OnePlus 12 Launched In China Ahead Of Global Release

The OnePlus 12 has been unveiled in China, in anticipation of its global launch scheduled for January 2024. This eagerly awaited release sees the phone becoming available for purchase in China from December 11, representing a notable advancement over its predecessor, the OnePlus 11.

Louis Li, President of OnePlus China, extolled the virtues of the new device: “All in one, the OnePlus 12 delivers an exceptionally fast and smooth experience in all high-frequency usage scenarios,” he declared, adding, “It is OnePlus' best gift to users for its tenth anniversary.”

The device stands out as one of the first to be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, a highly anticipated development following iQOO's launch of the 12 Pro featuring the same processor. This chip, unveiled at Qualcomm's annual Snapdragon summit in Hawaii last October, promises a 30% increase in speed for Kryo cores and a 25% enhancement in GPU performance. Notably, it also reduces overall power consumption by 10%. Complementing these improvements are features like LPDDRX RAM and UFS 4.0 ROM, bolstered by RAM Vitalisation and ROM Vitalisation technologies, which underpin the trademark fast and smooth OnePlus experience. An impressive 24 GB of RAM is included, surpassing even the OnePlus 11R Solar Red edition.

Software wise this phone will be based on ColorOS with Android 14, but the global version of the phone will be on OxygenOS.

A notable addition to the OnePlus 12 is its 6.8-inch Super Fluid AMOLED panel, boasting up to a 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness level of 4,500 nits – a record for smartphones.

The device also introduces a 5,400mAh dual cell battery, compatible with 100W SuperVOOC fast charging and 50W AirVOOC. Enhancing usability, a new dual cryo-velocity cooling system has been integrated, increasing both the surface area and cooling efficiency.

For photography enthusiasts, the OnePlus 12 draws inspiration from the acclaimed camera system of the OnePlus Open foldable. Its 4th generation Hasselblad camera system for mobile includes the Sony LYT808 50-megapixel sensor, first introduced with the OnePlus Open. Additionally, it boasts an Omnivision OV64B 64-megapixel 3x periscope camera and an IMX581 48-megapixel ultra-wide camera, both manufactured by Sony. Given the superior ISP of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, this camera setup is expected to outperform that of the OnePlus Open.

In terms of design, the OnePlus 12 retains similarities to the OnePlus 11 but introduces a shift in the art slider to the left side of the phone. Its hollow curved design language, reminiscent of luxury watches, is presented in a boundless emerald colourway, which also has the flowing patterns of the dart river. There will likely be a white and black variant as well for the global markets.