Every time I look up, a new OnePlus 12 leak makes me giggle at iPhone and Samsung owners. Recently, images have been popping up of the OnePlus 12, with OnePlus now releasing pictures and updates regarding what design changes we will see in the OP 12.
Based on the OnePlus 12 rumors we have been seeing from many outlets, the OP 12 could end up being one of the most potent flagships on the market, and given OnePlus pricing history, it could be the phone that launches the year of the ditch.
OnePlus is known for giving consumers flagship-level specs that can compete with Samsung and iPhones but for a better price. However, it appears the maker is looking to provide consumers with ultimate-level flagship specs while keeping its price within reach of most consumers' wallets.
Pricing and availability
OnePlus hasn't even hinted at what the OnePlus 12 will cost or when it will be launched. However, based on previous launches, we could see the 12 in late January or early February 2024.
Regarding pricing, OnePlus prides itself on delivering flagship specs at consumer-friendly prices. However, based on the expected specs, we could see a slight bump in price to $799 to start and possibly as high as $899. We also hope to see initial trade-in discounts like with the OnePlus Open.
OnePlus 12: Features
Most upcoming flagship phones will come with the latest and most excellent chipsets. For Android phones, it will be the newest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8, and for Apple's iPhone, it will be the Bionic, whatever number it's up to now. However, when it comes to the RAM amount, it usually starts at 8GB of RAM, with 12 and 16GB in higher-end devices. Well, that could be about to change.
Devices in China are rumored to be moving to 24GB of RAM, which could become the new standard for flagship devices. Leaks for the OnePlus Ace 2 Pro (exclusive to China) are rumored to feature a 6.7-inch curved AMOLED panel with 120Hz refresh, a Sony IMX890 camera module, and 24GB of RAM along with 1TB of storage, which is similar to many current flagship devices, except in the area of RAM, which it blows everyone away. So it's not a stretch to imagine its brand sibling arriving with the same rumored 24GB of RAM.
Leaks of the upcoming OnePlus 12 suggest it could be the first device to launch stateside with this level of performance-enhancing power. The OnePlus 12 is already rumored to come with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, which will use ARM's next-generation hardware, which few have any details yet.
According to a tweet from insider Kamila Wojciechowska, the new Snapdragon chipset will come with a "2+3+2+1" core configuration, which sounds like Qualcomm won't follow Arm's layout recommendations because rebelling creates innovation. Also, the new chipset is rumored to drop 32-bit support after Qualcomm delayed the action last year, but it looks like it will be going full-on 64-bit with the new chipset.
🐉 Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 to come with 2+3+2+1 next-gen Arm cores, Adreno 750, more: leak 🧵 pic.twitter.com/TAYu8GsDtoMarch 23, 2023
When you possibly add 24GB of RAM to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, a periscope camera, and, in my opinion, the best skin of Android (Oxygen OS), you've got a device few others will be able to challenge, or even keep up with performance wise.
I almost forgot that the leak also shares that although the OP 12 is similar in most ways to the 11, it will get a 5,400 mAh battery, which is a massive boost over the current 5,00 mAh battery in the 11. Supposedly, the battery will feature 100W fast charging while wired and 50W wireless fast charging. Wireless charging is missing from the 11; there were complaints, so it's nice to see OnePlus address this.
During our review of the OnePlus 11, it lasted 12 hours and 48 minutes at 60Hz, and when we switched to adaptive 120Hz, we got 13 hours and 10 minutes of battery life. So, a larger battery could hypothetically push battery life into the 15-hour range.
If all the rumors hold, The OnePlus 12 could be the flagship phone to rule them all.
OnePlus 12: Design
While amidst all that is Cyber Monday, OnePlus revealed the design and some images of the upcoming OnePlus 12. You will immediately notice that the famous and iconic Alert Slider has been relocated to the lefthand side of the device. This move allows OnePlus to introduce a new integrated antenna and the Alert Slider solution on the new device to deliver an enhanced antenna performance for gaming. Also, the emerald green color in the image provided is quite striking.
According to OnePlus, and based on their internal testing, it was determined that the optimal position for gaming antennas is between the forefingers of the user when the phone is held in landscape orientation. However, the Alert Slider has occupied the space on the OnePlus 11. OnePlus feels that by relocating the Alert Slider to the opposite side of the phone, better gaming antennas can be deployed on the OnePlus 12.
OnePlus states that repositioning the Alert Slider presented a challenge in ensuring optimal antenna signal strength on the same phone side. So, to tackle this issue, OnePlus utilized Ultra-compact Full-band Antenna technology and industry-first Alert Slider Antenna Integration technology to minimize the space occupied by the Alert Slider to the greatest extent possible. As a result, a balance between better antenna signal performance and the presence of the Alert Slider is achieved on the OnePlus 12. According to the lab test data by OnePlus, the gaming antenna signal can be improved by 3dB, with the game latency reduced by 15%.
Outlook
Overall, from the provided images, we can see that outside of the Alert Slider move, the appearance of the 12 is very similar to the 11, which is still one of my favorite designs. Also, having experienced the fantastic image quality that we get with the OnePlus Open, and knowing the 12 will be scheduled to have even better cameras and Qualcomms, already much celebrated Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, the OnePlus 12 will be a flagship that competitors will take seriously.
OnePlus cemented its foldable phone dominance this year. Will they now topple the likes of Apple and Samsung? Only time will tell, but 2024 could be a fascinating year for mobile devices.
