OnePlus 12 announced in China with copious amounts of RAM, an ultra-bright display and wireless charging

After weeks of numerous leaks and speculations, the OnePlus 12 has finally been unveiled in China. Many of the predictions have come true, and the smartphone is shaping up to be a solid contender against heavyweights such as the Xiaomi 14 and Vivo X100 and maybe even the Galaxy S24 Ultra. There is no word about when it will launch globally. Earlier leaks said it could happen in late January.

The OnePlus 12 features one of the best displays BOE has to offer. It features a 6.82-inch LTPO 3.0 QHD+ (3216 × 1440) OLED panel with a refresh rate of 120 Hz, peak brightness of 4,500 nits (likely at 1% APR), DC dimming and a PWM frequency of 2,160 Hz. In comparison, the Galaxy S23 Ultra's PWM frequency is 240 Hz, something that can cause irritation to users with sensitive eyes. Additionally, it comes with a material that lets you operate the touchscreen in rainy environments.

Under the hood, the OnePlus 12 packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor. It is accompanied by a PixelWorks X7 Visual processor, which the company claims can help the smartphone become a gaming behemoth by working in tandem with the Adreno GPU. The chip also helps bolster the display's colour accuracy by leveraging the 3D LUT technology. That, combined with Qualcomm's Snapdragon Game Super Resolution, should result in immersive visuals.

For its cameras, the OnePlus 12 uses a 50 MP Sony LYT-808 sensor, a 48 MP IMX481 ultra-wide-angle lens and a 64MP Omnivision OV64B (3x optical zoom) periscope telephoto lens. At the front, there's a 32 MP Sony IMX615 sensor for selfies and video calls. The Hasselblad branding and tuning tech is here to stay, as confirmed by some camera samples shared by OnePlus a few days ago.

Other OnePlus 12 features include Wi-Fi 7, NFC, Bluetooth 5.4, an IR Blaster, an alert slider, an under-display fingerprint sensor, an X-axis linear vibration motor, and a USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-C port for charging and data transfer. The smartphone draws power from a 5,400 mAh cell that supports 100 W wired charging, 50 W wireless charging (only via a proprietary charger), and 10 W reverse wireless charging, making it the first of its kind to support the long-asked-for tech.

The base OnePlus 12, unlike an upcoming flagship, doesn't skimp on memory an storage. Its base variant packs 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage, costing only RMB 4,299 (US$606). Its maxed-out version with 24 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage costs RMB 5,799 (US$818). Whether or not those prices carry over to global markets remains to be seen. If they do, the OnePlus 12 could once again become the flagship killer it started out as.