Christine Romero - Chan / Digital Trends
In 2024 , OnePlus is once again hoping to redefine what an Android flagship should put up without nuking a buyer ’s billfold . The medium to achieve that is the OnePlus 12 . In a handful of way , this one is quite a step up from its predecessor . The most notable improvement is the periscope zoom technical school , which sterilise a historic flaw of OnePlus headphone and also tug it straight into the class of top - tier speech sound that be north of $ 1,000 .
Another notable face of this telephone set is the eye - catching aim . OnePlus recently wowed us with a sensational marble - inspired phoneand then followed it up with a perfervid red leather aesthetic . The oculus - catching green tone on the OnePlus 12 seems to have borrowed its appeal from jade . But the companionship state the design concoction is a bit more exotic .
Christine Romero-Chan / Digital Trends
“ We draw intake from the lifelike texture recover in the braid channels of New Zealand ’s Dart River , ” OnePlus President Kinder Liu tells Digital Trends . The brand is in spades on a live streak in terms of design experiments . Naturally , I had to need what ’s next now that we ’ve seen the society act as with sandstone , insensate metal , deep leather , and metamorphic stone .
Rock, paper, and fiber. What’s next?
“ We are actively experimenting with various fabric such as fabric patterns , newspaper publisher , and stone textures , ” Liu tells me . When exactly is that depart to take place ? We do n’t have it away , but having seen products like those from Kvadrat , I am mighty mad to see some fresh mind like newspaper and fabric design that will aid create a standout smartphone design .
But experimenting with dissimilar kind of designs is just the start , and more ideas end up on the chopping block than we can count . That ’s because each new material for the real scale work its own band of challenges from an engineering position .
For example , a metal shell is great to touch , help with passion dissipation , and assists with underlying antenna task . But it also want you to give wireless charging . The glass - and - alloy sandwich design , which is all the craze these days , get with its own hardening of hurdles to a successful execution .
I vividly think back the hubbub when theOnePlus Open , one of the thinnest foldables phones and one that barely misses a beat , had to skip on wireless agitate support . With the OnePlus 12 , the company is not take any chances , it seems . The OnePlus executive says it ’s just another day for them . But the choice is more complex than it seems on the surface .
“ The conclusion to let in wireless charging is not solely based on the material divergence in the back cover . It also involves a careful balance between the free weight and thickness of the twist , ” says Liu . The mental process of gain a speech sound is a long - drawn - out one . And when you are try out something as improper as a marble texture , testing and validation get even more intensive .
Think, test, burn, and repeat
“ Our distinctive development cps spans 18 months , during which we validate new concepts and ideas . However , this bike can be extend when it involves testing young materials and solutions , ” Liu explains . So , did the company reach what it set up out for ? On the OnePlus 12 , it seems the company had to make some ambitious changes to be able to help up that arresting unripened rear shell .
As manoeuvre out earlier , landing at an effective heat energy dissipation output is no modest job . Just ask users ofExynos - powered SamsungandGoogle Pixel phones . Thankfully , OnePlus did n’t eschew its design finish and made some big changes indoors to reach the kind of optimum thermal visibility one would expect from a performance - first phone .
“ [ The ] OnePlus 12 is equipped with our largest vapour chamber in history , ” Liu explains , adding that the company occupy inspiration from aircraft engineering science to contrive the thermic apparatus inside the OnePlus earphone . The company then geminate it with “ organization - level arithmetic programing and chip microarchitecture dismantling ” to reach the best interplay between battery efficiency , processor frequency , and diligence performance .
So , what ’s the ultimate play when the team set up its hatful on a fresh design ? “ We aim to introduce in terms of grain , feel , and material functionality , include attribute like stain resistance and hotness dissipation , ” Liu state me . But those endeavors do n’t always terminate up with a success news report . Some angry ideas finish up locked in the kingdom of concept and technical school showcases .
He bring up the lesson of the active liquid cooling applied science that the ship’s company showcased forthe OnePlus 11 Concept phone . Owing to “ various limitations , ” it was a monumental challenge to push the technical school at with child - weighing machine yield . in the end , we never saw the idea make it to a commercially useable speech sound , but the lessons perk to mainstream phones such as the OnePlus 12 in different fashion .
What’s the future for OnePlus?
At this juncture , I was curious to know whether OnePlus will ever dial back to the older multiplication and revive the idea of a metal shell design . That future remains uncertain , Liu remarked . “ We remain committed to innovation , adapting to the shift needs and taste of our substance abuser , ” he tot up . That ’s an ambiguous resolution , but I think it ’s secure to assume OnePlus wo n’t ship any plan that negatively impact carrying into action or practicality . ”
Next , I broach the interrogative sentence of continuing the legacy of a familiar aim . Apple has stay put truehearted to the same key feeling that it began with the iPhone 11 series . Samsung is following in the same footsteps with itsSamsung Galaxy S24line . likewise , the OnePlus 12 is n’t digress too far from its predecessor ’s looks .
Is that a cost - saving measure , or is there any meaningful reason behind it ? “ The camera module of the gadget have a curved purpose , which serves two purposes – enhance the gadget ’s esthetics and integrating the transmitting aerial to significantly improve signaling reception , while still allowing OnePlus 12 to be dustproof and rainproof , ” Liu said .
Digital Trends has the OnePlus 12 in its run labs , and assessments are afoot to see whether it can deliver uncompromised performance while standing tall found on its unique looks . The next flagship killer from OnePlus launch on January 23 in world markets . Stay tuned for a comprehensive breakdown of its merits and fault .
