The $349 OnePlus 12R is my favorite Android phone of Prime Day. Here’s why
What is the deal?
The OnePlus 12R dropped to an all-time low on Prime Day, with prices starting at $349 ($150 off) or $449 for the 256GB model.
ZDNET Key Points
- OnePlus 12R retails for starting at $499.99although OnePlus will give you a $100 discount when you trade in any phone in any condition.
- Affordable price, great build quality and materials, long battery life, bright display and super fast charging make this a phone worth buying for many.
- Notable omissions include wireless charging, the latest Qualcomm processor, and a dedicated telephoto camera.
For years, smartphone makers have made us accept that flagship phones have to cost $1,000 or more. But one company has stuck to its value-based pricing model: OnePlus. Its first phone, the OnePlus One, was even described as a “flagship killer.”
With the launch of OnePlus 12R In North America, the company has finally brought its most successful smartphone line from India to the US and is looking to be one of the most promising mid-range phones this year.
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In order to release a phone that looks similar to its $800 sibling but costs $300 less, OnePlus had to make some compromises. After using the OnePlus 12R for a month, I believe the right trade-offs were made while keeping the core essentials intact.
First let’s see what has been transferred from OnePlus 12 to the OnePlus 12R. Most of us spend hours a day staring at our smartphones, so the quality of it is one of the most important parts. With the OnePlus 12R, this model has the same ProXDR, LTPO 4.0 display capable of refresh rates ranging from 1Hz to 120Hz. It has a peak brightness of 4,500 nits and a global peak brightness of 1,600 nits, making it even brighter than the most expensive Samsung Galaxy S24 phone available today.
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The display also supports OnePlus’ Rain Touch technology, so it can be used when the screen or your fingers are wet, which is important for people like me who live in a place that is frequently cloudy and foggy. My iPhone keeps randomly activating the screen when it’s raining, so it’s fun to use the OnePlus 12R and trust that the phone will only respond to intentional taps and swipes.
Speed is also an important factor in smartphones and the OnePlus 12R also features LPDDR5X RAM and the top-end UFS 4.0 internal storage standard on the OnePlus 12 flagship. These are the core elements for fast and efficient multitasking.
Fast charging is another OnePlus staple, and unlike others, OnePlus includes a fast charger in the box. Both phones support 80W SuperVOOC charging, which is the fastest charging speed I’ve seen on any US phone. The OnePlus 12R also has a slightly larger 5,500mAh battery than the OnePlus 12, although you probably won’t see much of a difference in battery life due to the different processors and performance levels. That said, both phones should deliver excellent all-day endurance.
So what about the compromises? They include an older Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 mobile platform, slightly less RAM on the base model, no wireless charging support, and a worse camera without a telephoto lens. Most of these probably won’t matter much to most consumers, but if you demand the absolute best camera experience OnePlus has to offer, including Hasselblad’s optimizations, then OnePlus 12 may be more suitable for you.
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When comparing photos taken with the OnePlus 12R, OnePlus Open, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, I found very little difference in most lighting conditions. Then again, I often shoot photos to post on social media and share with family and friends, so my definition of the best image may be different than yours. There were some situations where I really liked some of the photos I took with the OnePlus 12R, like portraits, and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with a $500 camera system (or $400 trade-in — it’s even better).
In the past, affordable phones in the sub-$450 range have often made significant compromises when it comes to cameras, but that’s not the case with the OnePlus 12R. When you add up all the flagship-level specs and performance gains, it’s hard not to consider the OnePlus 12R as your daily driver for hundreds of dollars less than competing flagships.
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The OnePlus 12R primarily competes with phones like Google Pixel 7a And Samsung Galaxy A54 5G. Google’s Tensor has its shortcomings when it comes to reliability and cellular reception, while Samsung’s software additions may be too much for some people. OnePlus offers a pretty stock Android experience with solid, proven mobile 5G performance in my experience.
ZDNET Buying Advice
Finally, while Cool Blue OnePlus 12R The model I reviewed is beautiful, the glass back is very slippery so you have to be careful when picking it up or setting it down on a table. I’ve had the review unit for a month and could easily see myself driving it every day because it performs flawlessly, has an IP64 dust/water rating and wet screen technology so I can use it in rainy Washington weather, has plenty of storage and RAM, takes my ideal photos and videos, and has a super bright display.
I’m not a huge fan of the curved glass edges, but there’s a lot to like about this product, and the starting price of $499 (or $349 on Prime Day) is hard to beat.
