This smartphone outperforms rivals at a lower price tag

They might not be as well known, but OnePlus continues to make strides with its phones., pushing the envelope with everything from camera quality to fast charging.

Their latest is the OnePlus 12 – it comes in Flowy Emerald and Silky Black colors and starts at $800.

“This phone is coming out swinging and it’s an aggressive play at this kind of performance per dollar,” said Juan Carlos Bagnell, also known as SomeGadgetGuy on YouTube, when he joined me on the Rich on Tech Radio Show with his review.

“Apple and Samsung doing way better above a thousand dollars, but OnePlus is seeing a clear opportunity to kind of hit Apple and Samsung where they’re most vulnerable,” said Bagnell.

The OnePlus 12 has a big, bright 6.7-inch screen, up to 512 gigabytes of storage, and up to 16 gigabytes of RAM. That’s more than some laptops!

The battery is not only big, but it charges fast, whether you’re talking wired or wireless.

“It has wireless fast charging that can charge faster wirelessly than a Samsung or an Apple can charge plugged in with a cable,” explained Bagnell.

OnePlus is continuing its collaboration with Hasselblad on the triple camera system that zooms up to 120 times.

Hint: you likely won’t be framing any of the photos at that zoom level.

I took the phone on a hike and found the photos to be bright and detailed but with more true-to-life colors. They aren’t as vibrant as say, a Samsung, and some will appreciate that.

Still, faces can look a bit washed out and some scenes can be a challenge.

But overall, for the price tag, the OnePlus 12 is great for everyday shots and OnePlus is known for pushing out software updates that continually improve the camera experience.

“I would still say like an iPhone Pro or a Galaxy Ultra is likely going to outperform this phone but at hundreds of dollars more and when you put this up against the phones that cost the same from Apple and Samsung these cameras are noticeable improvements in terms of hardware,” said Bagnell.

The OnePlus 12 is available now starting at $800. For the first time, they will be available in selected Best Buy stores so you can see the phone in person there.

Also, if you buy through the OnePlus website you can trade in any phone for $100 off.