It’s been raining smartphones since the beginning of the year. Brands have been putting their best foot forward, setting the tone for the year ahead. OnePlus has joined the launch party and taken the wraps off the OnePlus 12 series. While most attention has been on the more muscle-y OnePlus 12 5G, there is a competitively priced OnePlus 12R 5G in the mix too. OnePlus has gone into truly flagship mode with the OnePlus 12 5G but decided to take the flagship killer route with the OnePlus 12R 5G.
The phone comes with a 6.78-inch LTPO AMOLED display of 2,780×1,264 pixels with 120Hz refresh rate and shares the staggering 4500 nits brightness of the OnePlus 12 itself. Running it smoothly is the job of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, last year’s favourite flagship chip which remains a very capable and powerful performer. You get the option to choose from 8 GB and 12 GB LPDDR5X RAM and 128 GB USF3.1 or 256 GB UFS 4.0 storage.
There is a triple camera set up on the back comprising a 50-megapixel main sensor with OIS, an 8-megapixel ultrawide sensor and a 2-megapixel macro sensor. The OnePlus favourite 16-megapixel sensor sits on the front for selfies and video calls. A big battery of 5,500 mAH with support for 100 W fast charging backs the phone, which runs on Android 14 out of the box with Oxygen OS 14 on top.
All of this comes with the same starting price as its predecessor, the OnePlus 11R: Rs 39,999. This is very impressive, but does not exempt OnePlus from facing some stiff competition. Here are a few phones that go head-to-head with the OnePlus 12R:
Google Pixel 7a: A Photography Master
Price: Rs 39,999
The Pixel 7a is one of the biggest threats to the OnePlus 12R. The phone not only comes with looks that make it distinctly Pixel but also with software smarts that are exclusive to it. Its stock Android interface with promised five years of updates makes it the perfect option for those who would want a clean, uncluttered UI (a USP of OnePlus phones). This being a Pixel, the camera performance of the phone remains quite impressive. The phone comes with a 64-megapixel main sensor with OIS paired with a 13-megapixel ultrawide sensor.
There is another 13-megapixel sensor on the front. All of this combined with Google’s computational photography magic makes the Pixel 7a a very good camera phone.
Some might find its other specs like a 6.1 inch FHD+ OLED display with just 90Hz refresh rate and the Google Tensor G2 chip and a 4,385 mAh battery with 18 W charging support underwhelming but the Pixel 7a delivers a very good overall, clean smartphone experience.
Nothing Phone 2: Nothing Like It…Even Now
Price: Rs 39,999 onwards
Apart from its highly distinct looks (there is quite literally nothing like it in the market), the Nothing Phone 2 also brings a number of features and specs to the table that make it a worthy contender in this list. Its back is laden with tiny LEDs while its front is a very good 6.7-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate.
The phone runs on a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip with up to 12 GB RAM, making it a great phone to carry out your everyday chores and do some heavy lifting too. The phone comes with two 50-megapixel sensors on the back, one main, and another ultrawide while a 32-megapixel sensor is present on the front.
After a series of updates, the cameras on the Nothing Phone 2 deliver impressive performance both in good and low-light conditions. The phone runs on a 4,700mAh battery which supports 45 W wired and 15 W wireless charging (a major plus in this price band). It comes with Android 13 out of the box with Nothing OS on top and can be updated to Android 14.
It offers an even more minimal, clean user interface than OxygenOS. All of this put together is enough to rattle the new OnePlus 12R cage.
iQoo Neo 7 Pro: Spec-Muscle Flexxer
Price: Rs 34,999 onwards
This is another device which packs some serious flagship-killing skills. The iQoo Neo 7 Pro runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 which remains a very powerful processor, making the phone capable of handling almost anything. This is paired with a beautiful 6.78-inch AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate and a 5,000mAh battery which comes with support for really fast 120W wired charging.
The iQoo Neo 7 Pro has a triple camera unit on the back which consists of a 50-megapixel main sensor, an 8-megapixel ultrawide sensor and a 2-megapixel macro sensor — very similar to the one we see on the OnePlus 12R.
Similarly, the Neo 7 Pro also has a 16-megapixel sensor on the front. The cameras churn out some very good photos and videos. The device runs on Android 13 out of the box and has a heavy FunTouch OS13 skin on top, which is quite different from the relatively clean one on the OnePlus 12R, but this busy UI allows you to do more with the phone right off the bat, which some users might actually appreciate. We also love the Fearless Flame variant of the phone which comes with a vegan leather back, giving it an edgy look.
Oppo Reno 11 Pro: A Looker From A Partner
Price: Rs 39,999
Another device that will give the OnePlus 12R some major headache comes from its own family– the Oppo Reno 11 Pro. Oppo tries to do something different and premium with the design of its smartphones, and the brand has done that with the recently launched Oppo Reno 11 Pro as well.
The phone is quite slim and comes with soft, round sides. Top this with a distinctly huge pill-shaped camera unit on the back and you have a very stylish-looking smartphone in your palm. Interestingly, the cameras are the highlight of the phone, which comes with a triple camera unit with a 50-megapixel sensor, a 32-megapixel sensor, and an 8-megapixel sensor.
There is also a 32-megapixel camera on the front for selfies and video calls. It has a good 6.74-inch FHD+ display with 120Hz refresh rate and the phone runs on the very efficient MediaTek Dimensity 8200 chipset. It comes with Android 14 out of the box with ColourOS on top while a slightly smaller 4,600mAh battery keeps the phone going through the day.
It might not have the flagship muscle of the OnePlus 12R, but the Oppo Reno 11 Pro will definitely turn heads with its design and photography prowess.
Poco X6 Pro: Killer Of The Flagship Killer
Price: Rs 26,999 onwards
The Poco X6 Pro is nowhere near in the same segment but if you are looking for the killer of a flagship killer smartphone, perhaps the Poco X6 Pro would be that device. The phone runs on MediaTek Dimensity 8300 Ultra chipset which is extremely powerful and can easily make the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 sweat.
This is paired with 8GB+256GB and 12GB+512GB RAM and storage variants, both of which are UFS 4.1 and LPDDR5X, unlike the OnePlus 12R. This combination can easily take on your everyday smartphone chores while doing the smartphone heavy lifting with ease.
This powerful pack is paired with a 6.67 inch 1.5K resolution AMOLED display with 120 Hz refresh rate. The Poco X6 Pro also packs decent camera numbers with a triple camera setup comprising a 64-megapixel main sensor, an 8-megapixel ultrawide sensor, and a 2-megapixel macro sensor. There is also a 16-megapixel sensor on the front.
The phone brings a 5,000mAh battery with support for 67W fast charging which may not be as fast as the 100W fast charging support on the OnePlus 12R but is definitely quick. While there are a few colour options, the Poco Yellow with vegan leather finish stands out. Top all this with that very competitive price and it could well be a huge headache for the OnePlus 12R, especially among the flagship killer seekers.