It may only be the first month of 2024, yet we’ve already seen several high-profile smartphone launches to get tongues wagging.
These new phones include the Samsung Galaxy S24, and the OnePlus 12R. Both phones have some fascinating specs and features, but which one comes out trumps?
The OnePlus 12R has a starting price of £649/€699, while the Galaxy S24 is available from £799/€899, making the Samsung phone noticeably more expensive. That said, price isn’t always a true reflection of quality.
We haven’t had either phone long enough for a full review just yet, but we’ve dived into the specs to get a better idea of which handset is best for you. Check out our comparison guide of the OnePlus 12R and Samsung Galaxy S24 below.
Samsung Galaxy S24 is more powerful
One of the most startling differences between the two new phones can be found with the processor. The Samsung Galaxy S24 is powered by a custom Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, which is one of the more powerful processors you can currently find in a smartphone.
Bizarrely, the OnePlus 12R instead features the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, which is the processor from the preceding generation. The Gen 2 version is apparently 30% slower than the latest Gen 3 edition when it comes to processing power, and 25% slower for graphics performance.
This doesn’t mean the OnePlus 12R will have a slow performance – it was one of the fastest chips around just a year ago. But there’s no doubt that the Samsung Galaxy S24 has an edge when it comes to performance power.
OnePlus 12R has speedier charging
If you’re one of those people who often forget to charge your phone overnight, then you’ll likely be tempted by the fast charging capabilities of the OnePlus 12R.
The OnePlus 12R supports 100W SuperVOOC charging, with OnePlus claiming that it only takes 26 minutes for the battery to be recharged from 1% to 100%.
For comparison, the Galaxy S24 is limited to 25W fast charging, and so should be a lot slower at replenishing the battery compared to the OnePlus, although Samsung has not provided timing estimates just yet. Samsung does at least support wireless charging, but this is limited to 15W.
Despite the OnePlus 12R likely being faster at recharging, it actually has a larger battery capacity at 5500mAh compared to Samsung’s 4000mAh. However, it’s important to note that battery life is affected by numerous factors beyond capacity, so we won’t know which offers the longest stamina until we can put both phones to the test.
Galaxy S24 camera is capable of 30x digital zoom
The camera is now one of the most important components of a smartphone, allowing you to take high-quality photos on the go. So who’s got the better camera out of the OnePlus 12R and Samsung Galaxy S24? It’s difficult to say without testing both phones beforehand, with both phones featuring a 50MP main sensor, but it looks like Samsung has the edge when it comes to zooming.
The Samsung Galaxy S24 is capable of up to a 30x digital zoom, making it possible to snap clear photos of faraway subjects. This is all thanks to the dedicated 10MP telephoto lens.
In comparison, the OnePlus 12R lacks a dedicated telephoto lens, which means it’s not as competent at snapping faraway objects. Instead, it features a Macro lens, which is better suited at taking close-up photos.
Both phones also feature an ultrawide camera lens, although the OnePlus is limited to 8MP, while the Galaxy S24 boasts a slight advantage at 12MP. Again, we can’t comment on camera performance just yet, but the Samsung seems to have the better specs on paper.
The same applies to video recording too, with the Galaxy S24 able to film in 8K at 60fps, whereas the OnePlus 12R shoots in 4K at 60fps.
OnePlus 12R has a larger screen
If you prefer to have a larger screen, then the OnePlus may be for you. It has a 6.78-inch panel, with a 2780 x 1264 resolution. For contrast, the Samsung Galaxy S24 sports a 6.2-inch display with a slightly lower 2340 x 1080 resolution.
While it’s great to have a larger screen for watching videos, this does have the drawback of making the phone larger. The OnePlus 12R comes in at 8.8mm thick, and hits the scales at 207g. The Samsung Galaxy S24 is easier to hold at just 7.6mm thick, and is also lighter at 167g. So if you’re keen to have a phone that’s easy to hold and slip into a pocket, you may be better off with Samsung.
There shouldn’t be a huge difference in terms of screen quality though, both sporting AMOLED technology and being capable of up to a 120Hz refresh rate for smooth scrolling.
