Best OnePlus Phone 2024: OnePlus 12, Nord 4, Open & More

The OnePlus 12 is the company’s latest flagship phone, and it’s another slam dunk.

The phone sports the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, a variable 120Hz display with an amazing peak brightness of 4,500 nits, nippy 80W wired charging alongside a 50W wireless option – something that wasn’t present on the 11. It’s also got a distinctive design, with the Flowy Emerald colour stealing the show.

There are downsides. The IP65 rating isn’t as durable as an IP68 one that many flagships have. In addition, both the Google Pixel 8 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S24 series offer seven years of OS and security updates, whilst OnePlus only offers four years of Android support and five years of security updates.

The main and telephoto cameras are very impressive, though the same can’t be said for the wide-angle and selfie cameras. Nonetheless, the OnePlus 12 is undoubtedly the best you can buy from the brand right now.

The OnePlus 12R is remarkably similar to 2023’s flagship model, the OnePlus 11. Since launching it’s had a substantial price drop, making it a tempting option.

It offers a superb 6.78-inch AMOLED screen with Dolby Atmos, and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the rear – an upgrade compared to last year’s 11. This is also complimented by an IP65 rating.

This phone has a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, rather than the latest chip that the OnePlus 12 has. Nonetheless, performance is still remarkably quick, and the vapour chamber will help keep things cool.

This phone retains the same 50Mp Sony IMX890 sensor seen in the OnePlus 11. Shots are impressive in good lighting conditions, though the secondary cameras don’t quite match up – and there’s no telephoto on offer.

However, there’s no denying that this phone offers many flagship features for a fraction of the price of its main competitors.

The OnePlus Nord 4 is quite simply one of the best mid-range phones you can buy, even besting the Google Pixel 8a in many areas.

Fans of the Nord line will notice a very different design compared to last year’s model, the Nord 3 – the plastic panel at the top may not appeal to everyone. However, it’s certainly robust – with an IP65 rating and an aluminium back, which is more durable against drops compared to glass.

The 6.74-inch Full HD+ OLED display is a joy to look at in a variety of environments – it also boasts up to 120Hz refresh rate. The 5500mAh battery is the biggest of any smartphone this year, which lasts around two days during our tests.

Despite a strong main 50Mp main lens, the 8Mp ultrawide is rather underwhelming. There’s also no telephoto lens present, so zoomed-in shots will not be as impressive as what you’d get on the 12. Nonetheless, these are all minor gripes for what is a very well-priced smartphone.

The OnePlus Open is one of the best folding phones that you can buy right now. It has excellent performance thanks to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, and both displays are bold and bright, and offer 120Hz refresh rates.

However, like other book-style foldables, apps aren’t properly optimised for the larger screen yet. In addition, the battery life isn’t particularly impressive.

For a first-gen folding device, it is pretty impressive – and it also undercuts other rivals such as the Samsung Z Fold 5 and the Google Pixel Fold.

The OnePlus 11 is 2023’s flagship model. It’s since been outpaced by the OnePlus 12, but if you can find this for cheaper then it’s a great option.

If you want an Android smartphone with excellent specs designed to stay fast and will have software support till 2028, the OnePlus 11 is a great choice. It’s also one of the cheapest high-end phones to offer this.

The absence of wireless charging shouldn’t be a deal breaker for most people. After all, this phone has an excellent screen, top cameras, good battery life, and truly fast charging, and the best performance of any Android phone to date. The lack of full waterproofing is more annoying.

OnePlus can’t just stand still, it also must evolve – luckily for us, the OnePlus 11 is a fine evolution and one of the best phones you can buy for a price that undercuts many competing products.

The OnePlus Nord 3 is the company’s former top-end mid-ranger from 2023.

This was the most expensive – and premium – Nord yet, with a flagship Dimensity 9000 chipset, glass body, and up to 16GB of RAM for top performance.

The camera setup is solid for the price, though not jaw-dropping, and there’s no telephoto lens. You’ll also have to put up with unreliable battery life – it’s not bad per se, but it proved pretty variable in our review.

It’s still a solid mid-range option, but not quite a knockout like previous Nord phones.

The OnePlus Nord N300 5G, exclusive to the US, is one of the cheapest OnePlus phones around at $229.

Despite that, it doesn’t feel like a cheap phone, with build quality that feels more expensive than it is.

It also benefits from great battery life, easily lasting a day or more and with fast charging once it does wear out.

There are a few negatives to the Nord N300 5G, including a weak vibration motor and the disappointing promise of only one future Android update, but overall there aren’t many better options at this price in the US phone market.

The Nord CE 4 Lite is one of the most affordable OnePlus devices you can buy in the UK – though it faces stiff competition in the sub-£300 market.

This is a solidly built yet affordable phone, with an impressively bold 6.67-inch FHD+ OLED display, with a 120Hz refresh rate. The battery can last up to two days with moderate usage, and the phone supports up to 80W fast charging – though no brick is included in the box.

However, the processor doesn’t offer the best performance, and the cameras are very much a mixed bag. Plus, Samsung and Google both offer models with better specs for similar prices.

Nonetheless, this is still a competent OnePlus phone in the UK.

The Nord N20 5G is a good device that provides decent bang for your buck if you’re in the US or Canada, the only countries where it’s on sale.

Despite costing just $300, it doesn’t feel cheap in the hand. The look and feel of the phone are in line with pricier phones like the Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G or Galaxy A53 – a real win for OnePlus.

There’s also the Snapdragon 695 chipset, which delivers solid performance even though it’s not the top-of-the-line chip from Qualcomm.

There are a few downsides of course, including the lack of a high refresh rate on the display, no official waterproofing, a weak vibration motor, and only receiving one Android update, but these won’t be dealbreakers for everybody.

The OnePlus 10R is only available in India, but if that’s where you are then it’s well worth considering.

This mid-range handset is similar to the OnePlus 10T in some respects, with the same 150W charging (though a cheaper 80W model is also available) and similar cameras.

It doesn’t pack the same Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip, but the MediaTek Dimensity 8100-Max found here is no slouch. It’s not quite top tier, but it won’t disappoint – and it keeps the phone handily cheaper than the 10T.

Note that the OnePlus 11R has since been announced – also an India exclusive – but we haven’t yet had the chance to review it.