Update (April 12, 2024) : OnePlus has issued a correction to its original announcement: The company says their press release incorrectly announced that a "Gemini extra-large model" would debut on the OnePlus 12, when the press release should have said " Gemini model" instead. Since the Gemini comes in three models (Nano, Pro, and Ultra), it's unclear which models will make it to the OnePlus 12. So it's still possible that OnePlus plans to integrate Google's most powerful AI models on its smartphones, but we won't. We won't know until the company officially confirms what "model number" means.
The original text of the article is as follows:
The OnePlus 12 may have launched without AI support earlier this year, but OnePlus and Oppo (both owned by BBK) appear to have big plans for how to support AI in the future: OnePlus and Oppo have both announced that they will launch features powered by Gemini 1.0 Ultra powers its smartphones.
Gemini Ultra is the most powerful AI offered by Google, and so far it hasn't been included on any smartphone, not even Google's own Pixel 8 Pro, which comes with the Gemini Nano. When I reviewed both phones earlier this year, it was hard not to compare the OnePlus 12 to the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, but OnePlus will soon offer a more powerful suite of AI features than Galaxy AI currently has because Samsung opted for Gemini Pro, not Gemini Ultra.
Neither company has revealed a specific date for when we'll see the Gemini Ultra on OnePlus and Oppo phones, or even clear information on which smartphones from either company will be powered by Google's AI. However, we do know they are targeting "later this year."
After launching its latest smartphones, OnePlus has started rolling out features like AI Eraser, which works very similarly to Google's own Magic Eraser on Pixel phones and Google Photos. The feature isn't powered by Google's artificial intelligence, though, so it's unclear if it will get an upgrade or if it will continue to use the model it already relies on.
Regardless, the OnePlus 12 will surely become a more attractive flagship device for Android users once the Gemini and other OnePlus devices become available. The companies said they plan to launch a range of generative AI features, including generative photo editing, chat assistance and a host of other features already available on the Galaxy S24 and Pixel 8 series.
