OnePlus 12R review: Good performer

OnePlus 12R is available in two options-- 8GB RAM + 128GB and 16GB RAM + 256GB storage-- for Rs 39,999 and Rs 45,999, respectively.

In February, OnePlus introduced the OnePlus 12R in India. Though the company has retained the design elements of the OnePlus 11R, the successor is loaded with a new processor and a bigger battery.

The company is offering OnePlus 12R in two options-- 8GB RAM + 128GB and 16GB RAM + 256GB storage-- for Rs 39,999 and Rs 45,999, respectively.

I have been using the device for a little over two weeks and here are my thoughts about the latest OnePlus phone.

Design, build quality, and display

As noted above, the OnePlus 12R retains the design language of its predecessor. It flaunts the shiny metallic circular camera module in the top left corner. It beautifully blends with the frame and the back of the phone.

Though the camera looks big, it does not protrude much outwards and the rest of the phone is encased with glass cover. It can slip in and out of the pocket with ease.

OnePlus 12R series.

On the left side, the company has incorporated the signature alert slider (with three options- silent, vibrate and ring). And on the opposite, you will find the volume rocker and the power button.

At the base, the device features a type-C port along with a speaker, a mic and a dual SIM slot. There is one design flaw with the OnePlus 12R. The microphone slot and SIM tray slot are closely placed right beside each other. The customer has to be very careful when using the SIM ejector tool and not poke it in the microphone slot.

OnePlus 12R series.

As far as the build quality is concerned, the OnePlus 12R is well-guarded against scratches. The device's frame is made of sturdy aluminium. The display is protected by Corning's Gorilla Glass Victus 2 and the company is offering free silicone cases with a matching colour in the retail box of the device.

The case is soft and yet sturdy enough to protect the device getting any dents during the accident drops on a hard surface. Even if the phone falls with the display facing down, the thick corners manage to safeguard it. But, you can't push your luck on uneven hard surfaces. It will surely crack like a mirror.

OnePlus 12R series.

On the front, the OnePlus 12R sports a gorgeous 6.78-inch full HD+ (2780×1264p) LTPO AMOLED display. It supports up to 4,500 nits peak brightness, which comes in handy while reading news articles or messages outdoors.

The display panel is of really good quality and one can notice while watching HD or higher quality content such as nature documentaries on rain forests on OTT apps. Thanks to optimized AMOLED display, the black look naturally darker, while other colours come off with more vibrancy, to deliver a pleasant viewing experience on the phone.

The in-display fingerprint sensor works fine with low rejection rates as long as the finger is clean and dry.

Performance

OnePlus 12R houses a 4nm class Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor with Adreno 740 GPU, 12GB RAM, and 128GB/256GB (UFS 3.1) storage.

The device is a smooth performer. Be it playing graphics-rich Asphalt 9: Legend or recording 4K videos, the OnePlus 12R functioned without any sign of lag-ness as such. The performance score of the device on the Geekbench app also proves the point of how good the device is.

OnePlus 12R's performance score on Geekbench 6.0 app.

The device runs on Android 14-based OxygenOS 14 OS and comes with a few third-party apps. But, they don't consume a lot and have enough storage for the owner to install hundreds of apps and store thousands of photos without any anxiety about running out of space anytime soon.

Also, the company has confirmed to offer at least four Android OS updates (up to 2028) and an additional year of software security support (up to 2029).

OnePlus 12R comes with 5,500mah battery capacity, 10 per cent more than its predecessor. It can easily last for one and half days under normal usage with at least two hours of streaming videos, a couple of hours scrolling on social media, and playing games.

OnePlus 12R series.

If you are solely dependent on cellular data (via SIM) for internet consumption, the battery like on any other phone in the market, will drain a bit faster compared to consuming via a Wi-Fi router. But, with a 100W charger in the backpack, one doesn't have to worry much.

It can charge up the device from zero to 100 percent capacity in around 26-27 minutes.

Photography

OnePlus 12R houses a triple-camera module-- main 50MP (with OIS: Optical Image Stabilisation) with an 8MP ultrawide sensor (112-degree field-of-view), and a 2MP macro lens with LED flash.

OnePlus 12R's camera sample.

OnePlus 12R camera does a fantastic job in all lighting conditions. In natural sunlight, the flowers, as you can see, have come off great. They are of course brighter than they appear to us in our eyes, but I can't complain. They are really good.

OnePlus 12R's camera sample.

Even under controlled conditions indoors, the OnePlus phone manages to get good pictures with clear details. As you can see the sample photos of the interiors of the Bengaluru Internationa Airport's Terminal 2 taken with OnePlus 12R look amazing. The light from the ceiling lamp is well-contained and doesn't blow out.

OnePlus 12R's camera sample.

OnePlus 12R's camera sample.

In my first impression story, I mentioned how well the portrait mode of OnePlsu 12R works on flowers.

Here too, it manages to get amazing photos of the puppy with a bokeh effect. It has managed to get sharp pictures with all the minute facial hairs of the subject clearly and the background is blurred. It looks so natural and good, worthy to be posted on social media platforms.

OnePlus 12R's camera sample with portrait mode.

OnePlus 12R's camera sample with portrait mode.

OnePlus 12R's camera sample with portrait mode. 

With ultra-wide angle mode, the OnePlus 12R excells in capturing the vast expanse of the field with accurate colours.

OnePlus 12R's camera sample with ultra-wide angle mode.

It also supports 2X and 5X Zoom capability with less loss of quality. However, beyond 5X zoom, the images become grainy.

In the evening, the phone does a good job in capturing sharp photos with natural colours.

OnePlus 12R's camera sample captured in the evening.

In the night mode, OnePlus 12R manages to get decent photos.

OnePlus 12R's camera sample with night mode on.

OnePlus 12R also houses a 16MP front camera. It takes pretty selfies. Even if you are not satisfied with it, the native camera app comes with an array of superficial tools to adjust skin tone, alter nose size, cheeks, and even eyes to make the face photogenic.

OnePlus 12R's camera sameple.

Both the front and the main camera on the back support 4K video recording. The video quality is good and on par with rival Android phone brands in its class, but it can't match up to iPhones yet.

Final thoughts

OnePlus 12R has got all the right features to deliver a smooth user experience in terms of performance, photography and also excells with long battery life.

OnePlus 12R.

There are a couple of advantages of owning the new OnePlus. The company is offering a 100W super fast charger and a high-quality silicone cover case free of cost with a retail box. While its top two rivals have stopped offering the accessories with their phones.

Considering its asking price and features, the OnePlus 12R is a good investment for those who are looking for a premium phone and don't want to break the bank.

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