The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra proves that the OnePlus 12 could be this year’s most affordable flagship
When Samsung launched the Samsung Galaxy S24 range in January, I, like many, was immediately drawn to the seemingly endless possibilities available with the new phones, especially the premium Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. Samsung has already acknowledged the somewhat surprising success of the new Galaxy S24, with James Kitto, Samsung’s vice president of UK sales, saying “the response has been nothing short of incredible”. But now, just a few weeks later, I’m already starting to reconsider.
The Galaxy S24 has already proven its popularity, with Samsung Galaxy S24 deals already more popular than the Galaxy S23 after the first week. And the expectation is that this success will only continue unless the latest Android challenger can finally put the Samsung Galaxy S24 to the test.
See, in recent days OnePlus, one of the biggest non-Samsung Android brands widely available, has released its latest flagship, the OnePlus 12, and this has raised a number of questions that for many, the OnePlus 12 might be a more tempting option. for their next flagship smartphone.
How much do I spend?!
One of the first things Samsung pits against its Android and even Apple competition may be the first thing you’ll see: the price. There’s always a stigma that Apple is unnecessarily expensive, but even the best iPhone 15 Pro Max deals will be cheaper than the Galaxy S24 Ultra, and the base price is no different: the iPhone 15 Pro Max costs $100/£50. less than the S24 Ultra.
The picture doesn’t get any better when you compare the S24 Ultra to its Android competition: the OnePlus 12 costs just $799 / £849 for the base model, while the Galaxy S24 Ultra starts at a whopping $1,299.99 / £1,249. A $500/£400 price difference means that if, like me, you’re keen to get the full experience with your phone – i.e. a smartwatch and earbuds on the side – you can pay less than for a Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Something that has been increasingly considered in recent years when it comes to how much to spend on a phone is how long you want to use it. In the UK, a recent YouGov survey found that almost a fifth (19%) of smartphone users wanted to use their phones for more than five years, which until recently would have been a downright crazy idea. Now phones offer up to seven years of Android updates, and while the OnePlus 12 isn’t one of these phones, it still has the ability to offer a lifespan that makes the amount you spend seem small for the years of use you get. gets. .
What’s actually different?
Unfortunately for the OnePlus 12, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is one of the phones that now offers seven years of Android updates. But what the OnePlus 12 lacks in years of updates, it makes up for in its ability to push the S24 Ultra to its limits when you compare the specs of both devices.
The biggest talking point between the two devices for many will be the chipset. The OnePlus 12 is one of the first devices available to use the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, which will likely be the only real competitor to Apple’s A17 Pro chip. That’s unless you’re the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, though, which features a Samsung-exclusive version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 that’s slightly more powerful and only available on the new Galaxy S24 range.
Other than that, there’s very little that the average user would notice if they split the two devices, at least if you’re not looking for the tiniest differences. Both phones use QHD+ LTPO displays, with the OnePlus 12 offering a slightly larger screen and higher screen-to-body ratio, while the S24 Ultra offers slightly better display technology thanks to its use of Dynamic AMOLED 2X.
From a camera perspective it’s hard to split the two, with the S24 Ultra offering an impressive 200MP main sensor and new Galaxy AI image processing benefits, while the OnePlus 12 was created in collaboration with Hasselblad to give the phone its signature color accuracy and image quality, and offers a 64MP periscope telephoto lens and 48MP ultra-wide lens, both arguably better than those offered by the S24 Ultra, but mask the unfortunate lack of a telephoto lens on the device.
One area where the OnePlus is comfortably ahead of the S24 Ultra is battery and charging technology. The OnePlus 12 offers a larger 5,400mAh battery, with 80W wired fast charging in the US and 100W wired charging elsewhere, as well as 50W wireless charging and even 10W reverse wireless charging. In comparison, the 24 Ultra only offers a 5,000mAh battery with 45W wired, 15W wireless, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. That’s a clear win for the OnePlus, even before you consider the OnePlus 12’s battery maintenance technology and cooling systems.
Where’s the personality?
Simply looking at the two devices, it’s hard not to question Samsung’s choice to just switch to a titanium frame on the Galaxy S24 Ultra and make no other notable changes from the previous iteration to pull. At its core, the phone was meant to signify devices that pushed the boundaries — mainly of AI, yes — but pushed boundaries nonetheless, which this small change doesn’t exactly embody.
However, the OnePlus 12 has managed to strike a perfect balance between keeping a phone fresh and not straying from what it knows works. The phone is downright stunning with its new emerald green back panel option and improved screen-to-body ratio on the front of the phone. telephone.
Samsung also still falls surprisingly short when it comes to the user interface, as One UI still doesn’t seem to work quite the same way for users as has been seen in recent years with various iterations of OxygenOS on OnePlus. While recent AI updates to One UI have given it a much-needed push in the right direction, there are no guarantees that Samsung will remain in this stronger position for long when it comes to creating a great experience for its users. And this once again puts OnePlus in an arguably stronger position.
How should you choose?
Yes, there are some differences between the OnePlus 12 and the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra that might make you choose the latter, with the impressive AI capabilities on the S24 Ultra probably being the most important. But for many, the huge cost difference between the two devices won’t be worth it.
The OnePlus 12 offers what will be an exceptional flagship phone experience for many people, with a promised strong lifespan, and backed by specs and design features of both the device itself and OxygenOS 14 that frankly make it difficult to use the OnePlus 12. not to fall in love with; as many have discovered with OnePlus devices of the past.
If you want the very best of the latest smartphone advancements currently being made, then the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra could be for you. But if you simply want a flagship phone that will last long enough that its impressively low price tag seems well worth the cost, while giving you great results, then the OnePlus 12 is unlikely to be matched even among the best. competition that Samsung currently faces in the Android field.