If you picked up a OnePlus 12 back in early 2024, you got a genuinely good phone for the money. Fast charging, a sharp display, solid performance – all without the price tag of a Samsung or an Apple flagship. That was the whole pitch, and for a while, it worked. But two years is a long time in the phone world, and the brand you bought into has changed a lot since then.
OnePlus has confirmed it will no longer launch new products in Europe, the US, and Canada, folding its ambitions back into parent company Oppo. Your OnePlus 12 will keep getting software updates and warranty support for now, so nothing will break overnight. But staying loyal to the brand for your next upgrade isn’t really practical anymore, especially if you live outside China.
So where do you go instead? You’ve got good options, and each one solves a different thing your OnePlus 12 didn’t quite nail.
1. Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
This is the phone to get if you want everything your OnePlus 12 offered, and then some, without giving up anything along the way. You get a massive, gorgeous display that makes streaming and scrolling feel noticeably more premium, a camera system that covers every focal length you’d realistically want from ultra-wide to long zoom, and a chip built specifically for this phone rather than shared across a dozen brands the way OnePlus’s Snapdragon chips were.
Samsung also added a new Privacy Display feature this generation that can black out your screen from anyone glancing over your shoulder on the train. However, for everything it offers, the asking price is definitely high. If you’re the kind of person who upgrades every few years and wants a phone that won’t leave you wanting more halfway through, this is where that money goes.
Check full Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra specs here.
2. Google Pixel 10 Pro
Coming from OnePlus’s OxygenOS, the jump to Google’s own take on Android will feel like a different kind of phone entirely. The Pixel 10 Pro offers more AI than every other Android, including features like call screening, real-time translation, and a camera that adjusts itself based on what you’re pointing at. It’s also the most affordable of the true flagships this year, and Google promises seven years of updates, so you won’t be back here shopping again anytime soon. It’s a compact, comfortable size too, which is a nice change if the OnePlus 12 always felt a little big in the hand.
Check full Google Pixel 10 Pro specs here.
3. Xiaomi 17 Ultra
The OnePlus 12’s camera was solid but never class-leading, and if that bugged you, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra fixes it outright. It runs the Leica-tuned system built around a large one-inch main sensor, paired with a 200-megapixel periscope telephoto that handles both close zoom and genuinely long-range shots without falling apart.
It also carries a 6,800mAh battery, the biggest in any Xiaomi flagship yet. However, the device isn’t as widely available as OnePlus used to be, so it’s worth checking import options before you commit.
Check full Xiaomi 17 Ultra specs here.
4. iPhone 17
Now, if you want to switch the entire ecosystem, iPhone 17 is your best bet. Apple’s base iPhone finally has a 120Hz display that used to be locked to the Pro models, along with a faster chip and a better main camera. If you’ve ever been curious about iMessage, AirDrop, or just want a phone that gets predictable, long-term software support without needing to think about it, this is the least painful year to make that switch. You’ll give up some of the customization Android users take for granted, but you’ll gain a level of polish that’s hard to argue with.
Check full iPhone 17 specs here.
5. The bottom line
Sad to say, the OnePlus era of “flagship specs, budget price” is officially over, at least for buyers outside China and India. If you want to stay in the same lane OnePlus used to occupy, the Pixel 10 Pro gets you closest.
If money isn’t the main concern, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is the safest all-around pick. And if your OnePlus 12 mainly let you down on photos, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra is worth the extra effort to track down.
Whichever way you go, you’ll be shopping in a slightly different market than you were two years ago.
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