Top phones launching in December 2023: OnePlus 12, iQOO 12, Redmi 13C, and more

The month of December has started and so have we with the launch of numerous flagships, mid-range and budget models. The main highlight among the launches is the newly announced Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, which will power three top-end models launching in December. These include the OnePlus 12, iQOO 12, and Realme GT 5 Pro.

The month will also see budget launches like the Redmi 13C, which will have both 4G and 5G models in India. If you are waiting to know the top smartphone launches in December, here’s the list. 

OnePlus 12

Launch date: December 5th in China

After debuting the OnePlus 11 last year, the company is now ready with the OnePlus 12 flagship in China first and gradually expand to other markets, including India. The phone comes with Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, which is quite new. The company has been vocally teasing newer features of the phone, including the display and cameras. The renders of the phone have also surfaced online recently.

OnePlus 12 specifications (expected)

• Display: 6.82-inch 2K LTPO BOE X1 OLED display with an OPPO P1 display chip and BOE single-pixel calibrating technology.
• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 with Adreno GPU.
• RAM and Storage: Up to 24GB RAM and 1TB storage.
• Cameras: 50MP Sony LYT-808 1/1.4″ primary camera, a 50MP ultra-wide-angle Sony IMX581 sensor, and a 64MP 1/2.0″ periscope-telephoto lens with a focal length of 70mm, 3x optical zoom, f/2.6 aperture, and OIS. There could be a 32MP shooter
• Battery: 5,400mAh battery with 100W wired charging and 50W wireless charging support.
• OS: The phone runs on Android 14-based OxygenOS custom skin out of the box.
• Connectivity: 5G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth V5.3, NFC, GPS, and a USB Type-C port.

iQOO Neo 9 series

Launch timeline: December

iQOO Neo 9 series is confirmed to launch in China in December and these will come as successors to the iQOO Neo 8 lineup. The company already revealed the teaser image and this confirmed the design of the phones. We see a dual-tone design and two rear camera sensors. The phone appears to have a metallic frame and this improves the overall durability. We hope to learn the exact launch date in the next few days.

iQOO Neo 9 series specifications (expected)

• Display: 6.78-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with probably a 120Hz refresh rate and a punch-hole cutout.
• Processor: The standard iQOO Neo 9 will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC.
• The iQOO Neo 9 Pro is rumoured to ship with the MediaTek Dimensity 9300 SoC.
• RAM and Storage: Up to 16GB RAM and 256GB storage.
• OS: Android 14 OS out of the box.
• Battery and fast charging: 5000mAh battery, 120W fast charging.
• The iQOO Neo 9 series might ship with a 50MP Sony IMX920 primary camera, as per leaks.

iQOO 12

Launch date: December 12th in India

After launching the iQOO 12 series in China earlier this month, the brand is gearing up to introduce the standard model in India. The phone will be debuting on December 12th in the country and will be a flagship offering. The iQOO 12 will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC and bear a 144Hz AMOLED display. The phone also comes with a 64MP periscope telephoto camera and boot Android 14 OS.

Rumours have it the iQOO 12 will be priced under Rs 60,000 or between Rs 53,000 and Rs 55,000 to be precise. The phone will be sold in two variants: 12GB + 256GB and 16GB + 512GB.

iQOO 12 specifications

• Display: The iQOO 12 will feature a 6.78-inch 1.5K LTPO OLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate, 2160Hz PWM, 3000nits peak brightness, and a punch-hole cutout.
• OS: The smartphone will be the first non-Pixel phone in India to come with Android 14 out of the box. It’ll come with Funtouch OS 14 custom skin. It’ll come with three years of OS support and will be bloatware-free, the company has confirmed.
• Processor: The iQOO 12 flagship will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC paired with Adreno GPU. There could be a dedicated Q1 chip as well.
• Cameras: The iQOO 12 will feature a 50MP 1/1.3-inch main camera with OIS, a 50MP ultra-wide-angle lens and a 64MP periscope telephoto camera with 3x zoom.
• Front camera: The phones could have a 16MP snapper on the front for selfies and video chats. 
• RAM/Storage: 12GB/16GB LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB/512GB/1TB UFS 4.0 storage options.
• Battery: The iQOO 12 is expected to pack a 5,000mAh battery and 120W fast charging support. While the Pro version could have a bigger 5,100mAh battery and 50W wireless charging.

Redmi 13C 4G and 5G

Launch date: December 6th in India

Redmi 13C is the brand’s new budget offering that debuted in China a while ago. The company now confirmed the phone will launch in India on December 6th. Alongside, the 4G model, there will also be a 5G version on the same stage. Since the phone already debuted, we know its complete design and specifications.

Redmi 13C specifications

• Display: 6.74-inch HD+ display with a 90Hz refresh rate, 260ppi pixel density, 600 × 720 pixels resolution, Corning Gorilla Glass protection, and 450 nits peak brightness.
• Processor: MediaTek Helio G85 SoC with Mali G52 GPU.
• RAM/Storage: 4GB/6GB/8GB RAM and 128GB/ 256GB eMMC 5.1 internal storage.
• Battery: 5,000mAh battery with 18W fast charging support.
• Connectivity: 4G, dual-SIM, WiFi 802.11, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, and GPS.
• Software: Android 13-based MIUI 14 OS out of the box.
• Cameras: 50MP primary camera and a 2MP macro lens. There is an 8MP shooter on the front for selfies.

Vivo S18, S18 Pro

Launch date: December 4th in China

Vivo S18 and S18 Pro will be launching in China on December 4th, as confirmed by the brand officially. The teaser image revealed the design of the phone, showcasing a large rectangular module to house the triple camera sensors and a soft Aura Light for low-light photography. The phone can be seen in Blue and Green colour options. The Vivo S18 series will have two models: the Vivo S18 and S18 Pro.

Vivo S18 and S18 specifications (expected)

• Display: OLED display with curved edges.
• Processor: The Vivo S18 is rumoured to be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chipset.
• While the Pro model is expected to be powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 9200+ SoC.
• RAM and Storage: 8GB/12GB/16GB RAM and 256GB/512GB storage.
• Battery and fast charging: The Vivo S18 could feature a 5,000mAh battery and 80W fast charging.
• Camera: 50MP Sony IMX920 sensor.

Realme GT 5 Pro

Launch date: December 7th

Realme GT 5 Pro will be the most premium flagship from the company in a while and going by what’s confirmed so far, the phone is turning out to be a monster. Realme has been quite openly teasing and revealing newer details about the phone. It confirmed the display hardware of the phone and the rear camera design has been teased as well. Realme GT 5 Pro will be equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset.

Realme GT 5 Pro specifications

• Display: 6.78-inch 1.5K AMOLED Pro-XDR 8T LTPO display with 144Hz refresh rate, 4500nits peak brightness, 2160Hz PWM, 0-144Hz refresh rate, and TUV Rheinland.
• Chipset: The upcoming Realme GT 5 Pro will be running on Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset.
• RAM/Storage: 24GB RAM and 1TB storage
• OS: The Realme GT 5 Pro is expected to run on Realme UI 5.0 based on Android 14.
• Battery: 5,400mAh battery, supported by a 100W wired fast charger and 50W wireless charging.
• Cameras: 50MP Sony LYT-T808 sensor with OIS, a 50MP Sony IMX 890 periscope telephoto sensor, and an 8MP OmniVision OV0810 ultrawide sensor. There is a 32MP shooter on the front.