The best OnePlus phone 2024on July 25, 2024 at 11:47 Tech Advisor

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OnePlus first gained traction in the smartphone market thanks to its ‘flagship killers’ – phones that deliver the key specs of top-tier rivals while undercutting them on price.

That’s not the company’s modus operandi anymore, but don’t hold that against it. OnePlus still makes excellent Android phones, and now covers a price range from some of the most expensive around to super-affordable budget handsets.

OnePlus phones tend to excel at pure performance, along with extremely fast charging and a slick software experience that’s still among Android’s best – even if parent company Oppo is exerting more and more influence over the operating system.

Here we’ve ranked the ten best OnePlus phones we’ve tested from across the company’s range, with links to our full reviews for more detailed analysis.

Bear in mind that not every phone in the list will be on sale where you live, as OnePlus launches slightly different phones in different markets.

Why you should trust us: Smartphones are our bread and butter here at Tech Advisor, the vast majority of which are Android phones. We perform in-depth, real-world testing on every new OnePlus handset that’s worth buying, moving our main SIM card to it for at least a week for the most authentic experience possible.

Updated 25 July 2024: In this latest overhaul, we added the OnePlus 12R, the OnePlus Nord 4 and the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite. The former was added to the chart due to a price drop, while the latter two are new releases.

Best OnePlus phones 2024

1. OnePlus 12 – Best overall

Pros

Elegant, distinctive design

Show-stopping screen

Fast wired and wireless charging

Great main and telephoto cameras

Cons

Fewer OS updates than rivals

So-so wide-angle and selfie cameras

More expensive than OnePlus 11

Limited water resistance

Price When Reviewed:



From £849 | Model reviewed £999

Best Prices Today:



£849 at Amazon£849 at OnePlus

The OnePlus 12 is the company’s latest flagship phone, and it’s another slam dunk.

The phone sports the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, a variable 120Hz display with an amazing peak brightness of 4,500 nits, nippy 80W wired charging alongside a 50W wireless option – something that wasn’t present on the 11. It’s also got a distinctive design, with the Flowy Emerald colour stealing the show.

There are downsides. The IP65 rating isn’t as durable as an IP68 one that many flagships have. In addition, both the Google Pixel 8 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S24 series offer seven years of OS and security updates, whilst OnePlus only offers four years of Android support and five years of security updates.

The main and telephoto cameras are very impressive, though the same can’t be said for the wide-angle and selfie cameras. Nonetheless, the OnePlus 12 is undoubtedly the best you can buy from the brand right now.

Read our full

OnePlus 12 review

2. OnePlus 12R – Flagship features for less

Pros

Outstanding display

True two-day battery life

Strong sustained performance

100W fast charging

Cons

No wireless charging

Still not completely waterproof

Mediocre secondary cameras

Price When Reviewed:



£649

Best Prices Today:



£539 at Amazon£649 at OnePlus

The OnePlus 12R is remarkably similar to 2023’s flagship model, the OnePlus 11. Since launching it’s had a substantial price drop, making it a tempting option.

It offers a superb 6.78-inch AMOLED screen with Dolby Atmos, and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the rear – an upgrade compared to last year’s 11. This is also complimented by an IP65 rating.

This phone has a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, rather than the latest chip that the OnePlus 12 has. Nonetheless, performance is still remarkably quick, and the vapour chamber will help keep things cool.

This phone retains the same 50Mp Sony IMX890 sensor seen in the OnePlus 11. Shots are impressive in good lighting conditions, though the secondary cameras don’t quite match up – and there’s no telephoto on offer.

However, there’s no denying that this phone offers many flagship features for a fraction of the price of its main competitors.

Read our full

OnePlus 12R review

3. OnePlus Nord 4 – Best mid-ranger

Pros

Premium build

Great display

Strong main camera

Solid battery life

Six years of security updates

Cons

Polarising design

Disappointing ultrawide camera

No telephoto camera

Price When Reviewed:



From £429 | Model reviewed £529

Best Prices Today:



£429 at OnePlus

The OnePlus Nord 3 is quite simply one of the best mid-range phones you can buy, even besting the Google Pixel 8a in many areas.

Fans of the Nord line will notice a very different design compared to last year’s model, the Nord 3 – the plastic panel at the top may not appeal to everyone. However, it’s certainly robust – with an IP65 rating and an aluminium back, which is more durable against drops compared to glass.

The 6.74-inch Full HD+ OLED display is a joy to look at in a variety of environments – it also boasts up to 120Hz refresh rate. The 5500mAh battery is the biggest of any smartphone this year, which lasts around two days during our tests.

Despite a strong main 50Mp main lens, the 8Mp ultrawide is rather underwhelming. There’s also no telephoto lens present, so zoomed-in shots will not be as impressive as what you’d get on the 12. Nonetheless, these are all minor gripes for what is a very well-priced smartphone.

Read our full

OnePlus Nord 4 review

4. OnePlus Open – Best foldable

Pros

Excellent displays 

Very good rear cameras 

Intuitive software features 

Premium, durable design

Cons

Battery life could be better 

Few apps optimised for big screen

Only splash resistant 

Price When Reviewed:



£1,599

Best Prices Today:



£1599 at OnePlus

The OnePlus Open is one of the best folding phones that you can buy right now. It has excellent performance thanks to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, and both displays are bold and bright, and offer 120Hz refresh rates.

However, like other book-style foldables, apps aren’t properly optimised for the larger screen yet. In addition, the battery life isn’t particularly impressive.

For a first-gen folding device, it is pretty impressive – and it also undercuts other rivals such as the Samsung Z Fold 5 and the Google Pixel Fold.

Read our full

OnePlus Open review

5. OnePlus 11 – Best former flagship

Pros

Fast performance

Competitive price

Strong cameras

Cons

No wireless charging

Not fully waterproof

Price When Reviewed:



£729

The OnePlus 11 is 2023’s flagship model. It’s since been outpaced by the OnePlus 12, but if you can find this for cheaper then it’s a great option.

If you want an Android smartphone with excellent specs designed to stay fast and will have software support till 2028, the OnePlus 11 is a great choice. It’s also one of the cheapest high-end phones to offer this.

The absence of wireless charging shouldn’t be a deal breaker for most people. After all, this phone has an excellent screen, top cameras, good battery life, and truly fast charging, and the best performance of any Android phone to date. The lack of full waterproofing is more annoying.

OnePlus can’t just stand still, it also must evolve – luckily for us, the OnePlus 11 is a fine evolution and one of the best phones you can buy for a price that undercuts many competing products.

Read our full

OnePlus 11 review

6. OnePlus Nord 3 – Solid mid-ranger

Pros

Good performance

Premium feel

Fast and bright screen

Competent camera

Cons

Weak speakers

No zoom camera

Not the best battery life

Price When Reviewed:



£499

Best Prices Today:



£329 at Amazon£499 at OnePlus

The OnePlus Nord 3 is the company’s former top-end mid-ranger from 2023.

This was the most expensive – and premium – Nord yet, with a flagship Dimensity 9000 chipset, glass body, and up to 16GB of RAM for top performance.

The camera setup is solid for the price, though not jaw-dropping, and there’s no telephoto lens. You’ll also have to put up with unreliable battery life – it’s not bad per se, but it proved pretty variable in our review.

It’s still a solid mid-range option, but not quite a knockout like previous Nord phones.

Read our full

OnePlus Nord 3 review

7. OnePlus Nord N300 5G – Best US budget option

Pros

Great battery life

Decent cameras

Fast wired charging

Solid looking display

Cons

Only one major software update

Unreliably camera

US-only

Price When Reviewed:



Not available in the UK

Best Prices Today:



$229 at OnePlus

The OnePlus Nord N300 5G, exclusive to the US, is one of the cheapest OnePlus phones around at $229.

Despite that, it doesn’t feel like a cheap phone, with build quality that feels more expensive than it is.

It also benefits from great battery life, easily lasting a day or more and with fast charging once it does wear out.

There are a few negatives to the Nord N300 5G, including a weak vibration motor and the disappointing promise of only one future Android update, but overall there aren’t many better options at this price in the US phone market.

Read our full

OnePlus Nord N300 review

8. OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite – Best affordable UK OnePlus

Pros

Vibrant OLED display

Rapid 80W charging support

Decent battery life

Keenly priced

Cons

Poor performance from ageing chip

Hit-and-miss camera

No ultra-wide camera

No charger in box

Price When Reviewed:



£299

Best Prices Today:



£279 at Amazon£299 at OnePlus

The Nord CE 4 Lite is one of the most affordable OnePlus devices you can buy in the UK – though it faces stiff competition in the sub-£300 market.

This is a solidly built yet affordable phone, with an impressively bold 6.67-inch FHD+ OLED display, with a 120Hz refresh rate. The battery can last up to two days with moderate usage, and the phone supports up to 80W fast charging – though no brick is included in the box.

However, the processor doesn’t offer the best performance, and the cameras are very much a mixed bag. Plus, Samsung and Google both offer models with better specs for similar prices.

Nonetheless, this is still a competent OnePlus phone in the UK.

Read our full

OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite 5G review

9. OnePlus Nord N20 5G – Another impressive budget US phone

Pros

Solid performance

Good cameras

Quick 33W fast charging

Beautiful AMOLED display

Cons

Only 60Hz display

Only one major software update promised

North America-only

Price When Reviewed:



$299

Best Prices Today:



£299 at Amazon

The Nord N20 5G is a good device that provides decent bang for your buck if you’re in the US or Canada, the only countries where it’s on sale.

Despite costing just $300, it doesn’t feel cheap in the hand. The look and feel of the phone are in line with pricier phones like the Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G or Galaxy A53 – a real win for OnePlus.

There’s also the Snapdragon 695 chipset, which delivers solid performance even though it’s not the top-of-the-line chip from Qualcomm.

There are a few downsides of course, including the lack of a high refresh rate on the display, no official waterproofing, a weak vibration motor, and only receiving one Android update, but these won’t be dealbreakers for everybody.

Read our full

OnePlus Nord N20 5G review

10. OnePlus 10R – Best for Indian readers

Pros

Great performance

Fast charging speed

Excellent display

Good value

Cons

Mediocre camera performance

Alert slider missing

Lacks IP rating and wireless charging

India & China-only




Best Prices Today:



₹38999 at OnePlus

The OnePlus 10R is only available in India, but if that’s where you are then it’s well worth considering.

This mid-range handset is similar to the OnePlus 10T in some respects, with the same 150W charging (though a cheaper 80W model is also available) and similar cameras.

It doesn’t pack the same Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip, but the MediaTek Dimensity 8100-Max found here is no slouch. It’s not quite top tier, but it won’t disappoint – and it keeps the phone handily cheaper than the 10T.

Note that the OnePlus 11R has since been announced – also an India exclusive – but we haven’t yet had the chance to review it.

Read our full

OnePlus 10R review

OnePlus phone buying guide

1.

What are the different OnePlus ranges?

The OnePlus phone range is relatively simple. At the top end you get its numbered flagship series – currently the OnePlus 12 line, which for now includes the regular 12 and the 12R. The company also has its first flagship foldable, which launched in 2023.

Below that you find the Nord series. These are cheaper, covering the gamut from budget phones up to the heart of the mid-range. The only complication here is that different markets get different Nord phones – models like the Nord 4 and Nord CE launch in Europe and Asia, while the US gets different phones with names like Nord N300 and N20.

2.

Is OnePlus the same as Oppo?

Sort of. OnePlus originally span off from Chinese phone giant Oppo several years ago, but was mostly run as an independent company.

That’s now changed, and Oppo has brought OnePlus back into the fold. That means that OnePlus now uses Oppo R&D and software, meaning its products are more similar to Oppo’s than they used to be, and occasionally one company will essentially re-release one of the other’s phones with new branding.

Realme is part of the same family, so you should also keep an eye on Realme phones, which will also be quite similar.

3.

What software do OnePlus phones run?

OnePlus phones all run Android, with the company’s OxygenOS skin on top.

As mentioned above, the company now uses Oppo software, so OxygenOS now shares a code base with that brand’s ColorOS. That means the software from both companies is quite similar, though each retains one or two unique features and a slightly different aesthetic.

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