OnePlus 12R is a long-lasting and eye-catching phone

The OnePlus 12R is the first time that the ‘R’ series of phones will be available in more areas. OnePlus wants everyone to consider the OnePlus 12R to be just as much of a flagship as the OnePlus 12, if not more so, for those who spend a lot of time gaming on their smartphones.

And, in some ways, this feels like a flagship phone; there are even a few advantages to choosing the OnePlus 12R over the OnePlus 12. Overall, it isn’t easy to consider this as anything other than a less expensive and slightly less appealing version of the brand’s genuine flagship gadget.

The phone includes the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 – last year’s flagship chip, which is easily powerful enough for 2024 and who knows how many more years. The 8GB/128GB base model isn’t quite flagship-worthy, and the 16GB/256GB variant sounds more like it, but there is no 512GB option here – another indication that this OnePlus has a letter in its name.

Where the 12R abandons all aspirations for high-end status in its camera technology. No telephoto, a moderate ultrawide, and a reliable but average primary unit combine to make a midrange combination.

And, in some ways, this feels like a flagship phone; there are even a few advantages to choosing the OnePlus 12R over the OnePlus 12. Overall, it isn’t easy to consider this as anything other than a less expensive and slightly less appealing version of the brand’s genuine flagship gadget.

Price when reviewed: $499.49 | Check price at Amazon

OnePlus 12R KEY FEATURES

As long as you’re okay with the OnePlus 12R’s flaws, there are a lot of amazing smartphones for the money here. Beautiful fit and finish conceal inadequate ingress protection against dust and water. A great display that is gorgeous, bright, energy-efficient, and intelligent. As long as you’re satisfied with the size and resolution, there’s nothing wrong here. OxygenOS 14 on the 12R is packed with features that don’t feel overpowering. However, the phone’s long-term upgrade roadmap is behind the curve. A terrific main 50MP camera should meet most of your needs, but the auxiliary cameras on the 12R, particularly the macro camera, do not justify their presence. Last year’s flagship chipset remains powerful, thanks to OnePlus’ efforts with the Trinity Engine. Thermals might be improved, notwithstanding the company’s promises. A large battery yields the brand’s highest longevity to date in our tests. The lack of wireless charging is the only flaw here.

ONEPLUS 12R UNBOXING

The OnePlus 12R retail package is quite identical to the 12s, except that both pieces of the box are red. A huge ’12R’ emblem dominates the front, with a smaller OnePlus logo in the bottom left corner.

Inside, you’ll discover a 100W converter (with a maximum output of 80W for 110V power sources) and a USB-A-to-C cable.

The earlier Rs, which were limited to India, came with a protective cover in the box, as does the more generally accessible 12R… in India, it appears. Our Euro review unit is still naked out of the box. We’ve recently discovered that the 12 receive the same region-dependent therapy.

All locations appear to be receiving a sticker sheet containing three stickers to extend the OnePlus love over your other devices, as well as a ‘Red Cable Club’ membership card for savings on accessories. A female USB-A to male USB-C adaptor was also found in some shipments, however, its position was empty in the (sealed) package that arrived.

CAMERA

• Robust 50MP Sony IMX890 lead sensor, as in the OnePlus 11
• Same RAW HDR algorithm as on the OnePlus 12
• An ineffective macro camera

While the OnePlus 12R’s rear camera configuration appears to be similar to the OnePlus 11 and 12, it is likely the most significant divergence between both phones, as well as one of the most cost-effective components of the 12R’s specifications. The 12R retains the same 1/1.56-inch Sony IMX890 sensor that powers the OnePlus 11’s camera setup, as well as a year’s worth of software polish and better performance from mode switching to shutter latency, but its photographic capabilities are more pedestrian. The 8MP Sony IMX355 ultra-wide camera produces consistent colors with the main camera in ideal lighting, but the detail is lacking when comparing similar photos taken by the two, whereas the 2MP macro camera lacks the pixels, dynamic range, and color depth to be anything more than unique. Along with great colors, detail, and dynamic range when shooting regular 12.6MP jpeg stills, you can also capture full-sensor 50MP photos and HDR photographs in RAW, with the 12R using the same RAW HDR technique as the OnePlus 12.

AI-supported shooting, particularly in editing tools, is a growing trend in today’s smartphone photography but isn’t as common on the OnePlus 12R. Generative fill is a popular AI feature seen in the latest Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy devices, but it is not available here.

DESIGN AND SCREEN

• Elegant, high-end curved glass and metal aesthetics
• Physical alert slider on the left side.
• IP64 is certified against dust and water.
• 6.78″ 1.5K 19.8:9 120Hz LTPO 4.0 ProXDR AMOLED display.
• Outstanding peak brightness up to 4,500 nits.

The OnePlus 12R presents itself as a luxury handset, with fit and finish comparable to any of the most recent top-tier phones on the market, not least because it shares the ‘Starlight Dial’ design language with this year’s and last year’s OnePlus flagships.

The Iron Gray variant (shown) features a matte glass back that repels fingerprints (and other marks), but it has a low friction coefficient similar to Teflon, making it a little slippery in the palm. If you want a little extra flare, the Cool Blue option is more eye-catching and better at catching light (and fingerprints). It’s worth mentioning that colorway availability varies by region and storage type.

There are two colours of the OnePlus 12R available, Cool Blue and Iron Gray. The blue one would be my pick if it wasn’t for the very glossy, very slippy finish that comes with it. This is the kind of phone that will somehow manage to fall off any surface it is put on, even if it’s flat. 

On numerous occasions over the review period, I heard a noise and turned to see the OnePlus 12R on the floor. This is a device where a case is vital to add some extra grip. The Iron Gray variant might look duller, but it ditches the slippery finish for a matte one. I still much prefer the lovely green hue the OnePlus 12 comes in overall.

The OnePlus 12R has an IP64 rating and an interesting feature that allows the screen to work more accurately when wet. OnePlus says the 12R uses its CPU to detect when the screen is wet and alter how responsive it is, reducing the number of mistouches and delayed reactions.

If you don’t like the straight-sided iPhones or Galaxy phones that dominate the market (or the predicted design of the next Pixel 9 series), the 12R is the right solution. The front and back glass bend smoothly into the thin metal frame, making it somewhat more difficult to grasp but more pleasing to the hand and eye.

OnePlus does not skimp on the screen of the OnePlus 12R, and there is little else on the market at this price that provides a display this nice. It outperforms many of the flagships featured in our best Android phone list.

This 6.78-inch LTPO 4 OLED display, coated with Gorilla Glass Victus 2, can change between 1Hz and 120Hz more quickly than previously. According to OnePlus, this panel can shift from 72Hz to 120Hz depending on how swiftly you flick your finger, and my testing confirms this. The screen will also slow down to 1Hz to make the always-on display option as energy-efficient as possible.

The highest resolution of 2780 x 1264 isn’t very high (the OnePlus 12’s panel is crisper at 3168 x 1440), but it’s adequate. I placed the two OnePlus 12 phones next to each other and had to seriously look for those extra pixels. To the naked eye, the difference is negligible, and given how amazing the battery life is here, I believe it was a wise move to reduce the resolution significantly.

HOW’S THE PERFORMANCE?

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Generation 2 SoC
• Trinity Engine for CPU, RAM, and ROM Optimization
• Dual vapor chamber cooling design.

The OnePlus 12R runs Android 14 with a proprietary layer of OxygenOS on top, which is also known as ColorOS on Oppo phones and Realme UI on those from the third brand. The 12R is promised three OS upgrades and four years of security patches, while the OnePlus 12 has four and five, respectively.

Except for a few OnePlus-specific clock faces and other minor details, the UI is identical across all three brands, which we believe is a good thing, even if long-time OnePlus fans may disagree. ColorOS and its reincarnations contain everything of the polish, features, and customization you could want. And, at this level, all phones run smoothly in real-world use, so bemoaning the old OxygenOS in that regard is completely unnecessary. We’re working on a more extensive look at ColorOS 14, which we’ll link to once it’s ready.

The OnePlus 12R uses the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 – last year’s top-tier chip, as compared to the OnePlus 12’s Gen 3. While the new chipset is superior, the prior generation is also rather powerful. The OnePlus 12R comes with two memory options: 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage or 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage (our review unit’s specifications). The standard version’s storage is UFS 3.1, however, the 256GB edition has faster UFS 4.0 processors.

When it comes to sustained load handling, the 12R reuses the 12’s twin vapor chamber solution, which has a total area of 9,140 square millimeters. It performs well under long-term CPU stress and progressively reduces performance, earning a 72% rating in the CPU Throttling test. The 65% stability score in the 3DMark Wild Life Stress test isn’t too bad either.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The OnePlus 12R is a typical OnePlus smartphone, which is both positive and negative. It harks back to the brand’s roots as a formidable device manufacturer that launches goods at reasonable prices but can’t quite nail a comprehensive camera experience. As a cheaper choice in the OnePlus 12 family, it checks a lot of boxes, including a 2023 top processor, a large battery, and very quick charging for a price that places it squarely between the Nothing Phone 2 and the Pixel 8.

The latest iPhones, Samsung Galaxy phones, and, it appears, the next generation of Pixels have all chosen straight-sided designs with flat screens. The OnePlus 12R deviates from this design trend, putting graceful curves first. This phone’s display, performance, and battery life make it ideal for high-fidelity gaming or hours of HDR content.

That main 50MP Sony IMX890 sensor is a joy to use and demonstrates the progress OnePlus has made in camera tuning over the years, but because the 12R has three cameras on the back, you have to examine the complete package, and those other sensors do not carry their weight. Most flagships include IP68-certified dust and water ingress protection, but the 12R falls short in comparison, and its compact frame leaves no room for wireless charging.

Buy it if...

• Excellent display, including Dolby Vision.
• Class-leading battery life and lightning-fast charging.
• Excellent performance, with reliable continuous load handling.
• The main camera takes excellent photographs, especially in low light, and the low-light ultrawide stills are also better than expected.

Don't buy it if...

• IP64 classification, but many competitors offer submersion-grade IP67/IP68.
• No wireless charging.
• There is no zoom camera, and the ultrawide has limited resolution and no autofocus.
• Daylight video quality is unremarkable, with mediocre stability.

FULL SPECIFICATION