What you need to know
- Full details of the OnePlus 12's display have been posted on Chinese social media by OnePlus President Li JieLouis.
- The OnePlus 12 sports a 6.82" BOE X1 OLED display with 3168 x 1440p resolution, 120Hz LTPO refresh rate, and 4,500 nits peak brightness.
- A separate leak detailed the 2,160Hz PWM frequency to protect users' eyes.
The screen brightness wars have officially begun! Last year's phones saw peak screen brightness climb from 1,750 nits to 2,000 nits on phones in the Spring, then to 2,400 nits on the Pixel 8 Pro in the Fall. Now, according to OnePlus President Li JieLouis, the upcoming OnePlus 12 will top off the year with an eye-searing 4,500 nits peak brightness.
JieLouis posted the information on Chinese social media site Weibo, proving that the OnePlus 12 will be able to top out at two-and-a-half times the brightness level of a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and nearly double that of the Pixel 8 Pro. That means this BOE-made OLED panel will be the brightest OLED panel ever used on a phone, making it incredibly easy to see outdoors, even in direct sunlight.
Surprisingly, even the maximum manual brightness of 1,722 nits matches the peak automatic brightness on the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Peak brightness ratings on OLED panels are derived from small portions of the display hitting a peak brightness level for a short period of time when using automatic brightness.
OLED panels on the best phones cannot hit the peak brightness rating for the entire panel without causing overheating or other issues since they are so bright. That means the OnePlus 12's entire display panel could get as bright as small portions of the Galaxy S23 Ultra's panel; a big win for BOE and its OLED displays.
Knowing that 4,500 nits are a lot for human eyes to handle — especially in dark rooms — BOE and OnePlus have built in what JieLouis calls "exclusive eye protection" technology. According to an earlier leak, this includes a 2160Hz PWM rate, meaning PWM-sensitive should feel very comfortable using this phone. For note, that's nearly 10x the rate Samsung uses on its flagship phones.
JieLouis also notes that the display will receive DisplayMate A+ certification, making it one of the most color-accurate and beautiful displays you can buy on any phone. The OnePlus 12 is expected to be released on December 5 in China with a rumored January 23 global launch.
