OnePlus 12 has finally debuted in India and when we compared it with the Galaxy S24 series, it turned out to be a value-for-money offering over the base Galaxy S24. However, we’ll now be comparing it with the iQOO 12 that is priced lower (at Rs 52,999) and offers a similar if not identical set of features. We’ll try to find out whether the lower priced device is worth considering over the OnePlus 12 or not.
Display
While design is a subjective matter, we feel both the smartphones offer a distinctive design and have their own identities. None of them have cut corners in this department.
As for the display, the OnePlus 12 5G sports a 6.82-inch QHD+ (3168 x 1440 pixels) 120Hz 3D AMOLED LTPO display. Furthermore, there is 4500 nits of peak brightness, 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut, 93.5% screen-to-body ratio, Dolby Vision support and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection.
In comparison, the iQOO 12 comes with a 6.78-inch AMOLED Display with up to 144Hz Refresh Rate support, 3000 nits peak brightness and a 1.5K resolution. There is a hole-punch cutout at the top centre for the front camera. The device also has an HDR10+ certification and 2160Hz PWM Dimming.
Now, the first choice you’ll have to make is between a curved display and a flat one, as OnePlus 12 sports the former and iQOO 12, the latter. Then, the OnePlus 12 has a slightly sharper display with 2K resolution and up to 4500 nits brightness which is more of a gimmick, similar to 3000 nits on iQOO 12. Even during our review of the iQOO 12, we praised its display for being up to the mark and matching standards of other flagships. Overall, it’s the decision between the curved panel versus the flat one.
Performance & Software
Both the iQOO 12 and the OnePlus 12 are powered by the same chipset, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. They are also offered in the exact same variants, including 12GB + 256GB and 16GB + 512GB. The software on the OnePlus 12, however, is better in terms of smoothness and overall stability over iQOO 12. Don’t get us wrong, the iQOO 12 flies in daily use and is snappy, but the fluid experience of the OnePlus 12 is yet to be matched. Further, OnePlus is offering one extra Android OS update over iQOO. In gaming, both the devices should perform identically.
Cameras & Battery
The cameras on the OnePlus 12 are yet to be tested but from what we saw in iQOO 12 review, iQOO’s cameras have drastically improved over the previous generation model. They perform quite well in most lighting conditions. Also, both the devices have the same camera setup, that is, a primary sensor paired with an ultra-wide angle lens and a telephoto lens. As of now, we won’t declare a winner in this department.
Now, the iQOO 12 gets a 5000mAh battery with a 120W Fast charging support. In comparison, the OnePlus 12 gets a bigger 5400mAh cell with 100W fast charging and 50W wireless charging. The OnePlus 12 is the clear winner here. However, the iQOO 12 still gave us fantastic results in the battery department during our review.
Verdict
The OnePlus 12 is a great smartphone and doesn’t lack in any department. However, the iQOO 12 is the ultimate value for money device which costs Rs 12,000 less than OnePlus 12 for both variants and offers you most of the features OnePlus does. If you can compromise on software, and give up on the longer software support and wireless charging as well, iQOO 12 can definitely be your ideal flagship but if these three are of utmost priority, then you’ll have to shell out more bucks for OnePlus 12.
