The two flagship heavyweights in the Android space this year looks so far to be the OnePlus 12 and the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. OnePlus 12 looks to be OnePlus’ best phone to date while the S24 Ultra hits all marks with its massive size. But which is worth your dollars?
Style
These two smartphones have distinct looks going for them. For starters, the Galaxy S24 Ultra has more of a large boxy style with squared off edges and sides while the OnePlus 12 is a bit rounder with curves all around including the glass. The curves can make it easier to hold the OnePlus 12 than the Galaxy S24 Ultra. OP12 weighs 220g while the Galaxy S24 Ultra comes in at 233g.
Button placement is about the same with both having power and volume toggles on the right but OnePlus 12 has that nifty alert slider on the left which has always been a fan favorite. Cameras, Speakers, USB ports are in the same spots on each for the most part. Sound does crank out better on the S24 Ultra I believe thanks in part to Samsung having AKG(Harman) under their wing and tuning their audio.
Hardware
Here is where things get interesting. Both are utilizing Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor but the version inside the Galaxy S24 Ultra is custom tailored to that device. You are still getting an Adreno 750 GPU as well as multi versions of RAM / Storage depending on your spending. They both start as low as 256GB and go up to 1TB while the RAM of the Galaxy S24 Ultra only goes up to 12GB and OnePlus 12 can hit 16GB. I have done gaming, multitasking, etc. on both phones and they hold up nicely.
In the battery department the OnePlus 12 has a 5400mAh while the Galaxy S24 Ultra is 5,000mAh. I’ll always say OnePlus batteries are great as they support super-fast charging with their own plugs, and you can get from 0 to 100% in about 30mins. So not to say Galaxy S24 Ultra isn’t bad but just doesn’t charge as quickly.
One trick up the sleeve of the S24 Ultra is the S-Pen. While some may not use it all that often (I’m a culprit also) its still a good option to have whether you want to jot down notes or I even use it with games that usually need finger flicking like Candy Crush or Marvel Snap.
Displays
The screens on both phones are phenomenal. The Galaxy S24 Ultra has a 6.8” 120Hz AMOLED 2X Display while the OnePlus 12 also has a 6.8” 120Hz ProXDR Display that is AMOLED. The difference is that Samsung’s display is much wider than the OnePlus 12 giving you more screen real estate. Each uses Corning with OP12 having Gorilla Glass Victus 2 and S24 Ultra with Gorilla Armor. Each is screen resistant, but Armor is supposed to be on another level. I will say I have been rocking the S24 Ultra w/o a screen protector and its still pretty scratch free. The screen also uses anti-reflective coating.
OnePlus 12 has a brighter display with 4500nits compared to 2600nits but they both hold up nicely in bright sunlight and darker areas. One glaring omission on the S24 Ultra is that doesn’t support Dolby Vision while OP12 does. They both do support HDR+ though.
Cameras
An area I had fun a lot with both photos side by side is the cameras. Samsung has a Quad Camera Setup on the S24 Ultra with 200MP (main), 10MP (telephoto), 50P(telephoto), and 12MP (ultrawide) while the OnePlus 12 has a Triple Camera Setup backed by Hasselblad consisting of 50MP (main), 64MP (telephoto), and 48MP (ultrawide). Both shoot 8K video on the back and 4K in the front. Selfies are 32MP(OP12) vs 12MP(S24U).
OnePlus cameras seem to go for more of a natural look while Samsung’s cameras can be a bit more colorful and saturated. It really depends on how you want your photos. Samsung is now using some AI behind its shots to help achieve an even greater look, something Google has done with adjusting their photos over the years with their software. Zoom on these phones is nuts with the S24 Ultra reaching 100x while the OnePlus 12 does 120x. They both look good, but I feel the S24U can be a bit sharper at times. But once you go past 50x on either one it is more about fun than anything.
Software / Productivity
Each has its own version of Android 14 with OnePlus using OxygenOS and Samsung having OneUI. I like OxygenOS as it always feels more open compared to other skins with various features and gestures. Samsung has made strives over the years with its OneUI with it having some cool features that adapt good to its smartphone and this work greatly w/ the AI capabilities which is something OnePlus doesn’t really have. Also Samsung has other features such as Dex which can make your phone feel like a full-fledged PC on the go when connected to a monitor.
Verdict
Both are excellent phones with great power behind them and fabulous camera systems providing great imagery. If you try to go on pricing the OnePlus 12 at retail starts at $799 while the S24 Ultra is an astonishing $1,299 to start when compared. You can still get the high-end model of the OP12 at $899 and save some dollars.
But Samsung does have great trade-in deals and is more accessible being in-stores like Target or via mobile carriers like T-Mobile / Verizon / AT&T. Also, they have support going on 7yrs compared to lesser years on the OnePlus devices. You can’t go wrong with either phone just depends on your wallet.
