OnePlus 15 vs OnePlus 12: Expected differences

OnePlus has come a long way as a company, and ever since the first flagship killer launched back in 2014, the brand has been evolving and expanding its cult following. So much so that now, on the eve of the OnePlus 15 launch, we’re looking at the latest flagship of the company as a worthy rival of the latest Apple and Samsung phones.However, today we’re going to compare the upcoming OnePlus 15 with a distant relative—the OnePlus 12. These two devices are two years apart, despite the bigger gap in the numbering scheme (OnePlus has decided to skip 14). 

The new model is expected to bring some cool upgrades and serve as a platform for the launch of the Snapdragon Elite Gen 5 chipset, so given the two-year upgrade cycle that most people follow, it’d be interesting to see how these two phones compare and whether or not it’s time to put down your OnePlus 12 and get the latest OnePlus 15 model.

OnePlus 15 vs OnePlus 12 expected differences:

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Some of the official promo materials for the OnePlus 15 have leaked, and there’s even an unboxing video of the Chinese version of the phone, so we have a pretty good idea of how the phone looks. 

There’s a change compared to the last couple of OnePlus generations, and it concerns the camera design. The new phone features a square camera bump with one oval and two circular cutouts for the cameras and the LED flash. The design is reminiscent of the camera housing used on the Pixel 10 Pro Fold.

In terms of dimensions and weight, there’s not much information available. One post on Weibo said the new phone will be 8.1 mm thick and between 211 and 215 grams, but there are no other leaks to corroborate these claims.

*based on leaks and rumors

According to the latest leaks on Weibo, the OnePlus 15 will feature an IP69 dust and water resistance rating, the highest in the industry currently. Check out our IP69 explainer article for more details. The OnePlus 12, on the other hand, only has IP65.

Thanks to an official post by OnePlus India, we know what processor will tick inside the OnePlus 15. It’s the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. The name might be a bit confusing, we skipped the Gen 4 (in favor of the switch to the Elite moniker), and now Qualcomm is combining Elite with the Gen 5. What gives? 

*based on leaks and rumors

The OnePlus 15 will launch running OxygenOS 16, based on Android 16, and we expect the same 4-year software support cycle as the on the previous two generations. 

The latest specs leak from Weibo describes the camera system on the back of the OnePlus 15 with great detail. The main wide camera will use a Sony LYT-700 50MP sensor under a lens with an aperture of f/1.8. The equivalent focal length will be 24 mm, and there will be OIS on board.

The ultra-wide camera is expected to feature another 50 MP sensor, this time the Samsung JN5, coming in at 15 mm focal length, or 0.6X compared to the main camera. The aperture will be f/2.0. Finally, the telephoto camera will yet again rely on a 50MP sensor (the same Samsung JN5) with an f/2.8 aperture lens on top and 3.5X zoom (85 mm).

*based on leaks and rumors

In comparison, the OnePlus 12 features a slightly different camera setup. The main camera is 50MP with an aperture of f/1.6, a 23mm focal length, and OIS. There’s a 48MP ultrawide and a 64MP periscope telephoto with 3x optical zoom. 

The camera score of the OnePlus 12 is 145 (out of 158), which is pretty good. We can’t wait to test the OnePlus 15 and measure the improvement. As always, real-life side-by-side samples will be included as well.

OnePlus is notorious for bringing the silicon-carbon tech outside China and into the US. The OnePlus 15 is expected to bring new gains to the “Glacier” battery design (the company’s fancy name for the si-ca tech). We expect a massive 7,300 mAh battery inside the phone, which will most likely put it in the top 10 spot when it comes to battery life.

The OnePlus 12 in comparison relies on a conventional lithium-ion cell with 5,400 mAh capacity, and it managed 8h 23m in our composite battery test, placing it in the 17th spot among phones tested in the past 2 years.

*based on leaks and rumors

When it comes to charging, OnePlus is on the forefront with speeds pushing 100W (and even more). The OnePlus 15 is expected to support up to 120W of wired charging power, but we expect a lower number on the US model (due to regulations). 

The OnePlus 12 supports 100W wired on the global model and 80W for the US. Both phones support up to 50W wireless, but you will need a proprietary wireless charger to get to these speeds.

Here’s a quick specs comparison between the OnePlus 15 and the OnePlus 12. Follow the link for a more detailed one on PhoneArena.com.

Even though there are just two years between these two models, the OnePlus 15 is shaping up to be a big upgrade in several departments. The all-new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset is one of the most exciting processors this year.

We expect a massive 7,300 mAh battery that will most likely rocket the phone to the top spots in our battery benchmark. The screen is new with a high refresh rate and minimal bezels, and the camera system now features different sensors.

Compared to the two-year-old OnePlus 12, this new model is the clear winner, but there’s one key aspect that may spoil the victory parade. The price. We don’t have any info on the pricing for the OnePlus 15, but those high-end specs point toward a high-end price. Stay tuned for benchmarks and a final verdict once the OnePlus 15 arrives in our lab.