OnePlus is back! – PhoneArena،
It's been almost five years since an acquaintance of mine last used the same phone.
During this time, most other people I know have used at least two new devices, complained about their battery getting worse, and their phone slowing down.
But no that phone.
Despite almost five years of battery life, despite the super-fast charging (hell, even today it's faster than many flagships), this phone still works… pretty well!
In fact, an acquaintance of mine swears that he will NOT upgrade until something truly better is released.
Well, you might have guessed from the title of this article that this is a OnePlus phone, but more specifically, it's the OnePlus 7 Pro.
Many consider this phone to be the end of OnePlus' golden era. It was a pure technological marvel. The first true edge-to-edge display with an invisible selfie camera that pops out from the top of the phone. Sci-fi stuff! Fast performance that stays fast over the years. Fast loading. The only thing that wasn't really amazing about this phone was the camera, which has always been OnePlus' weak point.
Five years later, I can finally say this: it's time for an upgrade! OnePlus is back!
The reason for my enthusiasm is the new product OnePlus 12which I've been testing for a while now.
OnePlus has been on a shaky path in recent years, trying all sorts of different approaches to break into the smartphone market. She attempted a multi-million dollar partnership with Hasselblad. He tried to make a $1,000 phone. It doubled the Super VOOC charge. He tried out a new line of Nord phones. This made a smart watch. You name it, OnePlus has tried it.
But along the way, the DNA of the “flagship killer” got a little lost in the process. Since last year, however, the company has embarked on a journey to find its mojo and bring it back. And the OnePlus 12 is the most comprehensive product yet in this journey.
If you've read our review of the OnePlus 12, you already know that this is a phone without AI or a singular new feature that would make headlines. Instead, it's a phone that focuses on the essentials.
But here's my point: you should care about this way more than AI. At least now.
Battery Life Beast
For me, the great strong point of OnePlus 12 it's incredible battery life.
Equipped with a 5,400mAh battery, the 12 beats the Galaxy S24 Ultra and Pixel 8 Pro by almost 8% in battery capacity.
But in real life, that's more than just an 8% improvement. OnePlus has continually optimized its Oxygen operating system to be more efficient in battery usage.
OnePlus 12 PhoneArena battery test results
And it tackled the biggest enemy of extended battery life: heat!
OnePlus solves this problem in two ways. The first is a gigantic heatsink, the size of almost the entire phone, that can dissipate heat in two directions at once: to the back AND to the front of the phone. This ensures that more intense tasks don't heat up that battery and drain it as quickly.
Second, and probably much more important in the long run, OnePlus does all its fast charging magic in the charger. So when your OnePlus 12 charges, it barely heats up, however, the charger can get quite hot.
This ensures that the battery stays cooler while charging, which for most people is the greatest thermal stress on the battery.
Remember I told you about my OnePlus 7 Pro rocking buddy? I've never changed a battery in five years of use, and his phone's battery life is still good to this day. This is the effect of large thermals on a phone.
Hassle-free Hasselblad camera
Pardon the pun, but the OnePlus 12 the camera has seen a big improvement this year and…queue the statement you hear every year from all the reviewers: “OnePlus is now in the big leagues when it comes to cameras” !
It's funny because every year we think OnePlus could have done this, and every year after using the phone for a while we're disappointed.
This year, however, it's a little different.
Firstly, because of the very obvious improvement in zoom quality. This new 3X periscope zoom lens is clearly a huge step up from the OnePlus 11 in every way imaginable.
OnePlus 12 photos have natural colors and portraits look great
But secondly, and most importantly to me, it's all about color science.
When I first looked through the hundreds of photos and dozens of videos we capture for our camera comparisons, I simply relaxed my back in my chair and a happy smile appeared on my face.
Look at these portraits. They look natural and I really had to check if these were taken with a traditional camera.
Sure, they don't quite have the insane dynamic range of a Pixel, but they have a natural quality that's endearing. The skin tones look great, the images have a bit of contrast, they have character and an analog feel.
Video quality is also no longer trash on the OnePlus 12and it can finally be on equal footing with 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 fast charging on their phones will remain a mystery for years to come.
However, if you're one of those who hate charging overnight and just want to know that you can get a full day's worth of use from just 15 minutes of charging, OnePlus remains the only game in town. At least in the West.
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 the best Samsung and Apple phones!
This renewed focus on fundamentals coupled with the extremely lucrative price of OnePlus 12 instantly make it a phone with virtually no weak points. We might just have the best of the year arriving in its very first month this time around.
