Exploring the OnePlus 12: A Detailed Review

The OnePlus 12 is a flagship smartphone that has a camera system, IP certification, and wireless charging. However, it lacks AI-powered capabilities, as seen in rivals such as Google's Pixel 8 and Samsung's Galaxy S24. This calls into doubt OnePlus's competitiveness in a market that values innovation. The OnePlus 12's performance and feature set will be evaluated to see whether they can overcome the lack of AI integration.

OnePlus 12 Detailed Review:

Price in India

The OnePlus 12 comes in two variants: 12GB RAM and 256GB storage, and 16GB RAM and 512GB storage. The base model comes in Flowy Emerald and Silky Black, while the higher-tier model has 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. The smartphone is equipped with a soft TPU casing, a Type-A to Type-C charging connection, and a 100W charger, distinguishing it from competitors such as the Samsung Galaxy S 24.

Design

The OnePlus 12 maintains the design progression of its predecessor, the OnePlus 10 Pro, which had a gas stove-style camera setup. The 12 has a flat glass back panel and a circular camera module that resembles a luxury clock. Despite OnePlus's conventional design language and material selection, several design features fall short of the company's high standards.

The OnePlus 12 has design and quality flaws, especially around the camera module and mid-frame connector. These problems are consistent across devices and were reported by users in China upon introduction. Despite this, the gadget has an IP65 rating, which is suitable for normal usage but falls short of competitors with better ratings.

The OnePlus 12 includes a polished metal frame for better grip and a Flowy Emerald coating on textured glass. The classic Alert Slider is back, but on the left side, while the power and volume keys have been shifted to the right side, similar to the OnePlus Open style.

Specifications and Software

The OnePlus 12 is a powerful device, including a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC, 16GB LPDDR5X RAM, and 512GB UFS 4.0 storage. It has a reliable optical fingerprint reader and supports Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, and a variety of global satellite location systems. It also supports several 5G bands and includes two physical nano SIM card slots enabling dual-5G standby.

The OnePlus 12 costs Rs. 5,499 and comes with a 5,400mAh dual-cell battery, a 100W charger, 80W charging speed, and 50W wireless charging via OnePlus' proprietary port.

The gadget, which runs OxygenOS 14.0, guarantees four years of OS and five years of security updates while preserving the same appearance and functionality as the previous model.

The OnePlus 12 has received small design upgrades, including Fluid Cloud, a feature similar to iOS's Live Activities that adds a Dynamic Island-inspired capsule to the status bar. This makes it possible for users to access native and third-party apps, expand the capsule, and launch apps with a single swipe. Smart Suggestions also shows information from services such as Zomato and Swiggy on the Always-On Display.

The OnePlus 12 has a clean OS experience but lacks the creative AI features featured on pricier devices this year. While it has AI-enabled features such as Smart Touch and Smart Imaging Matting, they are not new and have been seen on other smartphones. While Google and Samsung have capitalized on generative AI, it remains to be seen if these capabilities will be standard in all premium smartphones.

Samsung and Google's emphasis on AI in smartphones may result in BBK companies losing customers. Apple's iOS 18 upgrade also emphasizes AI, putting pressure on companies like OnePlus to innovate and deliver appealing AI-driven experiences.

Performance

The OnePlus 12 is a premium cell phone with cutting-edge technology, but its benchmark results trail competitors such as the iQoo 12 and Vivo X100 Pro. Despite this, the phone performs well in real-world gaming, with titles such as Call of Duty: Mobile running at 120fps on medium graphics settings. Its huge vapor cooling chamber keeps temperatures down while performing intensive tasks.

The OnePlus 12 has a 120Hz display with a precise touch sample rate, resulting in seamless gaming experiences. Its QHD+ display provides clear pictures at 510 ppi and a peak brightness of 4,500 nits, ensuring good outdoor visibility. The ProXDR display supports HDR10+ and Dolby Vision video, and the audio quality is immersive. The device's Aqua Touch feature and IP65 classification make it usable even in damp settings.

The OnePlus 12 possesses a lengthy battery life of 28 hours and 6 minutes, which equates to 9 hours of screen time or a day and a half of heavy usage. Charging time is fast, with 80W capped wired charging reaching 99 percent in 30 minutes and full charge in 37 minutes.

Camera

The OnePlus 12's camera configuration has been essentially inherited from the OnePlus Open, with a Sony LYT-808 50-megapixel sensor. The camera's focusing speed, reliability, and image processing have all improved because of the powerful ISP in the new SoC. The primary camera takes photos with excellent detail, contrast, and color accuracy, but with somewhat reduced quality and dynamic range in low-light circumstances.

OnePlus' 64-megapixel 3X telephoto camera has been praised for its exceptional performance in a variety of lighting settings, providing clear shots with a natural bokeh effect. However, it may prioritize exposure above shutter speed, resulting in blurred movements. The telephoto lens can zoom up to 6X, however the quality deteriorates after that. The camera's white balance also generates warm, saturated photos, especially when photographing mostly white subjects, which result in a yellowish tinge.

Despite the remarkable performance of its main and telephoto cameras, the OnePlus 12's ultra-wide lens produces photographs that are fuzzy and lack clarity, comparable to the OnePlus Open. The photographs are not sharp and clear, particularly in low-light and daytime circumstances. Despite this, macro photographs have outstanding quality, and the telescopic camera can catch crisp close-ups. Selfies are often accurate in daytime, but in low light, they are average, indicating that there is space for development.

The OnePlus 12 has better video quality than its predecessor, the OnePlus 11. It records 4K resolution with stability, rich colors, outstanding dynamic range, and a high bitrate. However, the 8K video function feels gimmicky because the phone struggles to keep a consistent frame rate while recording.

Conclusion

The OnePlus 12 is a high-end smartphone with greater performance, a bigger display, and a longer battery life. It competes with smartphones such as Google's Pixel 8 and Samsung's Galaxy S24, but prioritizes fundamental functionality over artificial intelligence. While the Pixel 8 and Galaxy S24 have revolutionary AI features, the OnePlus 12 provides better value because to its bigger display, flexible cameras, and wireless charging.a