OnePlus 12R Review: Ignore the Haters

A lot of people say the OnePlus 12R is overrated, but honestly, I think it's the best smartphone for under $500. Find out why in this full detailed review!
Click "show more" to view our time-stamped video chapters.
Video chapters:
00:00 - Introduction
00:20 - Insane deals
00:54 - Some positives
01:53 - Design overview
03:52 - Display and Performance
06:49 - Extra features
07:21 - Things I love
07:35 - Camera overview
08:27 - Some negatives
09:24 - What sets this phone apart
10:10 - Is this phone worth it?
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Where to buy:
OnePlus 12R
► OnePlus: www.oneplus.com/us/12r
► Best Buy: howl.me/clVQZuaVVXR
► Amazon: amzn.to/4abMYrf
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[@AndroidDigest]

I forgot to even mention this phone literally has the best battery life I've ever had on a phone. A larger battery then even the S24 Ultra with a better processor = best battery life I've ever had!

[@fallback8314]

a lower resolution screen also contribute to that great battery performance

[@IamJay02]

Not to mention their crazy battery tech. 1600 cycles on full speed with 80 percent health left is pretty crazy.​@@fallback8314

[@akilbarboni4198]

​@@fallback8314 highly doubt it. 1.5 k agaisnt 2k is hardly a difference to add to that, samsung is 1080p by default. Is just the magic of oxygen os.

[@fallback8314]

@@akilbarboni4198 ask around. perhaps i'm wrong. i doubt it though. it's widely known high resolution screens draw more power than lower resolution screens.

[@PalmBeachFreePress]

Awesome review man! I bought this one from you on eBay for my brother and he's thrilled with it. We both had OnePlus 7 pros, then Google Pixel 7 pro, and upgraded him to the OnePlus 12r that we bought from you! Epic phone I'm debating on 12 vs 12r for me. It's a no-brainer!

[@AndroidDigest]

Glad you're enjoying it! It's an amazing phone for sure. Honestly the best value out there. Even the 12 is terrific too. So you'll get a good deal either way

[@YoureSmartImDumb]

Bro wtf ...i went from 1+ 7 pro to pixel 7 pro, and just bought the 1+ 12r today...

[@matthewahn3663]

Once you try that OnePlus charging I don't think you would want to go back to anything slower

[@AndroidDigest]

It's a crazy big deal

[@GreetingsEarth]

Upgrated from s21, really happy with 12R. I have had small phones all my life so it takes time to get use to. I can feel the extra weight in my pocket. I also don't like the curved screen. For everything else I'm really satisfied! I bought a brand new Chinese version 12R from Aliexpress for 335€, the Chinese version has UFS 4.0 and global rom. It works perfectly. You can't get anything close to 12R here for this price. Insane value!

[@AndroidDigest]

For sure. It's a ridiculously good value

[@Shreyaa_03]

This was such a good review! Specially for a normal user. I agree with you. Thanks! You made my mind for 12R ❤

[@AndroidDigest]

My wife is using this phone now and absolutely loves it. It's a great value

[@ianwest1624]

Just got this, switched from the iPhone 15 plus. Nothing beats the iPhone battery life but the charging speeds on this is crazy fast

[@Robert-yp9zs]

Missing from phones by any all manufacturers at this price point is the almost total lack of printable (PDF formatted) documentation. A glaring omission, most especially for anyone just getting starting in using a smartphone over a ultra low-end flip phone. The assumption by manufacturers of great familiarity with prior smartphone ownership is risky at the very least.

[@michael_pamelabryner_hart7613]

I love the fact OnePlus decided to include USA on this phone.

[@AndroidDigest]

Right. I'm glad the US get to enjoy it too

[@syedparikiqbalahmed5324]

Can you update the phone ? If yes then what is the version ?

[@AndroidDigest]

Android 14. Yes they are pretty good with updates lately and provide at least 3 big OS updates I believe

[@MRJLS15]

Heck yes thanks for this 🙌 😊

[@AndroidDigest]

Hope it helps

[@quendariusbyrd3369]

I'm upgrading from the 14 pro max to the 12r, second day since I've had the phone and I love it💯

[@AndroidDigest]

That's a scary jump for some, jumping from iPhone to Android, but hope you keep enjoying it.

[@CeeZeeZ]

The 12R is a beast and honestly could replace a lot of upper tier phones

[@ricodeguzman5338]

Does this work on Mint mobile?

[@AndroidDigest]

From Mint: Essentially any 5G or 4G LTE-supported phone that accepts a physical SIM card (or supports eSIM) will work on Mint. Use our compatibility checker to see if your phone will work on Mint. The answer, yes. It will definitely work

[@ricodeguzman5338]

@@AndroidDigest thank you! I just ordered the OP12 with the watch.

[@bubbarob1978]

I love the phone but I am not getting any notifications on my 12R and it's driving me crazy. I've tried all the settings. I had the same issue with the Oneplus 10T as well. I was hoping they fixed it. I have disabled all battery optimizations and allowed foreground and background app usage. Nothing works! I don't want to send it back but I need a fix. LOL

[@AndroidDigest]

That's crazy. You might want to go over to the OnePlus forum or something and ask some people.

[@bubbarob1978]

@@AndroidDigest I was over there as well. Same issue reported by others. :) Hopefully they drop a fix for it. Interestingly enough I believe it has to do with the sleep/app optimization in Android 14 because while charging the phone, all notifications are coming in while it's locked. I may be onto something.....Great video and thumbs up!

[@michael_pamelabryner_hart7613]

Weird, I have no problem with mine at all.

[@l3v1ckUK]

Just ordered the 12R to replace my six year old OnePlus 6. That's been a great phone, so I hope the 12R can live up to it.

[@AndroidDigest]

It's tremendous. An incredible value

[@samanth_k_nanda]

Same pinch from 6T

[@l3v1ckUK]

Turns out the 12R is a disappointment already. Stupid discovery page you can't get rid of. Curved edges mean it isn't responsive when touching meat the edges. Finger print sensor through the screen seems a lot less reliable. There's no 2 or 3x1 clock widget anymore.

[@samanth_k_nanda]

@@l3v1ckUK am using it past a month now, I faced no issues

[@jeinfimate2079]

​@@l3v1ckUK Switched from the 8 pro and I'm loving it so far here.My only problem is the 8+2 camera set up🤣

[@keithdunn762]

Does it have expandable sd card storage? Does it have wireless charging?

[@AndroidDigest]

No wireless charging, or expandable storage.

[@keithdunn762]

@AndroidDigest Dang it! Thanks man you've helped me make my decision.

[@StromBugSlayer]

@@keithdunn762 Why would you want or need wireless charging on a phone that charges completely in 20 minutes and can last 2 days??

[@keithdunn762]

@StromBugSlayer In case something happens to the charging port and you still need your phone charged. I was in a tight situation on the road before and that happened. So i had to scrabble around to spend an extra $100 on a phone i didn't need just to have a phone to use.

[@Kushpatel9047]

@@keithdunn762 Umm how often do charging ports fail? And if you are worried about that, just invest in oneplus 12, its got faster wireless charging than most flagships can charge with a wire.

[@auck1969]

You're spot on my friend. Th 12R is a monster of a phone that I actually prefer over my S21 Ultra. I traded in an old 6t and received the 12R for 350.00 out the door. It has so many little customizations that makes it really special. You just can't beat it. Thanks for the great video.

[@AndroidDigest]

Absolutely! Hope you enjoy that

[@mr.brewer7945]

I have it and you are 100 💯 percent correct. I rather use it over my s24plus .

[@AndroidDigest]

The charging speed and battery size are a pretty big win

[@alexvazquez7709]

So is better than pixel 7 pro.... Brighter display? Bigger Battery ?

[@AndroidDigest]

It does have a brighter display and a bigger battery. Performance is technically a little better too. Charging speeds are way better. The cameras are going to be a little worse. That's a good summary.

[@dmp3231966]

Good to see you again nice phone very nice I like one plus first phone I had was sandstone 3 gigs of ram 64 gigs. They came along way. Right now I have galaxy s24 alittle more money but better than 12r❤

[@AndroidDigest]

Oh for sure. The 12r is a great deal. Glad you're enjoying the s24 though

[@dmp3231966]

​@@AndroidDigestyes I love s24 😊

[@simplecyberclub]

As a cyber professional, I've been looking to manage several apps with a poor privacy record on a second phone. Although the 12r has a less desirable camera, weather rating, and curved screen, it makes up for it with the memory, screen brightness, and price. They also patch the flagship models monthly. 👍

[@AndroidDigest]

Yeah it's a pretty good phone overall

[@simplecyberclub]

@AndroidDigest Been playing around with my newly purchased 12R recently and I'm very impressed. Very smooth.

[@ExpertManOfficial]

OK, but is it better then Nothing Phone 2? Make a video comparison about this please.

[@AndroidDigest]

Better processor, way bigger battery (800 extra mAh) way faster charging speeds. All on this phone. BUT no wireless charging on the OnePlus, and the cameras are debatable, but maybe better on the Nothing phone and some people like Nothing OS better, or the quirks of the OS. There's a quick comparison for you. To be honest, that video just wouldn't have the popularity for my particular channel, but yeah I still think both phones are valid, it's a pretty close comparison, specs lean towards OnePlus, software for me and quirks (lights) lean towards Nothing.

[@ExpertManOfficial]

@@AndroidDigest thanks :-)

[@michael_pamelabryner_hart7613]

Why even ask, the Nothing 2 is even older processor. Nothing 2 is more a midrange anyways. They call it flagship because it is the highest and fastest phone they have released. Now, if they released their next Nothing phone like when Samsung and OnePlus next processor with 8 Gen 4, then you can call it a flagship. Until then, it is midrange phone.

[@SuperMatrix59]

It's not true 4500. It's a if your reading paragraphs outside the whole screen is not 4500 really the paragraph is. It's not a full screen brightness 4500 gimmick but it's 369 on website

[@mrrich0974]

Okay

[@latinreuben]

Pros: Love the battery. Fast. Cons: For me, when using KZbin on landscape mode, sometimes no button work only remedied by going back to portrait mode. 2nd con is curved screen. Edges are not protected with OP case. Hopefully, Poetic case i received from Amazon will help.

[@AndroidDigest]

You are right. I'm not a huge fan of the curved screen, and there's occasional software issues, but it's still one of the best in my opinion.

[@DrWho-xe8cf]

did the poetic case help

[@fallback8314]

if you're talking about the poetic revolution with the built in screen protector GET IT it's a GREAT case it's the ONLY case i buy and been buying since the samsung galaxy s8+

[@Jigdoeslife]

I currently saving for this phine and this confirms that this is the phone i want. You complain about the cameras but you arent paying the money to get the top notch features you are paying 499 dollars wich is crazy considering as you said none of the hardware and software are slow or bad

[@AndroidDigest]

Remember, OnePlus was offering an extra $100 off if you trade in any device. If you put a device worth a bunch of value they will take it and expect it. But if it's just some junkie flip phone or something they won't even ask for it. They will just send you an email with a recycling website. I can't guarantee that. But that's what they did with me. So I got the $100 off right away and never even had to send anything in. So that made the Price $399 for me which is great

[@masonbrw]

Decisions Decisions. I'm debating between getting a OnePlus 12 or OnePlus 12r. I initially started looking at a Google pixel 8 pro or a Samsung Galaxy s24 ultra but i didn't want to have to give up a kidney to get one. With OnePlus, i can get a phone that does 90- 95 % of what those other phones do for much less

[@AndroidDigest]

Yeah and it depends on what you are looking for. No wireless charging here, OnePlus 11 main camera (a step below the 12) and no good zoom cameras. If you are good with that, this is amazing. OnePlus 12 would get you the better cameras and wireless charging. The Pixel 8 Pro has been going on sale in the US at least around $800, so no longer have to give up a kidney, but it depends mainly on if you want a zoom camera.

[@cobaltblue5523]

Your voice sounds crazy different????

[@AndroidDigest]

Yeah I tried to add a little extra bass and treble to the video. Not sure if it's better or not

[@roberttranceedm]

@@AndroidDigest It's perfect, mate.

[@user-ct1kh2if8j]

Its 800 dollars here in Norway😢

[@AndroidDigest]

Yeah I try to stay out of prices overseas. Sometimes other currencies are worth more, or maybe they make more $$ per year in US dollars, and things cost more, or sometimes tech just costs more in general and even $800 might be a good deal. I just stick to US prices and try to let people decipher that for themselves.

[@Headcase650]

I just wish it had display out over USB-C.

[@AndroidDigest]

Yeah that's a bummer

[@lfc1981]

4500 nits brightness on paper only, actual is only 1800+ max under auto tested by other youtubers

[@AndroidDigest]

I don't have something to test nits with as far as the brightness goes. But it's extremely bright. I don't see anyone needing anything brighter. Once you get so high as far as nits, it's almost impossible to see a difference anyway. 350 to 800 nits is a massive gap. 1,000 to 1,600 nits is a smaller gap. Harder to see the difference. 4,500 is insane and difficult to notice anyway

[@IamJay02]

1800+ non hdr is still insanely bright

[@FM-fm2yq]

The ip rating it's better than advertised, but OnePlus always does this so we don't pay as much!!xD

[@AndroidDigest]

I think they do it to save themselves money so they don't have to pay for certification. Maybe it is better. But I still don't trust it

[@seanorourke8470]

Actually the OnePlus ace 3 is😊look it up.

[@AndroidDigest]

Yeah they have different names for the same device

[@seanorourke8470]

@@AndroidDigest and different pricing,😀

[@AnnoyinglyCharming]

Xiaomi 14 way better because 6.3inch. I wish one plus 13 would be smaller

[@AndroidDigest]

I get that. Some people prefer small phones

[@Brothermoment.56575]

That's almost twice the cost of OnePlus 12r

[@DieselTrucker-oi7jv]

OnePlus is a major spy happy company!! They have upped the ante on spyware within their phones and if you don't agree with the crap, you can't use their phone. I used to be an avid OnePlus user but I am no longer.

[@AndroidDigest]

I don't really blame you. I didn't notice more apps. Pre-installed when compared with Samsung or other companies. And Samsung would typically ask me to agree to terms of service. So I was sort of in the same boat I felt like. But I get. I do trust Samsung more as a company. And sometimes when you pay less money, like this phone, It's a great bargain. But there's always compromises. Thanks for sharing your experiences

[@leonardoalba9856]

Mate, they can spy on my. Nothing to hide here 😂, they might get scared when see my browser's history though 😅

[@michael_pamelabryner_hart7613]

Paranoia is not always better either.

[@arunkumar.a8990]

OnePlus 12r ❤

[@AndroidDigest]

It's pretty awesome

[@SuperMatrix59]

Cameras are horrible but for the money good

[@captainfuture2969]

I don't hate it, I won't buy it because of the curved display.

[@AndroidDigest]

Yeah I don't blame you

[@karanjain958]

Bro giveaway to me 😅 love from India

[@AndroidDigest]

I wish someone would give away to me. I'm not made of money here, I really really need money right now actually, so hey, if you want to give away I'm all ears. Love from the US in all seriousness

[@michael_pamelabryner_hart7613]

I got the phone myself and really love it but I would not call it a flagship killer. More a midrange killer because it is not better than the 12. It kills midrange phones not flagships.

[@AndroidDigest]

I get it. I agree with you. But it's so good that a lot of people won't need a flagship

[@michael_pamelabryner_hart7613]

@@AndroidDigest I know it is the best midrange phone out there, especially the 256gb rom and 16gb ram one like I got.

[@syedparikiqbalahmed5324]

OnePlus 12r screen on time

[@AndroidDigest]

I was getting like 8 to 10 hours. Battery was crazy for me

[@NoName-en9jp]

At first, i only got 4-5 hours. Then had to tweak background processes, fast connect, Google services and AI crap, now I'm getting 8+ hours SOT.

[@newfnshow031]

$500 just get the pixel 8

[@AndroidDigest]

Personally I agree with you. I like the Pixel. But it's slower. It has far worse battery life. Slower charging. And it's a lot smaller for those people who want something larger

[@dailytiktok2087]

Firstly, just because a phone has a larger battery doesn't mean it will last longer. Secondly, as u mentioned curved sucks and isn't for me either. Thirdly, if I'm spending $500 I better get a headphone jack option (it belows my mind that people pay more money to get less features, all thanks to Apple). Lastly, OnePlus is known for their display issues in the long run. No thanks, I would rather buy xiomie even if it doesn't have all the bands in USA.

[@AndroidDigest]

hey. You are very entitled to your opinion. BUT in this case, it has a very efficient processor. So that equals amazing battery life. The best I've had on a phone. I forgot to even talk about it because it was so good 😭. But yeah, I get it. If you've had bad experiences, and you hate curved screens, that could be enough to sway you away. I get it. That's why I mention the cons

[@dil-lw1gj]

Btw the green line issue can happen on all amoled displays but OnePlus is the only manufacturer that provide free unlimited display replacement, even if it happens after the warrenty period. Apple, Xiaomi and Samsung (provide free replacement for few selected flagships) charge you money for replacing the display. OnePlus actually acknowledges that causing green line is their issue while the other manufacturer are not

[@suntzu1409]

Oneplus's software is way better than xiaomi's. No headphone jack and curved screen sucks, but no way i would get a xiaomi over oneplus

[@lalnuntluangihnamte3684]

Will never use xiaomi ever again...lots of ads and bloatware

[@auck1969]

You hate oneplus. When cares? I've owned at least 5 different oneplus phones and have never had a screen issue. I've also owned many Samsung phones and have had all kinds of different issues like my battery starting on fire. These monster companies make and sell literally millions of phones. They're bound to be have some issues. You sound like one of the many people who aren't happy unless you're pissing and moaning about something. Get a grip.