Newsletter
The OnePlus 12 was announced in China towards the end of last year, and the global variant dropped today, January 23. We’ve been using the device for a while now, and in this article, we’ll compare it with its predecessor. In other words, we’ll compare the OnePlus 12 vs OnePlus 11. These two phones actually do have a lot in common, but the OnePlus 12 also brings some upgrades, of course.
As per usual, we’ll first list their specifications, and then move to a number of other categories. Following the specs, you’ll see a design comparison, followed by their displays, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio output. This will hopefully give you enough information to decide whether you want to upgrade to the OnePlus 12, or perhaps stick with/go for the OnePlus 11 instead.
Specs
OnePlus 12 vs OnePlus 11, respectively
– Screen size:
6.82-inch LTPO AMOLED display (curved, 120Hz LTPO, HDR10+, 4,500 nits)
6.7-inch LTPO3 Fluid AMOLED display (curved, 120Hz LTPO, HDR10+, 1,300 nits)
– Display resolution:
3168 x 1440
3216 x 1440
– SoC:
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
– RAM:
12GB/16GB (LPDDR5X)
8GB/12GB/16GB (LPDDR5X)
– Storage:
256GB/512GB (UFS 4.0)
128GB/256GB/512GB (UFS 4.0)
– Rear cameras:
50MP (f/1.6 aperture, 23mm lens, 1.12um pixel size, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS), 48MP (ultrawide, 14mm lens, 114-degree FoV, f/2.2 aperture, 0.8um pixel size, PDAF), 64MP (periscope telephoto, 0.7um pixel size, OIS, PDAF, 3x optical zoom, 6x “in-sensor” zoom)
50MP (f/1.8 aperture, OIS, multi-directional PDAF), 48MP (ultrawide, f/2.2 aperture, 115-degree FoV), 32MP (telephoto, f/2.0 aperture, 2x optical zoom)
– Front cameras:
32MP (f/2.4 aperture)
16MP (f/2.5 aperture)
– Battery:
5,500mAh
5,000mAh
– Charging:
100W wired, 50W wireless, reverse wireless (charger included)
100W wired globally, 80W in the US (charger included)
– Dimensions (unfolded):
164.3 x 75.8 x 9.2mm
163.1 x 74.1 x 8.5mm
– Weight:
220 grams
205 grams
– Connectivity:
5G, LTE, NFC, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5.4/5.3
– Security:
In-display fingerprint scanner (optical) & facial scanning
In-display fingerprint scanner (optical) & facial scanning
– OS:
Android 14 with OxygenOS 14
Android 13 with OxygenOS 13 (upgradable)
– Price:
$799.99+
$629+
– Buy:
Best Buy / OnePlus / Amazon
OnePlus
OnePlus 12 vs OnePlus 11: Design
The design did not really change much from the OnePlus 11 to the OnePlus 12. There are some differences, sure, but not many. Both smartphones have curved displays with a display camera hole. The thing is, those two display camera holes are not in the same place. The one on the OnePlus 11 sits in the top-left corner, while the OnePlus 12 has a centered punch hole. The bezels around both displays are very thin.
On the back, you’ll find a similarly-looking camera oreo. Both phones include three cameras back there, but the camera module, in general, is bigger on the OnePlus 12, for a reason. OnePlus upgraded the camera hardware on the phone. Both smartphones are made out of metal and glass, and the in-hand feel is not that different. They are both very slippery, though, so keep that in mind. Using a case may be a good idea.
The situation with buttons is different. The OnePlus 12 has all of its physical buttons on the right-hand side. The alert slider, however, sits on the left. The OnePlus 11 has the power/lock key on the right side, along with the alert slider, while the volume buttons are placed on the left. Both devices do have an IP certification for water and dust resistance, but the OnePlus 12 has the advantage there. It comes with IP65 certification, compared to IP64 certification on the OnePlus 11.
The new phone is slightly taller, slightly wider, and slightly thicker than last year’s model. It’s also heavier at 220 grams, compared to 205 grams. It does have new camera hardware and a larger battery, so that’s not surprising.
OnePlus 12 vs OnePlus 11: Display
There is a 6.82-inch QHD+ (3168 x 1440) LTPO AMOLED display included on the OnePlus 12. That panel can project up to 1 billion colors and has a 120Hz refresh rate (adaptive 1-120Hz). Dolby Vision is supported, as is HDR10+ content. That display is curved, and it has a maximum theoretical brightness of 4,500 nits. You’ll never get to that level, though. The Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protects this panel.
The OnePlus 11, on the flip side, comes with a 6.7-inch QHD+ (3216 x 1440) LTPO3 Fluid AMOLED display. That panel is also curved, and this is also an LTPO panel, which means we’re looking at an adaptive refresh rate here. The phone goes from 1-120Hz. HDR10+ content is supported here, as is Dolby Vision. This panel goes up to 1,300 nits of brightness at its peak, and it’s protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus.
Both of these displays are very vivid and offer great viewing angles. Touch response is also really good, and they’re both more than sharp enough. It’s also great to see that both panels are of the LTPO variety. Now, the OnePlus 12 does have the advantage of better display protection. That panel also does get brighter. The OnePlus 11’s panel is bright enough, but you will notice the difference in direct sunlight.
OnePlus 12 vs OnePlus 11: Performance
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 fuels the OnePlus 12. The company also included up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM globally, the Chinese model goes up to 24GB. OnePlus also uses UFS 4.0 flash storage here. The OnePlus 11 comes with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, along with up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM. It also utilizes UFS 4.0 flash storage, well, except for the base 128GB storage model, that one comes with UFS 3.1.
The OnePlus 12 does get a bump in the SoC department. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is more powerful than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. The thing is, the difference is not that considerable. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is still a truly powerful processor, and those of you who own the OnePlus 11 can probably attest to that. It can run pretty much anything without a problem, including demanding games, and the regular, everyday performance is great.
Well, the same is the case with the OnePlus 12, in all honesty. The phone performed great during our usage. The animations were very smooth, and it handled everyday tasks with ease. Even more demanding multitasking and games were not a problem for the new phone. OnePlus did include a rather large vapor chamber on the inside, so if you’d like to game, that’s not an issue. And yes, this phone can take on even the most demanding stuff you’ll find in the Google Play Store. Neither device got hot to the point it was uncomfortable to use.
OnePlus 12 vs OnePlus 11: Battery
OnePlus’ new flagship includes a 5,400mAh battery on the inside. Last year’s model comes with a 5,000mAh battery. The OnePlus 11 was one of the best battery life flagships of 2023 in our testing, it had outstanding battery life. Is that the case with the OnePlus 12 too, especially considering the battery upgrade? Well, yes, it is, the OnePlus 12 also offers truly great battery life, which is great to see.
The OnePlus 12, as my colleague said it, is “truly a 2-day phone”. In our battery rundown test, it completely shattered the OnePlus Open and Pixel 8 Pro, while it trailed a bit behind the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max. That test is not always the best indicator of battery life, but this phone basically reflected that in real-life usage. At around 5 hours of screen-on time, we were at 55-60% of battery life, and that was not an exception during our usage, but a rule. This phone can easily last two days for many people. The OnePlus 11 was not far behind either. Best of all, even after torturing the OnePlus 12 for 19 hours at full brightness during our rundown test, the phone only got a bit warm, but only mildly.
What about charging? Well, in the US, both of these smartphones support 80W wired charging, despite the fact they ship with a 100W charger. In other regions, 100W charging is supported. The OnePlus 12 also offers 50W wireless charging and 10W reverse wireless charging. The OnePlus 11 does not.
OnePlus 12 vs OnePlus 11: Cameras
The OnePlus 12 comes with a new 50-megapixel main camera (f/1.6 aperture). It utilizes the Sony LYT-808 sensor, the same one used in the OnePlus Open. A 48-megapixel ultrawide camera is also included here, and it offers a 114-degree FoV. On top of that, a 64-megapixel periscope telephoto camera (3x optical zoom, 6x “in-sensor” zoom) sits on the back. The OnePlus 11 has a 50-megapixel main camera (f/1.8 aperture), a 48-megapixel ultrawide unit (115-degree FoV), and a 32-megapixel telephoto camera (2x optical zoom).
The OnePlus 11 did a fine job with the camera performance, at least as the main and ultrawide cameras are concerned. The OnePlus 12 does take things to a whole new level, though. The new main and periscope telephoto setups do make the difference. The phone is not afraid of keeping an image darker if it represents the scene or subject better, but it doesn’t lose details along the way. The colors are great, which was to be expected, as Hasselblad really came through for OnePlus over the years.
The ultrawide camera does keep up with the main unit in terms of color science, and generally provides good pictures, Even in low light, both cameras do a good job, but the main one stands out, that’s for sure. The periscope telephoto camera can capture truly nice images in both 3x and 6x modes (and everything in between), while images up to 10x are perfectly usable. The OnePlus 11’s telephoto prowess is nowhere near the OnePlus 12. Its 2x optical zoom is not particularly useful, and if you go beyond that things do fall apart rather quickly.
Audio
You’re getting 24-bit/192kHz Hi-Res audio on both of these phones. Yes, they both have stereo speakers, and those speakers are well-balanced. In fact, they do sound rather similar, which is not a bad thing. They also don’t get distorted at higher volumes.
Neither phone includes an audio jack, but you can always utilize a dongle to connect your headphones to their Type-C ports. If you prefer wireless connectivity, Bluetooth 5.4 is on offer on the OnePlus 12, while the OnePlus 11 offers Bluetooth 5.3.