The OnePlus 12’s confirmed camera specs are both decent and disappointing

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Seen it all before

The OnePlus 12 in white
The OnePlus 12 (Image credit: OnePlus)

If you were hoping the OnePlus 12 would offer a major boost to photography compared to previous OnePlus phones, you’re probably going to be out of luck, as the cameras have now been detailed by the company – and they sound suspiciously similar to those of the OnePlus Open.

In a post on Weibo (via GSMArena), a company executive revealed that the OnePlus 12 has the same 48MP Sony LYT-808 sensor as the OnePlus Open for its main camera. It also has a 48MP ultra-wide camera, and a 64MP telephoto camera offering 3x optical zoom.

Those specs again are a match for the OnePlus Open; as the specific sensors aren’t mentioned it’s possible there are differences, although we doubt it.

A OnePlus 12 teaser highlighting the cameras

(Image credit: OnePlus)

For reference, the OnePlus 11 has a 50MP main camera, a 48MP ultra-wide, and a 32MP telephoto with 2x optical zoom. So in terms of just numbers, the telephoto is an upgrade on the OnePlus 12 at least.

Of course, numbers aren’t all that matter, but given that we praised the OnePlus Open’s cameras as the best on a foldable in our OnePlus Open review, while describing the OnePlus 11’s as lacking in versatility in our OnePlus 11 review, it’s likely that the OnePlus 12’s cameras will be an upgrade over its predecessor’s.

A bad year for camera phones

It’s just a shame that they’re seemingly not also an upgrade over the OnePlus Open’s, especially as cameras are rarely a highlight of foldable phones, so the fact that the Open beats its rivals in this area isn't that big of a deal.

Still, with Samsung reportedly equipping the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra with a 5x optical zoom rather than a 10x one, and otherwise keeping the cameras much the same as the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra's, OnePlus might have less camera competition than normal, so the OnePlus 12 could still stand out.

We’ll have a clearer idea on December 5, as that’s when the OnePlus 12 is being unveiled, though this launch is just for China, with a global launch expected in early 2024.

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James Rogerson
James Rogerson

James is a freelance phones, tablets and wearables writer and sub-editor at TechRadar. He has a love for everything ‘smart’, from watches to lights, and can often be found arguing with AI assistants or drowning in the latest apps. James also contributes to 3G.co.uk, 4G.co.uk and 5G.co.uk and has written for T3, Digital Camera World, Clarity Media and others, with work on the web, in print and on TV.