OnePlus 12 vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Android's finest in 2024

Now that the Galaxy S24 Ultra and the OnePlus 12 are official, we are in for a rather heated brawl between two of the best Android phones that will be available throughout the first part of 2024. Indeed, you can easily assume that at least on the US market, the OnePlus 12 will try to chip away the major market share that the Galaxy S24 Ultra will potentially acquire. 

Compared with their previous generations, the OnePlus 12 nor the Galaxy S24 Ultra are slightly different, but at the same time, they carry the same easily recognizable DNA on their sleeves. In fact, it would be fairly safe to say that each device is yet another incremental evolutionary update in the long line of former flagships. 

So, bluntly said, we are once again getting more of the same, but… better than before. And slightly pricier, too. 

Galaxy S24 Ultra with 512GB is now $250 off on Amazon

The S24 Ultra is at discounted prices on Amazon. You can now save $250 on the model with 512GB of storage. Not all colors arrive at the same discount.

$250 off (18%)

This offer is not available in your area.

Galaxy S24 Ultra: up to $750 off with a trade-in

You can purchase a fully unlocked Galaxy S24 Ultra via the official Samsung store. The almighty AI genius arrives for up to $750 off with an eligible phone trade-in. Alternatively, you can get the phone for $200 off with no trade-in required.

$750 off (58%) Trade-in

$549 ⁹⁹

$1299 ⁹⁹

This offer is not available in your area.

16/512GB OnePlus 12: $200 off with any trade-in

The 16/512GB OnePlus 12 is up for grabs at the official store for $100 off its price tag. You also get $100 off with any trade-in. Additionally, the smartphone arrives with a free pair of the OnePlus Buds 3 Pro.

$200 off (22%) Trade-in Gift

$699 ⁹⁹

$899 ⁹⁹

This offer is not available in your area.

OnePlus 12 is available at Amazon for 13% off

Get your fancy new OnePlus 12 at Amazon for 13% off. You can also trade in an eligible device in good condition for up to $240 off via an Amazon Gift Card.

$100 off (13%)

This offer is not available in your area.

Design-wise, the OnePlus 12 isn't that different from the OnePlus 11—in fact, there aren't that many changes on the outside. OnePlus seems to have settled into a comfort zone that it is reluctant to leave. There is a well-pronounced design language shared between the OnePlus 11, OnePlus 10 Pro, and OnePlus 9 Pro, so the OnePlus 12 will fit right into that sequence. 

The signature ring switch of previous OnePlus devices makes a return, but on the left side of the phone, the opposite of where it was previously situated.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy S24 Ultra makes a move to titanium, just like the iPhone 15 Pro series did a few months ago. The latest Samsung flagship has also switched to a perfectly flat display, a major move that is unlike the top Samsung flagships of previous years, which all had slightly curved displays. 

While the Galaxy S24 Ultra display is now completely flat, the side frame isn't––there's a slight ergonomic curve that helps the phone feel more comfortable in the palm of your hand, a welcome upgrade. 

Colors-wise, the OnePlus 12 arrives in just two colors: Emerald Green and Silky Black. Over in Samsung's yard, the Galaxy S24 Ultra colors include Titanium Yellow, Titanium Violet, Titanium Black, and Titanium Gray; Titanium Orange, Titanium Green, and Titanium Blue are exclusive to Samsung.com.

When it comes to the contents inside the box, the Galaxy S24 Ultra comes with a slim box with no charger inside. However, OnePlus breaks away from current market trends and keeps with its tradition of including a fast charger in the box, greatly improving the overall value of the OnePlus 12. 

The OnePlus 12 comes with a large 6.82-inch display with sharp QHD+ resolution and the now standard LTPO 3.0 screen refresh technology, which allows the phone to dynamically switch the refresh rate between 1 and 120Hz for the ultra-smoothest experience. 

This will result in a much more rewarding scrolling experience throughout the interface, and can also potentially save some battery juice in some scenarios. 

Yet, the most intriguing screen property of the OnePlus 12 is its exceptionally high peak brightness. 

OnePlus boasted that the phone will be able to hit around 4,500 nits of brightness, but that's most certainly measured with just a single white pixel of the display being switched on and all the available power redirected to it. In real-life conditions, where you'd always have the full display in use, you can expect much lower peak display brightness. 

Moving on to the Galaxy S24 Ultra, we will get the same 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED display we've grown accustomed to from previous Galaxy Ultra flagships. 

This phone display features a 3080 x 1440 pixel panel with a respectable 500ppi sharpness and Gorilla Glass Armor, which is both more scratch-resistant and less reflective. This improves the legibility under bright daylight conditions. In real-life conditions and also based on our tests, its brightness is comparable to the OnePlus 12. 

Display Measurements:

Brightness seems to be an important part of the Galaxy S24 Ultra's arsenal as well. Seemingly, the next flagship will be much brighter than its predecessor and will reportedly be capable of reaching around 2,500 nits of brightness, which is mostly equal to what the OnePlus 12 would probably be able to achieve.

Both devices will get fingerprint scanners embedded into the display and picture-based face unlock.

Samsung has opted to use the second gen 4nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 on the Galaxy S24 Ultra everywhere, not just the US, contradicting previous rumors that the Exynos 2400 chip could be used in some markets. Samsung has once again scored a custom "For Galaxy" Snapdragon chip, not the garden-variety one that most Android phones out there would get. 

The OnePlus 12 is one of those phones, and while it has the regular Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, it bests the Galaxy S24 Ultra according to our benchmarking tests. However, you might not be able to notice a significant difference between the two flagships, as they are both super-smooth and delivering exceptional performance on demand.

The OnePlus 12 uses a triple-camera setup, much like most of its predecessors. OnePlus is keeping things on the safer side, without too much veering off the beaten and well-known path. We get a wide-angle, ultra-wide angle, and a 3X telephoto camera, all tuned by OnePlus partner Hasselblad.

However, OnePlus surely isn't foregoing innovation at all. The OnePlus 12 comes along with a very similar main camera sensor that graced the OnePlus Open foldable (which was one of the best foldables of 2023). The 50MP Sony LYT-808, also known as LYTIA, is making the rounds, and it's a very promising and intriguing sensor.

Unlike conventional camera sensors, this one employs a dual-layer structure that lets it absorb much more light, therefore boosting its signal saturation even when the environmental lighting conditions aren't optimal.

Meanwhile, a rather important change came to the Galaxy S24 Ultra, one that entails a major paradigm shift. Gone is the 10X periscope camera that graced multiple previous Galaxy flagships and delivered up to 100X hybrid zoom; in its place, Samsung has opted to use a more sensible 5.0X telephoto camera instead. 

A shorter focal length is much more practical in everyday situations, especially when compared to the previous 10X optical zoom. Thankfully, the phone is still capable of delivering the same 100X Space Zoom. 

The rest of the camera setup is mostly the same from a hardware perspective, but there's lots of processing and algorithm improvements, as well as AI enhancements on deck. Samsung has seemingly toned down the excessive over-sharpening and too-vivid colors that plagued the Galaxy S23 Ultra with the goal of achieving a much more natural look for the photos. 

What about the image quality?

Main Camera - Day

Zoom Quality

Portrait Mode

Ultra-wide Camera

Selfies

With the OnePlus 12, the company has focused on improving the invisible features that rarely make any major headlines but always affect the user experience. With that said, we have high hopes for the audio capabilities and haptic feedback of the OnePlus 12, both of which have likely scored some improvements. 

The same applies for the Galaxy S24 Ultra, though the latter already stems from a pretty solid foundation established by previous Galaxy flagships. Audio quality has been exemplar on those, as well as haptic feedback, certainly ranking among the best in the game. 

So, what's the verdict, and which phone fares better?

Well, our custom battery tests spill the beans. With the displays on both phones set at 200 nits (which is something we do with all devices we test), the OnePlus 12 beats the Galaxy S24 Ultra in the video streaming test, which loops a video playlist repeatedly. 

Our web browsing test shows that Samsung's latest pride and glory is the better device. In 3D gaming, the OnePlus 12 also pulls ahead, which is an important distinction.