OnePlus 12 is a refined flagship, bravely walking the path of conventionality
There are learnings from predecessors alongside spec improvements, yet the OnePlus 12 costs lesser than flagship competition. What’s unmissable is the lack of any complication of generative AI, but basic camera performance needs work
Can this actually be a distinguishing factor? A contrast to the theme from a few days ago when Samsung and Google made vehement pitches for artificial intelligence (AI) in smartphones. OnePlus, with its flagship OnePlus 12, isn’t taking that complicated path. For now. It is still a flagship phone as you’d expect. It is fine to not be seen chasing an as yet undefined frontier. In fact, there is a distinct experiential refinement that the OnePlus 12 must take advantage of. A lot of it derived from the previous couple of generations of predecessors. A polished experience more than makes up for the stark contrast, that is, no generative AI hype to bank on.
Refinements were seemingly sought, and successfully delivered. Wireless charging, a miss from the OnePlus 11 but now a must-have on Android flagship phones, makes its mark – fairly fast too, rated at 50-watts, with a compatible wireless charger. The wireless method is faster than Samsung’s 45-watt wired charging (alongside 15-watt wireless). Then there’s the IP rating that’s been upgraded from IP64 to IP65. The choice for this is subjective, but the OnePlus 12 still retains the screen that gently cascades into the side spines, at a time when Samsung and Google have returned to completely flat screens.
We must talk about the price, and that leads us to appreciate a simplicity of configs that go on sale and ambiguity of pricing that’s often hidden behind a layer of offers that may or may not be applicable to a buyer. It is a trend some phone makers have caught on recently, and minimalism with choice (at least in this aspect) reduces complication for potential buyers. The OnePlus 12 costs ₹64,999 (12GB RAM and 256GB storage) and ₹64,999 (16GB + 512GB). You have clarity on the price you pay, and it’s easier to assess any value of discounts that may come later.
The year-on-year pricing inflation isn’t exactly that. The OnePlus 11 prices started around ₹56,999 (if memory serves me well). Consider that alongside spec improvements and addition of some features, the base spec now has 12GB RAM instead of 8GB RAM, as was with its predecessor. You’re getting more phone, for roughly the same value, all things considered.
Among Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip powered phones, OnePlus 12 draws on strong pricing, when compared with Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Ultra that’s costs significantly more ( ₹1,29,999 onwards). And the India-spec Galaxy S24+ ( ₹99,999 onwards) and the Galaxy S24 ( ₹79,999 onwards) instead draw their power from Samsung’s own Exynos 2400 chips (though that shouldn’t discount them as choices unless you’re specifically inclined towards Qualcomm’s latest chip).
There is no denying that the OnePlus 12 is a looker. Particularly in this Flowy Emerald colourway (the other is a more conventional Silky Black). It is perhaps an ode to the Emerald Forest green OnePlus 10 got a few years ago. And before that, the Glacial Green on the OnePlus 8 Pro. It’s a tweaked shade, melded with what looks like a gorgeous marble top. On the face of it, the design is an evolution of how OnePlus flagships have been over the years. Then again, why change something that works, for the sake of changing? Convenience of the alert slider, very much there.
As an Android flagship phone taking advantage of Qualcomm’s latest, most powerful chip, it isn’t restricted to just that. OnePlus may not have written realms about AI integration in its phone, but there more than enough of the intelligence making its presence felt in the background. Much like customisations Qualcomm did for Samsung’s phones as the latter demanded, there are overlays to the chip’s core capabilities that OnePlus 12 gets.
The technology is called Trinity Engine, and as a user, you’ve no direct interaction with it. One of those is ‘CPU-Virtualisation’, which alters the behaviour of the chip with regards to frequency and energy usage for individual apps and scenarios, to reduce battery consumption. There are alterations to how memory is used for each task and there’s more aggressive release of memory from background apps. This suite will draw its value with every ounce of frugality that it can deliver, resulting in better battery life.
OnePlus says that working with Qualcomm to get this technology in place means about 30 more minutes of battery life, atop the improvements the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 already brings to the table. Though difficult to test this specificity, it must be noted that the OnePlus 12 delivers as much as two days of usage as a primary phone, before you’ll reach for the charger again. That’s with the resolution set at 1440p, but always-on display turned off. You’ll not be frantically searching for a charger near the boarding gate at the airport.
Speaking of which, this may just be the last bastion among that have a display curving on either side. Preference for this, or a completely flat display, is subjective. But there is something about the cascading glass as you hold the phone – the flipside is, inadvertent touch can sometimes be detected. Nevertheless, the OnePlus 12 continues to retain a taller display than the Galaxy S24 Ultra, that also means it is easier with moments of one-handed use. No denying this is a really bright display, outdoors under sunlight too. This AMOLED screen is quite crisp to read text on and deploys refresh rate switching between 1Hz and 120GHz.
There’s a unique proposition this display puts forth – the ability to detect touch, even if the display has surface moisture or drops of water. We didn’t encounter rain while testing the OnePlus 12, but we did test it with splashing some water on it – the touch works, as you’d intend it to.
Last but not least, the Hasselblad optimised cameras, which in a way define the OnePlus flagships. Troika at the back, with a 50-megapixel primary sensor, a 64-megapixel telephoto and a 48-megapixel ultrawide. This phone makes a strong case for itself, with good light shots. Particularly outdoors, under proper sunlight. There’s just the apt colour richness, fine detailing and dynamic range, which will allow for direct sharing as is, as well as for further edits. It is what you’d expect from a flagship’s camera, and to be fair, does well enough to be at par with the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and with the Google Pixel 8 Pro.
That said, the OnePlus 12 also follows the trajectory of its predecessors. You’ll just need to wait for a few software updates to optimise low light photography, focus for moving subjects and sharpness in some scenes (such as the 6X zoom photos). That will happen in due course with capable sensors and Hasselblad’s expertise, though it’s a surprise pristine performance isn’t the case from the outset.
The OnePlus 11, all things considered, was a very good phone. There is little that can help a phone slide into the category of a ‘great’ phone. With improvements and refinements where needed, and keeping a working formula constant elsewhere, OnePlus 12 has evolved towards greatness. A starting spec of 12GB RAM gives it performance longevity that adds value, as does the software that has been further improved but with no wholesale changes. Perhaps, not everyone needs a generous dose of generative AI integrated in their phone. At least not now. And that’s where OnePlus makes a strong case for minimalism, which may evolve into a theme with Android phones in this era of generative AI.