SMARTPHONE TEST
This latest flagship model boasts high-end specifications beyond its price. Amy Davies discovers more
OnePlus has long been a fantastic option for mid-price flagship smartphones, and the OnePlus 12 sits right at the top of its line-up. The company likes to boast of its high-end specs for less than high-end prices. As such, we get a superb triplecamera array, industry-leading screen, and 8K video, all for a significantly lower price than equivalent models from the likes of Apple and Samsung. It’s even better priced than the latest Google phones, which also trade on their lower price points.
That’s not to say that the OnePlus 12 is cheap, starting at £849 for the 256GB version and rising up to £999 for the 512GB version. But when you consider that even the 128GB Google 8 Pro will set you back £999, the savings are quite clear.
Features
With a camera system created in collaboration with Hasselblad, this phone is designed to appeal to those for whom photography is the most important aspect.
Its main camera combines a 50MP 1/1.4in sensor with a 23mm equivalent f/1.6 optically stabilised lens. Two further cameras comprise a 48MP 1/2in sensor with a 14mm f/2.2 equivalent ultra-wide lens, plus a 64MP 1/2in sensor with a 70mm f/2.6 equivalent lens. The latter is longer than the 2x lens on the previous OnePlus 11, but it’s still shorter than the 5x zooms found on both the iPhone 15 Pro and the Google Pixel 8 Pro.
This comparison illustrates the angles of view of the three lenses, along with the 6x ‘in-sensor’ zoom (140mm equivalent view)
OnePlus says the screen is the brightest OLED on the market, with 4,500 nits peak brightness, or 1,600 nits in ‘High Brightness Mode’ which kicks in outdoors. A new ‘Aqua Touch’ feature means you can use it normally when it’s damp.
There’s a 5500 mAh battery onboard, which can now be charged wirelessly. Superfast wired charging gives the ability to reach 100% charge in just 26 minutes, using the 100W charger included in the box. You get four years of software updates and five years of security updates. That’s fairly standard, but other flagships now promise up to seven years of updates.
Design and handling
As seems to be the norm for flagship models, the OnePlus 12 is on the
