sheet for the the 2024 flagship.
The new phone improves on almost every font – it gets a new, faster processor, a better base model with more memory and storage, and (on paper) a better and more versatile camera. Add to it better and faster charging, an amazing display, and a bigger battery, and you get an incredible smartphone.
Therefore, if you’re looking for a phone to buy now and are trying to decide which one to get – the OnePlus 12 is totally the one to choose if you need a device with absolutely top-of-the-line specs and no compromises.
However, it has to be said that the Oneplus 11 is still no slouch either, so upgrading to the OnePlus 12 might be a little overkill – it still has plenty of life left in it. That’s why it might be a great target for all the bargain hunters. Especially with OnePlus’ new update policy, you still have plenty of Android updates left to get. The previous generation is sure to get heavily discounted when the OnePlus 12 gets released globally, making for an awesome, speedy but still budget-conscious buy. You might even be able to snag one used, driving the price even lower for a phone that is still marvelous to use.
OnePlus 11 5G
$670 $700 Save $30
Trending Products
