Which affordable flagship should you buy?

Affordable flagship phones have come a long way, with many recent releases delivering high-end specs well below the $1,000 price point. Still, if there’s any company that has developed a reputation for dominating this segment, it’s OnePlus. Although the company has flip-flopped between price points in recent years, its latest flagship packs a punch without breaking the bank. But how does the OnePlus 12 stack up against Google’s almost equally affordable Pixel 8 and which one should you buy? Let’s break it down.

OnePlus phones have always packed a punch on the spec sheet and the company’s latest flagship is no exception. Pound for pound, it’s hard to find a competing smartphone that delivers better specs without going well over the OnePlus 12’s price point. Luckily, Google has undergone a similar transformation with recent Pixel releases. That means the Pixel 8 is quite competitive and, surprisingly, even manages to surpass the OnePlus 12 in some areas.

Starting with the displays, the OnePlus 12 offers up a large 6.82-inch 120Hz OLED display. The Pixel 8 with its 6.2-inch 120Hz AMOLED display, meanwhile, is significantly smaller. Display size is mostly a matter of personal preference. That said, the OnePlus 12 does have the upper hand as it packs a LTPO display that can vary its refresh rate to save a bit of power. Likewise, the OnePlus 12 boasts a higher QHD+ resolution, but the Pixel 8 actually has a higher pixel density because of its smaller size.

Both smartphones claim chart-topping peak brightness values. However, I’d advise against looking too closely at the actual numbers as testing methods can differ greatly between brands. You won’t have trouble with either display when it comes to outdoor visibility, that much is certain.

The OnePlus 12 ropes in the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, which boasts excellent performance that eclipses many of its rivals. The latter unfortunately includes the Pixel 8’s Tensor G3 chip, which doesn’t aspire to take the performance crown in 2023, let alone 2024.

If you’re willing to overlook benchmark results, though, the Pixel 8 will deliver decent performance for most workloads. I’ve been using the Pixel 8 Pro running the same chip for two months and have never found it lacking even during heavy multitasking sessions. That said, I’d recommend gamers stick to the OnePlus 12 for its better performance and likely efficiency. Snapdragon chips also typically enjoy better compatibility in lesser-known titles and emulators. To learn more about how these two chips stack up against each other, check out our comparison between the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and Tensor G3.

The OnePlus 12’s 12GB/256GB base model already offers more than the Pixel 8’s maximum 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The former also uses faster UFS 4.0 storage, which may result in faster app opening and game loading times.

Moving on to durability, the Pixel 8 takes its first major victory with its IP68 water resistance rating. The OnePlus 12’s IP65 rating is also decent but doesn’t guarantee the phone’s survival if immersed. Of course, you shouldn’t submerge your smartphone regardless of its IP rating, so neither smartphone is a bad choice if you’re simply concerned about surviving a rainy day.

Google has outdone the competition with the Pixel 8 family’s software support, promising Android updates for seven whole years. That’s three years longer than OnePlus’ support timeline, although the company does provide five total years of security patches. Most people will upgrade long before the Pixel 8 stops receiving updates but it may factor into the phone’s resale value.

The OnePlus 12 is one of the largest smartphones on the market, exceeding even the Pixel 8 Pro and Galaxy S24 Ultra. Google has taken the opposite approach with the Pixel 8, meanwhile, and shrunk the display compared to last year.

The Pixel 8 is one of very few choices if you’re looking for a compact flagship smartphone. It doesn’t sacrifice many features compared to its larger counterparts either, save for a zoom lens. A smaller stance means that you’ll find it easier to use one-handed. The Pixel 8 is also quite lightweight considering its dual-glass design, totalling just 187g. The OnePlus 12, meanwhile, clocks in at a hefty 220g.

The OnePlus 12 takes a more maximalist approach to smartphone design. The majority of smartphone users do prefer larger screens, after all. However, the OnePlus 12 may require two hands to use comfortably, especially for certain actions like pulling down the notification shade.

Google’s smartphones have earned a reputation for delivering some of the best images on the market, even going down to the budget A-series. Knowing that, it’s no surprise that the Pixel 8 punches well above its weight when it comes to image and even video quality. However, the story changes somewhat if you need versatility as Google’s affordable flagship only packs a 12MP ultrawide shooter and no zoom lens whatsoever.

The OnePlus 12, meanwhile, includes a 50MP Sony LYT-808 primary camera, a 48MP ultrawide angle lens, and a 64MP 3x telephoto zoom shooter. The fourth camera cutout hosts a 13-channel multispectral color sensor. OnePlus also benefits from sharing its parent company’s imaging technology along with a long-running Hasselblad partnership.

While we haven’t tested the OnePlus 12 and its cameras yet, it’s safe to say that it will deliver better ultrawide and zoom shots than the Pixel 8. Only the higher-end Pixel 8 Pro delivers similar image sensors as the OnePlus 12. The latter wins in the selfie camera spec race too, but stay tuned for our review to find out if the additional megapixels truly translate to better image quality.

If you’re someone that doesn’t stray beyond the primary camera on your smartphone, however, it’s a much closer contest. The Pixel 8 delivers excellent results in practically any condition and Google’s excellent computational photography makes it one of the most consistent shooters. While we’ve come away impressed with the primary camera on the OnePlus Open — the company’s latest foldable — it has historically trailed behind Google, even with better hardware. Here are a few camera samples from our Pixel 8 review.

It’s worth noting that the Pixel 8 offers a plethora of AI-enabled camera features. Magic Editor, Audio Eraser, and Best Take can make an appreciable difference to your smartphone photos, even if I wouldn’t say they’re worth basing your purchasing decision on.

With its 5,400mAh battery, it’s safe to say that the OnePlus 12 has a definitive lead on paper. For comparison, the Pixel 8 packs just 4,575mAh. Having said that, the OnePlus 12 does have to power a larger display, so don’t expect a 20% difference between the two phones.

It’s worth noting that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 should deliver better efficiency than the Tensor G3, meaning battery life will depend on your usage pattern. Lighter smartphone users may not notice any difference, whereas heavy gamers and content creators should get better endurance out of the OnePlus 12.

The OnePlus 12 also blows the Pixel 8 out of the water when it comes to top-ups, with its 80W SuperVOOC fast charging support. While Google has allowed the Pixel 8 to juice up at a higher 27W this year, that still translates to a full charge time of over an hour. The OnePlus 12, meanwhile, will take less than half an hour to fully charge up.

Both smartphones support wireless charging, but it’s another one-sided competition. With Google’s second-gen Pixel Stand, the Pixel 8 can handle 18W of wireless charging power. That’s technically 3W higher than the Qi standard allows, but OnePlus supports 50W wireless charging via its proprietary stand.

The OnePlus 12 and Pixel 8 are relatively affordable for flagship smartphones. However, Google hiked the Pixel 8 family’s price, bringing it up to $699 compared to prior generations.

Launched on January 23, 2024, the OnePlus 12 demands more than Google’s price but does offer more RAM and storage at the lower end. The 12GB/256GB model starts at $799, with the 16GB/512GB config coming in at $899.

Pre-orders started on January 23, with open sales commencing on February 7 via OnePlus.com, Amazon, and Best Buy. There’s a trade-in deal that slashes $100 off the price if you trade in any phone in any condition. This makes OnePlus’ higher price more palatable.

The Pixel 8 benefited from an earlier launch, meaning you can find small discounts on it already.

If you value raw specs above all else, you’ll find it hard to fault the OnePlus 12. It brings some cutting-edge features like efficient LTPO display tech, fast UFS 4.0 storage, and the performant Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 at a very competitive price point. Not to mention, you get much more RAM and storage for the same amount of money.

The Pixel 8 is no slouch, though, and should deliver more consistent imaging alongside decent real-world performance. Not to mention, it packs plenty of Pixel-only AI features like Google’s Call Screening and Magic Editor. It also enjoys a longer software support guarantee and a better water resistance rating.

It’s a closer match-up than you probably expected going into this comparison, but, luckily, that means you can’t go wrong either way. Which smartphone would you rather buy?