OnePlus 12 5G Smartphone Review: Near-Galaxy S24 Ultra flagship experience for half the price
OnePlus never misses the opportunity to latch onto the latest and greatest Qualcomm offering, and the new OnePlus 12 5G is no different. At its heart, the OnePlus 12 is essentially an Oppo Find X7 Ultra for the global market with some variations in the battery and cameras.
Apart from the obvious one-up to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, the OnePlus 12 5G brings quite a few noteworthy upgrades over the OnePlus 11 5G, such as a brighter display, 4th gen Hasselblad cameras with a new 64 MP periscope lens, a 32 MP selfie cam that can do 4K30 video, USB 3.2 Gen 1 port, a larger 5,400 mAh battery, and a new 24 GB / 1 TB storage option.
Our test unit features 16 GB LPDDR5X RAM and 512 GB of UFS 4.0 storage, which will set you back by ₹69,999 (€1,099 or US$899.99) before discounts. The base 12 GB / 256 GB version can be had for ₹64,999 (€949 or US$799.99) pre-discounts. OnePlus also offers a 24 GB / 1 TB variant, although it is currently not available in India.
Potential competitors in comparison
Rating | Version | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 88.1 % | v8 | 06 / 2024 | OnePlus 12 SD 8 Gen 3, Adreno 750 | 220 g | 9.2 mm | 6.82" | 3168x1440 | |
| 89.8 % v7 (old) | v7 (old) | 01 / 2024 | Xiaomi 14 SD 8 Gen 3, Adreno 750 | 193 g | 8.2 mm | 6.36" | 2670x1200 | |
| 91.1 % v7 (old) | v7 (old) | 05 / 2024 | Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra SD 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy, Adreno 750 | 232 g | 8.6 mm | 6.80" | 3120x1440 | |
| 90.6 % v7 (old) | v7 (old) | 04 / 2024 | Oppo Find X7 Ultra SD 8 Gen 3, Adreno 750 | 221 g | 9.5 mm | 6.82" | 3168x1440 | |
| 89 % v7 (old) | v7 (old) | 12 / 2023 | Google Pixel 8 Pro Tensor G3, Mali-G715 MP7 | 213 g | 8.8 mm | 6.70" | 2992x1344 | |
| 88.5 % v7 (old) | v7 (old) | 03 / 2024 | Vivo X100 Pro Dimensity 9300, Immortalis-G720 MP12 | 221 g | 9.05 mm | 6.78" | 2800x1260 | |
| 91.1 % v7 (old) | v7 (old) | 12 / 2023 | Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max A17 Pro, A17 Pro GPU | 221 g | 8.25 mm | 6.70" | 2796x1290 |
Note: We have recently updated our rating system and the results of version 8 are not comparable with the results of version 7. More information is available here .
Build: IP65 construction with Gorilla Glass Victus 2
OnePlus offers the 12 5G in three shades: Silky Black (our unit), Flowy Emerald, and Glacial White. The Glacial White variant comes with a glossy back panel while the other two colors get a matte frosty finish — they still remain quite slippery to touch, though.
The circular camera hump is the most prominent feature of the design. It is inspired from luxury watches and is larger than what the OnePlus 11 offered, presumably to accommodate the 3x periscope lens.
OnePlus still uses a curved display protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2, although the curvature is a lot subtler compared to the OnePlus 7 Pro of yore. The 220 g is well distributed and handling the phone does not seem too different from holding a Find X7 Ultra or the Vivo X100 Pro.
The OnePlus 12's IP65-rating is lower than the IP68 rating of the Find X7 Ultra, so don't expect to take the phone for a swim. That being said, the phone can still survive the occasional splash or two.
Hardware: IR blaster makes a surprise appearance
The OnePlus 12 5G brings back features that the OnePlus 10 Pro had, and the OnePlus 11 lacked — 50 W AirVOOC wireless charging and a USB 3.2 Gen 1 port. Unlike the OnePlus 11, UFS 4.0 storage is now offered across all storage variants.
Long time users will notice that the characteristic Alert slider is now positioned on the left of the device. Interestingly, we get to see an IR blaster this time around — a feature that is typically only seen in mid-tier offerings like the Nord 3.
There is no microSD card reader, so you will have to pick a large-enough built-in storage option anticipating your needs.
Software: OxygenOS 14 with four years of major updates and five years of patches
The OnePlus 12 5G runs on OxygenOS 14.0, which is built on Android 14 and is just a variant of ColorOS for international markets. However, OnePlus's implementation does not include UI ads or any wanton third-party apps.
The only apps that came pre-installed were OnePlus's own utilities and Netflix along with a couple of ColorOS apps like Zen Space and O Relax.
Long time users of OxygenOS (and ColorOS) will feel right at home. The 12 also gets a few features from the Open's OxygenOS 14.0 such as the File Dock and Recent files folder in the Smart Sidebar.
The company says it is committed to a four-year OS update cycle and five years of security patches. So far, OnePlus has been pretty regular with OTA updates with the latest version based on the May 2024 security patch at the time of testing.
Communication and GNSS: Fast Wi-Fi throughput, not-so-accurate navigation
The OnePlus 12 supports Wi-Fi 7 but only Wi-Fi 6 is enabled on Indian variants. It may be possible to force Wi-Fi 6E via adb with root permissions.
That being said, Wi-Fi 6 throughput is excellent with average receive speeds reaching a good 1.86 Gbps. The Xiaomi 14 leads in the transmit tests, however.
Wi-Fi throughput is relatively stable when tested with our reference Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000 router at a distance of 1 m with a clear line of sight.
| Networking / iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| Xiaomi 14 | |
| OnePlus 12 | |
| Average Wi-Fi 7 (556 - 1806, n=59) | |
| Oppo Find X7 Ultra | |
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max | |
| Vivo X100 Pro | |
| Google Pixel 8 Pro | |
| Average of class Smartphone (49.8 - 1806, n=188, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | |
| Networking / iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| OnePlus 12 | |
| Xiaomi 14 | |
| Average Wi-Fi 7 (565 - 1875, n=59) | |
| Oppo Find X7 Ultra | |
| Vivo X100 Pro | |
| Google Pixel 8 Pro | |
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | |
| Average of class Smartphone (52 - 1857, n=188, last 2 years) | |
The OnePlus 12 5G supports L1+L5 dual-band GPS along with a host of global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) including GLONASS (L1), Galileo (E1+E5a), BeiDou (B1+B2a+B1C), A-GPS, QZSS (L1+L5) and NavIC (IRNSS L5). Additionally, EGNOS and GAGAN SBAS systems are also supported.
That being said, the OnePlus 12's GPS isn't the most accurate we've seen. The phone tends to cut through buildings while navigating on the road.
Both the Apple iPhone 15 Pro and the OnePlus 12 struggle in areas with densely packed buildings, but the iPhone 15 Pro generally fares better in road navigation. The GPS struggles to get a quick lock indoors.
Telephony and Call quality: No eSIM for India, no DSDA for US
Call quality on the OnePlus 12 is very good on the Jio True5G network. The other party can be heard clearly both on the earpiece and the loudspeaker at high volume without perceivable distortion. VoNR or Vo5G is supported, but it has to be currently enabled in Developer settings. The phone automatically switches to LTE for voice calls if your operator does not yet offer VoNR over a 5G SA network.
Google Phone is the default phone app. The app supports native call recording with an announcement to all parties in the call.
The SIM tray can accommodate two nano-SIM cards. eSIM availability is limited to Europe and North America, excluding India despite operator support for eSIM in this region. Although multiple eSIM profiles can be stored, only one eSIM can be used at a time.
It remains unclear whether OnePlus would consider enabling eSIM support via a software update down the line. Even for the OnePlus 11, the company initially advertised but later retracted eSIM support. Curiously, the OnePlus Open, which uses the same SoC-modem combo as the 11, supports eSIM in India. OnePlus's communication faux pas in this regard is quite concerning.
US variants support eSIM but lack dual-SIM dual-active (DSDA) functionality, which may impact users needing simultaneous active SIMs.
Cameras: Excellent shots with the 50 MP Sony LYT-808
The OnePlus 12 now features a 32 MP Sony IMX615 selfie camera, an upgrade from the 16 MP sensor in the 11 5G. The 12's selfie cam has the same f/2.4 aperture as the 11, but the pixel size is reduced to 0.8 µm.
Additionally, the front-facing camera now uses a wider 21 mm focal length and covers a 90° angle. Videos from this camera are capped at 30 fps at 720p, 1080p, and 4K.
Selfies are very much usable, but the quality isn't that different from what we've seen previously with the OnePlus 11. The colors seem a bit muted but finer details are reproduced nicely. There is some loss of background detail at a 100% crop, however.
Portrait selfies come out well with the camera doing a decent job of separating fine hair from the background without engulfing the details.
The stock camera app sports a familiar interface as before, with the only difference being that the Pro mode is now renamed as Hasselblad Master.
Unlike the Find X7 Ultra, which boasts a 50 MP quad-sensor array, the OnePlus 12 makes do with a triple camera setup that is largely inherited from the OnePlus Open. Both the Open and the 12 feature a stacked Sony LYT-808 primary sensor. However, the Open uses a slightly smaller 1/1.43" 48 MP 24 mm lens compared to the 1/1.4" 50 MP 23 mm equivalent lens on the 12 5G.
The popular XPan mode once again makes an appearance. XPan mode simulates a 65:24 aspect ratio of the Hasselblad XPan camera. The camera app allows shooting XPan shots in 14 mm, 23 mm, 70 mm equivalents in monochrome and color.
The OnePlus 12 produces some impressive shots day light with no noise and a natural color tone. The shots rival those of the Apple iPhone 15 Pro, Google Pixel 8 Pro, or the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. Photos can be shot in HDR and viewed on the stock Photos app's ProXDR mode (ColorOS speak for Android 14's Ultra HDR) or shared on supported social media platforms like Instagram.
We were particularly impressed by the quality of the telephoto lens, both at native 3x optical zoom and 6x in-sensor crop. Even at a 10x crop, photos remain highly usable in good lighting. Both the wide-angle and telephoto lenses support automatic macro shots.
Low light performance is commendable as well, with both the main camera and the 3x telephoto lens producing vibrant colors. Noise levels in low light conditions are comparable to the Galaxy S24 Ultra and significantly lower than those of the Pixel 8 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro.
Image Comparison
Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.
Main Camera2x Zoom3x ZoomUltra-wide 0.6xLow light
The OnePlus 12's main camera shows fairly accurate color reproduction in good ambient lighting, particularly with skin tones, when verified with the ColorChecker Passport. Test chart details appear crisp with no perceivable noise.
At 1 lux, the camera defaults to a 1.5 sec long exposure. Significant color deviations are observed, although the clarity of details in the test chart remains largely unaffected.
Accessories and Warranty: 100 W SuperVOOC charger and case included
Indian units of the OnePlus 12 5G come with a protective case, SIM ejector tool, Red Cable Club card, brand sticker, phone hole seal stickers, 100 W SuperVOOC power adapter, a USB Type-A to Type-C cable for power and data transfer, a Welcome note, and other paperwork.
The protective case is not offered with international units. In some regions, the power adapter may be forfeited as well.
OnePlus offers a standard one-year warranty for phones sold in India. Buyers also have the option of choosing from several warranty extension and accident damage protection plans starting from ₹99 for a one-year extension, all the way to ₹5,999 for the OnePlus Care plan that includes one year warranty extension and two years of accident protection.
Input devices and operation: Wet hand use with Aqua Touch
OnePlus continues to offer an optical fingerprint reader unlike the ultrasonic one found in the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Nevertheless, the fingerprint reader is fast and authenticates without much delay. You can also setup a less secure 2D face unlock if desired.
Oppo’s O-Haptics feature is also included, providing a natural-feeling haptic feedback that can be fine-tuned by the user.
OnePlus no longer advertises the screen's touch response rate, but the company claims improved touch accuracy with "HyperTouch".
The company says its new Aqua Touch tech can help you use a wet display. We tried, but it can be a hit or miss depending on how wet your screen or hands are.
Display: 120 Hz ProXDR LTPO AMOLED with high DC dimming
The OnePlus 12 uses a 2K 120 Hz LTPO AMOLED display that can refresh between 1 Hz to 120 Hz depending on the displayed content.
A nice touch is the ability to set app-specific refresh rates of 60 Hz, 90 Hz, and 120 Hz. It may not work with all apps, though — Google Maps, for instance, runs only at 60 Hz even if the refresh rate is set to 120 Hz.
The display supports HDR10+, HDRVivid, and Dolby Vision. You can even record Dolby Vision HDR videos on the main camera and enjoy them in full glory on the smartphone.
OnePlus rates the display's peak brightness at 1,600 nits in high brightness mode (HBM) and at an astounding 4,500 nits while playing HDR content. In our testing, the ambient light sensor could boost the peak HBM luminance to 1,028 nits. HDR playback at APL 10 resulted in 1,418 nits of measured peak brightness.
OnePlus's boisterous peak brightness claims might be derived from conditions involving an extremely low APL or even a single pixel. Such high peak brightness figures only serve as marketing bragging rights and are not attainable in real world usage.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 91 %
Center on Battery: 1026 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 1.19 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.85
ΔE Greyscale 2.4 | 0.09-98 Ø5.1
99.5% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
Gamma: 2.24
| OnePlus 12 AMOLED, 3168x1440, 6.8" | Xiaomi 14 Pro AMOLED, 3200x1440, 6.7" | Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 3120x1440, 6.8" | Oppo Find X7 Ultra AMOLED, 3168x1440, 6.8" | Google Pixel 8 Pro OLED, 2992x1344, 6.7" | Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max Super Retina XDR Display, OLED, 2796x1290, 6.7" | Vivo X100 Pro AMOLED, 2800x1260, 6.8" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Response Times | 26% | -94% | -78% | 4% | 18% | 65% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 1.01 ? | 1.36 ? -35% | 3.8 ? -276% | 3.49 ? -246% | 1.85 ? -83% | 1.58 ? -56% | 0.61 ? 40% |
| Response Time Black / White * | 11.6 ? | 1.5 ? 87% | 1.41 ? 88% | 1.08 ? 91% | 1.07 ? 91% | 0.88 ? 92% | 1.17 ? 90% |
| PWM Frequency | 120 | 120.5 | 480 | 91 | 120 | 240 | 369 |
| PWM Amplitude * | 22.22 | ||||||
| Screen | 6% | -31% | 20% | 20% | 12% | 40% | |
| Brightness middle | 1026 | 1025 0% | 1317 28% | 1131 10% | 1510 47% | 1102 7% | 1392 36% |
| Brightness | 991 | 1046 6% | 1365 38% | 1118 13% | 1467 48% | 1102 11% | 1360 37% |
| Brightness Distribution | 91 | 95 4% | 94 3% | 93 2% | 92 1% | 98 8% | 84 -8% |
| Black Level * | |||||||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 1.19 | 1.1 8% | 3.4 -186% | 0.9 24% | 1.1 8% | 1.1 8% | 0.6 50% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 3.3 | 2.9 12% | 5 -52% | 2.1 36% | 3.8 -15% | 3.1 6% | 1.3 61% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 2.4 | 2.2 8% | 2.8 -17% | 1.5 37% | 1.7 29% | 1.6 33% | 0.9 62% |
| Gamma | 2.24 98% | 2.25 98% | 2 110% | 2.25 98% | 2.23 99% | 2.19 100% | 2.25 98% |
| CCT | 6920 94% | 6622 98% | 6458 101% | 6495 100% | 6670 97% | 6555 99% | 6540 99% |
| Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 99.5 | ||||||
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | 16% /
11% | -63% /
-47% | -29% /
-4% | 12% /
16% | 15% /
14% | 53% /
46% |
* ... smaller is better
Natural mode, default color temperature (Color space target: sRGB)
The OnePlus 12 offers Natural, Pro, and Vivid color modes. All modes show somewhat higher average Delta E 2000 values, so out-of-the-box colors aren't very accurate.
Natural mode, warm color temperature (Color space target: sRGB)
Switching to a warm color temperature shows significant improvement average Grayscale and ColorChecker Delta E 2000 values.
Vivid mode, warm color temperature (Color space target: DCI-P3)
Vivid mode amps up the colors, but you will want to change to a warm color temperature for improved Grayscale and ColorChecker accuracy.
OnePlus claims 100% DCI-P3 coverage, but the measured 2D DCI-P3 coverage comes to 95%.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 11.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 10 ms rise |   |
| ↘ 1.6 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 29 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (20.6 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 1.01 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 0.54 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 0.47 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 3 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (32.2 ms). | ||
Response times are on expected lines for this OLED panel. The 50% grey to 80% grey transition takes just 1 ms, making the OnePlus 12's display well-suited for fast-paced gaming.
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 120 Hz Amplitude: 22.22 % |  | |
The display backlight flickers at 120 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) . The frequency of 120 Hz is very low, so the flickering may cause eyestrain and headaches after extended use. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8391 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
The display uses PWM below 30% brightness. We measured a 120 Hz DC dimming at all brightness levels above 30%. Activating Ultra Anti-Flicker in the settings increases the DC dimming frequency to 360 Hz.
For more information refer to our article, "Why PWM is such a headache" and also our PWM Ranking table for a comparison of PWM across reviewed devices.
We did not detect any signs of temporal dithering.
Outdoor viewing is satisfactory at max brightness. Viewing angles are very stable with no perceivable loss of brightness or color even at the extremes.
Performance: Not the fastest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 we've seen
The OnePlus 12 5G gets a customary upgrade to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. OnePlus once again throttles CPU performance by default. Therefore, we ran all benchmarks in the High Performance mode except for battery tests.
Interestingly, the difference between with High Performance mode on vs off is less than 5% in Geekbench 5 this time around compared to 20% with the OnePlus 11 5G.
Cumulative CPU performance is on par with that of the Xiaomi 14 and the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy.
That being said, Vivo X100 Pro's MediaTek Dimensity 9300 takes a perceivable lead in overall CPU benchmarks, especially in multi-core tests.
| UL Procyon AI Inference for Android - Overall Score NNAPI | |
| Vivo X100 Pro | |
| Google Pixel 8 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | |
| Xiaomi 14 | |
| Oppo Find X7 Ultra | |
| OnePlus 12 | |
| Average of class Smartphone (1267 - 81594, n=147, last 2 years) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (11487 - 18370, n=19) | |
The OnePlus 12's Adreno 750 GPU trails behind that of the Find X7 Ultra's by 6% in cumulative GPU tests. The Vivo X100 Pro's Immortalis-G720 MP12 generally leads the charts but the Xiaomi 14's Adreno 750 implementation gives it a considerable edge in most 3DMark and GFXBench tests.
3DMark: Wild Life Extreme Unlimited | Wild Life Extreme | Wild Life Unlimited Score | 2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Physics | 2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Graphics | 2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7: T-Rex Onscreen | 1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen
GFXBench 3.0: on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL | 1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen
GFXBench 3.1: on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen | 1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen
GFXBench: on screen Car Chase Onscreen | 1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen | on screen Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen | 2560x1440 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen | on screen Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen | 1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen | 3840x2160 4K Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen
| GPU Performance Rating | |
| Xiaomi 14 | |
| Vivo X100 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | |
| Oppo Find X7 Ultra | |
| OnePlus 12 | |
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max -3! | |
| Google Pixel 8 Pro | |
| 3DMark / Wild Life Extreme Unlimited | |
| Vivo X100 Pro | |
| Oppo Find X7 Ultra | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | |
| Xiaomi 14 | |
| OnePlus 12 | |
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max | |
| Google Pixel 8 Pro | |
| 3DMark / Wild Life Extreme | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | |
| Oppo Find X7 Ultra | |
| Vivo X100 Pro | |
| Xiaomi 14 | |
| OnePlus 12 | |
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max | |
| Google Pixel 8 Pro | |
| 3DMark / Wild Life Unlimited Score | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | |
| Oppo Find X7 Ultra | |
| Xiaomi 14 | |
| OnePlus 12 | |
| Vivo X100 Pro | |
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max | |
| Google Pixel 8 Pro | |
| 3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Physics | |
| Xiaomi 14 | |
| Vivo X100 Pro | |
| Oppo Find X7 Ultra | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | |
| OnePlus 12 | |
| Google Pixel 8 Pro | |
| 3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Graphics | |
| Oppo Find X7 Ultra | |
| Xiaomi 14 | |
| OnePlus 12 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | |
| Vivo X100 Pro | |
| Google Pixel 8 Pro | |
| 3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited | |
| Xiaomi 14 | |
| Oppo Find X7 Ultra | |
| OnePlus 12 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | |
| Vivo X100 Pro | |
| Google Pixel 8 Pro | |
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 / T-Rex Onscreen | |
| Xiaomi 14 | |
| Google Pixel 8 Pro | |
| Vivo X100 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | |
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max | |
| OnePlus 12 | |
| Oppo Find X7 Ultra | |
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 / T-Rex Offscreen | |
| Vivo X100 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | |
| OnePlus 12 | |
| Xiaomi 14 | |
| Oppo Find X7 Ultra | |
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max | |
| Google Pixel 8 Pro | |
| GFXBench 3.0 / Manhattan Onscreen OGL | |
| Xiaomi 14 | |
| Google Pixel 8 Pro | |
| Vivo X100 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | |
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max | |
| OnePlus 12 | |
| Oppo Find X7 Ultra | |
| GFXBench 3.0 / 1080p Manhattan Offscreen | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | |
| Xiaomi 14 | |
| Oppo Find X7 Ultra | |
| OnePlus 12 | |
| Vivo X100 Pro | |
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max | |
| Google Pixel 8 Pro | |
| GFXBench 3.1 / Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen | |
| Xiaomi 14 | |
| Vivo X100 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | |
| Google Pixel 8 Pro | |
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max | |
| OnePlus 12 | |
| Oppo Find X7 Ultra | |
| GFXBench 3.1 / Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen | |
| Xiaomi 14 | |
| Oppo Find X7 Ultra | |
| Vivo X100 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | |
| OnePlus 12 | |
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max | |
| Google Pixel 8 Pro | |
| GFXBench / Car Chase Onscreen | |
| Xiaomi 14 | |
| Vivo X100 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | |
| Google Pixel 8 Pro | |
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max | |
| OnePlus 12 | |
| Oppo Find X7 Ultra | |
| GFXBench / Car Chase Offscreen | |
| Oppo Find X7 Ultra | |
| Xiaomi 14 | |
| Vivo X100 Pro | |
| OnePlus 12 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | |
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max | |
| Google Pixel 8 Pro | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen | |
| Xiaomi 14 | |
| Vivo X100 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | |
| Google Pixel 8 Pro | |
| OnePlus 12 | |
| Oppo Find X7 Ultra | |
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen | |
| Xiaomi 14 | |
| Vivo X100 Pro | |
| Oppo Find X7 Ultra | |
| OnePlus 12 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | |
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max | |
| Google Pixel 8 Pro | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen | |
| Xiaomi 14 | |
| Vivo X100 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | |
| Google Pixel 8 Pro | |
| OnePlus 12 | |
| Oppo Find X7 Ultra | |
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen | |
| Oppo Find X7 Ultra | |
| Xiaomi 14 | |
| Vivo X100 Pro | |
| OnePlus 12 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | |
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max | |
| Google Pixel 8 Pro | |
| GFXBench / 4K Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | |
| Oppo Find X7 Ultra | |
| Xiaomi 14 | |
| OnePlus 12 | |
| Vivo X100 Pro | |
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max | |
| Google Pixel 8 Pro | |
Basemark GPUScore
Despite the somewhat lower overall CPU scores, the OnePlus 12 outpaces the competition in browser benchmarks with the default Chrome browser.
However, Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max (Safari Mobile 17) leads the browser benchmark charts by scoring a substantial 21% lead over the OnePlus 12.
| Jetstream 2 - 2.0 Total Score | |
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max (Safari Mobile 17) | |
| Xiaomi 14 (Chrome 120.0.6099.210) | |
| OnePlus 12 (Chrome 126) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (Chrome 121) | |
| Vivo X100 Pro (Chrome 121) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (64.1 - 241, n=23) | |
| Oppo Find X7 Ultra (Chrome 122.0.6261.119) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (13.8 - 387, n=159, last 2 years) | |
| Google Pixel 8 Pro (Chrome 117) | |
| Speedometer 2.0 - Result | |
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max (Safari Mobile 17) | |
| OnePlus 12 (Chrome 126) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (Chrome 121) | |
| Xiaomi 14 (Chrome 120.0.6099.210) | |
| Vivo X100 Pro (Chrome 121) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (69.6 - 311, n=18) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (15.2 - 585, n=142, last 2 years) | |
| Google Pixel 8 Pro (Chrome 117) | |
| Oppo Find X7 Ultra (Chrome 122.0.6261.119) | |
| WebXPRT 4 - Overall | |
| OnePlus 12 (Chrome 126) | |
| Xiaomi 14 (Chrome 120.0.6099.210) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (Chrome 121) | |
| Vivo X100 Pro (Chrome 121) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (69 - 212, n=19) | |
| Oppo Find X7 Ultra (Chrome 122.0.6261.119) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (22 - 273, n=154, last 2 years) | |
| Google Pixel 8 Pro (Chrome 117) | |
| Octane V2 - Total Score | |
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max (Safari Mobile 17) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (Chrome 121) | |
| Xiaomi 14 (Chrome 120.0.6099.210) | |
| OnePlus 12 (Chrome 126) | |
| Vivo X100 Pro (Chrome 121) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (25953 - 72665, n=23) | |
| Google Pixel 8 Pro (Chrome 117) | |
| Oppo Find X7 Ultra (Chrome 122.0.6261.119) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (2228 - 100368, n=207, last 2 years) | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total | |
| Average of class Smartphone (277 - 28190, n=163, last 2 years) | |
| Oppo Find X7 Ultra (Chrome 122.0.6261.119) | |
| Google Pixel 8 Pro (Chrome 117) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (510 - 2066, n=21) | |
| Vivo X100 Pro (Chrome 121) | |
| OnePlus 12 (Chrome 126) | |
| Xiaomi 14 (Chrome 120.0.6099.210) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (Chrome 121) | |
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max (Safari Mobile 17) | |
* ... smaller is better
The OnePlus 12's UFS 4.0 storage isn't quite as fast as that of the Galaxy S24 Ultra in sequential and random reads, but the smartphone has an edge in write performance.
Nevertheless, the Find X7 Ultra and the X100 Pro are 10% faster in R/W performance overall.
| OnePlus 12 | Xiaomi 14 | Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | Oppo Find X7 Ultra | Google Pixel 8 Pro | Vivo X100 Pro | Average 512 GB UFS 4.0 Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | -5% | -26% | 9% | -68% | 10% | -9% | -43% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 3297.57 | 3385.74 3% | 3610.25 9% | 3965.08 20% | 1501.13 -54% | 3986.41 21% | 3671 ? 11% | 2075 ? -37% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 3246.21 | 2906.65 -10% | 1893.63 -42% | 3590.55 11% | 257.28 -92% | 3461.77 7% | 3078 ? -5% | 1681 ? -48% |
| Random Read 4KB | 438.5 | 420.99 -4% | 437.12 0% | 449.73 3% | 156.16 -64% | 450.24 3% | 380 ? -13% | 287 ? -35% |
| Random Write 4KB | 652.8 | 594.78 -9% | 181.55 -72% | 654.48 0% | 258.92 -60% | 709.25 9% | 464 ? -29% | 327 ? -50% |
Gaming: 120 fps is finally possible on OxygenOS
One of our pet peeves with the OnePlus 11 and even the OnePlus Pad was that OxygenOS didn't really allow for 120 fps gaming. OnePlus seems to have addressed this issue with the OxygenOS 14 on the OnePlus 12.
However, we could attain this frame rate only at the lowest settings in PUBG Mobile. We could achieve a steady 40 fps while playing PUBG Mobile in the Ultra HD mode.
Interestingly, Genshin Impact did not offer a 120 fps mode at all presets even though the game otherwise supports it on compatible devices. All game metrics were logged with the GameBench Studio Pro application.
OxygenOS also offers a HyperBoost Game engine overlay that not only shows the fps, latency, and SoC temperature but also lets you select between Low power, Balanced, and Performance modes.
Other features include networking optimization, touch optimization, additional GPU AA and AF settings, and a dedicated Championship mode that completely disables calls, UI navigation, and background data.
Emissions: Dual Cryo-velocity vapor chamber struggles under max load
Temperature
The OnePlus 12 boasts a dual Cryo-velocity vapor chamber area totaling 9,140 mm2, which is nearly 2.5x that of the OnePlus 11's.
Despite a supposedly enhanced cooling system, we find that the OnePlus 12 throttles by nearly 22% in 3DMark Wild Life Stress test. The latest Steel Nomad Light Stress test is a lot more forgiving, but the phone still shows a 12% throttle. Surface temperatures also get toasty under a full CPU and GPU load.
That is not to say that the cooling system is ineffective. Users are unlikely to subject the phone to such loads in regular use, so daily operation should pose no issues.
Besides, we experienced no perceivable throttling while playing games as seen in the graphs above.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 48.4 °C / 119 F, compared to the average of 35.1 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 63.7 °C for the class Smartphone.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 41.2 °C / 106 F, compared to the average of 33.9 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 25 °C / 77 F, compared to the device average of 32.8 °C / 91 F.
3DMark Stress Test
| 3DMark / Wild Life Stress Test Stability | |
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max | |
| Google Pixel 8 Pro | |
| OnePlus 12 | |
| Oppo Find X7 Ultra | |
| Vivo X100 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | |
| 3DMark / Wild Life Extreme Stress Test | |
| OnePlus 12 | |
| Google Pixel 8 Pro | |
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max | |
| Vivo X100 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | |
| Oppo Find X7 Ultra | |
| 3DMark / Steel Nomad Light Stress Test Stability | |
| OnePlus 12 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | |
Speakers
The OnePlus 12's earpiece doubles up as a loudspeaker, lending a stereo effect. We measured nearly 83 db(A) loudness, which should be enough for an average sized room.
While the bass is lacking, the mids and highs are reproduced fairly well.
External audio equipment can be connected via USB-C or Bluetooth 5.4. The OnePlus 12 supports popular Bluetooth codecs including aptX, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX TWS+, LDAC, LHDC, AAC, and SBC.
OnePlus 12 audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (82.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 17.8% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.5% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (2.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.8% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (6.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (12.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 0% of all tested devices in this class were better, 0% similar, 100% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 36%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 10% of all tested devices were better, 2% similar, 87% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (92.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 21.2% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (5.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (3.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.3% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (2.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (15.8% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 3% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 93% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 36%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 22% of all tested devices were better, 5% similar, 73% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Energy management: Decent power efficiency and battery life for offered hardware
Power Consumption
The OnePlus 12 sips a lot less power than the Galaxy S24 Ultra, but the Vivo X100 Pro and the Xiaomi 14 turn out to be even more frugal. We noticed higher idle minimum consumption, likely due to high frequency PWM at low brightness.
| Off / Standby |   0.38 / 0.12 Watt |
| Idle |  1.3 / 0.95 / 1.12 Watt |
| Load |
10.55 / 11.72 Watt |
    
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Metrahit Energy | |
| OnePlus 12 SD 8 Gen 3, Adreno 750, 512 GB UFS 4.0 Flash, AMOLED, 3168x1440, 6.8" | Xiaomi 14 SD 8 Gen 3, Adreno 750, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash, OLED, 2670x1200, 6.4" | Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra SD 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy, Adreno 750, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash, Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 3120x1440, 6.8" | Oppo Find X7 Ultra SD 8 Gen 3, Adreno 750, 512 GB UFS 4.0 Flash, AMOLED, 3168x1440, 6.8" | Google Pixel 8 Pro Tensor G3, Mali-G715 MP7, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash, OLED, 2992x1344, 6.7" | Vivo X100 Pro Dimensity 9300, Immortalis-G720 MP12, 512 GB UFS 4.0 Flash, AMOLED, 2800x1260, 6.8" | Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max A17 Pro, A17 Pro GPU, 256 GB NVMe, OLED, 2796x1290, 6.7" | Average Qualcomm Adreno 750 | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | 24% | -20% | -16% | 1% | 14% | -9% | -7% | -4% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 1.3 | 0.51 61% | 0.73 44% | 1 23% | 0.63 52% | 0.46 65% | 0.5 62% | 0.897 ? 31% | 0.866 ? 33% |
| Idle Average * | 0.95 | 0.89 6% | 1.22 -28% | 1.49 -57% | 1.47 -55% | 0.92 3% | 1.97 -107% | 1.355 ? -43% | 1.44 ? -52% |
| Idle Maximum * | 1.12 | 0.92 18% | 1.34 -20% | 1.54 -38% | 1.55 -38% | 0.95 15% | 1.99 -78% | 1.512 ? -35% | 1.59 ? -42% |
| Load Average * | 10.55 | 9.08 14% | 16.52 -57% | 11.4 -8% | 8.45 20% | 11.72 -11% | 3.36 68% | 9.27 ? 12% | 7.14 ? 32% |
| Load Maximum * | 11.72 | 9.11 22% | 16.58 -41% | 11.63 1% | 8.63 26% | 11.79 -1% | 10.43 11% | 11.8 ? -1% | 10.7 ? 9% |
* ... smaller is better
Power Consumption: Geekbench (150 cd/m²)
Power Consumption: GFXBench (150 cd/m²)
Battery Life
The OnePlus 12's 5,400 mAh battery is impressive in its own right, but the Xiaomi 14 and the iPhone 15 Pro Max are able to last longer with smaller batteries.
The bundled 100 W SuperVOOC charger can top up 100% of the battery in 26 minutes, provided Smart rapid charging is enabled in the Settings.
Additionally, the OnePlus 12 supports 50 W AirVOOC wireless charging and offers reverse wireless charging for compatible devices placed on its back.
| OnePlus 12 SD 8 Gen 3, Adreno 750, 5400 mAh | Xiaomi 14 SD 8 Gen 3, Adreno 750, 4610 mAh | Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra SD 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy, Adreno 750, 5000 mAh | Oppo Find X7 Ultra SD 8 Gen 3, Adreno 750, 5000 mAh | Google Pixel 8 Pro Tensor G3, Mali-G715 MP7, 5050 mAh | Vivo X100 Pro Dimensity 9300, Immortalis-G720 MP12, 2700 mAh | Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max A17 Pro, A17 Pro GPU, 4422 mAh | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | 10% | 4% | 5% | -36% | -9% | 28% | -6% | |
| Reader / Idle | 1965 | 2926 49% | 2227 13% | 2282 16% | 1344 -32% | 3514 79% | 2350 ? 20% | |
| H.264 | 1820 | 1674 -8% | 1922 6% | 1897 4% | 1122 -38% | 2013 11% | 1412 ? -22% | |
| WiFi v1.3 | 1237 | 1092 -12% | 1148 -7% | 1186 -4% | 760 -39% | 1127 -9% | 1163 -6% | 1050 ? -15% |
| Load | 277 | 202 | 226 | 220 | 384 | 272 ? |
Pros
Cons
Verdict: From flagship-killer underdog to a legit flagship
This year, OnePlus has pulled out all stops possible to ensure that the OnePlus 12 5G stands on par with other Snapdragon 8 Gen 3-based flagships.
The OnePlus 12 gets the in-hand feel just right. Our Silky Black model exudes a premium touch, and its prominent circular camera module emblazoned with Hasselblad branding distinguishes it from the rest of the crop. Unfortunately, it only carries an IP65 rating unlike the IP68 rating of its cousin, the Oppo Find X7 Ultra.
On the imaging front, the OnePlus 12's 50 MP Sony LYT-808 sensor and the 3x telephoto can stand up to most 2024 flagships with excellent daytime shots and very good low-light shots with preserved details and vastly reduced noise. Selfies aren't a drastic improvement over what we've already seen with the OnePlus 11, but at least the front camera now supports 4K 30 video.
The OnePlus 12 succeeds in drawing attention away from more aspirational Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, and Google offerings with a combination of performance, aesthetics, excellent cameras and long-term software support — all without an exorbitant price tag."
The 120 Hz ProXDR LTPO AMOLED is not the most color-accurate display we've seen, but it offers impressive visuals, even if numbers don't necessarily tally with OnePlus's outlandish peak brightness claims. Power draws are economical, although its rivals can last a bit longer. The fast 100 W charger comes in very handy too.
The OnePlus 12 5G isn't without its share of quibbles, though. The phone's Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC does not top performance charts vis-à-vis its rivals, GNSS accuracy needs improvements, and thermals could be better. Also, users in their respective regions will need to do some homework on which telephony features are supported in their area. The lack of eSIM support in 2024 in regions like India is not a good sign.
Overall, the OnePlus 12 5G gets its basics right and is a definite viable alternative to the likes of the Xiaomi 14 and the Vivo X100 Pro. You get a lot of phone that offers nearly everything that the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra does at half the price.
Meanwhile, the iQOO 12 undercuts even the OnePlus 12 by offering nearly the same feature set and 120 W fast charging for just ₹59,990 (€670) but is currently restricted to the Indian market.
Price and Availability
The OnePlus 12 5G can be purchased directly from Oneplus.in starting from ₹64,999 for the 12 GB + 256 GB version. Amazon India also offers the 12 GB / 256 GB version for ₹64,999 while the 16 GB / 512 GB variant goes for ₹69,999. These can be combined with various bank and cashback offers.
The OnePlus 12 is also available unlocked on Amazon US for US$879.99 and US$899.99, for the 256 GB and 512 GB variants, respectively. Amazon DE is offering the 256 GB SKU for €867.25 while the 512 GB model can be had for €921.10.
For those in Europe, TradingShenzhen has the 12 GB / 256 GB variant in stock for just €607. Other SKUs on offer at this outlet include 16 GB / 512 GB at €687, 16 GB / 1 TB at €757, and 24 GB / 1 TB at €857.
Note: We have recently updated our rating system and the results of version 8 are not comparable with the results of version 7. More information is available here .
OnePlus 12
- 07/14/2024 v8
Vaidyanathan Subramaniam
Total Sustainability Score: 
Transparency
The selection of devices to be reviewed is made by our editorial team. The test sample was provided to the author as a loan by the manufacturer or retailer for the purpose of this review. The lender had no influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review. We never accept compensation or payment in return for our reviews. As an independent media company, Notebookcheck is not subjected to the authority of manufacturers, retailers or publishers.
This is how Notebookcheck is testing
Every year, Notebookcheck independently reviews hundreds of laptops and smartphones using standardized procedures to ensure that all results are comparable. We have continuously developed our test methods for around 20 years and set industry standards in the process. In our test labs, high-quality measuring equipment is utilized by experienced technicians and editors. These tests involve a multi-stage validation process. Our complex rating system is based on hundreds of well-founded measurements and benchmarks, which maintains objectivity. Further information on our test methods can be found here.
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