OnePlus 12R vs Nothing Phone (2): Which mid-ranger wins?

OnePlus is back, with the launch of its 12 series. This time out the range includes the OnePlus 12R, a mid-ranger with a gaming-focused slant. But, how does it compare with a strong rival from the company founded by OnePlus alum Carl Pei? Here’s how it stacks up against the Nothing Phone (2).

There’s some interesting points of similarity with the latest launch from OnePlus when put up against Nothing’s top phone, like almost identical 6.7-inch display sizes and being close in weight at 201g for the Nothing against the 207g of the new 12R. They share the same Sony IMX890 main camera sensor, but feature differing camera setups overall. There are plenty of other points of differentiation, so let’s dive in.

You can get the Nothing Phone (2) for £80 cheaper

Plain and simple, the Nothing Phone (2) is more friendly on the wallet than the OnePlus 12R. The Phone (2) starts at £579/$599/€649, with that getting you 128GB storage and 8GB RAM. The OnePlus 12R comes in at £649/$599/€699 for the 256GB version. OnePlus does tout a 128GB for some regions, but the UK will be limited to the £649 starting price model. Admittedly, it isn’t a huge difference but, if you’re finding it tough to choose between the two, it could sway you.

Speedier performance with the gaming-focused OnePlus 12R

The OnePlus 12R has the advantage of being released later than the Nothing Phone (2) and, as such, that means it comes with a newer chipset. With the 12R, you’re getting the newer Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 compared with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 on the Nothing Phone (2).

In practice, that means an extra performance core for the OnePlus phone, while ditching one efficiency core and the GPU is upgraded from the Adreno 730 to the Adreno 740. You also get faster RAM, with LPDDR5X up against LPDDR5. The results should make for speedier performance across the board. Compared to the original Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, OnePlus states the new chip offers 35% better CPU performance and 25% better GPU performance.

OnePlus 12R is touting its new gaming phone’s performance as offering what it calls the “Trinity Engine”. It aims to offer enhanced performance from the CPU, RAM and ROM which, OnePlus says, makes it one of the “best multi-tasking app machines around”. For gaming, HyperTouch, HyperBoost and HyperRender all feature on the OnePlus 12R, aiming at ensuring responsive screen taps, smooth frame rates and optimal brightness calibration respectively.

A thinner Nothing Phone (2) means a bigger battery for OnePlus 12R

You can’t have everything and nowhere is that truer than with mid-range phones. There are often compromises to be made and it’s no different with these two phones.

With the Nothing Phone (2), you get a thinner phone, coming in at 7.6mm. The OnePlus 12R is thicker at 8.8mm. If thinness is a priority then Nothing has the win here.

But, the thinness comes with consequences. The thicker OnePlus 12R can pack in a 5,500mAh battery, which is the biggest battery ever in a OnePlus phone. It also offers SuperVOOC 100W wired charging to get you up from 1-100% in 26 minutes.

The thinner Nothing Phone (2) offers up a 4,700mAh battery and just 45W wired charging, but you do get 15W Qi wireless charging and 5W reverse charging, and these aren’t featured on the 12R.

The OnePlus 12R gives you more pixels

The display sizes of the OnePlus 12R and Nothing Phone (2) are similar, with both being around 6.7 inches. But, the OnePlus 12R is set to offer a slightly more luxurious experience.

You can a detailed 2780×1264 resolution at 450ppi, offering a 94.2% screen-to-body ratio. The panel technology featured is AMOLED ProXDR with LTPO4.0, with a 1-120Hz refresh rate, and it uses Gorilla Glass Victus 2.

The Nothing Phone (2) isn’t that far behind though, with a 2412×1080 resolution at 394ppi. The display also uses AMOLED and LTPO technology, offering the variable 1-120Hz refresh rate too. But, it does come with older Gorilla Glass 5.