It’s been nearly five years since an acquaintance of mine has used the same phone.
In that time period, most other people I know have gone through at least two new devices, complained about their battery degrading, and their phones have slowed down.
But not that phone.
Despite nearly five years on the clock, despite the superfast charging (heck, even today, it’s faster than many flagships), that phone still runs… quite well!
In fact, this acquaintance of mine swears he’s NOT going to upgrade until something truly better comes out.
Well, you might have guessed from the title of this article that it’s a OnePlus phone, but more specifically, it’s the OnePlus 7 Pro.
Many consider that phone to mark the end of the golden era of OnePlus. It was an absolute technological marvel. The first true edge-to-edge screen with an invisible selfie camera that pops out of the top of the phone. Sci-fi stuff! Fast performance that stays fast over the years. Fast charging. The only thing which was not quite amazing on that phone was the camera, which has always been OnePlus’ weak side.
Five years in, I can finally say this: it’s time for an upgrade! OnePlus is back!
The reason for my enthusiasm is the newly released OnePlus 12, which I have been testing for a while now.
OnePlus has been on a shaky path in recent years, trying all sorts of different approaches to crack the smartphone market. It tried a multi-million dollar Hasselblad partnership. It tried making a $1,000 phone. It doubled down on Super VOOC charging. It tried a new lineup of Nord phones. It made a smartwatch. You name it, OnePlus has tried it.
But along the way, the “flagship killer” DNA got a bit lost in the process. Since last year, though, the company has been on a journey to find its mojo and bring it back. And the OnePlus 12 is the most complete product so far in that journey.
If you’ve read our OnePlus 12 review, you already know that it’s a phone that doesn’t have AI or a singular new feature that would make headlines. Instead, it’s a phone that focuses on the fundamentals.
But here is my point: you should care about that way more than you care about AI. At least right now.
Battery Life Beast
For me, the big highlight of the OnePlus 12 is the incredible battery life.
Equipped with a 5,400mAh battery, the 12 beats the Galaxy S24 Ultra and Pixel 8 Pro by nearly 8% in battery capacity.
But in real life, it’s more than just an 8% improvement. OnePlus has relentlessly optimized its Oxygen OS so that it is more efficient with battery use.
OnePlus 12 PhoneArena Battery Test Results
And it has tackled the biggest enemy of prolonged battery life: the heat!
OnePlus addresses this in two ways. The first one is a gigantic heat sink, the size of nearly the whole phone, that can dissipate heat in two directions at the same time: towards the back AND the front of the phone. This ensures more intense tasks don’t heat up that battery and don’t drain it as quickly.
Second, and probably much more important in the long term, OnePlus does all of its fast charging magic in the charger. So when your OnePlus 12 charges up, it barely heats up, however, the charger can get quite warm.
This ensures the battery stays cooler during charging, which for most people is the biggest heat strain on the battery.
Remember I told you about my OnePlus 7 Pro rocking buddy? Never switched a battery in five years of use, and still battery life on his phone is good to this day. That is the effect of great thermals on a phone.
Hassle-free, Hassel-blad Camera
Forgive the pun, but the OnePlus 12 camera has seen a big improvement this year and… queue the statement you hear from every reviewer every year, “OnePlus is now in the big leagues when it comes to the camera”!
It’s funny because every year we think OnePlus might have done it, and every year after using the phone for a while we get disappointed.
This year, however, is a bit different.
First, because of the very obvious boost in zoom quality. This new 3X periscope zoom lens is just clearly a huge leap over the OnePlus 11 in every way imaginable.
OnePlus 12 photos have natural looking colors and portraits look great
But secondly, and more importantly to me, it’s all about the color science.
When I first looked through the hundreds of photos and dozens of videos we capture for our camera comparisons, I just relaxed my back in my chair and a happy smile appeared on my face.
Just look at those portraits. They look natural, and I really had to double-check if these were not taken on a traditional camera.
Sure, they don’t quite have the insane dynamic range of a Pixel, but they have a natural quality to them that is endearing. Skin colors look great, the pictures have a bit of contrast, they have character and an analog feel.
Video quality is also no longer trash on the OnePlus 12, and it can finally stand on equal footing with the flagships (it’s still not as clear as an iPhone, though).
Still the fastest charging phone
*in the West
Why Apple and Samsung choose not to include modern day fast charging on their phones will remain a mystery for years to come.
However, if you are among the people who hate overnight charging and just want to know you can get a full day of use in just 15 minutes of charging, OnePlus remains the only game in town. At least in the West that is.
Here are the charging numbers in case you missed them: 80W SuperVooc charging, and now 50W wireless charging.
The latter is faster than traditional, wired charging on Samsung and Apple’s best phones!
This renewed focus on the fundamentals coupled with the extremely lucrative price of the OnePlus 12 instantly make it a phone with practically no weak spots. We might just have the best of the year arrive in its very first month, this time around.
