Ten years on from the release of its first smartphone, the OnePlus 12 cements OnePlus’s move from underdog to major player in the smartphone market. Its launch in China seemed to go down well, and now that we’ve seen the global launch of OnePlus’s latest flagship, it’s about time to weigh in on the OnePlus 12 price specs, and key information. Less than a year on from its previous flagship launch, OnePlus is still set to bring a whole load of advancements over the OnePlus 11 with the OnePlus 12.
If you’re holding out for one of the upcoming premium Android releases, the OnePlus 12 looks like it should be worth it. With eye-catching specs including huge RAM storage and speedy wireless charging, the OnePlus 12 is making its mark on the Android smartphone market: here’s all you need to know.
OnePlus 12 launch details
As of the time of writing, the OnePlus 12 has been released in China, and is now available to pre order across the international market. While OnePlus initially only gave us “early 2024” in regards to the global launch of the OnePlus 12, the company confirmed the release date of the 6th of February at the OnePlus launch event that took place in India on the 23rd of January 2024.
In terms of how much it costs, the base model comes in at ¥4,299 in China, and we’ve now got the final details on the global pricing. The 12GB + 256GB model will cost $799/£849, and the storage-heavy 16GB + 512GB model comes with a higher price of $899/£999. The OnePlus 12 has a starting price tag of $100 more expensive than the OnePlus 11, but given the upgrades you’re getting, it’s a competitive price for the package. Unfortunately, the 1TB model that many had their eyes on isn’t being launched outside of China.
If you choose to pre-order now, you can get a free pair of the OnePlus Buds that were also announced at the launch event. There’s also an exclusive trade-in initiative, in which you can earn an additional $100 off your OnePlus 12 handset by trading in your current phone. In terms of where to buy the OnePlus 12, it will be available from the OnePlus website as well as your usual retailers such as Amazon and Best Buy.
OnePlus 12 specs and key information
| Specification | OnePlus 12 |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 164.3 x 75.8 x 9.15 mm |
| Weight | 220 g |
| Display | 6.82 inches, 3168 x 1440 QHD+ |
| HBM / Peak Brightness | 1600 / 4500 nits |
| Refresh Rate | 1-120 Hz dynamic |
| Cover Glass | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| Operating System | OxygenOS 14.0 (based on Android 14) |
| Platform | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 |
| CPU/GPU | Qualcomm Kryo CPU / Adreno 750 |
| RAM | 12 GB/16 GB LPDDR5X |
| Storage | 256 GB/512 GB UFS 4.0 |
| Battery/charging | 5,400 mAh / 100W wired charging, 50W wireless charging |
| Rear camera | 50MP main, 48MP ultrawide, 64MP 3x periscope telephoto camera |
| Selfie camera | 32MP |
| Video | 8K video at 24 fps, 4K video at 30/60 fps, 1080p video at 30/60 fps |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 6E, Wi-Fi 7, Support WiFi 802.11, Bluetooth 5.4 |
| Ports | USB Type-C, Dual Nano-SIM slot |
| Buttons | Gestures and on-screen navigation support, Alert Slider |
As expected from a flagship smartphone, OnePlus has packed the OnePlus 12 full of impressive specs, with many of its features going above and beyond what the current high-end market offers. Coming in two attractive colors, Flowy Emerald and Silky Black, the sleek rectangular form factor retains the aesthetic of the OnePlus 11, but it’s what’s on the inside that sets the OnePlus 12 ahead of the game. The phone’s 6.8″ AMOLED screen has refresh rate speeds of up to 120 Hz, but even more impressively, a peak brightness of 4,500 nits – for comparison, the iPhone 15 Max only reaches 2,000 nits.
In terms of processing power, the OnePlus 12 equips the newest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor and can be configured with up to 24GB of RAM and 1TB of storage in the premium model. This is the same Qualcomm processor we’re expected to see across some of Samsung’s Galaxy S24 lineup. Furthermore, there’s also the huge 5,400 mAh battery that even outperforms Samsung’s high-end flagship, the Galaxy S23 Ultra. No thanks to that, the OnePlus 12 looks like it will see support for 100W wired fast charging and 50W wireless charging.
When it comes to the camera, OnePlus has once again paired with Hasselblad to provide its next flagship with a 50MP main camera, 48MP ultrawide, and a 64MP periscope telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. To tie it all together, the phone features an IP65 rating, making it resistant to weather conditions, and you can rest assured that the device’s high-end specs are safely protected from the elements.
Is there a OnePlus 12 Pro?
For those waiting for a Pro model in the OnePlus 12 lineup, don’t hold your breath – there will be no OnePlus 12 Pro. Instead, the company focused on launching the smartphone under the ‘OnePlus 12’ title, omitting any ‘Pro’ label to put its full strength into one product. However, there will be a OnePlus 12R, which is a scaled-down price-conscious model of the OnePlus 12.
Final thoughts
Coming not even a year after the OnePlus 11, the OnePlus 12 looks set to raise the bar of standards for flagship smartphones. The OnePlus brand seems to be making its wait into the mainstream smartphone market, launching highly refined Android phones that are way more affordable than most of the big-name flagships.
Certainly, the global release of the OnePlus 12 will be one to watch, especially as we see how it weighs up against other new flagship releases such as the Samsung Galaxy S24, as well as the most successful phones of 2023, including the Google Pixel 8 and the Apple iPhone 15.
