Skip to main content

Is this our first look at the OnePlus 12?

Side profile of OnePlus 12
SmartPrix

The next flagship from OnePlus might not serve much of an aesthetic surprise, but it just might win over mobile photography enthusiasts. SmartPrix (in collaboration with @OnLeaks) has shared purported renders of the upcoming OnePlus 12 “based on real-life pictures of a testing unit prototype.”

Now, before we dig further into the juicy details, here’s the standard disclaimer. The leak comes from a reputed source, but the renders depict a testing stage device, of which there could be multiple iterations. That means the final device hitting the shelves could look slightly – or much – different.

Leaked OnePlus 12 render
SmartPrix

The OnePlus 12 is evidently built atop the OnePlus 11‘s design foundations, with minor changes. You still get the signature sandstone black finish at the back, a metallic frame on the sides, and a curved display. The selfie camera, however, has been moved from the left corner and shifted to a center-aligned position on the OnePlus 12.

The half-wrap-around camera island is here to stay, but the ring over it has a slightly rearranged lens array. And it’s not just an aesthetic makeover, it seems. At the top are two 50-megapixel cameras for regular and ultra-wide capture. But the lens below has a rectangular cutout, which suggests it’s a periscope-style telephoto camera that delivers a higher optical zoom range — hopefully, considerably more than the 2x optical zoom offered by the OnePlus 11.

Leaked renders of OnePlus 12
SmartPrix

We’ve already seen this system produce some stunning results on the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, and it might also appear on iPhones soon. In the case of the OnePlus 12, rumors suggest the folded lens telephoto zoom camera employs a 64MP sensor.

The rest of the innards are your typical top-end Android phone affair. Qualcomm’s yet-to-be-announced Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset will reportedly run the show under the hood, while a fairly large 5,000mAh battery should keep the lights on.

Interestingly, the report mentions support for 150W wires charging on the phone. I would advise some caution believing into this, but Chinese smartphone makers have showcased charging tech as quick as 200W, so there’s a sliver of possibility here.

display and rear profile of OnePlus 12
SmartPrix

For comparison, the OnePlus 11 maxed out at 100W wired charging (80W in the U.S.). As far as wireless charging goes, the OnePlus 12 will reach 50W output, which is still faster than the wired charging output of Samsung, Apple, and Google flagships.

As far as a potential launch date goes, the OnePlus 12 is still a healthy few months away. The OnePlus 11 was launched in February 2023, and considering the fact that there are no plans for a OnePlus 11 Pro down the road, the OnePlus 12 is still at least two quarters away by the safest estimates.

Nadeem Sarwar
Nadeem is a tech journalist who started reading about cool smartphone tech out of curiosity and soon started writing…
Is this our first look at the Samsung Galaxy Watch FE?
Someone wearing the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5.

Render of the Galaxy Watch FE Sudhanshu Ambhore

Information about the Samsung Galaxy Watch FE has been leaking steadily for some months now, but for the first time, we’ve got our first look at the upcoming device with a series of unofficial renders posted by Sudhanshu Ambhore on X (formerly Twitter).

Read more
The OnePlus 13 just got exciting
A person holding the OnePlus 12.

Four months after its release, the OnePlus 12 remains one of the best smartphones you can buy in 2024. It looks great, offers incredible specifications, and has an excellent price. One of the first OnePlus 13 leaks was just shared online, and if it’s true, it could make one of this year’s best phones even better … with a catch.

According to leaker Digital Chat Station, the OnePlus 13 will feature two big upgrades over the OnePlus 12. The first is its screen. Unlike the OnePlus 12 and OnePlus 12R, which both have curved displays, the OnePlus 13 will reportedly have a “straight screen.” The translation from the Chinese post on Weibo to English isn’t perfect, but it certainly sounds like the OnePlus 13 is ditching the curved screen of its predecessor in favor of a flat one.

Read more
I tried the new OnePlus 12 in white. It’s the Elvis Presley of Android phones
OnePlus 12 Glacial White held in hand against a marble surface.

We're long past the days when phones were distinguished solely based on their design. Despite more modern form factors such as foldables, the contemporary slab phone design reigns supreme -- because why reinvent the wheel when the current one gives you perfect traction on all roads? That said, phone brands have never stopped imagining newer design tweaks to help phones stand out, and a phone's color is a primary focus of attention.

Within the limited dimensions of the back panel, smartphone brands have persistently iterated different color choices, combinations, and textures over the past few years. We have seen trends such as textures under glass, gradients, vegan leather, and more. But OnePlus is taking a rather simple step of launching a new white color variant of the OnePlus 12. The Glacial White OnePlus 12 has been available in China since the phone was originally launched last December and is now moving out of the mainland as a limited edition.

Read more