More For Less
Remember all those years ago when the OnePlus 1 launched, promising to “Never Settle” and that it would be a “Flagship Killer”? Well, it’s taken a while, but I think with the OnePlus 12R, the brand has finally achieved this lofty ideal.
Stay with me. Powered by the excellent Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor with RAM/Memory configurations of 8/128GB and 16/256GB (LPDDR5X/UFS 4.O), the OnePlus 12 satisfies the requirements in the performance department to be classed as a flagship.
It’s a similar story with the battery department with the big 5,500mAh unit supporting 100W SuperVOOC wired charging, achieving a full charge in just 26 minutes.
Sporting an ever-so-slightly smaller display than its sibling, the OnePlus 12R AMOLED ProXDR panel with LTPO 4.0 technology features a 1.5K resolution, 1-120Hz refresh rate, up to 1,000Hz touch response rate, and an incredible 4,500 nits peak brightness. There’s also Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection.
Speaking of protection, you’ll find IP65 water resistance on the OnePlus 12R. While we would have liked to see IP68 protection, we are glad that OnePlus actually has an IP certification for the 12R, as it’s an area where the brand has historically cut corners.
In terms of design, the OnePlus 12R is virtually identical to the OnePlus 12, albeit without Hasselblad branding and different colorway. And yes, there’s an alert sider present, just on the opposite side to where it was on the OnePlus 11 5G.
Cameras
So there’s lots of speed on tap, but what about the camera department since the 12R doesn’t feature Hasselblad tuning? Has OnePlus cut corners and landed the 12R with a potato-cam?
In a word – no. Sony’s IMX890 with 50MP has been chosen as the main camera with EIS and OIS support and PDAF. An 8MP ultra-wide lens with a 112-degree FoV follows that up. The one blemish with the OnePlus 12R is the presence of a 2MP macro lens, which, as I keep mentioning, is usually a pointless addition at any price point. A 16MP front-facing camera is housed in a centrally-located punch-hole on the display.
There’s enough there to satisfy more casual snappers, especially when it comes to posting on social media.
Price
As with its sibling, the OnePlus 12R launches running Android 14-based OxygenOS 14 and we can expect OnePlus to be diligent when it comes to OS and security updates.
You can pick up the OnePlus 12R in Iron Gray and Cool Blue colorways with pricing starting from just $499 for the 8/128GB model and $599/£649 for the 16/256GB version.
The only question is, which colour are you buying?
