OnePlus 12R: a reminder why we first fell in love with the idea of a "flagship killer"

From all of the phones I have owned throughout the years, there are a couple that stand out the most, having left a lasting impression on me.

Now, there are multiple factors which make up a great phone, from every piece of hardware that gives it shape, form, and power, to the software that breathes life into it. But I’ve owned phones that nail all of these aspects more than well, without me feeling an attachment to them.

So, more specifically, I am talking about those times when a product feels truly your own, not just a tool that is convenient to use. One of those special phones for me was the OnePlus 3 (which came out in 2016), and it was the one that made me appreciate Android better than any other I had tried out at the time.

And this is where I get to the main topic at hand, the latest mid-range offer from the company that created the phrase “flagship killer”, the OnePlus 12R. How does that relate to my old beloved OnePlus 3? Well, it all boils down to exactly that provocative slogan and being left, as a user, with the feeling that you’ve gotten more than you paid for.

The essence of a flagship killer

A lot of time has passed since OnePlus introduced the notion of a “flagship killer” with the OnePlus 1 in 2014, so the phrase has had plenty of time to mature. That said, for the sake of the uninitiated, let’s remind ourselves what a flagship killer phone is in its core.

The first thing you associate with a flagship phone is high-end hardware. Two main aspects stand out here: raw power and novelty tech that is simply too expensive to include in a more affordable product.

If we take a step back from the inflated hype around “magical” new tricks, at the end of the day, all most of us really need is a solid user experience. A flagship-killer phone is typically one that delivers all the necessary ingredients for a great user experience, sacrificing the gimmicks and stand-out features to achieve a more affordable price tag.

Why the OnePlus 12R might be the best flagship killer phone in a while

Going back to the OnePlus 3, I remember it not only matching some of the flagships and their specs in that year, but even beating them in some other regards. Of course, I am talking about the 20W charging, which was considered fast at the time. At the very least it was faster than the 15W of the Galaxy S7 or iPhone 7 from the same year.

Well, the OnePlus 12R has something similar going for it. In fact, it has more than just one such flagship-beating perk. For starters, at speeds of 80W, it still charges much faster than any mainstream flagship including the big three: Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Ultra (45W), the iPhone 15 Pro Max (25W), and Google’s Pixel 8 Pro (30W).

Then there is the new Aqua Touch display, which at first I thought would be an absolute gimmick, but actually ended up being something I really appreciate about the phone. One of the best parts about Aqua Touch on the 12R (and the regular OnePlus 12) is that I didn’t have to actively search for it, it just worked behind the scenes making my life better without even letting me know that it was there.

Now, the fast charging is not that big of a deal, even though it still adds a more premium flagship feel to the 12R. But it is that nugget of niche tech which truly makes the latest OnePlus mid-ranger feel like it is playing in the bigger leagues, as all of the players there have “that something special” of theirs too.

Nailing the recipe, and adding the cherry on top

The OnePlus 12R wouldn’t be considered a flagship killer if it only had a couple of standout features. No, as we have already established, it needs to stand its ground in all other aspects, or at the very least come close.

Well, I can safely say that the 12R did not leave me wanting for more, for most of the time. Each tap and swipe on that beautifully smooth display gave me little sensations of joy, and watching content on it left me with a much higher screen-on time than I am comfortable with.

After all, most of the other phones in this price bracket don’t offer the same level of performance, which makes the OnePlus 12R stand out in its segment.

Now, yes, there are some weak points like the camera, but even that part of the 12R left me satisfied enough with the results. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised by color accuracy and the post-processing OnePlus had baked in. It is, however, a bit annoying that phone manufacturers still feel the need to place an unnecessary 2MP camera just to say their phone has a triple camera system. Why? The Pixel 8 and iPhone 15 don’t have to do it and they seem to be pretty popular despite that fact.

There’s also the whole software update situation, which is known to be a bit unreliable and is currently lagging behind the competition. But that is another sacrifice I am willing to make, especially when I consider that mid-range $500 price.

Looking back, I feel that one of the biggest contributing factors to me loving my OnePlus 3 was that I felt like I had just made one of the best purchases of my life, and I still stand by that statement.

The 12R genuinely seems like a product that would leave most buyers feeling similarly, so, yes, spending precious time with it really took me back in the best way possible. It also made me remember how excited I was when I bought my first flagship killer, and why I remember my time with it after all these years.

P.S. I still keep that OnePlus 3 in a drawer in my childhood home.