Here’s everything we know so far about the OnePlus 12. We’ve also included reliable rumors and a wishlist of things we hope to see.
Updated, October 13, 2023 (06:45 PM ET): We’ve updated this OnePlus 12 rumor hub with rumors of a higher price this time around.
Original article: OnePlus has thrown us a lot of curveballs over the past few years. Most recently, the company launched the OnePlus 11 and simultaneously announced it would not release a OnePlus 11T. It also will no longer make Pro models (which means no OnePlus 11 Pro is on the way). This was interesting when you remember that, in 2022, the company released a OnePlus 10 Pro and a OnePlus 10T and didn’t release a OnePlus 10! It’s all a bit wacky. Regardless, the OnePlus 12 is what we’re looking toward next, but what can we expect?
Below, we’ve rounded up all the credible OnePlus 12 rumors we’ve seen so far. We also have some speculation based on the history of the company’s launches. At the end, we also have a few things we hope to see, even if we haven’t heard any rumors about them yet.
OnePlus 12: At a glance:
When is it likely to come out? We expect the China launch to happen in December 2023 or January 2024. The global launch should come a month or two later.
What’s new? The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 should be onboard, a larger-than-ever battery is rumored, and there will probably be numerous camera improvements.
How much will it cost? The OnePlus 11 launched at $699, and rumors suggest the OnePlus 12 could be more expensive than that. Will there be a OnePlus 12?
Despite the previously mentioned curveballs, OnePlus has consistently released a new flagship numbered device every year since it started. The name and number of devices might change a little here and there, but there’s always a new number, so we are very certain a OnePlus 12 is coming in 2024.
In 2023, OnePlus eventually launched a OnePlus 11R with limited availability (mostly in India). The phone cut some corners compared to the OnePlus 11 but also got some surprising quality-of-life improvements, making it quite the exciting phone for its price bracket. Given that these are the only two phones in the 11-series launching this year, it’s reasonable to expect an “R” phone in 2024, as well. In fact, we already have a design leak for the OnePlus 12R, so it’s nearly assured.
Of course, it’s too early for OnePlus to announce or tease anything related to its slate of 2024 smartphones. For now, we’re just operating on the fact that we always see a new yearly flagship and regularly an “R” device, so the 2024 OnePlus lineup probably won’t be any different.When might the OnePlus 12 release date be?
OnePlus 9 series: March 23, 2021
OnePlus 10 Pro (China): January 11, 2022
OnePlus 10 Pro (Global): March 31, 2022
OnePlus 11 (China): January 4, 2023
OnePlus 11 (Global): February 7, 2023
Prior to 2022, OnePlus launched its latest flagship phone during one event. In 2022, though, it started doing two events: one for China and one for its other global markets. The OnePlus 10 Pro China launch happened first, and the global launch came almost three months later. In 2023, OnePlus repeated this strategy for the OnePlus 11.
Now that we’ve had two years of this, we feel pretty certain that OnePlus will do the same thing in 2024. As such, you should expect an early OnePlus 12 launch event for China, with the global launch to follow some weeks or even months later.
A leak provided by reliable tipster Yogesh Brar claimed OnePlus might launch the phone in China sometime in December 2023. Leaker Max Jambor corroborated a December 2023 release window for China in a tweet on July 13. Brar later reiterated a December 2023 launch in China but added that the global launch could happen in February. So, it seems more and more likely that we could see the OnePlus 12 debut before the year ends with a Q1 launch in global markets.
In saying so, long-time tipster Max Jambor has refuted Brar’s suggestions of a February launch, asserting that the OnePlus 12 will actually launch globally in January. So users outside China might get the device even earlier than expected.
Interestingly, there have been close to zero differences between the China version of these phones and the global variants. In other words, the only thing we won’t know about the OnePlus 12 when we get to the second launch is how much it will cost. Specs, design, camera features, etc., will all be confirmed at the China launch. That means you’ll be able to start off 2024 knowing pretty much everything there is about the OnePlus 12 — even if you won’t be able to officially buy it until January, February, or even March.What specs and features could the OnePlus 12 have?
OnePlus isn’t very consistent with what it offers with its flagship smartphones. For example, it finally got on board with wireless charging with the OnePlus 8 series but then dropped it with the OnePlus 11. Likewise, it has introduced high-end camera hardware and then abandoned it, and forked out for official IP ratings before stopping that practice. As such, there are a lot of wildcards surrounding the OnePlus 11 launch.
The OnePlus 9 looked a lot different when compared to the OnePlus 8. Likewise, the OnePlus 10 Pro looked nothing like the OnePlus 9 Pro. The OnePlus 11 did look a lot like the OnePlus 10 Pro, but the question is: will OnePlus stick to one design language or change it up again for the OnePlus 12?
Reliable leaker Steve ‘OnLeaks’ Hemmerstoffer and SmartPrix revealed renders of the OnePlus 12 on July 12. These images (seen above) are based on a prototype and suggest OnePlus is sticking to the same design language as the OnePlus 11. Save for what appears to be a periscope zoom camera at the bottom of the camera island.
