OnePlus keeps swiping at Apple and Samsung – but is it doing enough itself?

OnePlus could be seen as throwing shade at its pseudo-rivals Samsung and Apple after the launch of its new smartphones OnePlus 12 And OnePlus 12R. But is it all talk or should the one-time smartphone upstart focus on making its devices more competitive?

The OnePlus launch event called Smooth Beyond Belief took place just seven days after launch Samsung Galaxy unpacked launch of the AI-focused Samsung Galaxy S24 series, but showed the very different direction the companies are taking.

OnePlus took the unconventional approach of kicking off the launch of the OnePlus 12 and 12R by pointing out the flaws of other devices. Host Ishita Grover stated, “We’ve seen a whole host of typical complaints that have plagued our competitors.”

The screen showed fourteen complaints about non-specific phones. Ishita then said that these comments made it clear where OnePlus would focus its efforts.

Throwing rocks

While no specific brand or model was mentioned, comments such as “Charges slowly with a 20 or 25W charger” could have been aimed at the base model Samsung Galaxy S23 which only charged 25W. It could be aimed at the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which charges at a relatively lower 27W.

Meanwhile, it has to be said that OnePlus phones are going above and beyond by being among the fastest chargers for years, with the OnePlus 12 offering a maximum charging speed of 100W.

Battery health issues were also mentioned, with some rapidly deteriorating, which could affect some iPhone 14 and 14 Pro drop to 90% in the first year. While OnePlus claims that it has a battery health engine to preserve the life of its phone batteries.

There are also several overheating comments that may concern the Samsung Galaxy S22 series, Galaxy Z Flip 4or Galaxy S23FE all of whom used the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, which was known to overheat in some phones. However, OnePlus’ phones have also been accused of overheating issues in the past, especially the OnePlus 9Pro.

While talking about the benefits of the new camera system, landscape photographer Joshua Cripps wanted to chime in Chasing Luna video states: “I think it is important to photograph mother nature in an authentic way, without AI or Photoshop.”

Considering Samsung became embroiled in controversy surrounding the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s AI-focused astrophotography features, having a professional moon snapper criticize AI in photography could be seen as more than a sour look at Samsung. Intentionally or not, it shows that OnePlus is avoiding the AI-led approach that both Google and Samsung have settled on. But it’s worth noting that all the clever image processing that goes into virtually all smartphone photography means you could say that phone photos hardly go unmanipulated.

Social quarrel

However, the launch isn’t the only time OnePlus pointed out its competitor’s shortcomings. Samsung accidentally misidentified a photo of a woman at the Galaxy Unpacked event on X as the YouTuber/streamer @valkyrae. After her correction, Samsung blocked her. In response, OnePlus hit back at Samsung saying, “We would never block you,” highlighting the contrast in dealing with such situations.

But even this is mild compared to OnePlus’ comments on the Samsung Galaxy S23 launch last year. OnePlus turned to It also joked about the lack of an included charging brick, asking: “Are we going to see something without a blockbuster budget?”

OnePlus also didn’t hesitate to poke fun at Apple’s “Wonderlust” event in September 2023, mocking Apple’s shift to USB-C, and went a step further by creating an Apple event bingo card with items like “drone shot of Apple Park” and “claims something to be the most advanced thing ever.” This direct and light-hearted approach demonstrated OnePlus’ willingness to poke fun at its competitors’ events.

This could all indicate that OnePlus is trying to have its cake and eat it too, wanting to be seen as the scrappy underdog that is more open to challenge and experimental, while aiming to be taken seriously and seen as one of the best phone manufacturers and a viable flagship alternative.

The increasing competition between major phone makers could make it difficult to ignore each other, and I don’t think this should be the case. Any criticism can help improve future products and provide a clear indication of how it is perceived outside the fanbase.

Glass houses

While some may appreciate OnePlus’ banter, others won’t be impressed by its less professional approach. OnePlus’ identity seems to lean more on the sense of being a club and some of that references others outside of that community.

I prefer playful interactions because I find them more engaging than the conventional publishing of spec sheets and sanitized corporate statements and marketing videos, each of which has its value as long as you don’t take any of it too seriously.

But the problem here is that both Apple and Samsung phones regularly top our best phones list, with OnePlus phones not always making the cut.

Of course, in our OnePlus 12 review we looked at OnePlus’ latest flagship with great praise. But read our Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review and iPhone 15 Pro Max review to get an idea of ​​what true flagship phones can do.

And where OnePlus was once the underdog challenging the flagship, its more expensive phones aren’t the bargains they used to be, especially now that devices like the Google Pixel 8 Pro are competitively priced and packed with smart AI tools.

While OnePlus can throw virtual stones, it ultimately finds itself in a hothouse that is itself vulnerable to hurled criticism. Perhaps a return to well-equipped $500 smartphones could be the way for OnePlus to justify its criticism of others, but for now the criticisms may be a bit too far off the mark.

You might also like this?