OnePlus 15 vs OnePlus 12: Time to step into the future
OnePlus has come a long way as a company, and ever since the first flagship killer launched back in 2014, the brand has been evolving and expanding its cult following. So much so that now, right after the OnePlus 15 launch, we're looking at the latest flagship of the company as a worthy rival of the latest Apple and Samsung phones.
However, today we're going to compare the recently released OnePlus 15 with a distant relative—the OnePlus 12. These two devices are two years apart, despite the bigger gap in the numbering scheme (OnePlus has decided to skip 14).
The new model brings some cool upgrades and serve as a platform for the launch of the Snapdragon Elite Gen 5 chipset, so given the two-year upgrade cycle that most people follow, it'd be interesting to see how these two phones compare and whether or not it's time to put down your OnePlus 12 and get the latest OnePlus 15 model.
The new model brings some cool upgrades and serve as a platform for the launch of the Snapdragon Elite Gen 5 chipset, so given the two-year upgrade cycle that most people follow, it'd be interesting to see how these two phones compare and whether or not it's time to put down your OnePlus 12 and get the latest OnePlus 15 model.
OnePlus 15 vs OnePlus 12 differences:
| OnePlus 15 | OnePlus 12 |
|---|---|
| New camera housing design (similar to Pixel 10 Pro Fold) | Circular camera bump |
| Slightly smaller 6.78-inch AMOLED screen | 6.82-inch display |
| 1-165Hz LTPO panel | 120Hz dynamic refresh rate |
| New Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 silicon |
| Triple 50MP camera system | 50MP main, 64MP telephoto 3x, 48MP ultrawide cameras |
| Huge 7,300 mAh battery (silicon-carbon) | Smaller 5,400 mAh lithium-ion battery |
| 80W (up to 100W) wired fast charging | 100W wired fast charging (80W in the US) |
| Better IP69 dust and water protection | IP65 level of protection |
| Ultrasonic under-display fingerprint reader | Optical fingerprint reader |
Table of Contents:
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Design and Size
Camera design changes
There's a big design change compared to the last couple of OnePlus generations, and it concerns the camera design. The new phone features a square camera bump with one oval and two circular cutouts for the cameras and the LED flash. The design is reminiscent of the camera housing used on the Pixel 10 Pro Fold.
In terms of dimensions and weight, there's also a slight change, due to the different size and aspect ratio of the screens of both phones. The new OnePlus 15 is shorter but wider, while the OnePlus 12 is taller but narrower.
| OnePlus 15 | OnePlus 12 |
|---|---|
| Thickness 8.1 mm | Thickness 9.2 mm |
| Dimensions 161.4 x 76.7 mm | Dimensions 164.3 x 75.8 |
| Weight 211-215 grams | Weight 220 grams |
The OnePlus 15 is features the same metal-glass sandwich design as the OnePlus 12. The Sand Storm color version of the OnePlus 15 uses a new type of "aerospace-grade nano-ceramic" midframe coating, claimed to be stronger than titanium, stainless steel, and aluminum.
The OnePlus 15 will features an IP69 dust and water resistance rating, the highest in the industry currently. Check out our IP69 explainer article for more details. The OnePlus 12, on the other hand, only has IP65. One final thing, before we move to the colors. The mute slider is gone on the OnePlus 15.
Speaking of colors, the OnePlus 15 comes in three color variants - the aforementioned Sand Storm, Ultra Violet, and Infinite Black. The OnePlus 12, on the other hand, comes in Flowy Emerald, Silky Black, and Silver.
Display Differences
There are a couple of upgrades on the OnePlus 15 when it comes to display tech. The 6.78-inch Super AMOLED panel is made by BOE using X3 material, which promises higher brightness and better efficiency.
The resolution is 1.5K, and the phone features a dynamic 1-165Hz refresh rate. For comparison, the OnePlus 12 comes equipped with a 6.82-inch LTPO panel with 1-120Hz refresh rate and resolution of 1440 x 3168 pixels. Time to run our display test.
| OnePlus 15 | OnePlus 12 |
|---|---|
| Size 6.78" | Size 6.82" |
| Brightness 1800 nits (typical) | Brightness 1600 nits (typical) |
| Refresh rate 1-165Hz | Refresh rate 1-120Hz |
Unsurprisingly, the OnePlus 15 was able to output almost 3,500 nits of brightness at 20% APL, an impressive result. The phone is also subjectively brighter than the OnePlus 12, especially under direct sunlight. The other parameters of both displays are quite close, with the OnePlus 15 a tad more color accurate.
The bezels around the display are just 1.15 mm on the OnePlus 15, but since the phone features a flat display, it actually looks like it has thicker bezels than the curved screen of the OnePlus 12. Finally, the under-display fingerprint scanner has been upgraded to an ultrasonic one on the OnePlus 15, compared to the optical reader found under the OnePlus 12's screen.
Performance and Software
Snapdragon Elite Gen 5?
The chipset inside the OnePlus 15 is one of the most talked-about silicon chips lately. It's the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. The name might be a bit confusing, we skipped the Gen 4 (in favor of the switch to the Elite moniker), and now Qualcomm is combining Elite with the Gen 5. What gives?
Qualcomm made a detailed post explaining the naming scheme, but long story short, the company is back on track with the Generations, honoring the Elite moniker it adopted last year, which signified a big leap in performance. The OnePlus 12, on the other hand, features a two-year-old Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, and there should be quite a gap in raw performance. Off to the benchmarks.
| OnePlus 15 | OnePlus 12 |
|---|---|
| Chip Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 | Chip Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 |
| Process 3nm | Process 4nm |
| RAM, Storage 12/256GB 16/512GB LPDDR5X RAM UFS 4.1 storage | RAM, Storage 12/256GB 16/512GB LPDDR5X RAM UFS 4.0 storage |
And indeed, two years of technological progress have brought more than 50% gains in CPU performance, but the GPU scores are a bit baffling. It seems that the OnePlus 15 limits its own GPU performance (to quite a low point, to be fair) in order to offer a better stability. We will investigate further.
In terms of RAM, OnePlus comes in a lot of configurations (but most of them are reserved for the Chinese market). Globally, we're getting two - a base 12/256GB variant and one that comes with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of onboard storage. So, just like the OnePlus 12 in that regard.
The OnePlus 15 launched running OxygenOS 16, based on Android 16, and you get the same 4-year software support cycle as the on the previous two generations.
Camera
50MP triplet
The main wide camera inside the OnePlus 15 uses a Sony IMX906 50MP sensor under a lens with an aperture of f/1.8. The equivalent focal length will be 24 mm, and there's also OIS on board.
The ultra-wide camera is features another 50 MP sensor, this time the OmniVision OV50D, coming in at 16 mm focal length, or 0.6X compared to the main camera. The aperture is f/2.0. Finally, the telephoto camera yet again relies on a 50MP sensor (a version of the Samsung JN5) with an f/2.8 aperture lens on top and 3.5X zoom (85 mm).
The ultra-wide camera is features another 50 MP sensor, this time the OmniVision OV50D, coming in at 16 mm focal length, or 0.6X compared to the main camera. The aperture is f/2.0. Finally, the telephoto camera yet again relies on a 50MP sensor (a version of the Samsung JN5) with an f/2.8 aperture lens on top and 3.5X zoom (85 mm).
In comparison, the OnePlus 12 features a slightly different camera setup. The main camera is 50MP with an aperture of f/1.6, a 23mm focal length, and OIS. There's a 48MP ultrawide and a 64MP periscope telephoto with 3x optical zoom.
The camera score of the OnePlus 12 is 145 (out of 158), which is pretty good. The OnePlus 15 managed 151 points, mainly due to a higher score in the main camera department, and a slightly better score in the zoom test.
The camera score of the OnePlus 12 is 145 (out of 158), which is pretty good. The OnePlus 15 managed 151 points, mainly due to a higher score in the main camera department, and a slightly better score in the zoom test.
| OnePlus 15 | OnePlus 12 |
|---|---|
| Main 50 MP, f/1.8 24 mm | Main 50 MP, f/1.6 23 mm 1/1.43" |
| Ultrawide 50 MP, f/2.2 16 mm | Ultrawide 48 MP, f/2.2 14 mm 1/2.0" |
| Telephoto 50 MP, f/2.8 3.5X zoom (85mm) | Telephoto 64 MP, f/2.6 3X zoom (70mm) 1/2.0" |
But lab tests and camera specs are one thing, while real-life side-by-side samples - a completely different matter. So, let's check out some of those.
Main camera
We were able to snap a quick one just after dusk started to fall and the quality isn't great, but you can still see the better color reproduction, details and dynamic range on the OnePlus 15 compared to the OnePlus 12. We'll make sure to snap some better quality samples soon.
Zoom Quality
Zoom pictures look much better on the OnePlus 15, with more resolved details, better exposure and also wider dynamic range. The OnePlus 12 sample, on the other hand, looks overexposed, and there's a loss of detail that's quite noticeable.
Ultrawide camera
The ultrawide camera samples display the same differences as the telephoto ones. The OnePlus 15 does a better job with exposure and the colors look a tad more real, while the level of detail is also quite a bit better. The OnePlus 12 once again overexposes the sample and details are not great.
Selfie
Selfies in low light conditions look a bit uninspiring, but again, the OnePlus 15 was able to catch more details (take a look at the letters on the T-shirt, and also Vic's beard). The OnePlus 12 selfies look very dramatic, with high contrast and oversharpening to the point people don't look real anymore.
Battery Life and Charging
Massive gains!
OnePlus is notorious for bringing the silicon-carbon tech outside China and into the US. The OnePlus 15 brings new gains to the "Glacier" battery design (the company's fancy name for the si-ca tech). We have a massive 7,300 mAh battery inside the phone, which will most likely put it in the top 10 spot when it comes to battery life (spoiler, it did much better than that).
The OnePlus 12 in comparison relies on a conventional lithium-ion cell with 5,400 mAh capacity, and it managed 8h 23m in our composite battery test, placing it in the 17th spot among phones tested in the past 2 years.
| OnePlus 15 | OnePlus 12 |
|---|---|
| Battery size 7,300 mAh | Battery size 5,400 mAh |
Charging speeds 80W (up to 100W) wired 50W wireless charging USB-C 3.2 | Charging speeds 100W wired 80W wired (US) 50W wireless charging USB-C 3.2 |
PhoneArena Battery and Charging Test Results:
And here we are in front of our next battery champion - the OnePlus 15. You can't beat physics and 7,300 mAh seems to be plenty. The phone managed 10 hours and 44 minutes in our battery test, with an impressive 30-hour score in browsing, 14 hours in gaming and over 12 hours in YouTube streaming.
When it comes to charging, OnePlus is on the forefront with speeds pushing 100W (and even more). The OnePlus 15 supports 120W of wired charging, but that's capped to 80W (with a strange "up to 100W" addition, so in the end it's the same as the OnePlus 12.
The OnePlus 12 supports 100W wired on the global model and 80W for the US. Both phones support up to 50W wireless, but you will need a proprietary wireless charger to get to these speeds. In our test, both phones were able to charge from zero to full in less than one hour. The OnePlus 12 charges faster (37 minutes) due to its smaller battery.
The OnePlus 12 supports 100W wired on the global model and 80W for the US. Both phones support up to 50W wireless, but you will need a proprietary wireless charger to get to these speeds. In our test, both phones were able to charge from zero to full in less than one hour. The OnePlus 12 charges faster (37 minutes) due to its smaller battery.
Specs Comparison
|
|
| OnePlus 15 | OnePlus 12 |
Design
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| 161.4 x 76.7 x 8.1 mm | 164.3 x 75.8 x 9.15 mm |
| Weight | |
| 211.0 g | 220.0 g |
Display
| Size | |
|---|---|
| 6.8-inch | 6.8-inch |
| Type | |
| AMOLED, 165Hz | AMOLED, 120Hz |
Hardware
| System chip | |
|---|---|
| Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SM8850-AC (3 nm) | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SM8650-AB (4 nm) |
| Memory | |
| 12GB (LPDDR5X)/256GB (UFS 4.1) 16GB/256GB 12GB/512GB 16GB/512GB 16GB/1TB |
12GB (LPDDR5X)/256GB (UFS 4.0) 16GB/512GB 16GB/1024GB 24GB/1024GB |
| OS | |
| Android (16) | Android (14) |
Battery
| Type | |
|---|---|
| 7300 mAh | 5400 mAh |
| Charge speed | |
| Wired: 80.0W Wireless: 50.0W | Wired: 100.0W Wireless: 50.0W |
Camera
| Main camera | |
|---|---|
| 50 MP (OIS, PDAF) Aperture size: F1.8 Focal length: 24 mm Sensor size: 1/1.56" Pixel size: 1.0 μm |
50 MP (OIS, PDAF) Aperture size: F1.6 Focal length: 23 mm Sensor size: 1/1.43" Pixel size: 1.12 μm |
| Second camera | |
| 50 MP (Ultra-wide) Aperture size: F2.0 Focal Length: 16 mm Sensor size: 1/2.88" Pixel size: 0.61 μm |
48 MP (Ultra-wide) Aperture size: F2.2 Focal Length: 14 mm Sensor size: 1/2" Pixel size: 0.8 μm |
| Third camera | |
| 50 MP (Telephoto, Periscope, OIS, PDAF) Optical zoom: 3.5x Aperture size: F2.8 Focal Length: 80 mm Sensor size: 1/2.76" Pixel size: 0.64 μm |
64 MP (Telephoto, Periscope, OIS, PDAF) Optical zoom: 3.0x Aperture size: F2.6 Focal Length: 70 mm Sensor size: 1/2" Pixel size: 0.7 μm |
| Front | |
| 32 MP | 32 MP |
Connectivity & Features
| Bluetooth | |
|---|---|
| 6.0 | 5.4 |
| WLAN | |
| a,b,g,n,ac,Wi-Fi 6,Wi-Fi 7 Wi-Fi Direct, Hotspot 802.11 a, b, g, n, ac, ax | a,b,g,n,ac,Wi-Fi 6,Wi-Fi 7 Wi-Fi Direct, Hotspot 802.11 a, b, g, n, ac, ax |
| USB | |
| Type-C, USB 3.2 | Type-C, USB 3.2 |
| Sensors | |
| Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor | Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor |
| Location | |
| GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, Galileo, BeiDou, Cell ID, Wi-Fi positioning | GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, Galileo, BeiDou, Cell ID, Wi-Fi positioning |
| Other | |
| NFC | NFC |
See the full
OnePlus 15 vs OnePlus 12 specs comparison
or compare them to other phones using our
Phone Comparison tool
Summary
Even though there are just two years between these two models, the OnePlus 15 is a big upgrade in several departments. The all-new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset is one of the most exciting processors this year.
The massive 7,300 mAh battery skyrocketed the phone to the fist spot in our battery ranking. The screen is new with a high refresh rate and minimal bezels, and the camera system now features different sensors.
Compared to the two-year-old OnePlus 12, this new model is the clear winner, but there's one key aspect that may spoil the victory parade. The price. At 1,149 euros recommended retail price this phone is more expensive than either the iPhone 17 Pro Max or the Galaxy S25 Ultra. So, if you're upgrading from the OnePlus 12, it will be a hard sell to go and get the new model.
The massive 7,300 mAh battery skyrocketed the phone to the fist spot in our battery ranking. The screen is new with a high refresh rate and minimal bezels, and the camera system now features different sensors.
Compared to the two-year-old OnePlus 12, this new model is the clear winner, but there's one key aspect that may spoil the victory parade. The price. At 1,149 euros recommended retail price this phone is more expensive than either the iPhone 17 Pro Max or the Galaxy S25 Ultra. So, if you're upgrading from the OnePlus 12, it will be a hard sell to go and get the new model.
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