Review | OnePlus 12 review: with super bright display and super fast charging, phone is a match for Samsung, Google flagships

A screen that’s readable in any light, a fast charger in the box that delivers a full battery charge in 30 minutes – there’s much to like about the OnePlus 12

The triple rear cameras take sharp photos, image processing is top notch, and the stereo speakers a treat. The best thing about the phone may be its price

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The OnePlus 12 smartphone has three cameras produced in collaboration with Hasselblad, and shoots 4K video. Its display is ultra bright and a fast charger that ships with the phone charges the battery to half capacity in 12 minutes. Photo: OnePlus

Published: 5:15pm, 23 Mar 2024

OnePlus has been making Android phones for 10 years now, and the Chinese brand’s latest flagship phone, the OnePlus 12, is a serious competitor to phones like the Google Pixel 8 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.

One of the first things you’ll notice about the OnePlus 12 is the price. At a starting price of US$799 (and a lot less in Hong Kong), it costs much less than the competition.

Design and hardware

The OnePlus 12 has an aluminium frame and the display is covered by Gorilla Glass Victus 2. The display has a resolution of 3,168 by 1,440 pixels, which is a pixel density of 510 pixels per inch, and an aspect ratio of 19.8:9.

The 6.82-inch QHD+ always-on display has a refresh rate of 120Hz and a maximum brightness of 4,500 nits. OnePlus says it’s the brightest screen ever on any smartphone. The screen is really readable in any light.

The handset runs the latest CPU from Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, which is the same processor as in the S24 Ultra, which has a starting price of US$1,299 (HK$8,490 in Hong Kong).

Biometrics to secure the phone include face recognition and an in-screen fingerprint reader. The phone comes in two colours – silky black or flowy emerald.

Software and features

The OnePlus 12 runs Android 14, with an OxygenOS 14 overlay.