The OnePlus 12 R: A Mid-Tier Contender with a Few Cut Corners

As I put the OnePlus 12 R through its paces, I couldn't help but feel that it's a great phone for the money. It feels like a flagship, looks like a flagship, and even has some features that are typically found on high-end devices. But as we all know, there's always a catch, and in this case, it seems that the 12 R has a few compromises to keep things affordable.

One of the main areas where the 12 R falls short is in its camera system. While it does have three cameras - a main lens, an ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 2-megapixel macro sensor - they're not quite as impressive as those found on its more expensive brother, the OnePlus 12. The main camera is decent, but the ultra-wide-angle lens feels less good than expected, and the macro sensor is just a relic of a bygone era that can easily be replaced by adding a macro mode to the ultrawide camera.

Another area where the 12 R loses out is in its front-facing camera. While it's still a decent performer, it only shoots at 1080p compared to the 4K on the OnePlus 12, and can't even record video at 4K 60fps like the main lens. And while this might not be a deal-breaker for some, it's still a notable difference that sets the two phones apart.

Despite these compromises, the OnePlus 12 R still has some great features. The battery life is excellent, and I never felt the need to worry about running out of power during the day. It also charges quickly, thanks to its 100W fast charging capabilities. And while it does lose out on wireless charging, which was a feature that I'm used to having in my phones, it's not necessarily a sacrifice if you're looking for a more affordable option.

Overall, the OnePlus 12 R is a great phone for those who want a flagship-like experience without breaking the bank. It feels and looks like a high-end device, has great battery life, and even charges quickly. But if camera quality is your top priority, you might want to look elsewhere - the system just isn't quite as good as some of its competitors.

A Visit to Mabel's Smokehouse

After spending some time with the OnePlus 12 R, I decided it was time for a break and headed to Mabel's Smokehouse in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. This barbecue spot is a simple, no-frills kind of place that serves up all the staples you'd expect from a great BBQ joint - brisket, pulled pork, mac and cheese, Coleslaw, and more.

One of the things I love about Mabel's Smokehouse is its commitment to using high-quality ingredients. Everything is cooked in-house, and there's no skimping on flavor or texture. And while it might not be the most expensive place in New York, everything is priced very reasonably - you can get a great meal without breaking the bank.

One of the unique features that sets Mabel's apart from other BBQ joints is its Frito pie. For those who don't know, Frito pie is a Texas staple that consists of Fritos corn chips topped with chili and cheese. It might sound simple, but trust me, it's a game-changer. And at Mabel's Smokehouse, the Frito pie is served in the bag - just like you'd find it back home.

A Comparison to Other Mid-Tier Phones

So how does the OnePlus 12 R stack up against some of its competitors in the mid-tier market? One phone that comes to mind is the Samsung Galaxy A55. This phone has a similar price point and features a great camera system, but it also loses out on some of the small details that make the 12 R feel like a flagship.

Another phone that's worth mentioning is the new Pixel 8A. As someone who's always been a huge fan of Google's cameras, I was excited to see how this mid-tier device would stack up. And while it doesn't quite live up to the expectations set by its high-end siblings, it still delivers some great results - especially in low-light conditions.

In the end, whether or not the OnePlus 12 R is the best phone for you will depend on your individual needs and priorities. If camera quality is your top concern, you might want to look elsewhere. But if you're looking for a great all-around experience at an affordable price, the 12 R is definitely worth considering.

A Real-World Test of Battery Life

One of the things that's always fascinated me about smartphones is their battery life. Can they really last a full day without needing a charge? And how do they hold up to heavy use and constant scrolling through social media?

To answer these questions, I put my OnePlus 12 R through its paces - using it extensively throughout the day to see just how long it would last. And the results were impressive - even with moderate to heavy use, the battery life was still excellent.

Of course, this is just one test, and real-world results may vary. But as someone who's always been concerned about running out of power mid-day, I can confidently say that the OnePlus 12 R delivers on this front. Whether you're a light user or a heavy user, you'll be hard pressed to find a phone that lasts longer than this one.

In Conclusion

Overall, the OnePlus 12 R is a great phone for those who want a flagship-like experience without breaking the bank. It feels and looks like a high-end device, has great battery life, and even charges quickly. And while it's not perfect - its camera system, in particular, could be improved - it's still a solid choice for anyone looking for a reliable mid-tier option.

Just remember that if camera quality is your top priority, you might want to look elsewhere. But if you're looking for a great all-around experience at an affordable price, the OnePlus 12 R is definitely worth considering.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enmorning another day another were wheel test today we're doing on the OnePlus 12r the new mid-range phone from OnePlus and if you remember the OnePlus of old that used to give people more than they expected for their money people are kind of wondering if this phone can bring back some of that Glory so we're going to go explore as per the usual all while we test out this phone but first things first coffee check and in honor of this more budget friendly phone let's do another episode where we try to find less expensive eats here in New York City now not as cheap as we found in a nothing phone 2A video because that's just a cheaper phone than this but food that is great that won't break the bank and firstly welcome to it's kind of complicated the place is called getaway but it's also called the blue light speak cheesy let me explain so a long time ago there used to be a cafe here in Greenpoint called buen which has since gone out of business they used to have different food companies come in on different days of the week a ram and Chef on Mondays only for example one of those days they had a grilled cheese and breakfast sandwich company called the blue lights beak cheesy eventually the owner of which moved to LA and that kind of ended their run here in New York City but in 2020 she apparently returned as the blue light speak cheesy reappeared as a popup at this non-alcoholic bar that If we're honest might have been a bit before its time called getaway now though they've moved from being a popup to being pretty permanent inside getaway they've rotating menu Wednesday through Sunday Wednesday's only having double-decker breakfast tacos breakfast burritos on Thursday Etc today Friday are breakfast sandwiches and I've got a fling with scrabbled eggs chives sharp cheddar crispy onions and Sriracha oi ony onion poppy seed punt it's honestly some of the most complex and delicious breakfast food around speaking of things that are great for the money let's start with the screen on the OnePlus 12r now it's technically a smaller screen by just a hair compared to the OnePlus 12 but you'd never notice and it has a slightly lower resolution but everything else is the same 120 HZ adaptive refresh rate that can drop down to 1 Herz to save power and same super high brightness that allows me to see it in bright daylight without an issue I think traditionally missing a lot of phones in this price range that screen like the OnePlus 12 is slightly curved which makes it look a bit more premium maybe but it's not so curved that You' be too annoyed with it thankfully water resistance is lower on the 12r at ip64 so it's Splash resistant basically versus the ip65 of the 12 which means that water jets hitting it are fine and that's compared to the IP67 of the pixel 8A and the Samsung a55 which means that they can be submerged for up to 30 minutes in up to a meter of water just good things to consider depending on your level of clumsiness lastly for notable things about the design we have the alert slider that people seem to like on OnePlus phones that allows you to move it to switch from ring to vibrate to silent with the switch I personally just set it to vibrate and then I never touch it again now the rest of this phone actually resembles the 12 so much that you'd have a hard time telling the difference I haven't been here in a long time but this is La Superior and continuing with our theme it's a great spot for a taco and a beer that will break the bank I remember actually coming here a long time ago and it's always been less about the food and more about the drinks and The diner-like Vibes but with that said the food is solid and relatively cheap they have tacos of course and a ton of different kinds which are good but the queso fondito especially if you put chizo or mushrooms or both in it is great as is the chicken flas and if you want a taco go for the Carnitas or even the lengua which is tongue oh also they have a solid happy hour with $8 Margaritas all right this brings us to the cameras on the OnePlus 12 R and compared to its more expensive brother the OnePlus 12 which has all proper larger cameras with higher megapixel counts that can all be bin to get larger pixels for better low light this is where we start to see some of the cut corners on the 12r now there are the same amount of cameras as the 12 technically but while on the 12 they are actually larger camera sensors in the form of an ultrawide Main and a 3X optical zoom on the 12r we have a pretty decent main camera if I'm honest but the ultra wide feels less good for sure and that third camera well it's a 2 megapixel macro that I thought we finally saw the end of after berading companies for adding this bottom of the bin sensor that can easily be replaced by just adding a macro mode to the ultrawide camera as most companies do on their phones it always just seems to be a way for any manufacturer to just get three cameras on a phone just to say that there are three on the front the selfie camera we have a smaller sensor as well and that front camera can only shoot at 1080p compared to the 4k on the OnePlus 12 but on the rear you at least still get up to 4K 60 but only on the main lens and the digital zooms Beyond it you do lose 8K recording in 24 frames per second that the 12 has but frankly no one ever uses that so you won't miss it lastly on this food filled more frugal tour welcome to Mabel's Smokehouse a barbecue spot in Williamsburg Brooklyn it's a simple No Frills kind of spot everything comes on butcher paper and a red lunch tray you have all the Staples that you expect from brisket to pulled pork and even the standard sides like mac and cheese Co SLO and all the rest all of which are great and not crazy priced but something a bit more unique here at least in New York they have Frito pie which if you're not familiar is a Texas snack of sorts it's Fritos the corn chip with chili and cheese and here they even are served in the bag like proper now we have a tiny bit bigger battery on the 12r than the 12 in an unexpected plot twist but here is my screen on time and usage for today just keep in mind as usual that this is a real world test day and not a normal day and I use my camera way more than you ever would so here is another day that is not a rear World test day so you at least have something to compare it to honestly the battery life is great I mean I don't ever feel the need to not use the phone to conserve power or get nervous at the end of like a long day that it's going to die and it has the same 100 W fast charging 80 wat here in the US because of our power grid when using the super vuk charger that it comes with just like the one plus 12 you only lose out on wireless charging which is something that I am so used to and I miss on phones that don't have it but it very well could be less of a sacrifice to you bottom line the OnePlus 12r is a great phone for the money it feels and it looks like a flagship battery life is great but the camera system as a whole isn't quite Flagship level and for this price that would probably be fine still but while I feel like the OnePlus 12 is actually a better deal compared to proper Flagship phones the 12r has a few solid competitors in the form of the Samsung a55 and the new pixel 8A which is the one that I personally would probably choose myself and that just makes it a bit harder to decide regardless it is a welcomed contender in an underserved mid-tier Market here in the United States which one would you rather have let me know in the comments below always appreciate hearing from you guys uh subscribe and ding the Bell to get notified when I do new videos if you're not already and that's it for me I might actually try to go find one of those margaritas good night of course as soon as I go to record as soon as you hit record that's when people start talking loudly near you it's a law of nature pretty sure Newton discovered it I'm I'm almost positive this being a more truck no not even truck scooter scooter that sounds like a truck prob should get that scooter checked out cuz that's not a good sound and then a massive truck the helicopter not as cheap as we did car and Lan Lan and then it sets off the car alarm so now I have that and that will never endmorning another day another were wheel test today we're doing on the OnePlus 12r the new mid-range phone from OnePlus and if you remember the OnePlus of old that used to give people more than they expected for their money people are kind of wondering if this phone can bring back some of that Glory so we're going to go explore as per the usual all while we test out this phone but first things first coffee check and in honor of this more budget friendly phone let's do another episode where we try to find less expensive eats here in New York City now not as cheap as we found in a nothing phone 2A video because that's just a cheaper phone than this but food that is great that won't break the bank and firstly welcome to it's kind of complicated the place is called getaway but it's also called the blue light speak cheesy let me explain so a long time ago there used to be a cafe here in Greenpoint called buen which has since gone out of business they used to have different food companies come in on different days of the week a ram and Chef on Mondays only for example one of those days they had a grilled cheese and breakfast sandwich company called the blue lights beak cheesy eventually the owner of which moved to LA and that kind of ended their run here in New York City but in 2020 she apparently returned as the blue light speak cheesy reappeared as a popup at this non-alcoholic bar that If we're honest might have been a bit before its time called getaway now though they've moved from being a popup to being pretty permanent inside getaway they've rotating menu Wednesday through Sunday Wednesday's only having double-decker breakfast tacos breakfast burritos on Thursday Etc today Friday are breakfast sandwiches and I've got a fling with scrabbled eggs chives sharp cheddar crispy onions and Sriracha oi ony onion poppy seed punt it's honestly some of the most complex and delicious breakfast food around speaking of things that are great for the money let's start with the screen on the OnePlus 12r now it's technically a smaller screen by just a hair compared to the OnePlus 12 but you'd never notice and it has a slightly lower resolution but everything else is the same 120 HZ adaptive refresh rate that can drop down to 1 Herz to save power and same super high brightness that allows me to see it in bright daylight without an issue I think traditionally missing a lot of phones in this price range that screen like the OnePlus 12 is slightly curved which makes it look a bit more premium maybe but it's not so curved that You' be too annoyed with it thankfully water resistance is lower on the 12r at ip64 so it's Splash resistant basically versus the ip65 of the 12 which means that water jets hitting it are fine and that's compared to the IP67 of the pixel 8A and the Samsung a55 which means that they can be submerged for up to 30 minutes in up to a meter of water just good things to consider depending on your level of clumsiness lastly for notable things about the design we have the alert slider that people seem to like on OnePlus phones that allows you to move it to switch from ring to vibrate to silent with the switch I personally just set it to vibrate and then I never touch it again now the rest of this phone actually resembles the 12 so much that you'd have a hard time telling the difference I haven't been here in a long time but this is La Superior and continuing with our theme it's a great spot for a taco and a beer that will break the bank I remember actually coming here a long time ago and it's always been less about the food and more about the drinks and The diner-like Vibes but with that said the food is solid and relatively cheap they have tacos of course and a ton of different kinds which are good but the queso fondito especially if you put chizo or mushrooms or both in it is great as is the chicken flas and if you want a taco go for the Carnitas or even the lengua which is tongue oh also they have a solid happy hour with $8 Margaritas all right this brings us to the cameras on the OnePlus 12 R and compared to its more expensive brother the OnePlus 12 which has all proper larger cameras with higher megapixel counts that can all be bin to get larger pixels for better low light this is where we start to see some of the cut corners on the 12r now there are the same amount of cameras as the 12 technically but while on the 12 they are actually larger camera sensors in the form of an ultrawide Main and a 3X optical zoom on the 12r we have a pretty decent main camera if I'm honest but the ultra wide feels less good for sure and that third camera well it's a 2 megapixel macro that I thought we finally saw the end of after berading companies for adding this bottom of the bin sensor that can easily be replaced by just adding a macro mode to the ultrawide camera as most companies do on their phones it always just seems to be a way for any manufacturer to just get three cameras on a phone just to say that there are three on the front the selfie camera we have a smaller sensor as well and that front camera can only shoot at 1080p compared to the 4k on the OnePlus 12 but on the rear you at least still get up to 4K 60 but only on the main lens and the digital zooms Beyond it you do lose 8K recording in 24 frames per second that the 12 has but frankly no one ever uses that so you won't miss it lastly on this food filled more frugal tour welcome to Mabel's Smokehouse a barbecue spot in Williamsburg Brooklyn it's a simple No Frills kind of spot everything comes on butcher paper and a red lunch tray you have all the Staples that you expect from brisket to pulled pork and even the standard sides like mac and cheese Co SLO and all the rest all of which are great and not crazy priced but something a bit more unique here at least in New York they have Frito pie which if you're not familiar is a Texas snack of sorts it's Fritos the corn chip with chili and cheese and here they even are served in the bag like proper now we have a tiny bit bigger battery on the 12r than the 12 in an unexpected plot twist but here is my screen on time and usage for today just keep in mind as usual that this is a real world test day and not a normal day and I use my camera way more than you ever would so here is another day that is not a rear World test day so you at least have something to compare it to honestly the battery life is great I mean I don't ever feel the need to not use the phone to conserve power or get nervous at the end of like a long day that it's going to die and it has the same 100 W fast charging 80 wat here in the US because of our power grid when using the super vuk charger that it comes with just like the one plus 12 you only lose out on wireless charging which is something that I am so used to and I miss on phones that don't have it but it very well could be less of a sacrifice to you bottom line the OnePlus 12r is a great phone for the money it feels and it looks like a flagship battery life is great but the camera system as a whole isn't quite Flagship level and for this price that would probably be fine still but while I feel like the OnePlus 12 is actually a better deal compared to proper Flagship phones the 12r has a few solid competitors in the form of the Samsung a55 and the new pixel 8A which is the one that I personally would probably choose myself and that just makes it a bit harder to decide regardless it is a welcomed contender in an underserved mid-tier Market here in the United States which one would you rather have let me know in the comments below always appreciate hearing from you guys uh subscribe and ding the Bell to get notified when I do new videos if you're not already and that's it for me I might actually try to go find one of those margaritas good night of course as soon as I go to record as soon as you hit record that's when people start talking loudly near you it's a law of nature pretty sure Newton discovered it I'm I'm almost positive this being a more truck no not even truck scooter scooter that sounds like a truck prob should get that scooter checked out cuz that's not a good sound and then a massive truck the helicopter not as cheap as we did car and Lan Lan and then it sets off the car alarm so now I have that and that will never end\n"