Once again, in 2024, the battle of the derivative flagships is underway. Purely in terms of specs, both are pretty indistinguishable for the typical user. The OnePlus 12 has the technical upper hand, and the Honor Magic 6 Pro uses a few feature trump cards. Ultimately, however, the better investment goes to the contender with the more balanced offer.
Performance
There is no discernible difference. Both use the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 as most flagships within the last few months' rollout lineup. Both have their own specialized cooling systems to maintain optimal performance for the longest time possible using the new SoC. Heck, even OS features are actually very similar, with only the unique UI perks between ColorOS and MagicOS as the contrasting factor.
For graphics processing, the competition would probably favor the Magic 6 Pro, at least with its slightly lower PPI. But again, it is pretty negligible if the unit is not absolutely maxed out, especially considering the minimum use of at least 12GB RAM, plus UFS 4.0 storage, for these types of models.
As for capacity variants, the OnePlus 12 has the versatility upper hand since 16GB RAM is already available even at 256 GB, and the 1TB variant uses 24GB RAM. The Magic 6 Pro, on the other hand, does not offer 16GB RAM until 512GB, and its 1TB is “stuck” at 16GB RAM.
Display
The slightly higher resolution on the OnePlus 12 (1440×3168) means it can display sharper and more detailed images/text on the same 6.8-inch screen compared to the Magic 6 Pro (1280×2800), which is even more enhanced using its HDR+10 compatibility, as opposed to the latter’s basic HDR support.
Unfortunately, we don’t have many technical details about “Jurhino Glass” on the Magic6 Pro, but it seems to work just fine. It doesn’t feel too different from the Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 used on the OnePlus 12.
Camera
The Magic 6 Pro receives a fair amount of points for its telephoto lens, with its 180MP spec, though on paper, it can only offer a 2.5x optical as opposed to the 3x optical zoom that the OnePlus 12’s 64MP telephoto lens camera can offer. For their selfie cameras, the OnePlus 12 has Auto-HDR and panorama modes, while the Magic6 Pro has additional depth and biometrics sensors.
The larger sensor size of 1/1.43-inch on the OnePlus 12 main camera can potentially improve low-light performance versus the 1/1.3-inch on the Magic 6 Pro. Hasselblad Color Calibration is available for the OnePlus 12, which can theoretically provide more natural and accurate colors. Oh, and did we mention that the OnePlus 12 could also record at 8K 24FPS? (However practical that would be)
Connectivity
OnePlus 12 supports more types of connections, as the Magic6 Pro does not have Bluetooth 5.4 and WiFi 6E (both have WiFi 7, though). Not exactly an appreciable difference from an everyday use standpoint, but a technical difference nonetheless. The Magic 6 Pro does have a DisplayPort 1.2 port, evening out the competition in the convenience department.
Battery capacities are pretty much the same (5400 and 5600 mAh), and its theoretical longevity should also be more or less the same given the SoC and cooling system used. We feel that the Magic6 Pro wins in the charging round since it offers 66W wireless charging, even if the OnePlus 12 has more charging options (100W/80W wired, 50W wireless).
AI Features
Both phones offer somewhat nifty-ish AI features that enhance user experience and convenience. The Honor Magic 6 Pro focuses more on overall device interaction and privacy with features like AI Motion Sensing Capture, AI Privacy Call, and Magic Portal. On the other hand, the OnePlus 12 emphasizes productivity and content consumption with features like AI Call Summarizer, AI GC Remover, and Article Summarizer.
Which is better ultimately depends on your specific needs and preferences. The Honor Magic 6 Pro may be better if you prioritize privacy and seamless device interaction. However, the OnePlus 12's features might be more appealing if you value productivity and content consumption.
Other Differences
- The Magic 6 Pro has an IR blaster
- The Magic 6 Pro has a better IP68 rating (compared to the OnePlus 12’s IP65)
- The Magic 6 Pro offers emergency satellite messaging
- OnePlus 12 can use eSIMs
- OnePlus 12 starts at $800, and the Magic 6 Pro starts at $1300
Which One is Better?
Hands down, in terms of price-per-feature-package, the OnePlus 12 wins on enough criteria for us to consider it the overall winner. That being said, the Magic 6 Pro has other very peculiar features that might be better for other users despite the significant difference in retail price. If those options are for you, then it might not be a bad idea to spend the extra.
