OnePlus has been dubbed somewhat of a ‘flagship killer’ in recent years, so we thought it would be interesting to compare two of its most popular smartphones: the OnePlus 12R vs the OnePlus 11. Despite holding the ‘R’ title, there are more similarities between the specs of OnePlus’s two flagships than you might think. The two even look pretty much identical, so what exactly is going on under the surface that separates the 11 from the 12R? In this article, we’ll run through a comparison of last year’s OnePlus flagship and this year’s OnePlus mid-ranger to see if there’s which one has better overall value.
OnePlus 12R vs OnePlus 11 specs
| Specs | OnePlus 12R | OnePlus 11 |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 163.3 x 75.3 x 8.8 mm | 163.1 x 74.1 x 8.5 mm |
| Weight | 607 grams | 605 grams |
| Display | 6.78-inch AMOLED | 6.7-inch AMOLED QHD+ |
| Resolution | 1264 x 2780 pixels | 1440 x 3216 pixels |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 1-120 Hz |
| Storage & RAM | 128GB, 8GB RAM / 256GB, 16GB RAM | 128GB, 8GB RAM / 256GB, 12GB RAM / 256GB, 16 GB RAM / 512GB, 16GB RAM |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 |
| Camera | 50 MP main camera, 8 MP ultra-wide, 16 MP selfie camera | 50 MP main camera, 48 MP ultra-wide, 32 MP telephoto, 16 MP telephoto |
| Battery & charging | 5,500 mAh battery / 100W wired and 50W wireless charging | 5,000 mAh battery / 100W wired, no wireless |
| Software | OxygenOS 14 (based on Android 14) | OxygenOS 13 (based on Android 13) |
OnePlus 12R vs OnePlus 11 features
Design
At first glance, there’s not much separating these two phones at all in terms of looks: OnePlus has refined its flagship design, and the OnePlus 12R and OnePlus 11 are the most recent examples of how effective that design is. Both share a glass sandwich body with curved sides and the iconic circular camera on the back panel. On a closer inspection, the OnePlus 12R is the slightly bigger of the two, but one other difference not visible to the eye is that the 12R has a slightly more durable Gorilla Glass Victus 2 and hence has an IP65 dust- and water-resistance rating compared to the IP64 of the 11.
While they might look similar, you get different colorways on the two phones. The OnePlus 12R comes in two colors, Iron Gray and Cool Blue, both of which have a matte finish that minimizes fingerprints and smudges. OnePlus’s older flagship gets the more iconic OnePlus Eternal Green and Titan Black, as well as a beige Jupiter Rock option.
Display
In terms of display, the OnePlus 12R boasts a 6.78-inch AMOLED panel with a resolution of 2780 x 1264 pixels. It offers a variable refresh rate of up to 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10+ support, and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection. The colors are bright and vivid, and the refresh rate ensures smooth scrolling and animations.
Similarly, the OnePlus 11 features a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with a QHD+ resolution, and has the upper hand here with a higher resolution of 1440 x 3216 pixels as well as a dynamic 1-120Hz refresh rate. However, what the 12R lacks in resolution, it makes up for with peak brightness, with a display that goes up to 4,500 nits making it more versatile to use in the sun.
Cameras
The camera configuration makes up one of the most significant differences between the two phones, with the OnePlus 11 ticking a lot more boxes when it comes to camera specs.
The OnePlus 12R features a 50-megapixel main camera with optical image stabilization and an f/1.8 aperture. This is accompanied by an 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera with a 112-degree field of view and a 2-megapixel macro camera. The OnePlus 12R’s camera system is capable of capturing detailed photos with pleasing colors, but only in the right conditions.
On the other hand, the OnePlus 11 boasts a similar 50-megapixel main camera, but its accompanying lenses are far more powerful. A 48-megapixel ultrawide camera and a 32-megapixel telephoto/portrait lens significantly overpowers the 12R here, so you can expect better color accuracy and detail for zoomed-in photos and precise photography. However, if you’re not big on photography, the 50 MP camera on the OnePlus 12R should be more than competent for your cause.
Performance
Under the hood, both the OnePlus 12R and the OnePlus 11 are powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, which ensures fast and responsive performance. With similar RAM and storage configurations across the two phones, it could be said that performance-wise you’ll be getting a pretty similar experience on either device.
As well as your average media consumption, gaming performance is great on both of these phones, allowing you to get a good run out of most games available through the Google Play store. However, unlike the OnePlus 11, the 12R also features a larger vapor chamber design, which gives it a more optimized cooling system for heavy-usage scenarios such as gaming. It also benefits from a bigger battery capacity, getting a 5,500 mAh size as opposed to the 5,000 on the 11, meaning you’ll get longer battery life and fast charging speeds.
OnePlus 12R vs OnePlus 11 price
The pricing of the two phones is where the competition gets interesting, as considering it is packaged with very similar performance and features to the OnePlus 11, the OnePlus 12R has the lower price tag. It’s $500 for the base model with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, and $100 more for the 16GB RAM/256GB storage model priced at $600. The OnePlus 12R is available for preorder and will be available for immediate purchase beginning February 13. It can be purchased from Amazon, Best Buy, and the OnePlus website. While OnePlus might have sacrificed camera performance to make the pricing more affordable, the money saved is more vital to some buyers than smartphone photography.
On the other hand, the OnePlus 11 starts at $699 for the 8GB/128GB model and $799 for the 256GB/16GB variant. It’s available for purchase from OnePlus and Best Buy, more widely than the OnePlus 12R due to being the slightly older of the two.
Is the OnePlus 12R better than the OnePlus 11?
Both the OnePlus 12R and OnePlus 11 offer impressive features and performance at their respective price points. The OnePlus 12R stands out for its sleek design, top-notch display, and excellent battery life. However, the OnePlus 11 is a true return to form for OnePlus, offering great performance, improved cameras, and a competitive price. Ultimately, the choice between these two devices depends on your specific needs, and really comes down to whether you prioritize camera functions or not. With its range of features borrowed from its OnePlus 12 sibling, the OnePlus 12R offers a tempting $500 package that’s an improvement over the OnePlus 11 in many ways, and could be considered the better phone here for its price to performance advantages.
