[OnePlus 12] Guyinlaca:
Some background, I've tested every major 2023 flagship and now am testing the 2024 flagships. The OnePlus 12 is really impressive.

OnePlus 12 vs OnePlus 11

The OnePlus 11 was a great phone at a great price, but no wireless charging, a dimmer screen, slower data transfer made it feel more midrange than premium. The OnePlus 12 has a much brighter and more vibrant display, wireless charging, and faster data transfer speeds. It actually feels like a premium device. With some further tuning, the camera will probably go from great to excellent.

OnePlus 12 vs Oppo Find X6 Pro

The OnePlus 12 is nearly identical in size, as well as screen dimensions to the Oppo Find X6 Pro. Importing an Oppo Find X6 Pro, I loved the camera and zoom qualities, but the China only software has limitations. On ColorOS 13, and using ADB to disable nearly all China specific bloat, I was able to achieve a near AOSP, Google-Free experience with 99% of things in English. After Android 14, ColorOS introduced a lot of AI integration in Chinese only that often left me stuck in apps and menus I could not read. Being unable to use a custom launcher on the Oppo was another disappointment, as many workarounds still had Oppo's launcher running in the background. Naggy permission managers combined with sporadic notification delays were annoying. While not the worst experience, many outside of China have been asking for a similar phone tailored to the global market. The OnePlus 12 running OxygenOS fills that gap, at a much better price. The camera may not be a complete upgrade, but it still takes great photos. The screen on the OnePlus 12 is even better than the one on the Find X6 Pro, which was already amazing. The improved efficiency and cooling on the OnePlus 12 are definitely a step up. The Find X6 Pro is going up for sale.

OnePlus 12 vs Pixel 8 Pro

This is simple. If having the absolute best camera and software experience is your main priority, get the Pixel 8 Pro. If you're looking for fast performance, great battery life, and a larger screen, the OnePlus 12 is a better buy. You get a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 vs an outdated Tensor G3, UFS 4.0 vs UFS 3.1, a 5400 mAh battery vs 5000 mAh.

OnePlus 12 vs Galaxy S24 Ultra

Strengths of the OnePlus 12:

+Curved edges and rounded corners make the phone more ergonomic and easier to hold

+The screen is absolutely the best I've seen. It's smoother, more vibrant, and lacks the "grainy" effect that the S24 Ultra has.

+The anti-flicker feature seems to give less eye fatigue

+$500 cheaper and provides 95% of the experience

+IR blaster is a convenient feature

+Potential for rooting and custom ROMs could be a game changer

Cons of the OnePlus 12

-Many Developer Options revert to defaults after a reboot, such as custom DPI

-Third party launchers don't play as nicely as with other brands

-OxygenOS doesn't follow the standard Android settings layout

-Not nearly as many customization options as Samsung

Strengths of the S24 Ultra:

+Better camera in most situations, but the differences aren't as huge as big name reviewers claim

+OneUI is more user friendly and optimized than OxygenOS/ColorOS

+GoodLock provides nearly unlimited customization options without the need for root

+Superior battery life

+Anti-reflective glass makes it easier to view in bright environments

+More convenient AI features

+More network band support in the US (Especially on Verizon)

Cons of the S24 Ultra:

-Overpriced. It's obvious why they made the S23 Ultra so hard to find in recent months as it's a much better value.

-The boxy design is not the most comfortable to hold.

-The screen is tuned poorly out of the box. The vividness slider should definitely help but as of now OnePlus has them beat.

Overall, I'm still going to use the S24 Ultra as my daily driver, but I have to say the OnePlus 12 really came out strong this year. OxygenOS could be lighter and more optimized like the good old days. If there is strong software development, it could very well be the phone of the year.