Is it time to upgrade?

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  OnePlus 12

  Amazing all-arounder

  $800 $900 Save $100

  The OnePlus 12 is almost everything you could want from a smartphone. It’s fast, has a beautiful display, a great camera system, and a decent software update policy. It may not have AI integration, and that rear camera hump could be off-putting, but this device can challenge the best at hundreds less. 

  Pros

  • Blistering fast performance
  • Beautiful display
  • Great camera system

  Cons

  • Can’t be purchased through carriers
  • Rear camera design isn’t for everyone

• 

  OnePlus 10 Pro

  Oldie but a goodie

  $419 $550 Save $131

  The OnePlus 10 Pro may not be the new kid on the block, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a fantastic smartphone. It’s a step behind in most categories but still powerful and capable enough in the categories that matter to make you think twice about ditching it. 

  Pros

  • Beautiful display
  • Great battery life
  • Performance is still good

  Cons

  • Camera system can be hit-and-miss
  • Nearing the end of its software support

Over the past few years, smartphones have been all about iterative improvements and less about revolutionary leaps forward. Even the best Android phones have matured to the point where we aren’t seeing major design or performance changes from year to year. However, that doesn’t stop the hype train from running full force with each launch to capitalize on the publicity and generate some serious excitement.

With the launch of the OnePlus 12, we are seeing exactly the hype that comes with a major phone launch. That’s not to say that the OnePlus 12 isn’t a great device. It’s a spectacular device that offers a ton of performance for the price, but does the OnePlus 12 do enough to justify the upgrade compared to the much older OnePlus 10 Pro? We’ll take an objective look at what both devices offer to determine the best option for your needs.

Price, availability, and specs

OnePlus announced the OnePlus 12 in December 2023, with a retail price of $800 for the 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage version or $900 for the 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage version. It’s available in Silky Black and Flowy Emerald, although Flowy Emerald is only available in the pricier configuration. Flowy Emerald is similar to green granite and offers a more stylish look. If you generally buy your phones through a carrier, then you are out of luck, as the OnePlus 12 is not sold through carriers. Instead, you have to buy it unlocked from OnePlus directly or a retailer like Amazon or Best Buy.

The OnePlus 10 Pro is a few years older, launching in January 2022. The OnePlus 10 Pro came with 8GB RAM and 128GB of storage, which initially launched for $899, and the 12GB RAM and 256GB storage option was $969. OnePlus did eventually drop the price by $100 after about a year. The 10 Pro launched in Volcanic Black and Emerald Forest. The 10 Pro is no longer available through carriers and has become difficult to find brand new.

• 	OnePlus 12	OnePlus 10 Pro
  SoC	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 with CPU-Vitalization	Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
  RAM	12GB or 16GB LPDDR5X	8GB
  Storage	256GB or 512GB	128GB
  Battery	5,400mAh	5,000mAh
  Ports	USB-C 3.2	USB-C
  Operating System	Android 14 with OxygenOS 14	Android 14 with OxygenOS 14
  Front camera	32MP, f/2.4	32MP
  Rear camera	50MP, f/1.6, OIS main; 48MP, f/2.2 ultrawide; 64MP, f/2.6, OIS, 3x telephoto	48MP, f/1.8 main; 50MP, f/2.2 ultrawide; 8MP, f/2.4 telephoto
  Connectivity	IR blaster, NFC	NFC
  Dimensions	164.3 x 75.8 x 9.2mm	163 × 73.9 × 8.6mm
  Colors	Flowy Emerald, Silky Black	Volcanic Black and Emerald Forest
  Weight	220g	201g
  Charge speed	80W wired (100W international), 50W wireless	65W wired (80W international), 50W wireless
  IP Rating	IP65	No (unlocked); IP68 (T-Mobile)
  Wi-Fi connectivity	Wi-Fi 7	Wi-Fi 6E
  Bluetooth	Bluetooth 5.4	Bluetooth 5.2

Design

Typically, phone designs don’t change much over a few years, and that is mostly true for these OnePlus devices. There are a couple of minor differences; the camera housing and selfie camera location are the two noticeable ones, but they both exude the typical OnePlus design.

The front of the OnePlus 12 and 10 Pro feature a curved display with thin bezels. The OnePlus 12 has its selfie camera in the top-middle of its display, which I much prefer over the 10 Pro, which has its selfie camera at the top-left.

The biggest design difference can be found on the back of these devices. The camera assembly on these phones shares a similar aesthetic in that the camera housing flows off the left edge. The OnePlus 12 has a protruding round assembly that takes up almost half the back of the device. The 10 Pro’s camera housing is a bit more subdued, is flatter, and comes in the more traditional rectangular style. Both look great, but the OnePlus 12 is more eye-catching.

The OnePlus 12 has volume and power buttons along the right edge and the alert slide can be found on the left side. The 10 Pro has the power button and alert slide along the right edge and the volume buttons on the left. It’s a small shift, but the One Plus 12’s overall button placement is a bit more convenient to use.

Similar size, certified protection

Conveniently placed buttons make a difference when using larger devices and these phones are big. The OnePlus 12 measures 164.3 x 75.8 x 9.2 millimeters, while the OnePlus 10 Pro is a bit smaller at 163 x 73.9 x 8.6 millimeters. The 12 also weighs a bit more at 220 grams compared to the 201 grams of the 10 Pro.

Since it’s newer, the OnePlus 12 was constructed with slightly better materials to keep it protected. The OnePlus 12 has Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front and Gorilla Glass 5 on the back. It also has an IP65 rating to protect against water and dust ingress. I would have preferred IP68, but at least it can officially survive some water.

The OnePlus 10 Pro uses the older Gorilla Glass Victus on the front and matches the 12 with Gorilla Glass 5 on the back. Where the 10 Pro gets knocked back a bit by the lack of official water and dust protection. The unlocked version doesn’t have an official IP rating.

The T-Mobile variant did come with an IP68 rating, which led to the belief that the unlocked version also had the same rating and OnePlus didn’t have it certified. Take that as you will, but I prefer the official rating in the event the device accidentally falls into some water.

Display

Except for their peak brightness, the display is another area where these two devices are similar. The OnePlus 12 has an AMOLED, 6.82-inch, 120Hz LTPO display. With a resolution of 3168 x 1440, the 12 has a pixel density of 510 ppi. The 12 has an eye-searing and insane peak brightness of 4500 nits, making it very easy to see the display in the brightest conditions.

The OnePlus 10 Pro has a slightly smaller 6.7-inch AMOLED, 120Hz LTPO display. The display has a resolution of 3216 x 1440 for a pixel density of 525 ppi. It also has a peak brightness of 1300, which was great at the time but doesn’t come close to the brightness of its younger sibling.

Both devices have always-on displays, and aside from the brightness difference, will look and feel the same. The 10 Pro has a slightly smaller display, but both will be great for everyday use.

Software

As long as devices are properly supported, software within a company’s flagship portfolio shouldn’t be all that different in two years. Thanks to OnePlus’s ability to keep these devices up to date, both devices run almost the same software, even with the age difference.

Since it’s the most recent model, the OnePlus 12 launched with Android 14 and OxygenOS 14. The OnePlus 10 Pro launched with Android 12 but has since been upgraded to Android 14 and OxygenOS 14.

The OnePlus 12 also has a more generous update policy. OnePlus has promised to bring four Android OS updates and a fifth year of security updates to the OnePlus 12. That means the 12 should see Android 18 and receive software updates until 2029. The OnePlus 10 Pro doesn’t get as generous of an update policy. The 10 Pro is slated to stop receiving Android OS upgrades after Android 15 and will stop receiving security updates a year later. That provides another year or so of the latest Android features and two years of security updates.

For those currently using the OnePlus 10 Pro, the OnePlus 12 is going to feel identical from a software perspective. OxygenOS 14 is OnePlus’s custom skin layered on top of Android 14. It’s not everyone’s favorite skin, but the OS is speedy and, thanks to the overall design, pleasing to the eye.

Performance

The OnePlus 12 is an absolute performance beast. Outfitted with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor and either 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage or 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, the OnePlus 12 is guaranteed to chew through just about anything you throw at it.

The OnePlus 10 Pro might be a bit older, but the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset can still hold its own. Sure, it won’t be as fast as the newer one used in the OnePlus 12, but it shouldn’t struggle to play the latest games or perform your daily tasks. The 10 Pro also includes 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage or 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.

In a head-to-head fight, the OnePlus 12 will put the 10 Pro to shame. The question isn’t whether the OnePlus 12 is the faster of the two devices, but is the OnePlus 10 Pro fast enough? Smartphone processors have become quite good over the past few years, and it’s easy to get lost in all the hype. In reality, the speed difference will be negligible in daily use. It may take a second longer to load certain things, but unless you truly need that power, there just isn’t enough to differentiate these two devices.

Battery life

With a 5,400mAh battery, the battery life on the OnePlus 12 is great. It can easily get you through an entire day on a single charge and maybe more if you don’t push it to the max. It also charges incredibly fast. Using the included 80W SuperVOOC wired charger, the OnePlus 12 can go from dead to 100% in about 30 minutes. Wireless charging also returned this year and is capable of charging at up to 55W, taking it from nothing to 100% in about an hour. It can also charge other accessories thanks to its 10W reverse wireless capabilities.

The OnePlus 10 Pro is not as fast, but it’s no slouch either. Its 5,000mAh battery can also last an entire day, and if you do run low, the included 65W wired charger can take you from nothing to fully charged in as little as 32 minutes. The 10 Pro also offers 50W wireless charging and reverse wireless charging, helping eliminate unneeded wires.

Camera

The OnePlus 12 has a great all-around triple camera system that does well in just about any condition. It comes with a 50MP f/1.6 primary lens, a 48MP f/2.2 ultrawide lens, and a 64MP f/2.6 telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. It can record 8K video at up to 24fps and 4K video at up to 60fps. The front-facing camera is a 32MP f/2.4 snapper that does quite well when you need to get that quality shot of yourself.

The camera setup on the OnePlus 10 Pro is a little more of a mixed bag. The 48MP f/1.8 main camera and 50MP f/2.2 ultrawide cameras are quite capable and can get some great-looking photos. The 8MP f/2.4 telephoto lens with its 3x optical zoom is a bit more limited, capturing less detail and a bit more grain in low light conditions.

The OnePlus 12 camera is more reliable compared to the OnePlus 10 Pro camera system. This is thanks to its improved camera setup and newer sensor. If I had a choice between these devices, the OnePlus 12 is the more reliable shooter. That’s not to say the 10 Pro is atrocious, it is also quite capable. It’s just less reliable and has more of a tendency to let you down at inopportune moments.

Which is right for you?

After all the high praise for the OnePlus 12, you would expect it to be the hands-down winner, and you’d be right if you were buying these devices brand new. Thanks to the difficulty in finding the OnePlus 10 Pro new, I expect that you already own the device and are wondering if you should upgrade.

To that question, I give you a resounding no. The OnePlus 10 Pro is still a great device, and upgrading is simply not needed. The 10 Pro may have lost a step compared to its younger sibling, but it still has the performance to handle the majority of your daily tasks. It also has a great display, good battery life, a decent camera system, and identical software to the OnePlus 12 Pro. Thanks to another year of Android OS upgrades, that identical software will continue for a while longer. Save your money this year and wait for the OnePlus 13 before any serious considerations are given to an upgrade.

Now, if you are buying brand new, then the OnePlus 12 is the obvious choice. It will get upgraded longer, has better specs and features across the board, and is just the better device overall. The OnePlus 12 is also a good option if you are pushing the phone to its absolute limit.

Finding that limit may be tough, but if you live on the edge, play competitive mobile games, or do a lot of video editing, you may benefit from the enhanced power of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor. Just make sure you keep it looking great for its lifespan by putting it in a high-quality OnePlus 12 case.