Oppo K12 Plus: A Midrange Marvel With AMOLED Display, Snapdragon 7 Gen 3, And 80 W Fast Charging

Body

With dimensions of 162.5×75.3×8.4 mm and weighing 192 g, the Oppo K12 Plus is comfortably slim and light for a phone with such a large battery. Its color options - classic Black and clean White - give it a minimalist look that will appeal to users who prefer understated elegance. Here are the relevant specs:

The dimensions of the Oppo K12 Plus make it relatively slim and tall, so it strikes a balance between offering a large screen and being comfortable to hold. It's not too bulky in terms of thickness, so it won't feel cumbersome during long usage sessions.

The 192 g weight is moderate for a phone with such a large battery, so it won't cause hand fatigue quickly, but if you're used to lighter devices, it might take a few days to adjust. When it comes to pocketability, the slim profile should fit nicely in most pockets without feeling overly bulky. As for carrying it around in a bag, the phone's sleek design and moderate weight make it easy to carry without taking up too much space.

Now, let's talk color:

• Black: This is perfect for those who prefer a classic, no-nonsense design. It's sleek, timeless, and appeals to minimalists or professionals who like an understated look. It also has the advantage of hiding smudges and fingerprints better than lighter colors.
• White: The White variant is for users who want a clean, modern look. It radiates a fresh, youthful vibe and might appeal to those who prefer their tech to make a subtle statement. It does tend to show more smudges, though, so keep that in mind if you're the type who likes your phone to always look pristine.

Both color options are versatile, but the Black is more suited for a professional, minimalist, or sleek aesthetic, while the White is ideal for those who like a touch of sophistication with a modern edge.

IP Rating

(Related: IP ratings explained.)

Despite being positioned as a midrange phone, the Oppo K12 Plus boasts an IP54 rating, meaning it's resistant to dust and water splashes, giving you some peace of mind during light rain or accidental splashes. This is a welcome bonus at this price point, although it's not fully waterproof.

The IP (Ingress Protection) rating of a device provides valuable insights into its resistance against environmental elements. In this case, the rating is IP54, and breaking it down helps us understand its significance.

The first digit (5 here) indicates a moderate level of protection against dust. While not completely dust-tight, the Oppo K12 Plus is designed to resist the entry of dust to an extent that it would not interfere with its normal operation.

The second digit (4 here) signifies protection against water splashes from any direction. It can handle light splashes and rain but is not fully waterproof. Submersion is not recommended.

Here are some practical tips for protecting your K12 Plus from the elements:

• Avoid Submersion: While the device can handle light splashes, it's crucial to avoid submerging it in water. Keep it away from pools, sinks, and other bodies of water to prevent potential damage.
• Use in Moderate Conditions: Exercise caution when using the phone in extreme environmental conditions. Avoid exposing it to heavy rain or dusty environments for extended periods.
• Cleaning: Gently clean the K12 Plus with a soft, lint-free cloth to remove any dirt or grime. Avoid using harsh chemicals or abrasive materials that may damage the device's finish.
• Protective Case: Consider investing in a protective case to add an extra layer of defense against accidental drops and impacts. A case designed for the Oppo K12 Plus's form factor ensures a snug fit without hindering access to ports, cameras, and buttons.
• Screen Protector: Applying a tempered glass or plastic screen protector can safeguard the display from scratches and minor impacts. It's a small investment that can go a long way in preserving the integrity of the screen.
• Regular Inspections: Periodically check the condition of your K12 Plus, especially the ports and seams, to ensure that they are free from dust and debris. Clean as needed to maintain optimal performance.

While the IP54 rating offers a level of protection, it's always wise to take additional precautions to safeguard your investment. A combination of responsible usage, a protective case, and a screen protector can significantly enhance the durability of your device, ensuring a longer lifespan and a smoother user experience. After all, a little care goes a long way in keeping your tech companion in top-notch condition!

Display

(Related: Know more about the various kinds of displays and screen specs.)

The 6.7-inch AMOLED display is one of the standout features of the K12 Plus. Oppo didn't skimp here, offering a 120 Hz refresh rate for smooth scrolling and gaming. With a resolution of 1080×2412 pixels (around 394 PPI), visuals are sharp, whether you're streaming HD videos or reading text. Adding to the allure is the support for HDR imaging and 1 billion colors, making this display perfect for watching HDR content with vivid contrast and deep colors. Another unique feature is wet touch control, which ensures the display remains responsive even when wet - a handy feature for rainy day use.

Oppo K12 Plus display. Image credit: Oppo

Here are the relevant specs:

The display on the Oppo K12 Plus is undoubtedly one of its standout features, packing several premium specs into its 6.7-inch AMOLED panel. AMOLED (Active Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode) displays are known for their vivid colors, deep blacks, and high contrast ratios.

Unlike LCDs, where a backlight illuminates the pixels, each pixel in an AMOLED screen is individually lit. This allows the display to turn off pixels completely when showing black, resulting in true black levels and improved power efficiency when displaying darker content. It's a popular choice for midrange and flagship devices because it provides punchy visuals and excellent brightness while saving battery life.

The 120 Hz refresh rate is another feature that elevates the user experience, particularly in terms of smoothness. Whether you're scrolling through social media, browsing the web, or gaming, the 120 Hz panel provides twice the refresh rate of standard 60 Hz screens. This means faster screen refreshes, making animations, transitions, and even fast-paced gaming feel buttery smooth. You will especially notice this when compared to phones with lower refresh rates, as 120 Hz adds a level of fluidity to daily interactions.

The 1080×2412 pixel resolution gives the Oppo K12 Plus a 394 PPI (pixels per inch) density, which is more than enough for a sharp and detailed viewing experience. Text appears crisp, icons look well-defined, and images have a good amount of detail. This resolution hits a sweet spot for the device's 20:9 aspect ratio, making it great for consuming content, gaming, and web browsing without overloading the battery or the GPU with unnecessary pixels.

The display's brightness levels are quite impressive for a midrange phone. 500 nits typical brightness is more than adequate for indoor use and casual outdoor viewing. It ensures that the display remains visible even in well-lit environments without needing to max out the brightness. 900 nits HBM (High Brightness Mode) kicks in under bright, direct sunlight or when HDR content is being viewed. This level allows the screen to remain usable under sunlight, which is crucial for outdoor usage.

And 1100 nits peak brightness is mainly used for specific moments, such as when you're watching HDR content or in brief high-contrast scenes in videos or images. This peak brightness enhances the phone's display under those demanding conditions, offering highlights that pop and ensuring that bright details aren't lost.

The K12 Plus's ability to display 1 billion colors is an impressive spec typically reserved for higher-end phones. This means the screen can display 10-bit color, as opposed to the more standard 8-bit color (which supports 16.7 million colors).

For you - the user, this results in smoother color gradients and less banding (where subtle shifts in color look blocky). This feature is particularly useful for watching content with lots of subtle shades, like HDR videos and high-quality photos, making the visuals more vibrant and realistic.

The term "HDR" in HDR image support stands for "High Dynamic Range", which is a technology used in both photos and video to provide better contrast between the darkest and brightest parts of an image or scene. HDR enables the display to show a wider range of colors and brightness levels, giving you more detail in shadows and highlights. This is especially noticeable when watching HDR content from services like Netflix or YouTube, which offers higher dynamic range than non-HDR content.

Now, HDR image support refers to the screen's ability to handle high dynamic range in still images, such as HDR photos and photo-based content. It's essentially the same core technology as HDR video support, except applied to static content. Both enhance contrast and brightness, but HDR support in general typically refers to video playback.

Another interesting feature of the display is its wet touch control support, meaning the screen remains responsive even when it's wet. This is a useful addition if you're in a rainy environment or using the phone with damp fingers, ensuring that the user experience isn't compromised by a little moisture.

Overall, the Oppo K12 Plus's AMOLED display is a feature-rich panel that punches well above its midrange weight. Between the 120 Hz refresh rate for smoothness, HDR support for both still images and video, high brightness levels for outdoor visibility, and the ability to display 1 billion colors, this screen offers a viewing experience that will please media lovers, gamers, and casual users alike. Whether you're watching a movie, gaming, or just browsing the web, this display is built to impress.

Networks

(Related: Cellular networks explained.)

Equipped with GSM, CDMA, HSPA, LTE, and 5G capabilities, the Oppo K12 Plus ensures you stay connected at all times.

GSM, the reliable workhorse, lays the foundation for 2G connectivity, ensuring seamless voice calls and text messages. CDMA is a parallel powerhouse, offering a different approach to network communication with distinct coding techniques. Then, HSPA steps up to the plate, championing 3G connectivity, providing faster data transfer rates and improved multimedia capabilities.

LTE, the bedrock of 4G networks, elevates the user experience with swift internet speeds and enhanced call quality. And of course, the star of the show - 5G. This powerhouse not only promises lightning-fast download and upload speeds but also significantly reduces latency, opening up a realm of possibilities for innovative applications and technologies that will shape the future.

SIM

The hybrid dual Nano-SIM (dual stand-by) support offers flexibility for users who need to balance work and personal life on a single device.

The "hybrid" part means one of the SIM card slots serves a dual purpose. It can either hold a SIM card or a memory card for expandable storage - but not both simultaneously. This means you have to make a choice between expanding your device's storage capacity with a memory card and using two SIM cards.

Chipset - Performance

Under the hood, the K12 Plus runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chipset, built on the efficient 4-nm process. It features an octa-core CPU with a mix of high-performance Cortex-A715 and power-efficient Cortex-A510 cores, ensuring snappy everyday performance, from launching apps to multitasking. The Adreno 720 GPU delivers solid gaming performance, making it a capable midrange option for those who enjoy graphically demanding games like PUBG and Genshin Impact. Here are the relevant specs:

The Oppo K12 Plus is powered by the Qualcomm SM7550-AB Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chipset, which is a strong midrange performer. This 4-nm chipset ensures efficiency and power, balancing performance and battery life. It's designed to handle multitasking, gaming, and general usage with ease while supporting features like 5G connectivity.

The Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 is part of Qualcomm's upper-midrange lineup, and it offers a solid balance between flagship-like performance and power efficiency. It is perfect for users who expect strong performance but don't want to sacrifice battery life. It integrates 5G support, high-performance AI processing (for things like photography and voice commands), and gaming enhancements, making it ideal for mobile gamers, multitaskers, and media consumers alike. Its blend of power efficiency and speed puts it a notch below Qualcomm's flagship chipsets, but it delivers enough punch for nearly all modern tasks.

The CPU in the Oppo K12 Plus uses an octa-core configuration, comprising three types of cores:

• Prime Core (1×Cortex-A715 at 2.63 GHz): This single core is the most powerful of the bunch. It kicks in when the phone needs to handle tasks that require the most processing power, like running demanding games, complex applications, or when you're multitasking with many apps open. The Cortex-A715 is a performance-focused core designed to handle intensive workloads efficiently, offering high clock speeds for short bursts when maximum performance is needed. Think of it as the "turbo mode" of your phone.
• Performance Cores (4×Cortex-A715 at 2.4 GHz): These four Cortex-A715 cores are also built for performance, but at slightly lower clock speeds than the Prime core. These cores handle day-to-day tasks like launching apps, managing background tasks, and running games, but they are not as power-hungry as the Prime core. These cores keep your phone running smoothly during tasks like web browsing, video streaming, and casual gaming while offering a balance between speed and power efficiency.
• Efficiency Cores (3×Cortex-A510 at 1.8 GHz): The Cortex-A510 cores are the workhorses for basic, low-power tasks like running background processes, handling notifications, and keeping the system responsive while conserving battery life. These cores are designed to handle less demanding tasks and ensure that the phone remains energy-efficient when you're doing simple things like messaging, listening to music, and checking emails. By using these low-power cores, the phone can save battery when high performance isn't needed, making sure the 6400 mAh battery lasts longer.

The Adreno 720 GPU handles the graphical side of things, and it's designed to give the Oppo K12 Plus a strong performance in gaming, video playback, and graphics-heavy applications. The Adreno 720 is a mid-tier graphics processor, capable of handling modern mobile games at respectable settings without dropping frame rates or lagging. Its performance is further boosted by the 120 Hz refresh rate of the display, which ensures smooth gaming and fluid animations. Additionally, the Adreno 720 can handle 4K video rendering, making it great for media consumption and mobile photography / videography.

In summary, the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chipset packs a lot of power into a midrange device, offering flagship-level features like 5G, advanced AI capabilities, and gaming optimizations. The octa-core CPU architecture ensures that the Oppo K12 Plus handles multitasking, gaming, and daily tasks efficiently; and the Adreno 720 GPU brings solid gaming and graphics performance, ensuring that the phone can handle demanding tasks while maintaining fluid visuals.

Overall, the Oppo K12 Plus's hardware makes it a great choice for users who want strong performance without venturing into flagship price territory, offering a powerful and balanced experience that is more than enough for typical daily use, gaming, and multimedia tasks.

Memory and Storage

Here are the relevant specs:

The K12 Plus offers three variants of RAM and internal storage. All configurations use UFS 3.1 storage, ensuring fast read and write speeds, whether you're installing apps, transferring files, or launching games. Additionally, it has a microSDXC card slot, although it shares the SIM slot, allowing you to expand your storage if needed.

Camera: Versatile Dual Camera Setup with 4K Recording

The dual rear camera system is led by a 50 MP wide sensor providing excellent low-light performance and detailed daytime shots. The 8 MP ultrawide lens with a 112° field of view ensures you can capture wide landscapes or large group photos with ease. For video enthusiasts, the K12 Plus records in 4K at 30 fps and offers various frame rates for 1080p recording (up to 120 fps), along with gyro-EIS and OIS, ensuring steady footage even in motion.

On the front, the 16 MP selfie camera with f/2.4 aperture offers solid performance for casual selfies and supports 1080p video recording at 30 fps.

Rear Camera

Image credit: Oppo

The Oppo K12 Plus is equipped with a dual-camera setup that strikes a balance between versatility and performance, making it a capable device for photography enthusiasts and casual users alike. The main focus here is on providing strong performance for both daytime and low-light photography, as well as a solid array of video recording features. Here are the relevant specs:

Specification	Oppo K12 Plus
Number of Cameras	2 (Dual)
Resolution (Megapixels)	50 MP (wide), 8 MP (ultrawide)
Focal Length	26 mm, 16 mm
Aperture	f/1.8, f/2.2
Sensor Size	1/1.95″, 1/4.0″
Pixel Size	0.8 μm, 1.12 μm
Autofocus	PDAF, N/A
Image Stabilization	OIS, N/A
Field of View	N/A, 112°
Video Recording	4K at 30 fps, 1080p at 30/60/120 fps, gyro-EIS, OIS
Other Features	Dual-LED flash, panorama, HDR

The 50 MP main lens serves as the workhorse of this camera system. With a large sensor (1/1.95″) and 0.8 µm pixel size, it captures a lot of light, which results in better low-light performance and sharper images. The wide f/1.8 aperture lets in plenty of light, which is critical for producing bright, clear photos in both good and poor lighting conditions.

This lens is great for general photography - capturing landscapes, portraits, and detailed shots. Whether you're shooting in bright daylight or dim indoor settings, the primary camera provides reliable performance.

The secondary 8 MP ultra-wide-angle lens allows you to capture more of the scene in a single shot. With a 112° field of view (FoV), it's perfect for shooting expansive landscapes, group photos, and architectural shots. While it may not have the same high resolution as the primary camera, it provides a distinct advantage in versatility by offering a different, broader perspective.

The f/2.2 aperture and 1.12 µm pixel size are good enough for well-lit conditions, but in low light, it may struggle a bit more than the primary sensor. Still, it remains useful for capturing wide-angle shots that would otherwise be impossible with just the main lens.

Among the camera features, PDAF (Phase Detection Auto Focus) is an autofocus technology designed for speed and accuracy. With PDAF, the camera can quickly lock onto a subject, even in tricky lighting situations, ensuring that your photos are sharp and focused. Whether you're shooting fast-moving objects or trying to snap a quick picture, PDAF helps keep everything in focus.

OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) is a key feature for reducing blur in photos and videos caused by shaky hands. It uses a tiny motor to physically adjust the lens and counteract hand movements. This is especially useful in low-light conditions or when using a slow shutter speed, as OIS helps stabilize the shot, giving you clearer images.

The dual-LED flash offers brighter and more natural lighting than a single LED flash. This is particularly useful for night photography or shooting in dark environments, where it can provide an extra boost of light without harsh shadows.

Panorama mode stitches multiple images together to create one wide, sweeping shot, ideal for capturing landscapes and wide scenes. Panorama mode is great when you want to capture an expansive view that doesn't fit within the typical frame of a single shot.

And HDR (High Dynamic Range) in photography refers to the ability to combine multiple exposures into a single image, ensuring that both the brightest highlights and the darkest shadows retain detail. This results in more balanced images with accurate lighting, especially in high-contrast scenes like sunsets or backlit subjects. It's a valuable feature for achieving natural, vivid photos in tricky lighting situations.

Among the video recording features, gyro-EIS (Electronic Image Stabilization) helps stabilize video footage by using the phone's internal gyroscope to detect motion and adjust the frame accordingly. Unlike OIS, which physically stabilizes the lens, EIS works digitally to keep the image steady. It is particularly useful for shooting video on the move, as it can reduce shakiness when walking or moving the camera. This is great for vlogging, action shots, or handheld video recording.

And OIS is equally important here as well; it works to reduce small hand movements and jitter, making your videos appear smoother, especially in low light. OIS works best for minor movements, while gyro-EIS can handle larger movements, making the combination of these two stabilization systems ideal for achieving professional-looking video footage. Together, gyro-EIS and OIS create a dual-stabilization system that is excellent for users who want to shoot high-quality, smooth videos, even without a tripod.

The Oppo K12 Plus supports video recording at up to 120 fps in 1080p resolution, which opens up creative possibilities, especially for slow-motion videos. Recording at a higher frame rate allows you to slow down the video during playback while maintaining smoothness and clarity. Here are some of its uses:

• Slow-Motion Video: High frame rates like 120 fps are perfect for creating dramatic slow-motion videos. This can be used for sports, action sequences, or even artistic shots where you want to capture finer details like water splashing, hair blowing in the wind, or fast-moving objects.
• Fluid Motion Capture: The higher frame rate allows for smoother action during normal playback, especially in fast-paced environments. If you're filming something that involves quick movements - like a pet running or a live sports event - the higher frame rate ensures that the motion remains crisp and free of motion blur.
• Creative Storytelling: Slow-motion can add a cinematic effect to your videos, making everyday scenes appear more dramatic. It's an artistic tool often used in filmmaking to heighten emotional moments or focus attention on particular details.

In conclusion, the Oppo K12 Plus's dual-camera setup is versatile, offering a solid mix of high-resolution photography and ultra-wide-angle shooting. The combination of PDAF and OIS ensures that both casual and enthusiast photographers will be able to capture sharp, stable shots in most conditions.

The video capabilities, with gyro-EIS and OIS, offer smooth and stable footage, while the 120 fps recording allows for creative slow-motion videos. This camera system is well-suited to anyone looking for a reliable and flexible smartphone camera, with features that make it shine in both photography and videography.

Battery and Charging

(Related: Battery specs and charging types explained.)

Here are the relevant specs:

One of the most exciting features of the Oppo K12 Plus is its 6400 mAh battery. Oppo claims that the 80 W fast charging can take the battery to 50% in just 20 minutes, which is perfect for users who are always on the go. The device also supports 10 W reverse wired charging, allowing you to power up other devices like wireless earphones or a friend's phone.

The Oppo K12 Plus supports UFCS (Universal Fast Charging Specification) - a charging standard developed to unify various fast-charging protocols used by different manufacturers. It ensures that chargers and devices from different brands can communicate and adjust the power output to safely and efficiently deliver fast charging.

The goal of UFCS is to create a common standard that allows various devices, regardless of brand, to charge rapidly using the same fast-charging technology, thereby improving compatibility across devices and chargers. One of the biggest benefits of UFCS is that it eliminates the fragmentation seen with proprietary fast-charging standards. Typically, phones from different brands require chargers specifically designed for their fast-charging tech. UFCS makes it easier to use any certified charger without sacrificing speed.

For a midrange phone like the Oppo K12 Plus, this inclusion is a fantastic value-add, ensuring that your phone charges quickly while also being compatible with a wide range of charging accessories.

Sound

(Related: Know more about the sound specs and features.)

Here are the relevant specs:

Unfortunately, there's no 3.5 mm headphone jack, so you'll need wireless earbuds or a USB-C adapter for wired audio.

Connectivity

In terms of connectivity, the Oppo K12 Plus leaves little to be desired. With support for dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, it ensures you can connect to common Wi-Fi networks.

The K12 Plus boasts Bluetooth 5.4, ensuring a seamless and high-quality connection, whether you're connecting to headphones, speakers, or other devices. With features like A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile) for high-quality audio streaming, LE (Low Energy) for power efficiency, aptX HD for superior audio quality, and LHDC (Low-latency High-Definition audio Codec), your Bluetooth experience reaches new heights.

This phone is a true global traveler, supporting various positioning systems, including GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, BDS, and QZSS.

The Oppo K12 Plus features NFC, the digital magician! This technology allows you to make contactless payments, share files, and connect with other NFC-enabled devices with just a tap. It's like having a digital handshake, simplifying tasks and making your device interactions effortless.

The NFC support in the K12 Plus comes with eSE (Embedded Secure Element - acts as a virtual wallet, allowing you to make secure payments without exposing your actual payment details), HCE (Host Card Emulation - uses software-based encryption to securely transmit payment or access data to the receiving terminal without the need of a physical card), eID (Electronic Identity - enables secure and digital identification processes by utilizing short-range communication to exchange digital identity information between devices), and NFC-SIM (NFC Subscriber Identity Module - allows your device to communicate with other NFC devices and terminals, such as NFC readers, by facilitating the exchange of data and enabling actions like mobile payments, access control, or data transfer).

The Oppo K12 Plus also sports IR blaster, useful to use the phone as a universal remote control.

Last but not least, the trusty USB-C 2.0 - the universal connector. Whether you're charging your device, transferring files, or connecting to external devices, USB Type-C 2.0 ensures a reliable connection. It's the jack-of-all-trades, allowing you to expand your device's capabilities and stay connected to the wider world of technology. And the support for OTG (USB On-The-Go) enables your device to act as host and connect to other USB devices, such as flash drives, keyboards, cameras, and more, without needing a computer as an intermediary.

Sensors

The Oppo K12 Plus comes equipped with the following sensors:

• Proximity Sensor: Detects the presence or movement of an object (say, with infrared, sound, light, or electromagnetic fields) without physically contacting it. It is used, for example, to turn off the screen when you position your device close to your ear while making a call.
• Fingerprint Sensor: Used for quick and secure unlocking. It is the in-display, optical type in the K12 Plus.
• Gyro: The gyroscope can detect when your device is being twisted or turned in any direction. It enhances the accuracy of apps and games that rely on precise motion, like augmented reality (AR) apps and racing games.
• Accelerometer: The accelerometer detects changes in the device's orientation and acceleration. If you tilt, shake, or move your device, the accelerometer knows.
• Compass: The compass determines your device's orientation. It is essential for navigation apps, map orientation, and augmented reality experiences.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• What is Oppo K12 Plus release date?

  The Oppo K12 Plus has been announced on the 12th October, 2024. It is expected to release on the 15th October, 2024.

• What is Oppo K12 Plus price?

  The Oppo K12 Plus is priced starting from CNY 1899 (about USD 268) for the 8 GB / 256 GB variant, and goes up to CNY 2499 (about USD 353) for the 12 GB / 512 GB variant.