Update (September 7): OnLeaks has released a revised and supposedly more accurate version of these OnePlus 12 renders.
The OnePlus 12 is set to take a big step forward with its cameras by potentially adding a periscopic lens; this is based on renders posted on Twitter by renowned leaker Steve "OnLeaks" Hemmerstoffer.
The renders back suspicions that the next flagship from OnePlus will contain a periscopic camera system. Such a camera could see the OnePlus 12 rub shoulders with the iPhone 15 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, which are both tipped to have periscope cameras.
This is the second time we have seen leaked images of OnePlus devices in the space of a month, after Hemmerstoffer leaked images of the OnePlus V Fold in June. That device also appeared to show a periscopic camera set up with two other lenses, similar to the OnePlus 12.
Outside of the camera, the leaks seem to show a similar form factor to the OnePlus 11, which contained a curved 6.7-inch 120Hz 2K AMOLED display, and cameras housed at the top left of the back panel. However, OnePlus seems to be ditching the glossy finish of the 11, opting instead for a matte finish on the 12.
Zooming power
The OnePlus 12 is the second significant flagship device that we are expecting to see get a periscopic lens upgrade this year. As mentioned, the iPhone 15 Pro Max has also been tipped for this upgrade by several sources, with the periscope camera likely to be the big upgrade to set it apart from the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro.
We were first introduced to periscopic camera lenses in smartphones in 2019 with the Huawei P30 Pro, which featured a 5x optical zoom.
Since then, companies like Samsung, Oppo, Xiaomi, and Vivo have incorporated periscopic lenses into phones to enable higher zoom capabilities up to 10x optical zoom on phones like the Galaxy S23 Ultra and the 5x optical zoom on the Google Pixel 7 Pro.
Periscopic lenses allow for optical zoom with improved range in slim smartphones by using a prism to refract light at a 90-degree angle within the device. They have become key for smartphone brands to compete in the optical zoom capabilities arms race.
What we know so far
OnePlus will be keen to maintain the quality we saw in the OnePlus 11, which led to us naming it the best value flagship Android phone in our OnePlus 11 review this year.
The OnePlus 12 is expected to contain a 2K display, specifically a 6.7-inch QHD OLED screen with a high 120Hz refresh rate. Behind the screen we will be expecting the incoming Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset and Adreno 750 GPU, powered by a 5,000 mAh battery that can be charged with either 150W wired fast charging or 50W wireless fast charging technology.
The camera setup is expected to have a 50MP IMX9-series main camera sensor, 50MP wide-angle lens, and a 64MP periscope lens with a currently unknown zoom level.
The OnePlus 12 is expected to be revealed in full early in 2024. But a launch could happen towards the end of the year after the company confirmed it would hold an event in 2023 to debut its foldable OnePlus V Fold.
More from Tom's Guide
