Are you struggling to pick between the iQOO 12 and the OnePlus 12? Not sure which phone is right for you? Here are some of the key differences that could help you make your decision.
1. Design and durability
The OnePlus 12 and the iQOO 12 are both pretty-looking smartphones with attractive designs, however, some stark differences should be considered before committing to one. The iQOO 12 has an overall flat design with a flat metallic frame. That being said, the brand has made the edges slightly curvy to make it more comfortable to hold.
On the other hand, the OnePlus 12 has committed to a completely curved design, prioritizing comfort above the current trend of iPhone-inspired flat frames. As for durability, the OnePlus 12 comes with a Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protecting its screen, and the back glass is Gorilla Glass 5. The Phone is IP65 rated, which means that it can easily withstand dust as well as low-pressure water jets from all directions.
The iQOO 12 uses a more affordable Schott Xensation protective glass on the front and is IP64-rated, which means that it can withstand water spray from any direction.
2. Display & audio
The OnePlus 12 boasts a superior display compared to the iQOO 12. It features a curved Quad HD+ resolution of 1440 x 3168 pixels, a larger 6.82-inch diagonal size, and an impressive peak brightness of 4500 nits, which can be reached while watching HDR content. Additionally, it supports Dolby Vision and comes with HDR10+ certification.
While not on par with the OnePlus 12, the iQOO 12 also features an impressive 6.78-inch 1.5K (1260 x 2800 pixels) display, which has a peak brightness of 3000 nits, and an HDR10+ certification. The one advantage over it has over the OnePlus 12 is its higher refresh rate of 144Hz.
As for audio, iQOO 12 offers the louder speakers of the two, however, music sounds more detailed and clear on the OnePlus 12.
3. Which is better for gaming?
If you are looking to buy one of these smartphones with gaming in mind, then the iQOO 12 should be your choice. It simply has too much going for it when it comes to gaming. Firstly, it has a flat display, compared to the curved display on the OnePlus 12. People who have gamed on both know that a flat display is much preferable to a curved display as it allows for a more natural grip and reduces the chances of accidental touches.
Both the iQOO 12 and the OnePlus 12 future a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor which is capable of stable 80+ FPS in games like BGMI. However, the iQOO 12 has the OnePlus 12 beat in thermal management. The iQOO 12 uses a large VC liquid cooling system, which provides efficient heat management during extended gaming sessions. It does not thermal throttle as much as the OnePlus 12, which means stable FPS. Excessive heating also affects the battery life of the device, so the iQOO 12’s superior thermal management also makes it more energy efficient while gaming.
4. Which has the better camera system?
The iQOO 12 comes with a triple camera system on the back consisting of an OIS-assisted 50MP OmniVision OV50H primary sensor, a 50MP Samsung JN1 ultrawide unit with autofocus, and an OIS-assisted 64MP OV64B 3x periscope zoom shooter.
In comparison, the OnePlus 12 also features a triple camera system with a 50MP Sony LYT 808 primary sensor paired with a 48MP Sony IMX581 ultra-wide-angle sensor, and a 64MP OmniVision OV64B OIS-enabled periscope unit with 3x optical and 6x in-sensor zoom.
On paper, both of these phones have impressive sensors, however, the OnePlus 12 offers more natural and accurate color processing as well as better consistency in quality. OnePlus 12 also outshines the iQOO 12 in human shots, however, the iQOO 12 takes slightly better shots from its zoom camera.
Night mode performance on both of the smartphones is excellent, while the OnePlus 12 is better in HDR shots as well as taking selfies from its 32MP Sony IMX615 front camera. It is also worth mentioning that the OnePlus 12 can shoot up to 4K 30FPS videos with its front camera, while the iQOO 12 is limited to 1080p 30FPS.
5. Battery & Charging
Both the OnePlus 12 and the iQOO 12 come equipped with large batteries, however, the OnePlus 12 has a larger 5400mAh battery paired with 100W wired fast charging compared to the 5,000mAh battery and 120W wired fast charging on the iQOO 12.
The 120W charging on the iQOO is indeed faster on paper, but in real-life usage, you won’t actually feel that much of a difference. Both of these smartphones are capable of filling up their batteries in around 30 minutes.
That being said, the OnePlus 12 also offers 50W fast charging support as well as 10W reverse wireless charging. These features are not available in the iQOO 12.
6. Other things to consider
Both smartphones use Android 14-based operating systems with many customization options. OnePlus has promised 4 years of major updates and 5 years of security patches, while the iQOO 12 offers 3 years of software updates and 4 years of security updates.
It is also worth mentioning that the iQOO 12 comes with a USB Type-C 2.0, compared to the newer USB Type-C 3.2 port on the OnePlus 12. This makes the OnePlus 12 about 10 times faster in transferring data via its USB port.
7. Conclusion
While the OnePlus 12 offers a better display, camera performance, and battery, it is also significantly costlier than the iQOO 12.
The OnePlus 12 starts at ₹64,999 for the 12GB RAM and 256GB configuration and goes up to ₹69,999 for the 16GB RAM and 512GB setup.
In comparison, the iQOO 12 starts at ₹52,999 for the 12GB RAM and 256GB model, and its 16GB RAM and 512GB storage model costs ₹57,999.
If you’re after an all-around flagship, the OnePlus 12 is a solid pick. But for gaming enthusiasts, the iQOO 12 is recommended. Plus, considering its price, the camera performance of the iQOO 12 is noteworthy.
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