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OnePlus managed to create a truly compelling and impressive flagship for 2024, the OnePlus 12. That device launched back in December, but its global variant arrived earlier this month (January). That being said, in this article, we’ll compare the Google Pixel 8 Pro vs OnePlus 12. In other words, the very best of Google is going against the best OnePlus has to offer. Both are large-format flagship smartphones.
These two phones do look somewhat different and also come with rather different specifications. Both of them are quite compelling, though. We’ll first list their specifications, and will then move to compare their designs, displays, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio performance. There’s a lot to talk about here, so let’s get started.
Specs
Google Pixel 8 Pro vs OnePlus 12, respectively
– Screen size:
6.7-inch Super Actua AMOLED display (flat, 120Hz LTPO, HDR10+, 2,400 nits)
6.82-inch LTPO AMOLED display (curved, 120Hz LTPO, HDR10+, 4,500 nits)
– Display resolution:
2992 x 1344
3168 x 1440
– SoC:
Google Tensor G3
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
– RAM:
12GB (LPDDR5X)
12GB/16GB (LPDDR5X)
– Storage:
128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB (UFS 3.1)
256GB/512GB (UFS 4.0)
– Rear cameras:
50MP (f/1.68 aperture, 82-degree FoV, 1.2um pixel size, OIS), 48MP (ultrawide, f/1.95 aperture, 125.5-degree FoV, 0.8um pixel size), 48MP (telephoto, f/2.8 aperture, 0.7um pixel size, 5x optical zoom)
50MP (f/1.6 aperture, 23mm lens, 1.12um pixel size, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS), 48MP (ultrawide, 14mm lens, 114-degree FoV, f/2.2 aperture, 0.8um pixel size, PDAF), 64MP (periscope telephoto, 0.7um pixel size, OIS, PDAF, 3x optical zoom, 6x “in-sensor” zoom)
– Front cameras:
10.5MP (f/2.2 aperture, 1.22um pixel size)
32MP (f/2.4 aperture)
– Battery:
5,050mAh
5,400mAh
– Charging:
30W wired, 23W wireless, reverse wireless (charger not included)
100W wired, 50W wireless, reverse wireless (charger included)
– Dimensions:
162.6 x 76.5 x 8.8mm
164.3 x 75.8 x 9.2mm
– Weight:
213 grams
220 grams
– Connectivity:
5G, LTE, NFC, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5.3/5.4
– Security:
In-display fingerprint scanner (optical) & facial scanning
In-display fingerprint scanner (optical) & facial scanning
– OS:
Android 14
Android 14 with OxygenOS 14
– Price:
$999+
$799.99+
– Buy:
Best Buy
Best Buy
Google Pixel 8 Pro vs OnePlus 12: Design
Both of these devices are made out of metal and glass. They do look quite different, though, especially when you check out their backsides. The Google Pixel 8 Pro features a flat display with a centered display camera hole and very thin bezels. The OnePlus 12 features a curved display with a centered display camera hole and very thin bezels. The bezels on either phone are not uniform, but they’re very close to it.
The Pixel 8 Pro has a camera visor on the back, which hosts three cameras. That visor connects to the left and right sides of the frame, and it’s covered by metal. The OnePlus 12 includes a more regular camera island in the top-left corner. There are three cameras included in there. Both smartphones include all their physical buttons on the right-hand side, though they’re placed there in different order. The OnePlus 12 also has a physical switch on the left-hand side, the alert slider.
The OnePlus 12 does have a slightly larger display than the Google Pixel 8 Pro. It is a bit taller because of it, but it’s also narrower, as its display is curved. The OnePlus 12 is also slightly thicker than the Google Pixel 8 Pro, but only barely. Both smartphones are water and dust-resistant, but they do come with different certifications. The Pixel 8 Pro offers IP68 certification, while the OnePlus 12 is IP65 certified.
They both feel quite premium in the hand, but also quite slippery at the same time. Using a case with these two phones may be a good idea, at least for most of you.
Google Pixel 8 Pro vs OnePlus 12: Display
Google’s flagship features a 6.7-inch 2992 x 1344 LTPO OLED display. That panel is flat and it has a 120Hz refresh rate, which is adaptive, by the way. This phone supports HDR10+ content, and its brightness goes up to 2,400 nits at its peak. The display aspect ratio here is 20:9, in case you were wondering, while OnePlus also used the Gorilla Glass Victus 2 display protection from Corning.
The OnePlus 12, on the flip side, includes a 6.82-inch QHD+ (3168 x 1440) LTPO AMOLED display. That panel is curved, and it can project up to 1 billion colors. It also offers an adaptive refresh rate (1-120Hz), and Dolby Vision support. HDR10+ content is also supported here, and the display has a theoretical top brightness of 4,500 nits. Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus 2 display protection is used here too.
What are the takeaways from these two displays? Well, both are great, to be quite honest. Both are quite vivid, very sharp and have deep blacks. The viewing angles are also outstanding on both displays. Even the touch response is more than good enough. They are both also plenty bright when you’re outdoors, even in direct sunlight. We don’t really have a single complaint when it comes to these two panels.
Google Pixel 8 Pro vs OnePlus 12: Performance
Google’s Pixel 8 Pro handset is fueled by the Google Tensor G3 processor. Google also included 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM inside of it, while the company is using UFS 3.1 flash storage here. The OnePlus 12, on the other hand, includes the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor. You can choose between 12GB and 16GB of RAM here, and LPDDR5X RAM is used. OnePlus opted for faster UFS 4.0 flash storage here.
On paper, the OnePlus 12 is a more powerful smartphone. Not only does it come with a more powerful processor, but it has faster storage on top of that. The Google Tensor G3 enables some neat AI features on the Pixel 8 Pro, though. They both offer great performance in day-to-day usage. The OnePlus 12 may be a bit snappier when it comes to opening apps and such actions, but the differences are negligible.
Both smartphones do a great job when it comes to multitasking, and everything ranging from browsing and consuming multimedia, to processing images and shooting photos. You may notice a difference in the gaming department, though, depending on what you’re playing. If you’re playing more demanding games, the OnePlus 12 is the better option. Not only will it offer a better performance, but it will heat up less than the Pixel 8 Pro. Google’s flagship can handle gaming, though, don’t get us wrong.
Google Pixel 8 Pro vs OnePlus 12: Battery
Google’s flagship comes with a 5,050mAh battery on the inside. The OnePlus 12 includes a larger 5,400mAh battery. The battery capacity is not always indicative of battery life difference, but in this case, it is, at least partially. The OnePlus 12 offers outstanding battery life, one of the best we’ve seen on a flagship smartphone. The Google Pixel 8 Pro is very good in that department, but it cannot compete with the OnePlus 12.
The OnePlus 12 managed to last very long in our battery drain test. In day-to-day usage, we’ve been getting great numbers from that device and even managed to pass the 9-hour screen-on-time mark with a bit of battery life left in the tank. Do note that such days did not include gaming, but did include various other tasks. The Pixel 8 Pro, during similar usage, was able to cross the 7-hour screen-on-time mark and was closer to being depleted than the OnePlus 12 after 9 hours of screen usage. After 5 hours of screen usage, the OnePlus 12 had over 50% of battery life left on most days, just to give you an idea of what we’re talking about here.
If you do run out of battery life ahead of time, the OnePlus 12 will also charge faster. In fact, the OnePlus 12’s wireless charging is faster than the Pixel 8 Pro’s wired charging. It supports 100W wired (80W in the US) charging, along with 50W wireless charging, and 10W reverse wireless charging. On top of that, it comes with a charger in the box. The Pixel 8 Pro does not include a charger, and it supports 30W wired, 23W wireless, and 5W reverse wireless charging.
Google Pixel 8 Pro vs OnePlus 12: Cameras
The Google Pixel 8 Pro features a 50-megapixel main camera, a 48-megapixel ultrawide unit (126-degree FoV), and a 48-megapixel periscope telephoto camera (5x optical zoom). The OnePlus 12 includes a 50-megapixel main camera, a 48-megapixel ultrawide unit (114-degree FoV), and a 64-megapixel periscope telephoto camera (3x optical zoom). It’s also worth noting that Hasselblad is a part of the OnePlus 12 equation.
The camera performance on both sides is very good, to say the least. The Pixel 8 Pro provides contrasty shots that do tend to look a bit unrealistic, but also great at the same time. The OnePlus 12 does offer more realistic shots, with outstanding colors. The details provided by both smartphones are great, and both do a great job in HDR conditions too. The Pixel 8 Pro does tend to give the image a slightly cooler tone, though.
Ultrawide cameras are great on both phones, and they do a great job of keeping the same color profile as the main shooters, in most situations. Telephoto cameras do a very good job too. The OnePlus 12 did a better job up to 5x, while Google’s did a better job from 5-10x. In low light, the Pixel 8 Pro tends to brighten up the scene more than the OnePlus 12, which results in different images. The ones from the OnePlus 12 tend to look more realistic. Both phones manage to preserve quite a bit of detail in low-light conditions.
Audio
Each of the two devices has a set of stereo speakers included. Speakers on both smartphones are very good, and they offer a similar level of loudness. They’re also well-optimized for sound, and even though they’re not the best around, they’re good enough.
If you were hoping to find an audio jack on either of the two devices, well, that won’t happen. You can always utilize their Type-C ports if you want to connect your headphones via a wire, though. If not, Bluetooth 5.3 is at your disposal on the Pixel 8 Pro, while the OnePlus 12 offers Bluetooth 5.4.