Step into the future with the OnePlus 12, a device that promises to redefine what we expect from our smartphones. In this comprehensive review, we dive deep into the heart of OnePlus’s latest marvel, exploring its breathtaking design, powerhouse performance, and groundbreaking features that might just set a new benchmark in the tech world.

From its mesmerizing display to the photography prowess enhanced by Hasselblad, and an introduction to the unique capabilities you won’t find elsewhere, this isn’t just another smartphone review. Join us as we unravel the OnePlus 12’s potential to be your next tech obsession. Ready to discover if this device can truly live up to the hype? Let’s dive in!

OnePlus 12 – Aesthetics and Construction

Design Philosophy

The OnePlus 12 embodies a design philosophy that blends minimalism with luxury, aiming to offer a device that’s not only functional but also a statement of style. The ethos is clear: premium materials, clean lines, and thoughtful ergonomics.

Materials and Build

• Frame: The OnePlus 12 features an aluminum frame that provides both strength and a premium feel. This frame is not only durable but also contributes to the phone’s sleek profile and light weight, enhancing one-handed usability.
• Back: The back panel is made of Gorilla Glass, which not only adds to the aesthetic appeal with its glossy finish but also ensures resistance against scratches and minor impacts. The glass back is curved slightly at the edges to merge seamlessly with the frame, providing a comfortable grip.

Color Variants

• Silky Black: This variant has a matte finish, reducing fingerprint smudges and offering a more professional, understated look. It’s perfect for those who prefer a subtle yet elegant aesthetic.
• Flowy Emerald: This color option introduces a marbled pattern that mimics the flow of a river or the swirl of clouds, giving a dynamic, almost 3D effect to the back panel. The unique texture not only adds to the visual appeal but also helps in masking fingerprints.

Design Highlights

• Camera Module: Perhaps the most visually distinctive feature of the OnePlus 12 is its camera module. It’s housed in a large, circular ring that protrudes slightly from the back, becoming a focal point of the design. This module is not just functional but also serves as a design element, reminiscent of high-end camera lenses, adding to the phone’s photographic credentials.
• Alert Slider: Continuing a beloved OnePlus tradition, the OnePlus 12 retains the alert slider on the left edge of the phone. This tactile switch allows users to quickly switch between sound modes, offering both convenience and a distinctive design element.
• Buttons and Ports: The power and volume buttons are on the right side, crafted with precision for easy reach. The phone includes a USB-C port at the bottom, alongside a speaker grille, but omits a 3.5mm headphone jack to maintain a sleek design. The SIM tray is on the top, maintaining symmetry in the phone’s layout.
• Curved Display: The device sports a gently curved display that meets the frame, enhancing the visual immersion by reducing the bezel size. However, this also introduces the challenge of accidental touches at the screen’s edges for some users.

Ergonomics and Practicality

The OnePlus 12 is designed to feel comfortable in hand, with the curved back and sides contributing to a natural grip. The weight distribution is balanced, making it feel lighter than its specs might suggest.

Despite the premium materials, OnePlus has considered practicality with an IP65 rating for dust and water resistance, though this is less than the IP68 standard found on some competitors, it still offers protection against everyday hazards like light rain or dust.

Aesthetic Uniqueness

The OnePlus 12 distinguishes itself with a blend of traditional OnePlus design cues with fresh innovations like the Flowy Emerald color. The overall aesthetic appeals to those who appreciate both modern tech design and a touch of classic sophistication. The attention to detail in the construction ensures that every element, from the buttons to the camera module, feels intentional and well-crafted.

In summary, the OnePlus 12’s aesthetics and construction are a testament to OnePlus’s commitment to marrying form with function, offering a device that’s as much a joy to use as it is to look at.

OnePlus 12 – Screen

Display Type and Size

• Technology: The OnePlus 12 features a state-of-the-art LTPO AMOLED display. This technology allows for low power consumption with the ability to dynamically adjust the refresh rate, enhancing battery life while maintaining performance.
• Size: With a diagonal measurement of 6.82 inches, the screen offers ample real estate for immersive viewing and gaming, striking a balance between large-screen utility and portability.

Resolution and Pixel Density

• Resolution: The display boasts a QHD+ resolution of 3168 x 1440 pixels, providing crisp and detailed visuals. This high resolution ensures that texts, images, and videos are rendered with exceptional clarity.
• Pixel Density: At approximately 510 pixels per inch (PPI), the OnePlus 12 achieves a level of sharpness where individual pixels are virtually indistinguishable to the naked eye, contributing to a more lifelike viewing experience.

Refresh Rate

• LTPO Technology: The screen supports a dynamic refresh rate that can scale from as low as 1 Hz for static content to up to 120 Hz for smooth, fluid motion. This means the screen adjusts based on what’s being displayed, optimizing both power usage and performance for different tasks.

Brightness

• Peak Brightness: OnePlus claims a peak brightness of 4500 nits, which is among the highest in the smartphone market. This extreme brightness level ensures excellent visibility in direct sunlight, making outdoor use more comfortable.
• HDR Support: The display supports HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, enhancing contrast and color accuracy for HDR content, which is particularly beneficial for streaming movies or playing games with HDR support.

Color Accuracy and Gamut

• Color Reproduction: The OnePlus 12 screen is calibrated for high color accuracy right out of the box, aiming for true-to-life colors. It covers 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, ensuring that colors are vibrant yet natural.
• Color Modes: Users can choose from various color modes including Vivid for more saturated colors or Natural for a more realistic color representation.

Design and Protection

• Curved Edges: The screen has gently curved edges, enhancing the aesthetic appeal and providing a more immersive viewing experience. However, this design choice can lead to potential accidental touches at the screen’s periphery.
• Protection: Covered with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2, the screen is designed to be more resistant to drops and scratches compared to previous generations, although it’s worth noting that no glass is entirely impervious to damage.

Additional Features

• PWM Dimming: The OnePlus 12 utilizes high-frequency Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) dimming at 2160 Hz to reduce screen flicker at low brightness levels, which can help mitigate eye strain, a feature particularly useful for users sensitive to screen flicker.
• Touch Sensitivity: The screen includes an “Aqua Touch” feature that helps the phone recognize touch inputs even when the screen is wet, which can be handy in rainy conditions or during workouts.
• Eye Comfort: Features like Nature Tone Display and Eye Comfort mode adjust the screen’s color temperature and brightness to reduce blue light emission, aiming to lessen eye fatigue during prolonged use, especially in low-light conditions.

Performance

• Gaming and Animation: The high refresh rate combined with the display’s low latency ensures that games look incredibly smooth, and transitions between apps or the OS feel instantaneous.
• Visibility Under Various Conditions: The combination of high brightness, HDR support, and accurate color reproduction means that the OnePlus 12’s screen performs admirably across a range of lighting conditions, from bright outdoor environments to dark indoor settings.

In summary, the OnePlus 12’s screen is a showcase of cutting-edge display technology, offering not just visual excellence but also focusing on user comfort, battery efficiency, and durability. It’s tailored for those who demand the best in screen quality for both productivity and entertainment.

OnePlus 12 – Performance Analysis

Here’s a detailed examination of the OnePlus 12’s performance, focusing on some of the most common and critical metrics:

Processor and System Performance

• Chipset: The OnePlus 12 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, which is one of the latest and most advanced mobile processors. This chip features a new 1+5+2 core configuration, with one Cortex-X4 prime core, five performance cores, and two efficiency cores, promising significant improvements in both performance and power efficiency.

CPU Performance

• Single-Core Performance: In Geekbench 6, the OnePlus 12 scores around 2100, indicating excellent performance for single-threaded tasks like app opening and basic navigation. This is on par with or slightly above competitors like the Galaxy S24 series.
• Multi-Core Performance: The multi-core score is approximately 6200, showcasing the phone’s ability to handle multitasking, heavy apps, and complex computations efficiently. This makes it suitable for running multiple apps simultaneously or heavy-duty tasks like video editing.

GPU Performance

• Adreno 750: The GPU in the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 offers a 25% uplift in performance over its predecessor. In 3DMark benchmarks, like Wild Life Extreme, the OnePlus 12 scores around 4494, with an average frame rate of about 26.91 fps. This indicates robust graphics handling, ideal for high-end gaming on mobile.
• Memory (RAM): With options up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM, the OnePlus 12 ensures smooth operation even with numerous apps running in the background. The system’s memory management is optimized, allowing for seamless multitasking without significant slowdowns.

Storage

• UFS 4.0: The phone comes with up to 512GB of UFS 4.0 storage, which doubles the bandwidth of UFS 3.1, leading to faster read/write speeds. This translates into quicker app launches, faster file transfers, and smoother overall system responsiveness.

Thermal Management

• Cooling System: OnePlus has integrated a dual vapor chamber cooling system with a total area of 9140mm², designed to manage heat effectively during intensive tasks. However, some users have noted that under sustained load, such as gaming for extended periods, the phone can heat up, leading to performance throttling. The CPU Throttle Test shows that it maintains about 59% performance stability after 45 minutes of gaming, which aligns with other devices using the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.

Benchmark Scores

• AnTuTu: The OnePlus 12 scores around 1,753,326 on AnTuTu 10, which is a comprehensive test covering CPU, GPU, memory, and user experience. This score places it among the top performers of 2024, though not the absolute highest, reflecting a balance between performance and thermal management.

Gaming Performance

• Frame Rates and Stability: Games like Genshin Impact can run at close to 60 fps on high settings, with OnePlus’s software optimizations like HyperBoost and HyperTouch contributing to a stable gaming experience. However, frame rates might drop slightly under prolonged use due to thermal throttling.
• Battery Consumption During Gaming: The OnePlus 12 manages heat and battery drain reasonably well, with the large 5400mAh battery supporting extended gaming sessions, though users might need to toggle between performance modes for optimal balance.

Software Optimization

• OxygenOS 14: Based on Android 14, this operating system is known for its fluidity and performance optimizations. OnePlus has implemented features like Dynamic RAM expansion (up to 12GB) which uses storage as additional RAM, enhancing multitasking capabilities.

Sustained Performance

• Load Handling: In stress tests like 3DMark’s Wild Life stress test, the OnePlus 12 maintains about 55% of its performance after multiple runs, which is competitive but not the best among its contemporaries. This indicates good but not exceptional long-term performance under heavy load.

The OnePlus 12 offers stellar performance in most scenarios, making it one of the top performers in the current smartphone market. Its strengths lie in its processor and memory setup, providing a responsive and fluid user experience. However, like many high-performance devices, it faces challenges with thermal management during intense usage, which can slightly impact sustained performance in gaming or heavy computational tasks. Overall, for everyday use, multitasking, and even gaming, the OnePlus 12 stands out as a reliable and powerful device.

OnePlus 12 – Photography Capabilities

Camera Hardware

• Main Camera: The OnePlus 12 is equipped with a 50-megapixel (MP) primary sensor, the Sony LYT-808, which has a 1/1.4-inch sensor size, f/1.6 aperture, and optical image stabilization (OIS). This sensor is known for its ability to capture more light, leading to better low-light performance and detail.
• Ultra-Wide Camera: A 48MP Sony IMX581 sensor with a 1/2-inch size and f/2.2 aperture offers a 114° field of view. This camera is excellent for capturing expansive landscapes or group shots without distortion.
• Telephoto Camera: The phone features a 64MP OmniVision OV64B sensor with a 1/2-inch size, f/2.6 aperture, and OIS. It provides 3x optical zoom, with digital zoom capabilities extending up to 120x, though quality degrades significantly at higher digital zoom levels.
• Front Camera: A 32MP Sony IMX615 sensor with an f/2.4 aperture for selfies, ensuring high-resolution self-portraits with sufficient detail for social media.

Color Science and Processing

• Hasselblad Partnership: The collaboration with Hasselblad continues, enhancing the OnePlus 12’s color science. The Hasselblad color calibration aims for natural and accurate color reproduction, which has been a strong point since their partnership began.
• Master Mode: Previously known as Pro Mode, this has been refined into “Master Mode” with both Auto and Pro settings. The Pro setting allows for manual adjustments like ISO, shutter speed, white balance, and focus, offering photographers control akin to DSLR cameras. The Auto setting provides simplified controls for contrast, saturation, etc., catering to a broader user base.

Photography Modes and Features

• HDR: The OnePlus 12 uses an advanced HDR algorithm, which includes TurboRAW HDR for capturing light and shadow interplay more naturally than traditional HDR processes, leading to more dynamic and detailed images.
• Night Mode: Night photography has improved with better noise reduction and detail retention. The primary camera, in particular, delivers impressive results in low light, though not quite matching the best from competitors like Google or Samsung.
• Portrait Mode: Enhanced by Hasselblad’s expertise, the OnePlus 12 can emulate the bokeh and flare effects of iconic Hasselblad lenses (XCD 30mm, 65mm), providing a professional touch to portraits with natural depth-of-field effects.
• Macro Photography: While not specifically highlighted with a dedicated macro lens, the ultra-wide camera can function in macro mode, capturing close-up shots with reasonable detail.

Video Capabilities

• Resolution: Supports up to 8K at 24 fps, 4K at 30/60 fps with HDR10+, 10-bit Dolby Vision HDR, and 10-bit LOG for professional video capture.
• Stabilization: Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) on both the main and telephoto cameras ensures smoother video, complemented by Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) for additional steadiness.

Software Enhancements

• AI Eraser: A feature allowing users to remove unwanted elements from photos post-capture, enhancing photo composition.
• XPAN Mode: An exclusive mode for a cinematic 65:24 aspect ratio, reminiscent of Hasselblad’s XPAN camera, for those looking to experiment with unique photo formats.

Performance in Various Conditions

• Daylight: The OnePlus 12 excels with vibrant colors, rich details, and good dynamic range, making it one of the best for daily photography.
• Low Light: While improved, the night mode still lags slightly behind the market leaders in terms of noise management and detail. However, it offers a good balance for most users.
• Zoom: The 3x optical zoom is sharp and detailed, and the in-sensor zoom up to 6x maintains quality better than expected. Beyond 10x, the quality drops, typical for smartphone cameras.
• Selfies: High resolution and decent color reproduction make selfies look good, though without leading in this category.

Critical Reception and User Feedback

• Expert Reviews: Many reviews commend the OnePlus 12 for its versatility and the quality of its primary and telephoto lenses. However, some critics note that while the camera system is excellent, it doesn’t surpass top competitors in all areas, especially in low-light scenarios or computational photography.
• User Experiences: On platforms like Reddit and X, users generally appreciate the camera’s performance but express mixed feelings about consistency, especially with zoom and low-light photography. Some users prefer the color output from OnePlus’s less expensive models or competitors.

The OnePlus 12 offers a robust camera system with significant upgrades over its predecessor, particularly in hardware quality, color science, and versatility through different modes. While it doesn’t lead in every aspect of mobile photography, it provides a well-rounded package that suits both casual photographers and those with more serious interests in mobile photography. The main areas for potential improvement remain in low-light performance consistency and computational photography features where competitors have slightly advanced the bar.

OnePlus 12 – Battery and Power Management

Battery Specifications

• Capacity: The OnePlus 12 comes with a 5400mAh battery, which is an increase from its predecessor, the OnePlus 11, which had a 5000mAh battery. This larger capacity is aimed at providing longer battery life, especially under heavy usage scenarios.
• Chemistry: Lithium-ion polymer battery, known for its balance between energy density, safety, and performance.

Charging Capabilities

• Wired Charging: SuperVOOC 100W: With this technology, OnePlus claims the OnePlus 12 can charge from 1% to 100% in approximately 26 minutes, though real-world tests often show times around 30-35 minutes. This ultra-fast charging is facilitated by an included 100W charger in some regions, ensuring you spend less time tethered to a wall socket.
• Wireless Charging: AirVOOC 50W: This is a significant jump from previous OnePlus models, allowing for rapid wireless charging, about 55 minutes for a full charge. This makes it one of the fastest wireless charging options available on a smartphone, though it requires OnePlus’s own wireless charger to achieve this speed.
• Reverse Wireless Charging: The phone supports reverse wireless charging at 10W, which can be useful for charging accessories like wireless earbuds or another phone.

Power Management Features

Battery Optimization: 

• Adaptive Battery: Uses machine learning to predict app usage and adjust battery usage accordingly, reducing power consumption for apps you rarely use.
• Dark Mode: An OLED display benefits significantly from dark mode, which can save battery life by lighting fewer pixels, especially at low brightness levels.

Display Management:

• LTPO Display: The screen’s refresh rate can dynamically shift between 1Hz to 120Hz based on content, significantly reducing power when displaying static images or text.

Performance Modes:

• Smart Mode: Automatically adjusts performance based on the task at hand, balancing between performance and battery life.
• High Performance Mode: For when you need maximum performance, at the cost of battery drain.
• Power Saving Mode: Reduces background activity, dims the screen, and limits performance to extend battery life when you’re running low.

Real-World Performance

Battery Life: 

• Screen-on Time (SOT): Users report an average SOT between 7 to 10 hours with normal usage, which includes social media, web browsing, and some gaming. With more intensive use like gaming or video streaming, this can drop to 5-6 hours. For lighter use, the battery can easily last over a day and a half.
• Standby Drain: Some users have noted that overnight standby can result in a 4-5% battery drain, which is somewhat higher than ideal but aligns with other high-performance devices.
• Charging in Use: The OnePlus 12 can maintain or even increase its charge level during light use while plugged in, thanks to its rapid charging speed.

Thermal Management During Charging:

• OnePlus has introduced advanced cooling technologies, including a larger vapor chamber compared to previous models, to manage heat during both charging and discharging. This helps in maintaining efficiency and safety, although users have noted some warmth during charging, particularly at high speeds.

Software Updates and Optimization

• OxygenOS 14: The latest software brings optimizations that are specifically tuned for battery management. Regular updates from OnePlus often include battery life improvements, bug fixes, and optimizations based on user feedback.

User Feedback and Critiques

• Positive Feedback: Users frequently praise the battery life for daily use and the charging speed, with many appreciating the jump in battery capacity and the inclusion of fast wireless charging.

Concerns

• Idle Drain: The noted higher idle drain has been a point of discussion, especially in communities like Reddit or X where users share their experiences.
• Battery Health: Long-term battery health is still under observation, but OnePlus’s track record suggests they manage battery degradation well with software updates.

The OnePlus 12 sets a high standard in battery and power management for 2024 flagships. Its combination of a large battery, rapid charging technologies, and intelligent power management features make it an excellent choice for users who need their phones to last through their day with minimal downtime for charging. While there are minor concerns like idle drain, the overall package is well-received, with OnePlus continuing to refine its battery management strategies through software updates.

OnePlus 12 – Operating System Analysis

Overview

The OnePlus 12 runs on OxygenOS 14, which is built on top of Android 14. OxygenOS has long been praised for its near-stock Android experience combined with OnePlus-specific customizations that enhance usability and performance. Here’s a detailed look at how OxygenOS 14 operates on the OnePlus 12:

User Interface and Design

• Aesthetic: OxygenOS 14 continues the tradition of a clean, minimalist UI, with customizable themes and color accents. The interface is designed to be intuitive, with fluid animations and transitions, ensuring a smooth user experience.
• Aquamorphic Design: This design language, introduced in previous versions, has been refined. It aims to mimic natural water forms, providing a calming visual experience with soft, rounded icons, and a more organic color scheme that’s easy on the eyes.

Performance and Optimization

• Speed and Responsiveness: OxygenOS 14 is optimized for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, leveraging the hardware’s capabilities to offer one of the fastest and most responsive Android experiences. App launch times are quick, multitasking is seamless, and the system feels snappy in daily use.
• Memory Management: With up to 16GB of RAM, memory management has been improved to keep more apps open in the background without significant performance degradation. The system also implements RAM expansion, allowing storage to act as additional RAM.

Customization Options

• Themes: Users have access to an extensive theme store where they can download or customize themes, fonts, always-on display styles, and more.
• Always On Display (AOD): Enhanced with more customization options, including new styles and the ability to show music controls or calendar events.
• Lock Screen: OxygenOS 14 offers new lock screen styles with quick access to frequently used apps or actions.

Privacy and Security

• Enhanced Privacy: Features like Private Safe for securing sensitive files, app lock, and enhanced permission management give users more control over their data. 
• Security Patch Updates: OnePlus has committed to providing regular security updates, with the OnePlus 12 expected to receive updates for several years, keeping the device secure.

Battery and Power Management

• Adaptive Battery: Utilizes machine learning to predict app usage and adjust battery usage accordingly, helping to extend battery life.
• Smart 5G: This feature intelligently manages 5G connectivity to save battery when full 5G speed is not necessary.

New Features in OxygenOS 14

• Zen Space: An updated version of Zen Mode for digital detox, now with more options like Deep Zen Mode for complete device locking for periods of time.
• File Dock: A feature for quick file sharing where you can drag files to a dock for easy access across apps or devices.
• Enhanced Gaming Tools: Game Focus mode has been improved, reducing notifications and optimizing performance for gaming sessions.
• Multi-Screen Connect: Improved integration for connecting with OnePlus tablets or PCs for seamless data and screen sharing.

Software Update Commitment

OnePlus promises up to 4 years of OS updates and 5 years of security updates for the OnePlus 12, ensuring long-term support for the device.

Community and Feedback

• Community Involvement: OnePlus has a history of incorporating user feedback into software updates. OxygenOS 14 reflects this with numerous user-requested features and optimizations.
• Open Beta: The OnePlus 12 was part of an open beta program for OxygenOS 14, allowing enthusiasts to test new features and provide feedback before the final rollout.

Critiques and Areas for Improvement

• Bloatware: While less than some competitors, there’s still some pre-installed software that users might not find useful, though these can be uninstalled or disabled.
• AI Features: Compared to some competitors pushing AI enhancements, OnePlus 12’s OxygenOS 14 might feel a step behind in terms of AI-driven features, though it does include some basic AI functionalities like smart suggestions.

OxygenOS 14 on the OnePlus 12 strikes a balance between providing a clean, stock-like Android experience with enough OnePlus-specific features to enhance usability and performance. Its focus on speed, customization, and user feedback makes it one of the more user-centric Android skins available. However, the ecosystem might not be as expansive as some competitors, and while it offers solid features, it doesn’t lead in AI or some of the latest software trends. Nonetheless, for users who value performance, customization, and a straightforward Android experience, OxygenOS 14 on the OnePlus 12 is compelling.

Unique Features In OnePlus 12

The OnePlus 12 brings several unique features to the table that distinguish it from other smartphones in the market. Here are some of those exclusive or notably unique aspects:

1. IR Blaster

Functionality: The OnePlus 12 includes an infrared (IR) blaster, a feature that’s increasingly rare among modern smartphones. This allows the phone to act as a universal remote for controlling various home appliances like TVs, air conditioners, or sound systems. This is not commonly found in flagship devices from other major manufacturers like Apple, Samsung, or Google.

2. Aqua Touch Feature

Innovation: OnePlus introduced the “Aqua Touch” technology, which enhances the touchscreen’s responsiveness when wet. This feature allows for intuitive operation even with wet fingers or under light rain, a significant advantage for usability in damp conditions that isn’t as pronounced in competitors’ offerings.

3. Holographic Audio

Audio Experience: The OnePlus 12 introduces a self-developed “holographic audio” technology with its stereo dual speakers. This system can supposedly manage up to 12 sound objects simultaneously, allowing for unique audio multitasking, like listening to music on one side of the device while hearing navigation or an audiobook from another. While spatial audio is not new, this level of audio channel management is less common.

4. Alert Slider

User Convenience: The physical alert slider, a long-standing OnePlus feature, continues in the OnePlus 12. This hardware switch allows for quick toggling between sound profiles (silent, vibrate, and ring). Although other brands have tried similar features, OnePlus has consistently refined and maintained this for ease of use, setting it apart from most smartphones.

5. Auto Connect to Best WiFi Network

Network Management: OnePlus has implemented a feature where the phone automatically connects to the WiFi network with the best signal among multiple saved networks. This is particularly useful for users with multiple home or office WiFi networks, improving connectivity without manual intervention, a feature not as prominently highlighted by other manufacturers.

6. Multi-Brightness Color Calibration

Display Quality: The OnePlus 12’s display has been calibrated at multiple brightness levels to ensure color consistency across different lighting conditions. This level of attention to color accuracy at varying brightness levels is not typically detailed in other smartphone marketing, aiming for an optimal viewing experience regardless of ambient light.

7. Rain Touch Control

Enhanced Touch Sensitivity: Similar to Aqua Touch, but more specifically for rain, this feature ensures that the touch screen remains responsive even when wet from rain, providing a better outdoor experience than many competing smartphones.

8. Master Mode with Hasselblad

Photography Control: While Hasselblad collaboration is not unique to OnePlus anymore, the Master Mode in the OnePlus 12 allows for professional-grade manual controls with both an auto and pro setting, giving users the ability to mimic Hasselblad lens effects, which is a distinctive touch in smartphone photography.

9. Advanced Battery Optimizations

Charging and Longevity: While fast charging is common, OnePlus’s approach includes stopping charging at 80% to preserve battery health (an option that can be toggled), combined with a larger-than-average 5400mAh battery for 2024 flagships. This, along with its fast 100W wired and 50W wireless charging, provides a unique balance of longevity and convenience.

10. OxygenOS Customizations

Software Experience: Features like Zen Space for digital detox, File Dock for quick file sharing, and extensive customization options in OxygenOS 14, including the dynamic refresh rate control, offer a software experience tailored for productivity and user comfort that’s uniquely OnePlus.

These features showcase OnePlus’s commitment to offering not just performance but also practical, user-focused innovations that set the OnePlus 12 apart in a crowded smartphone market. However, it’s worth noting that while these features are unique to OnePlus or implemented in a particular way by OnePlus, technology trends might see similar features adopted by other manufacturers in the future.

Final Thoughts

The OnePlus 12 is an outstanding choice for anyone seeking flagship performance at a more accessible price point. It excels in areas like battery life, display quality, and overall performance. While it might not lead in camera innovation or AI features, the total package it offers is hard to overlook. If you value speed, battery endurance, and a clean, user-friendly software experience, the OnePlus 12 is a compelling option in the crowded smartphone market.