The OnePlus 12 is the brand's regular flagship, which for several years has been following one straight line, attempting to nail the basics. It's the flagship that many OnePlus fans will reach out for (versus the pricier Open), but unlike previous models, there seems to be no visible compromise. You get a very capable camera system from the OnePlus Open, an IP rating and even wireless charging. But one area OnePlus has stayed silent about is AI. Unlike Google's Pixel 8 series and Samsung's Galaxy S24 series, the 12 has no user-facing and fun generative AI software features. Apple, too, is expected to announce several generative AI features with iOS 18 this year.
So, is the lack of AI-enabled features a big deal in a smartphone segment that has stagnated over time? Or has OnePlus done enough to make one forget about the absence of AI features? Let's find out.