As a savvy shopper, I find the OnePlus 12 offering incredible value at up to $350 off

However, as a deal hunter, I must put my feelings aside, because more often than not, older devices like the OnePlus 12 are the ones that get the biggest discounts and offer more value for your hard-earned cash. And with OnePlus’s latest deal on this former flagship, that point holds even stronger.

While the phone isn’t discounted per se, you can slash a whole $300 off its price by entering promo code ‘BACK2COLLEGE’ at checkout. In addition, you can save up to an extra $50 with an eligible trade-in. This means you can score a brand-new OnePlus 12 with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage for as low as $549.99, which is an insanely good price. After all, this was OnePlus’s previous top-tier phone, and it could currently be yours for the price of a mid-ranger, making this deal one that’s hard to resist.

Would I buy the OnePlus 12 at just under $550 if I were in the market for a new phone and wasn’t a clamshell foldable fan? Absolutely. The techie in me might have judged me for choosing a phone that’s not state-of-the-art; however, the savvy shopper side of my persona would have applauded me for making a smart buying decision.

Sure, it may not be rocking Qualcomm’s top-of-the-line Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset like its successor, but its high-end Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC still packs a punch and can tackle demanding tasks and games without breaking a sweat. In addition, it rocks a capable 50MP main camera that takes gorgeous photos with vibrant colors and can also capture videos in 8K.

That said, the area where this bad boy really shines is its battery and charging speed. Thanks to its hefty 5,400mAh power cell, it can last you the day without any top-ups. And when it’s time to charge, you’ll have to wait only 37 minutes for it to reach 100%. That’s just bonkers for me.