The OnePlus 12 launched on December 5, 2013. That is the phone’s initial launch in the company’s homeland, China. The global launch happened on January 23, 2024. That being said, those two phones are almost identical. They only differ in terms of available RAM/storage and pre-installed software (different markets). The OnePlus 12 is actually quite powerful, and it does resemble the OnePlus 11 that arrived at the beginning of this year.
It does bring a number of improvements in comparison, across the board. A much brighter display is used here, with a more powerful processor, and more powerful cameras. Wireless charging made a comeback with this phone, after skipping the OnePlus 11, and so on. There’s plenty to talk about here, so let’s get to it, starting with the specifications .
- OnePlus 12 specs
- How much does the OnePlus 12 cost?
- What colors does the OnePlus 12 come in?
- What new upgrades does the OnePlus 12 have over the OnePlus 11?
- Should I buy the OnePlus 12?
- Updates
OnePlus 12 specs
The OnePlus 12 features a 6.82-inch QHD+ (3168 x 1440) AMOLED display. That panel is curved, and it has a centered display camera hole. We’re looking at an LTPO AMOLED display here with an adaptive refresh rate (1-120Hz). Its max brightness is 4,500 nits, and high-frequency 2,160Hz PWM dimming is also a part of the package. The Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protects this display. The screen-to-body ratio here is also quite high at 93.5%.
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 fuels this handset, Qualomm’s most powerful chip. OnePlus offers 12GB, 16GB, and 24GB (China only) LPDDR5X RAM variants of the phone. 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB (China only) storage flavors are available. A 5,400mAh battery is included in the package, along with 100W (80W in the US) wired charging. 50W wireless charging is also on offer, and the same goes for 10W reverse wireless charging. Do note that a 100W charger is a part of the package too.
It has a rather modern main camera sensor on the back
A 50-megapixel main camera (Sony LYT-808 sensor) sits on the back, with a wide-angle lens. A 64-megapixel periscope telephoto camera (OmniVision’s OV64B camera, 3x optical zoom, 6x “in-sensor zoom”) is also included, as is a 48-megapixel ultrawide camera (Sony’s IMX581 sensor, 114-degree FoV). A 32-megapixel selfie camera sits on the phone as well. Android 14 comes pre-installed here with OxygenOS 14 on top of it.
OnePlus also included advanced cooling here, with a larger vapor chamber. The phone is IP54 certified for water and dust resistance, while it supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4. OnePlus also included USB 3.2 Gen 1 here, and a new vibration motor. The OnePlus 12 measures 164.3 x 75.8 x 9.15mm, while it weighs 220 grams.
How much does the OnePlus 12 cost?
The OnePlus 12 is available in two different configurations outside of China, four in OnePlus’ homeland. We’ll focus on global models. The most affordable model includes 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The pricier one comes with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. All models have LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 flash storage. The storage is non-expandable.
Those two models are priced at $799.99 and $899.99 in the US. Pricing in Europe and other markets outside of China is higher than in the US. That goes for all European countries where the phone is available in, and the pricing does differ.
Where can I buy the OnePlus 12?
What carriers does it work on?
The OnePlus 12 is not being sold via any carrier in the US. Still, if you decide to buy it, you should be able to use it on basically any carrier without a problem. It’ll work on all three major carriers in the US, T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon. It will also work on various MVNOs from those three companies. You can contact your carrier just to be sure, but there should be no problems to get this phone going.
What colors does the OnePlus 12 come in?
The OnePlus 12 was announced in three color variants, black, green, and white. Only two of them are available globally, though, black and green. The black variant combines a black frame with a black backplate. The green model has a green frame and a green backplate, though its backplate has a rather interesting pattern on it. The white model has a metallic silver frame and a white backplate, which is also the only model that has a glossy backplate. All three variants combine metal and glass, by the way, and the colors of their camera modules on the back are in line with the smartphone colors.
What new upgrades does the OnePlus 12 have over the OnePlus 11?
The OnePlus 11 was, and still is, a great smartphone. There’s no denying that. However, the OnePlus 12 is better in a number of ways, at least on paper. OnePlus decided to cut corners with the OnePlus 11, to a degree, when it omitted wireless charging, for example. The same did not happen with the OnePlus 12. It really does feel like the company went all out this time around, and the OnePlus 12 is stacked with top-of-the-line specs and features. Let’s see what are the improvements here, shall we?
Much brighter display
The OnePlus 12 comes with an LTPO AMOLED display like its predecessor, but this one has one major advantage. It is much, much brighter. The OnePlus 11’s brightness peaked at 1,300 nits, while the OnePlus 12 goes all the way up to 4,500 nits. Realistically, that is a level of brightness that you’ll never reach, but the point is, this display gets super bright. It gets more than bright enough for usage in direct sunlight, and at the time of the announcement, that was the brightest display in any smartphone. It does have an adaptive refresh rate (1-120Hz), high-frequency PWM dimming (which Samsung, Google, and Apple lack), and more.
More powerful SoC
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 comes included in the OnePlus 12. That is Qualcomm’s most powerful chip to date. That chip is more powerful than its predecessor, and allegedly also 20% more efficient, at least based on benchmarks and what OnePlus said. It seems to be heating up a bit more, but that’s what OnePlus’ advanced cooling is here for, so that realistically should not be an issue. The point is, the company used basically the best SoC it could get its hands on.
Wireless charging
Unlike the OnePlus 11, the OnePlus 12 does support wireless charging. In fact, it supports 50W wireless charging, just like the OnePlus 10 Pro did. That wireless charging is still faster than what most of the competitors offer. It’s a far cry from what Apple, Google, and Samsung have to offer. On top of that wireless charging, the OnePlus 12 can also be recharged via 100W wired charging, which is another plus, not to mention that a charger is included in the box.
Reverse wireless charging
For those of you who are wondering, yes, reverse wireless charging is included too. That’s another feature that is making a comeback, after being omitted with the OnePlus 11. The OnePlus 12 supports 10W reverse wireless charging, which is plenty for charging up your wireless earbuds, smartwatch, or something similar. Most people seem to be using it to recharge their truly wireless earbuds, though.
More compelling camera setup with a periscope telephoto lens
The OnePlus 12 basically picked up its camera setup from the OnePlus Open. The phone has an immensely capable LYT-808 main camera, which is backed by a periscope telephoto camera from OmniVision. That periscope camera is, in addition to the main camera, a true upgrade over the OnePlus 11, which offered 2x optical zoom. This camera offers 3x optical zoom, and 6x in-sensor zoom. Those 6x shots are actually really good, if the OnePlus Open is any indication. The ultrawide camera is nothing to write home about, but it proved itself in the past. It’s a really compelling camera setup as a whole.
Faster storage across the board
The OnePlus 11 did offer UFS 4.0 flash storage too, but not in all models. The phone with 128GB storage had UFS 3.1 storage, while the other models offered UFS 4.0. Well, there’s no such division here. All variants of the OnePlus 12 offer UFS 4.0 flash storage. On top of that, all of them offer LPDDR5X too, in case you were wondering. So you won’t get an inferior phone just for getting less RAM or storage.
Advanced cooling system
OnePlus is using an advanced cooling system inside the OnePlus 12. OnePlus is using a big vapor chamber and a dual-cycle heat dissipation structure inside the OnePlus 12. That is way more advanced than most of its competitors are using. It should help keep the phone at a good temperature at all times, even when you want the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 to show its muscles in a demanding game or something.
New vibration motor
On top of everything else I’ve listed here, the OnePlus 12 also comes with a new vibration motor. OnePlus wanted to improve the haptics inside the OnePlus 12, and this should definitely help with that. OnePlus is using a new ‘N54 magnetic material’ here, and it remains to be seen how good it actually feels to use.
What cases are available for the OnePlus 12?
OnePlus is offering two cases for the OnePlus 12, at least in the US. You can choose between a ‘Sandstone Bumper Case’ and the ‘Aramid Fiber Bumper Case’. The first one costs $19.99, while the latter will set you back $29.99. Both are available in a single color, black. You can see them both below, where you’ll also find purchase links.
Buy the OnePlus 12 Sandstone Bumper Case (OnePlus)
Buy the OnePlus 12 Aramid Fiber Bumper Case (OnePlus)
Should I buy the OnePlus 12?
Is the OnePlus 12 the right phone for you? That is, per usual, a question only you can answer. We can help you come to a conclusion, though. We’ve been using the phone for a while now, prior to launch, and it’s a very impressive device. It’s more powerful than its predecessor, and it brings fast wireless charging back into the fold. It comes with a more advanced cooling system, and the phone can handle a lot of performance stress.
The display is brighter than ever, and the cameras have been considerably improved, especially the main and telephoto units. There is a lot to like when it comes to this phone, including its price tag. It is affordable from the get-go (at least in the US), but if you count the fact you can easily get a $100 discount, this phone is one of the best deals in the flagship sector at the moment.
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Updates
Updated March 7, 2024:
OnePlus has started rolling out a new update to the OnePlus 12 . The rollout has started in India, but it will expand to other markets soon, though with a slightly different changelog. This update brings mostly improvements to the table and one new feature of sorts. That ‘feature’ is actually the addition of more focal lengths in the camera UI. You can now switch between more of them by tapping the zoom buttons.
When it comes to improvements, there are four inclusions here. This update improves the stability and compatibility of the NFC function, while it also improved the stability of network connections. The clarity of photos taken using 2x zoom in Portrait Mode has been improved. OnePlus also improved the color accuracy of photos taken with the front camera in warm-light environments. On top of that, the system stability has been improved in general, as the company squashed some bugs.
Updated March 29, 2024:
OnePlus has started rolling out OxygenOS 14.0.0.604 to the OnePlus 12. This update is actually quite hefty, as it weighs almost 700MB. It does bring the March 2024 security patch, along with some new features, improvements, and patches. Let’s talk about the new features first, shall we? OnePlus introduced the ability to create photo collages straight from the default Photos app. It’s a bit basic now, but it’s there.
The company also introduced the ‘Partial screenshots’ option for the Smart Sidebar. On top of that, you can now hold down the volume down button in order to turn on the flashlight when your screen is off. Needless to say, that can come in really handy if you’re using the flashlight a lot. The last feature that we’ll mention is the app-specific volume feature. You can now basically set a specific volume for any given app.
Updated May 28, 2024:
A new update has started rolling out to the OnePlus 12, the OxygenOS 14.0.0.802. This update does bring a new security patch to the device, the one for May 2024. The rollout started in India, but it’ll quickly spread to other markets. If you’d like to check out the entire changelog, you can do that here . We’ll highlight the most notable changes below, however.
This update adds the wallpaper zoom option, and also seamless icon transitions during app launch and exit. A bounce animation effect when sliding to the bottom of the notification drawer has been added too. The transition animations for Home screen icons and widgets have been optimized. Background colors and Gaussian blur effects in Quick Settings have been optimized. The same goes for the notification drawer, home screen drawer, and Global Search.
Some transition animations have been added to the table too, while touch control responsiveness has been increased in some scenarios. Animations for large folders have been optimized, while a horizontal layout for the lock screen clock has been added. You can now adjust the volume in Quick Settings too. Fingerprint recognition has been optimized, and much more. There are quite a few entries in the changelog here.
Updated July 2, 2024:
OnePlus has started pushing out a new update to the OnePlus 12. The rollout is starting in India, but it’s coming to other regions too. This update is marked as OxygenOS 14.0.0.810(EX01). It does bring the June 2024 Android security patch to the phone. In addition to that, however, various other improvements have been pushed out. The changelog is split into System, Touch control, Animation upgrade, and Games sections. You can check it out below this section. We’ll talk about some of the changes, while the rest you can check out down there or in our article dedicated to this update .
OnePlus now allows you to show the tracks when you’re drawing the lock screen pattern on the OnePlus 12. Music controls can now be displayed in Fluid Cloud, while the company also fixed an issue with the volume slider in Quick Settings. Gaming stability has been improved thanks to this update and a particular bug where the screen was going black during gaming. The company also improved touch control responsiveness when opening and closing apps. App icons on the home screen will now respond faster to your taps too. Animations when opening and closing multiple apps have also been improved, and more. Various new transitions have been added to benefit the general look and feel of the UI.
Updated August 1, 2024:
The OnePlus 12 is getting a new update, but it’s a minor update. This update is all about security, as it brings a July 2024 Android security update to the phone . That is the only thing mentioned in the company’s official changelog. You will not find any new features here or anything of the sort. The update is marked as CPH2583_14.0.0.830(EX01), and it weighs 1.12GB. That part is a bit weird, as it’s just a security update. It’s quite a hefty update for what it is. Do note that the download size could vary from region to region. Another thing to note is that the update is rolling out gradually.
Updated August 22, 2024:
The OnePlus 12 is getting a new update which contains the August 2024 Android security patch. This update weighs 1.25GB, and the rollout has started in India, but it will quickly spread to other markets. This update adds a switch to show or hide media playback info in the status bar. It also improves the experience of taking scrolling screenshots and optimizes the face verification feature, thus offering a higher level of security.
Those are the changes listed in the official changelog. However, users have also reported that Gmail issues have been resolved, and the heat issue too. Some users seemingly had issues with the phone heating up in some scenarios, we never did. On top of all that, the battery life has been improved too for some users.
Updated October 2, 2024:(September 2024 update)
OnePlus has started rolling out the September 2024 Android security update to its devices including the OnePlus 12. This update does bring the September 2024 security patch to the table, but some additional changes are mentioned. General system stability has been improved, while OnePlus also added the ‘Recently deleted’ folder in the ‘Privacy Safe’. Several entries in the changelog have been added for the ‘Photos’ app too.
OnePlus has added teh ability to share photos to Phone LInk. Sorting options have also been introduced for Photos, you can now choose between date taken, time modified or filename. Renaming albums and changing their covers is also possible, while a feature to speed up videos without altering the audio pitch has also been added.
Updated November 27, 2024:(Android 15 update)
The OnePlus 12 units have started receiving Android 15 with OxygenOS 15, globally. That goes for Europe, North America, India, and more regions. In regards to the changelog, it’s quite long. We’ll talk about some of the major changes, while you can check out the rest of them in the gallery at the end of this section. ‘Parallel processing’ is rolling out as part of this update. It will ensure “smooth, uninterrupted visuals, even when multitasking or running resource-intensive applications”.
Visual effects have been improved, and so have animations. OnePlus also brought ‘Flux themes’ to the device. Thanks to these, you can heavily customize your home screen and lock screen with ease, and create some unique layouts. New customizations are also available for the Always-On Display. New photo editing features have been added, while the new ‘Charging limit’ feature for the battery is here too. Check out more changes below.
Updated December 18, 2024:(new AI tools, camera filters & more)
OnePlus has started rolling out a new Android 15-based update to the OnePlus 12. The rollout started in India, but it will soon spread elsewhere. This update adds AI Reply, AI Check, and AI Rewrite tools, which some of you may find quite useful. On top of that, OnePlus has also added Fresh Emerald, and Clear film filters to the Photo mode and Portrait mode in the camera app.
This update also adds a new feature to Camera for personalized watermarks. Live Alerts can now show the status of the flashlight and charging information. System stability has been improved in some scenarios, and so has lag. The battery life has been improved too, while this update adds the December 2024 Android security patch to the phone as well. You can check out a full changelog below.
Updated April 3, 2025:(March 2025 update)
The OnePlus 12 is now getting the OxygenOS 15.0.0.701 update with the March 2025 security update and some new features. This update is rolling gradually, but widely, it’s a global update. It allows you to resize folders on the home screen. You can drag them to 1×2 or 2×1, to choose the size. You can now also keep 5 apps in the dock, even when the Home screen is set to display 4 apps per row. Spotify music player controls have been improved in Live Alerts, and the company also improved the process of resetting your privacy password.
Updated April 29, 2025: (April 2025 update)
The OnePlus 12 is now receiving the April 2025 Android security update . This is not the only change that OnePlus highlighted in the changelog, however. This update also adds partial screen recording. So you don’t have to record the entire display anymore. New clock widgets have been added too, in case you’d like more variety.
The company has also introduced a stack view for the Recent tasks screen. It can be turned on or off in Settings -> Home screen & Lock screen – Recent tasks manager. The default apps available in Super power saving mode have been revised, and an improved process for adding apps to this mode has been included too.
Setting a custom ringtone while adding or editing a contact is now easier than ever. OnePlus also enhanced gesture recognition for closing floating windows and improved shadow effects around floating windows. This update is now rolling out in stages.
Updated May 27, 2025: (May 2025 update)
OnePlus has started rolling out the May 2025 security update to a number of devices, including the OnePlus 12. This update is rolling out in stages, as many of you have probably received it already. If not, be patient, it’s coming soon. This update not only delivers dozens of security fixes from Google, for Android, but it also delivers some other changes to OxygenOS 15.
You can now add encrypted files to Private Safe with no quantity limits. OnePlus has also improved the button design on the photo selection page in Photos. After you update, you’ll also be able to share files with iOS devices that are connected to the same WI-Fi networks, thanks to O+ Connect. Some weekly usage statistics of data usage for apps have been added to the Phone Manager. OnePlus also improved general system stability and the layout design of ringtone settings for contacts.
A number of changes were issued to the Notes app too. You can now insert tables in a note, and also select the shape of the doodle pen. Searching through all notes is now a possibility too, as is pinning, moving, or deleting a note in the search results page. OnePlus also improved the layout design of to-dos in that app. Several more changes are mentioned in the company’s forum post .
Updated June 19, 2025: (June 2025 update)
The OnePlus 12 has started getting the OxygenOS 15.0.0.831 update . The update kicked off in India, but it’ll quickly spread to other markets. This update does deliver the June 2025 Android security update to the device, but it’s about more just that… a lot more. It introduces the ‘Gamera Camera’ feature, which provides Live screenshots and Flashback recording options to help you capture your gaming moments.
You can now also control your PC remotely, thanks to a new feature. It also allows you to access PC files remotely from your OnePlus 12 phone. The Speaker cleaner feature has been added too, and the same goes for a Drag & drop feature. That feature allows you to use gestures to perform actions on images and text in third-party apps. The floating bar responsiveness of floating windows has been improved, while OnePlus also optimized the search result display order in Settings. More changes have been issued, check them all below.
Updated July 3, 2025:
Another update is rolling out to the OnePlus 12. This one brings one new feature to the table, the ‘Recommended to uninstall’ one. It’s related to apps you haven’t used in a long time. In addition to that, this update improves system stability, plus updates a number of OnePlus apps.
In regard to OnePlus Notes, it brings support for Rich Tech Format to tables. You can now also drag an audio or video file in your note to adjust its location. You can also share audio or video files to Notes to save them. Inserting audio or video files from Camera, Photos, or My Files into your note is now also possible.
A My Files widget has been added to the mix too, for the File Manager, while some other changes have been issued to File Encryption. You can read the entire changelog below.
Updated August 27, 2025:(August 2025 update)
OnePlus is now pushing out the OxygenOS 15.0.0.850 update to the OnePlus 12. Do note that the rollout started in India, but it’s quickly spreading to other markets. This update is rolling out in stages, so you’ll need to be patient. It delivers the Android security update for August 2025. On top of that, various other changes are listed in the changelog.
This update improves the animations for opening, repositioning, and resizing a floating window. A number of Private Safe changes are included, too. You can now share images and videos in Private Safe, as well as customize image or video album covers there. Sorting and viewing images and videos by time in Private Safe is also a possibility, as is adding files under the ‘Other files’ category in Private Safe.
Split View is no longer restricted to fixed ratios. When two apps are displayed in landscape view in Split View, you can now drag the divider to adjust their relative sizes. All notifications received in landscape mode are now displayed in a simplified banner format to reduce interruptions. More changes are listed in the changelog, which you can check out below.
Updated September 29, 2025:(September 2025 update)
The OnePlus 12 is now getting the September 2025 Android update . This update does boost the security aspect, but that’s not all. It also improves the animation when tapping Live Alerts or notifications while the screen is locked. It adds a map album that allows you to view all iamges with locations on a map. Some changes related to the Private album and Private Safe have also been detailed in the changelog, while you can now also view your daily and weekly screen time in App management under Phone Manager. On top of all that, this update improves the layout of the remote control panel buttons in IR Remote. You can see a full changelog below.
Updated November 6, 2025:(Android 16 update)
OnePlus has kicked off the Android 16 update for the OnePlus 12. This update comes with OxygenOS 16 on top, and the rollout started in India, but it’ll quickly spread to other markets. The changelog is huge . This update revamps animations, making them more intuitive and smoother. That goes for a ton of animations throughout the UI. Trinity Engine is also better than before. It now optimizes workload and resources on the fly, keeping everything running smoothly. A ton of AI changes have been pushed out to Photos, Notes, Recorder, Writer, and much more. Flux Themes have received various new updates, while the company also improved the camera performance of the OnePlus 12. We’re only scratching the surface here, though, you’ll need to check out the changelog to get the full picture.
Updated December 4, 2025:
The OnePlus 12 is now getting the OxygenOS 16.0.1.300 update . The rollout started in India, but it will quickly spread to other markets. This update improves the speed of launching apps from the home screen. You will also be able to resize the clock when editing certain Flux themes. Customizing widget names is also a possibility, while the virus scanning speed has been improved too. OnePlus also improved the ‘Ring’ fingerprint animation on the lock screen. The November 2025 Android security patch is included in this update. The company also added a new interface for AI LinkBoost Network Engine, and more. You can check out the full changelog here .
Updated December 30, 2025: (December 2025 update)
Much like a number of its siblings, the OnePlus 12 is now getting the December 2025 update as well. This update does bring over 50 security fixes, but that’s not all. Plenty of new features are included here as well. The update is rolling out in the form of OxygenOS 16.0.2.400, and the rollout started in India. You should be seeing this update in other markets as well, very soon, if not already.
The update adds a ‘Neon’ filter to the Camera app. It’s supposed to recreate the CineStill 800T film effect. The XPAN mode UI has been upgraded as well, while the Camera app now also supports XPAN watermarks. The thumbnail parsing method in the Photos app has been improved to speed up the display of thumbnails. You can now also edit images and videos in Private Safe, you don’t need to unlock them first.
We’re only scratching the surface here, plenty more entries are included in the full changelog .
