Nothing Phone (4a) vs OnePlus 12

Nothing Phone (4a)

A genuine highlight for the price — a big 6.78-inch 120Hz AMOLED that's bright, sharp and HDR-capable, beating similarly priced rivals.

• 6.78-inch AMOLED, 120Hz, 2160Hz PWM, HDR10+, 800 nits typical / 1,600 nits HBM / 4,500 nits peak at 1224x2720 (440ppi).
• The 6.78-inch display is 23% brighter than the 3a, reaching 1,600 nits outdoors with a 4,500-nit HDR peak.
• Brightness goes up to 4,500 nits peak, remaining easily readable outdoors — the display is very strong for this price range and one of the standout features.
• In the real world it hits around 700 nits peak SDR and ~1,550–1,600 nits in HDR, with 460ppi and dynamic 120Hz.

OnePlus 12

A 6.82-inch LTPO AMOLED with 120Hz, Dolby Vision, 2160Hz PWM dimming and a 4,500-nit peak — widely rated one of the best phone panels available, with the only knock being curved-edge ergonomics.

• LTPO AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, 2160Hz PWM, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 600 nits typical / 1600 HBM / 4,500 nits peak.
• These are some of the best OLED panels you can get on a smartphone right now — and it gets brighter than the iPhone 15 Pro at 4K HDR YouTube playback.
• HBM mode delivers excellent outdoor visibility even under harsh sunlight, and the QHD panel is noticeably sharper than a 1080p screen.
• Notebookcheck rates the display the standout — scoring it 114% in their weighted display metric.
• The curved edges add a premium flair with good palm rejection, but finding screen protectors is a real headache — most UV guards bubble within a month.

Nothing Phone (4a)

A standout 3.5x periscope telephoto at this price and a solid main camera, undercut by an under-optimised zoom and a basic ultrawide.

• A triple setup — 50MP main, a 50MP periscope telephoto and an 8MP ultrawide — undoubtedly one of the best experiences at this level.
• The telephoto has been tweaked to a much better 3.5x (80mm) zoom factor.
• A telephoto with optical zoom at this price is great, but this is the worst optimisation I've seen on a 3.5x camera — expect disappointment if you buy for the zoom.
• The 3.5x optical-zoom telephoto is one of the biggest highlights, adding much more flexibility than most competitors in this price range, and the cameras are surprisingly capable.
• Each camera here feels better than what you'd get on Samsung at the price, and the main is solid with nice detail.

OnePlus 12

A Hasselblad-tuned triple system — 50MP main, 64MP 3x periscope, 48MP ultrawide — that delivers a genuine flagship experience and the best OnePlus camera yet, though it still trails Pixel/Galaxy for stills and the periscope weakens in low light.

• Triple rear: 50MP f/1.6 main with OIS, 64MP f/2.6 3x periscope telephoto with OIS, and 48MP ultrawide — plus 8K/24fps video.
• The OnePlus 12 delivers on its camera promise — impressive detail and reliable zoom, easily one of the best camera efforts from OnePlus.
• The 3x periscope is a daily-driver favorite — used 90% of the time — and 3x portrait mode is the standout, though it produces warmer tones and struggles in low light versus the main sensor.
• In a three-way test against the Pixel 8 Pro and S24 Ultra, owners were 'honestly surprised at how good the cameras of the 12 are' — but the Pixel still took the best, most true-to-life pictures.
• Versus the S24, owners say Samsung's cameras are definitely better in most comparison shots, though the OP12 occasionally looks better.

Nothing Phone (4a)

A capable mid-range chip that handles everyday use and casual gaming well — not a powerhouse, but appropriate for the price.

• Gaming is absolutely possible on this device, with solid everyday performance for the class.
• There's no shortage of substantial hardware upgrades over the 3a, even if the design doesn't stand out as much as the Pro.
• After 24 hours the home screen is extremely customisable and feels massively more functional than iOS, with no responsiveness complaints.
• Gesture-based navigation is fully supported and the overall experience is good thanks to Nothing's optimisations.

OnePlus 12

Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 with up to 16/24GB RAM makes it 'uber-powerful' — top-tier speed that holds up well over time, with only thermal-throttled gaming as a caveat.

• Powered by the high-end Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 with up to 16GB of RAM — 'uber-powerful' and one of the best phones money can buy.
• Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 with 12GB LPDDR5X and UFS 4.0 keeps the phone feeling as fast in 2025 as it did on day one.
• Notebookcheck scores performance 86% — strong, with the OnePlus 12 carrying the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (the 12R uses the older Gen 2).
• Gaming is smooth and lag-free, but the phone restricts frame rates to 60fps once temperatures hit 40°C.

Nothing Phone (4a)

A ~5,080mAh cell with 50W wired charging — reviewers call endurance strong, but a notable group of owners report disappointing screen-on time.

• The Nothing Phone (4a) features a ~5,080mAh cell which delivers very strong endurance in everyday use.
• The battery grew slightly — about 80mAh in most markets but a more meaningful 400mAh in India — with a 50W PD unit recommended on the box.
• Several owners report only 4–6.5 hours of screen-on time with moderate use — worse than other phones with similar ~5,000mAh batteries.
• Battery life on this phone is excellent in everyday use.

OnePlus 12

The 5,400mAh battery is the phone's most-praised feature — multi-day-feeling endurance with 6–10 hours of screen-on time — paired with class-leading 80W (US) / 100W wired and 50W wireless charging.

• The huge 5,400mAh battery is one of the key reasons the OnePlus 12 excels in long-term use, consistently delivering 6–7 hours of screen-on time at a constant 120Hz.
• It easily lasts 9 to 10 hours of screen time on moderate use; at 6 months, 7–8 hours with all features on.
• Charging spec: 100W wired 100% in 26 min (international) / 80W in 30 min (USA), plus 50W wireless to full in 55 min.
• Real-world the battery fully charges from ~5% to 100% in about 40 minutes (occasionally up to 50) — and OnePlus includes the 100W SuperVOOC adapter in the box.
• Even owners who sold the phone agree the one thing it did better than any other phone they've used is the battery.

Nothing Phone (4a)

Aggressively priced below the Pixel 10a with a more distinctive design and a real telephoto — the standout budget pick for buyers who want personality.

• It's a good chunk of change cheaper than the $500 Pixel 10a.
• It fits the perfect budget for buyers who can't afford the ~$1,000 needed for an entry-level iPhone 17, with good hardware and excellent battery.
• A very strong mid-range smartphone that stands out with unique design, great display, solid performance and surprisingly capable cameras — definitely worth a closer look.
• Nothing stands out among the crowd with a brand identity strong enough to turn consumers into fans.

OnePlus 12

The OnePlus 12's core argument: flagship hardware that materially undercuts the Galaxy S24 and Pixel, with frequent discounts to ~$650 making the value case even stronger.

• 9to5Google's headline verdict: 'OnePlus 12 Review: The best value in a smartphone in 2024'.
• Forbes / Moor Insights framed it bluntly: 'Samsung beware — OnePlus debuts a flagship killer with the OnePlus 12'.
• It is significantly lower priced than comparable mainstream flagships — about 57% cheaper than an equivalent S24+ in one owner's market — squarely back in flagship-killer territory.
• Reddit consensus: being significantly less expensive than the S24 Ultra makes it the top choice for most people; r/Android dubbed it 'The Best Premium Phone of 2024 (in the USA)'.
• It frequently drops to ~$650 — a record low — making an already strong value proposition even better.
• Still hits a sweet spot in 2025 — flagship-level features without the ultra-premium price, 'one of the best beast devices from OnePlus'.