The premium OnePlus 12 and mid-range OnePlus 12R may have similar looks and titles, but theory and practice differ vastly. Both are cheaper than their competitors, but which should you buy? We address this question by comparing the OnePlus 12 and the OnePlus 12R below.
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What is the difference between OnePlus 12 and 124r?
One of the main differences between the two phones is the chipset. The OnePlus 12 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, while the OnePlus 12R uses the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.
It may have been over a year at this point, but still. In particular, the OnePlus 12R offers excellent performance for its price. However, the storage and RAM configurations are different. The OnePlus 12 offers UFS 4.0 storage, while the OnePlus 12R offers UFS 3.1 storage, but both offer LPDDR5X RAM.
For most everyday tasks, you won’t notice a difference. In the long run, the OnePlus 12 base variant may be better because it comes with 12GB RAM out-of-the-box instead of the 8GB RAM inside the OnePlus 12R. However, both phones can be upgraded to an optional 16GB RAM model.
Another difference lies in the camera, both sensor and Hasselblad support. The OnePlus 12 has a 50MP primary camera, a 64MP periscope sensor with 3x optical zoom, and a 48MP ultra-wide camera with a 114-degree field of view.
The OnePlus 12R, on the other hand, sports a 50MP primary camera, a weaker 8MP ultra-wide camera with a 112-degree field of view, and a more negligible 2MP macro sensor.
Are the OnePlus 12 and OnePlus 12R water-resistant?
The OnePlus 12 has an IP65 water and dust resistance rating, while the OnePlus 12R misses the IP rating. Nonetheless, we don’t want to risk getting our phones wet.
Are the OnePlus 12 and OnePlus 12R dual SIM devices?
Yes, both the OnePlus 12 and the OnePlus 12R are dual-SIM phones. This includes support for physical Nano-SIM and eSIM.
Are the OnePlus 12 and 12R the same size?
The OnePlus 12R is only slightly smaller than the OnePlus 12. It’s shorter, narrower, thinner, and, above all, lighter. At the same time, both phones feature 6.8-inch displays, so no matter how you look, it’s a win-win situation for the OnePlus 12R.
OnePlus 12 vs 12r price
The OnePlus 12 is available in two colours, Silky Black and Flowy Emerald, starting at $800 for the 12GB RAM/256GB storage version and $900 for the 16GB RAM/512GB storage version.
The OnePlus 12R is priced at $500 for the base model with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage and $600 for the 16GB RAM/256GB storage version. Both phones can be purchased directly from Amazon, Best Buy, and the OnePlus website.
Which one should you get for the OnePlus 12 vs OnePlus 12R?
Significant differences exist between the OnePlus 12 and OnePlus 12R phones in price and core specifications. The OnePlus 12 is an affordable phone for power users that boasts Qualcomm’s latest silicon, an exciting camera lineup, and a great display.
It also shows this with its heavy mass and large footprint but is packed with RAM and storage. If you are interested in cutting-edge hardware, this is the OnePlus phone you can buy.
The OnePlus 12 is an affordable phone for power users that boasts Qualcomm’s latest silicon, an exciting camera lineup, and a great display.
Meanwhile, the OnePlus 12R is a solid choice for practical buyers. For $300 less, you get last year’s flagship chipset, a larger battery, and a roomier display. It may not be as attractive as the OnePlus 12, but the 12R offers good value for those not buying purely for the numbers.
OnePlus 12 vs 12R Comparison
Design
Both the OnePlus 12 and the OnePlus 12R follow a similar design. This gives it a distinct look; the main difference is the back panel design. The Flowy Emerald OnePlus 12 is truly beautiful. It appears to have taken inspiration from the Marble Odyssey Edition of the OnePlus 11 to give it a textured matte look on the back.
Also available in Silky Black. This product looks similar to last year’s flagship, but the logo lacks the Hasselblad font on the camera module. In contrast, the OnePlus 12R has a glossy finish on the back in a Cool Blue colour, while the Iron Gray phone has a matte finish.
OnePlus has also redesigned the button placement on the new phone. The OnePlus 12 series now features the power button and volume rocker on the right, while the alert slider has been relocated to the left edge. It may be a learning curve if you’re using an existing OnePlus phone, but you’ll get used to it in a day or two.
This change has advantages and disadvantages. The volume button on the other side used to allow you to take screenshots with one hand, but now you have to use both hands.
Display
The OnePlus 12 features a 6.8-inch LTPO AMOLED display with a resolution of 1440 x 3168 pixels at 510 ppi (pixels per inch) and supports both Dolby Vision and HDR10+ with a 120Hz refresh rate that can go up to 4,500 nits.
On the other hand, the OnePlus 12R is equipped with a 6.78-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 2780 x 1264 (450 ppi). Interestingly, it supports the same peak brightness and dynamic refresh rate for Dolby Vision and HDR10+ content.
These displays are sharp and vivid, especially on the OnePlus 12R. I think both these phones have curved displays that give them a premium feel.
Both are ProXDR displays. This means you can display HDR content (e.g., photos) within apps like the iPhone. It is also equipped with the Aqua Touch function, which detects water droplets on the screen and can distinguish finger touches and touch mistakes from water droplets. This works fine in most cases.
Camera
OnePlus has decided to team up with the renowned photography wizards of Swedish manufacturer Hasselblad to bring you the most capable imaging hardware available. Not only does this lend confidence to the phone’s camera efficiency, but it also results in a great photo and video experience that’s dared to be the case with some of OnePlus’ recent releases.
Of course, specs aren’t everything, but the OnePlus 12 has a lot of good specs. Lots of megapixels, above-average pixel width, high f-stop, and most importantly, plenty of modes and options. What’s excellent about ultrawide is that it captures native 50MP images (typically binned to 12.5MP).
In contrast, the primary sensor captures almost film-quality photos, especially regarding depth of field and light balance. Then there’s the telephoto lens, which delivers 3x optical zoom (with optical image stabilization) and a whopping 64MP of data.
Early results indicate that long-range photography is as good as Samsung’s and approaches Google’s without fancy machine learning technology. Unfortunately, there is no such good news about the OnePlus 12R. Let’s assume a camera exists.
The stock lens is perfect for general use and creates many great social media photos. However, it is an entirely different configuration with fewer and smaller pixels and a less advanced autofocus system.
The ultra-wide lens can capture some decent landscapes in the hands of a talented shooter, but the 2MP macro lens is pretty much there, and that’s about it. Hasselblad is not involved in the camera of the OnePlus 12R, and it shows. But who cares if you only need the camera for everyday use?
There is also a gap between the selfie cameras, but it’s not that pronounced. The 12 captures beautiful faces at 32MP, while the 12R does half that, both to 8MP. So, cheaper phones can take decent selfies, but more expensive phones perform better in all conditions, especially in low light.
Performance
OnePlus has packed the high-end 12 with the most potent hardware possible, including a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 system-on-chip, up to 16GB of RAM, and UFS 4.0 storage. The result is one of the fastest phones on the market. This ensures lightning-fast general use, app operation and gaming, and the camera promises to keep taking instant snaps.
Interestingly, OnePlus initially claimed that the 256GB 12R features a UFS 4.0 storage controller, unlike the technically slower UFS 3.1 on the 128GB 12R and several other phones. After launch, several community members, including Reddit user u/Chan101, determined through benchmarks that it was only a UFS 3.1 controller.
OnePlus has since updated the spec sheet for the 12R. Still, the difference between UFS 3.1 and 4.0 is unlikely to make any real difference due to 3.1’s high throughput and the storage controller’s essentially negligible power consumption. Nonetheless, I think it’s good for the company to apologize for the error and encourage dissatisfied buyers to request a refund.
Anyway, rather than calling the 12R’s differences a sacrifice, let’s call it a compromise. Remember, this is a $500 phone we’re talking about. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 will easily last through the device’s four-year Android update lifespan, and you can even upgrade the 12R from 8GB to 16GB of RAM if you choose the 256GB model.
You can easily manage your work with good detail and at least 60 FPS. And in everyday use, the downgrade compared to its older siblings may not be noticeable.
If the hardware features aren’t enough, know that the manufacturer has gone to great lengths to minimize the risk of overheating and throttling on both phones. Inside, a massive double-layer vapour chamber provides the most impressive cooling in a smartphone to date.
Conductive mesh, a copper heatsink, and two vapour compartments combine to draw heat away from all sensitive bits as quickly as possible, rather than just focusing on the CPU core. One of the exciting parts here is that you can feel your phone getting warm during heavy usage. But make no mistake. This is by design. These beasts are built to run.
Battery life
The OnePlus 12 also adds the Proprietary software layer, specifically designed to perfectly manage your workloads to deliver power or efficiency when needed. We hope to use other high-end devices with the same Qualcomm chipset to measure this system’s performance objectively.
Still, so far, the battery life of the OnePlus 12 is fantastic. This is a big win, as these early review periods tend to put a lot more strain on the battery than long-term daily use.
The 12R has no significant shortcomings with its battery and boasts 100mAh more capacity than its more expensive peers. Ostensibly, it’s meant to offset the slightly less efficient Snapdragon Gen 2 SoC, but it’s still 10% larger than the OnePlus 11. Suffice it to say, you’ll see both in action in your next marathon running phone battery collection.
Both phones have a 100W charger in the box, so you don’t have to spare extra money on a supported charging device. You can use them all day and shouldn’t have trouble getting through the day with either one. And it charges very quickly when you need it.
Software and updates
The OnePlus 12 series runs OxygenOS 14 based on Android 14. While the more expensive flagships will get four years of major Android OS updates and five years of security patches, the OnePlus 12R is promised three years of OS updates and four years of security patches.
The user interface and animations are fast and flexible. OxygenOS is packed with features, but they don’t feel overwhelming. There’s much to like about AOD customization or multitasking with unique features like Split View and Flexible Windows.
Conclusion of OnePlus 12 vs OnePlus 12R
If you spend more than $1,000, you can get a phone with more features, but the OnePlus 12 is the best value-for-money flagship you can buy right now. Likewise, the OnePlus 12R is an excellent phone for the price.
When comparing the two devices, if you want better cameras, faster processors, and wireless charging, you should go for the OnePlus 12. As a zoom lens, the OnePlus 12R is excellent value.
Both devices are comfortable to hold, have great displays, smooth performance, and ultra-fast charging batteries that will last all day. You can’t go wrong with either one.
OnePlus 12
OnePlus 12R