OnePlus 13 review: The best Android phone you can stick in a dishwasher
OnePlus has skilled fairly a turnaround over the previous few years. As soon as often called the “flagship killer” firm, OnePlus ultimately misplaced its authentic model id and went via some tumultuous instances, however final 12 months’s OnePlus 12 signaled an enormous transformation that proved the corporate may make the perfect Android telephone round.
Now, the corporate has made the perfect Android telephone I’ve ever utilized in my 14 years of reviewing Android telephones. I’ve by no means given a telephone an ideal rating in all that point regardless of telephones which have innovated or elevated the taking part in subject, making the OnePlus 13 a very particular telephone.
It will get fairly actually every part proper. From the ground-breaking IP69 construct high quality to the perfect show ever reviewed by DisplayMate — together with essential eye care protections for customers like me who’re delicate to PWM dimming — and a digital camera that OnePlus proudly claims “meets and beats the perfect on the market.” There is no higher Android telephone available on the market than the OnePlus 13, and you will find out why in my full evaluation under.
OnePlus 13: Worth and availability
The OnePlus 13 is accessible globally on January 7, 2025. OnePlus presents a number of customization choices for the telephone, together with three colorways and two RAM/storage combos.
- OnePlus 13 (12GB / 256GB): US$899 / CAD$1249 / ₹69,999 / £899. Black Eclipse colorway solely.
- OnePlus 13 (16GB / 512GB): US$999 / CAD$1399 / ₹76.999 / £999. Black Eclipse, Midnight Ocean, Arctic Daybreak colorways.
- OnePlus 13 (24GB / 1TB): ₹89,999. Black Eclipse colorway solely.
For the primary month, Greatest Purchase and OnePlus.com are the perfect locations within the U.S. to purchase the OnePlus 13. Greatest Purchase is promoting the black mannequin in-store, whereas the black and white colorways can be found on-line. OnePlus.com has all the colours and out there configurations.
Greatest Purchase can be providing a free reminiscence improve — making the 16GB/512GB mannequin the identical worth because the 12GB/256GB mannequin — plus a US$100/CAD$150 Greatest Purchase present card at launch. That makes the OnePlus 13’s greatest SKU successfully US$799/CAD$1149 at launch from Greatest Purchase.
OnePlus.com can be providing a free reminiscence improve at launch plus a number of trade-in promotions. Prospects are capable of get a minimal of US$100/CAD$150 on any telephone in any situation (sure, meaning an previous damaged telephone), or as much as US$899/CAD$1249 for one thing newer, probably making the telephone completely free.
The OnePlus 13 is costlier than final 12 months’s telephone, however launch pricing promotions assist considerably offset that price and OnePlus nonetheless presents extra worth on the identical worth than the competitors.
OnePlus is following within the footsteps of firms like Samsung and Google — and even the OnePlus 12’s technical worth hike final 12 months — by elevating the worth of every SKU by $100. To maintain issues in perspective, although, the OnePlus 13 is similar worth as the bottom Galaxy S24 Plus and is $100 cheaper than the Pixel 9 Professional however presents extra RAM and storage than each of these telephones.
OnePlus says the price enhance is down to some essential components. First, the corporate is providing six years of software program updates this time round — 4 OS updates and 6 years of safety patches — in addition to important construct high quality and materials enhancements, making it the primary telephone to launch with IP69 certification.
OnePlus 13: Specs
No different flagship telephone to this point presents a spec sheet fairly just like the OnePlus 13, which tops out with the perfect specs in nearly each single class.
| Class | OnePlus 13 |
|---|---|
| OS | Oxygen OS 15 (Android 15 primarily based) |
| Show | 6.82-inch OLED, QHD+ (3168 x 1440), 1-120Hz LTPO 4.1, 4,500 nits (peak), Ceramic Guard glass |
| Show eye-friendly options | DC-like dimming, 2160Hz PWM dimming, 10-bit coloration depth with out dithering |
| Processor | Snapdragon 8 Elite |
| Reminiscence | 12GB, 16GB LPDDR5X RAM |
| Storage | 256GB, 512GB UFS 4.0 |
| Digicam 1 (Principal) | 50MP (OIS), Sony LYT-808 1/1.4″ sensor, f/1.6, 1.12 μm, 85-degree FoV |
| Digicam 2 (Ultrawide) | 50MP, Samsung S5KJN5 1/2.75″ sensor, f/2.05, 0.64 μm, 120-degree FoV |
| Digicam 3 (Telephoto) | 50MP (OIS), Sony LYT-600 1/1.95″ sensor, f/2.4, 0.8 μm, 3x optical zoom (120x digital zoom max) |
| Selfie Digicam | 32MP (Mounted focus), Sony IMX615 1/2.74″ sensor, f/2.2, 0.8 μm, 90-degree FoV |
| Battery | 6,000mAh (twin 3,000mAh) Silicon NanoStack |
| Charging | 80W/100W wired, 50W wi-fi |
| Safety | IP68, IP69, Ceramic Guard glass, non-compulsory vegan leather-based again |
| Safety | Ultrasonic in-glass fingerprint sensor |
| Connectivity | 5G, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 |
| Dimensions | 162.9 excessive x 76.5 large, 8.5mm skinny (Arctic/Black), 8.9mm skinny (Midnight Ocean) |
| Weight | 213g (Arctic/Black), 210g (Midnight Ocean) |
| Colours | Arctic Daybreak, Midnight Ocean, Black Eclipse |
OnePlus 13: Design and {Hardware}
The OnePlus 13 is the proper combine between traditional OnePlus telephone design and trendy telephone design traits. It retains the trademark alert slider on the facet, making it simple to modify between silent, vibrant, and regular quantity modes. It options the perfect haptics I’ve used on any non-Pixel telephone, and the brand new haptic moments in Oxygen OS 15 spotlight the haptic high quality over each different telephone available on the market.
Most Android producers have began making flatter telephones, and whereas the OnePlus 13 is the flattest flagship OnePlus has made in fairly a while, it isn’t as flat as a Galaxy S24 or Pixel 9. As a substitute, OnePlus struck a a lot nicer stability between its earlier design and people completely flat telephones, creating one thing that feels considerably higher to carry.
The facet rails are flat, however each the back and front of the telephone have a slight “2.5D” curved edge. This makes it simple to slip your finger beneath when it is sitting on a desk and makes it way more snug to carry and use than Google or Samsung’s overly flat designs. Not everybody will agree, however I do not like flat telephones and strongly dislike the pattern of constructing every part a flat slab.
Regardless of having a battery that is 600mAh bigger than the OnePlus 12, the OnePlus 13 finally ends up being a bit thinner — 9.2mm for the OnePlus 12 versus 8.5mm skinny for the Arctic and Black colorways, or 8.9mm skinny for the blue Midnight Ocean variant.
The textured glass on the Arctic and Black colorways is kind of good trying, however nothing can beat the vegan leather-based blue mannequin that I’ve bought for evaluation. Each firm’s “vegan leather-based” feels slightly completely different, and the one OnePlus makes use of right here seems like suede, which is especially becoming because it’s blue.
The blue vegan leather-based seems like suede and presents a superior stage of safety that no different flagship telephone available on the market presents via IP69 certification.
Visually, the blue OnePlus 13 is essentially the most stunning telephone I’ve ever used. The silver trim and white digital camera island appear and feel extremely elegant, and the vegan leather-based each add a layer of grip that cup cannot supply. Plus, in response to OnePlus, the telephone is much more sturdy since there is not any glass in any respect on the again.
It doesn’t matter what colorway you select, each OnePlus 13 is IP68 and IP69 water and dust-resistant. As Harish Jonnalagadda defined in his unique interview with OnePlus’s head of design, each certifications are essential as a result of they signify various things. IP68 covers water submersion, whereas IP69 consists of the power to resist high-pressure jets of water at as much as 80 levels Celsius.
Picture 1 of 7
The telephone’s haptics are next-level good, eclipsing most telephones available on the market in high quality and utilization creativity all through the day by day expertise.
To check this out, we ran a blue OnePlus 13 via a dishwasher’s sanitizing cycle for 4 hours. I then took the OnePlus 13 to a 68c/155f sauna and performed Minecraft on it for half an hour, all whereas maintaining it in one of many firm’s personal circumstances. The telephone by no means bought above 50c, however I am going to cowl efficiency in additional element in a separate part under.
That is the best-built Android telephone available on the market, full cease. OnePlus is so assured of the construct high quality that the corporate confirmed off a OnePlus 13 being dropped in scorching cooking oil, solely to fish it out and use it proper after. Humorous sufficient, like each different telephone available on the market, it isn’t rated for salt water.
Watch On
This additionally marks the primary time a OnePlus flagship has acquired correct IP68 certification. Prior fashions may technically face up to the identical torture exams as different manufacturers, however OnePlus would not essentially assure efficiency because it wasn’t licensed. That adjustments with the OnePlus 13.
That is the best-built Android telephone available on the market, full cease. You’ll be able to even sanitize it in your dishwasher due to the IP69 certification.
OnePlus additionally launched a couple of new communications options on the OnePlus 13, together with BeaconLink and prolonged Bluetooth vary. BeaconLink helps you to name one other OnePlus 13 (when permission is granted) utilizing simply Bluetooth. It is form of a “walkie-talkie” mode that was enjoyable to make use of throughout the OnePlus 13’s unveiling occasion and may attain so far as 200 meters away. Whether or not or not you may really use this in actual life is its personal dialog, although.
OnePlus can be debuting an expanded Bluetooth vary for earbuds in a Q1 replace, so you may hold taking part in music from throughout the home (or workplace) with out it chopping out and in.
Picture 1 of 19
You will nonetheless want a case to get full Qi2 help with MagSafe magnets.
My one disappointment with the {hardware} is the shortage of built-in Qi2 help with no case. All the official OnePlus 13 circumstances embody magnets and full Qi2 help — even the total 15W wi-fi charging velocity — however it’s irritating that no Android firm can appear to get magnets in a flagship telephone, even in 2025. OnePlus clearly is not alone right here, and, to the corporate’s credit score, it’s the solely model promoting official circumstances with Qi2 help on the time this evaluation was written.
Earlier than we depart the subject of circumstances, for those who decide up a OnePlus 13 this 12 months, you should definitely verify the compatibility with the case you need before you purchase it. All the official OnePlus circumstances include a small insert that helps shut the hole between the Arctic/Black colorways and the Ocean blue one — bear in mind, the blue OnePlus 13 is slightly thicker due to the vegan leather-based — which implies some circumstances probably will look slightly off.
OnePlus 13: Show
The OnePlus 13 options the perfect show of any telephone available on the market — an award that usually adjustments palms each few months however feels extra essential on this telephone than some others. Notably, OnePlus would not use a Samsung show. Whereas many take into account Samsung AMOLED panels to be “the perfect” for picture high quality, Samsung has been slipping over the previous few years.
The OnePlus 13’s OLED panel has not solely achieved the first-ever DisplayMate A++ certification due to its new extra-high brightness RadiantView mode, however it additionally achieved the extra essential TÜV Rheinland Clever Eye Care 4.0 certification. Telephones just like the Pixel 9 Professional might need a brighter customary output, however they do not obtain that in a approach that is protected on your eyes, resulting in PWM dimming sensitivity in individuals like me.
The telephone makes use of a real 10-bit panel and would not dither, serving to to additional seal its eye-friendly certification. Dithering is used when a show tries to point out a coloration it is not bodily able to, so it flashes a pixel between two colours in a short time to trick your eyes into seeing a coloration that does not exist. Consider it like a spinning coloration wheel from the elementary faculty days. Evidently, one of these flickering hurts some individuals’s eyes and may trigger complications, however the OnePlus 13 is free from such nonsense.
Watch On
That is the perfect smartphone show ever made and it achieves show excellence with out sacrificing eye well being, in contrast to Samsung or Pixel telephones.
Whenever you step into the daylight, the OnePlus 13’s RadiantView daylight show algorithm kicks in to spice up brightness past what different telephones available on the market supply. Samsung famously added an anti-glare layer to its display screen on the Galaxy S24 Extremely to assist with daylight visibility, however the OnePlus 13 is even simpler to see in daylight regardless of not sporting this layer.
I examined this myself on a sunny seaside within the Bahamas, so I do know it isn’t simply advertising fluff.
The show itself is absolutely flat, however the glass surrounding it has a quad-curved edge. Meaning some tempered glass display screen protectors shall be absolutely flat whereas others add on a tapered edge. I will be testing a number of completely different tempered glass display screen protectors as quickly as they arrive, however know that the OnePlus 13 comes with a pre-installed film-type display screen protector to maintain it from getting scratched.
Even with no display screen protector, OnePlus says it selected Ceramic Guard glass over Gorilla Glass as a result of it presents higher scratch and drop safety.
The OnePlus 13 has the one ultrasonic fingerprint sensor that is ever labored effectively for me.
Underneath the show is a brand new ultrasonic fingerprint sensor that replaces the optical sensors OnePlus has used for the reason that firm’s first telephone. I usually detest ultrasonic sensors as they do not work effectively for me and I’ve famous this on each telephone I’ve reviewed with an ultrasonic sensor over the previous few years. I can fortunately say that the one on the OnePlus 13 would not undergo from the identical issues.
Up to now, I’ve solely had one or two cases the place dry winter pores and skin affected unlocking efficiency for me. In the meantime, the Galaxy S24 and Pixel 9 collection usually have hassle studying my fingerprint even within the heat months. Ultrasonic sensors even have the power to learn your fingerprint when it is moist, so no must dry your palms when cooking if you should unlock your telephone.
OnePlus 13: Battery life, charging, and efficiency
One of many foremost causes individuals have chosen OnePlus telephones lately is as a result of they function the quickest charging speeds out there. Battery nervousness fully disappears with a telephone just like the OnePlus 13 since you do not want greater than quarter-hour to high up your battery due to the corporate’s SUPERVOOC 80W charging functionality.
OnePlus nonetheless features a charger within the field, which means you will not need to spend one other $50 on one thing that’ll offer you full velocity. It is but another excuse OnePlus presents higher worth than different firms, and it ensures you get the perfect expertise out of the field. I at all times appear to underestimate simply how briskly this telephone prices and am always shocked once I plug it in for 10 or quarter-hour and see that it is already within the 80% vary.
For those who’ve by no means used a OnePlus telephone earlier than, you are going to be completely blown away by not solely how good the battery life is, but additionally by how briskly it prices.
To assist with battery security and longevity, OnePlus has not solely packed 14 temperature sensors into the telephone however has improved its battery by together with 10% silicon content material. That makes it a 5.5% denser battery than the OnePlus 12, permitting the corporate to make it 600mAh bigger whereas nonetheless decreasing the bodily dimension and weight of the battery.
For those who’ve by no means used a OnePlus telephone earlier than, you are going to be completely blown away by not solely how good the battery life is but additionally by how briskly it prices. It places each main flagship telephone to disgrace, and I can assure you may by no means wish to return to a Samsung, Apple, or Google telephone once more after this.
The OnePlus 13 is greater than twice as quick because the Google Pixel 9 collection and thermal administration makes it the quickest Snapdragon 8 Elite telephone out there at the moment.
As I famous beforehand, I took the OnePlus 13 right into a 155f/68c sauna for an excessive 30-minute gaming stress take a look at. Although it was in a case — one thing that normally hinders thermal administration — the telephone by no means bought above 50c despite the fact that the atmosphere round it was 68c.
I even have by no means seen the telephone falter as soon as in its impeccable efficiency, whether or not that is regular day-to-day scrolling or taking part in video games at 120FPS. Multitasking is the perfect I’ve seen amongst any flagship telephone, together with a multitasking UI that makes it simple to rapidly swap between apps sooner than some other telephone I’ve used.
| Row 0 – Cell 0 | Single-core | Multi-core |
| OnePlus 13 (Snapdragon 8 Elite) | 2893 | 9058 |
| Apple iPhone 16 Professional Max (Apple A18 Professional) | 3386 | 8306 |
| Asus ROG Telephone 9 Professional (Snapdragon 8 Elite) | 2012 | 8076 |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely (Snapdragon 8 Gen 3) | 2300 | 7249 |
| Google Pixel 9 Professional XL (Google Tensor G4) | 1929 | 4747 |
A row of app icons on the underside of the Recents display screen makes it attainable to immediately transfer between 7 apps at a time, feeling extra like desktop OS taskbar effectivity moderately than the bumbling UI Google usually makes use of in inventory Android and on Pixel telephones.
OnePlus has additionally added the incredible Canvas performance from the OnePlus Open foldable, making it simple to run an app in practically full display screen with a second app “in ready” for terribly environment friendly 2-app multitasking. That is higher than conventional split-screen multitasking on a telephone as a result of the principle app takes up a lot of the show moderately than being reduce in half.
OnePlus 13: Cameras
For ages, OnePlus has lagged behind the pack with its smartphone cameras. That every one adjustments with the OnePlus 13. It isn’t solely the primary OnePlus telephone I believe is worthy of the Hasselblad branding — regardless of this being the fifth 12 months OnePlus telephones have donned the “H” — however it’s simply probably the greatest smartphone cameras I’ve ever used.
It is also the primary time I may use a OnePlus telephone and never really feel like I must take alongside a second telephone to make sure I get the perfect picture. In reality, a lot of the images on this evaluation had been taken from a OnePlus 13 utilizing the telephone’s RAW picture possibility.
This telephone’s digital camera goes toe-to-toe with the perfect from Google, Samsung, Apple, Honor, and Vivo in each class, and it is downright unimaginable to see OnePlus make such an enormous leap in high quality in a single technology. A few of it’s all the way down to the brand new Sony LYT digital camera sensors utilized in the principle and telephoto cameras on the again, however loads of it has to do with software program.
OnePlus is introducing a model new twin publicity algorithm that’s used with each single seize and shines in HDR and movement seize. Contemplating these had been the one two actual weak factors of the OnePlus 12’s digital camera, it is good to see that OnePlus centered on these areas a lot.
That is the primary time I felt like a OnePlus telephone was worthy of the Hasselblad digital camera branding.
Twin publicity powers the upgraded motion mode, which might seize shifting topics simply in addition to a Pixel or Honor telephone, each of which maintain the crown in shifting topic seize. It is a large step ahead for the corporate and solidifies the sensation that you could lastly take into account a OnePlus telephone if a superb digital camera is the principle purpose you select your smartphone.
OnePlus says it is best to carry down the shutter button to get a burst of images with the corporate’s new Clear Burst algorithm, however I’ve discovered that the AI-based processing mannequin does a wonderful job of mechanically choosing the perfect picture even if you simply faucet the shutter button as soon as.
For those who take an image and faucet the preview picture quick sufficient, you may usually have the ability to see the picture processing rapidly and select the perfect picture for the tip outcome. Holding down the shutter button offers you extra handbook management and allows you to select from a choice of burst photographs for those who favor that.
Take this instance above, which is definitely probably the greatest images I’ve ever captured with a smartphone digital camera. This bowling alley is in a dimly lit bar in downtown Asheville, which is already a troublesome atmosphere for a smartphone digital camera. Most telephones would overexpose this picture and make it appear like mid-day. Not the OnePlus 13, which completely nails the publicity and captures the temper completely.
Then, there’s the bowling ball in the midst of the picture. It was touring down the lane once I captured the shot, however in contrast to most different smartphones, the ball is completely crisp, and the second is enshrined within the picture to utter perfection.
I have been blown away by the digital camera high quality of the OnePlus 13, which now tops the perfect Android digital camera experiences out there.
However it’s not simply shifting picture seize that has improved. Each the principle and telephoto cameras ship an distinctive expertise that has delighted me always over the previous few weeks as I’ve taken this telephone to the Bahamas, on snowy hikes, and to a number of completely different Christmas gentle reveals and occasions.
Telephoto efficiency is actually distinctive utilizing the brand new Sony LYT-600 sensor and OnePlus’s new flat Triprism lens. This lens is 24% smaller and 30% lighter than the OnePlus 12’s design, all whereas delivering higher outcomes. As is the case with most telephones, 30X zoom is the place it’s best to cease for those who’re involved about the highest quality, however OnePlus presents as much as 120X zoom for those who’re feeling actually fortunate.
There wasn’t a single class the place I noticed the OnePlus 13’s digital camera falter. Whether or not I used to be taking a wide-angle low-light picture of a twinkling downtown Asheville intersection, a portrait shot of the flamboyant mermaid Santa glass I bought at a tiki bar, or selfies of my spouse and me on a Royal Caribbean cruise, I used to be amazed on the high quality on show from this telephone.
I am going to have a extra detailed digital camera evaluation that breaks down each nook and cranny of the telephone’s digital camera efficiency, however in the interim, listed below are a few of my favourite photographs taken with the telephone previously three weeks.
Picture 1 of 6
Movement seize is top-notch, going toe-to-toe with Pixel and Honor telephones for the primary time ever.
The OnePlus 13 additionally presents OnePlus the chance to additional enhance its digital camera software program and UI. A brand new scene choice mode helps you to select from Stage, Silhouette, and Fireworks scenes to greatest optimize the shot you are going for. It isn’t precisely an in depth record, however these fast alternatives do turn out to be useful for those who’re at a live performance or making an attempt to take particular varieties of images.
Motion mode and movement images are additionally improved, with motion mode sporting a 60FPS viewfinder and improved seize time that is twice the velocity of the OnePlus 12 in my exams.
The OnePlus 13 is without doubt one of the solely telephones that also presents 480FPS gradual movement video, whereas most “flagships” cease at 240FPS. Even Samsung deserted its 960FPS modes final 12 months and hasn’t bothered providing something higher, though the corporate’s on the spot slow-mo function (powered by AI) is a ton of enjoyable to make use of.
All 4 cameras help 4K Dolby Imaginative and prescient HDR seize, and a brand new flat telephoto lens delivers higher high quality at a decreased footprint.
You will discover 4K Dolby Imaginative and prescient HDR video seize on all the telephone’s cameras, together with the entrance digital camera. That makes it attainable to pick out the standard you need with out having to fret about which digital camera could make use of it. Many telephones nonetheless solely supply particular high quality alternatives for the principle digital camera, and this may be complicated.
OnePlus has additionally drastically improved its real-time zoom algorithm and now sports activities just about no pop-in when zooming between cameras. I’ve discovered that for those who zoom in or out too rapidly between cameras after beginning a video, you may see a short transition between lenses, however that goes away after a couple of seconds. Most telephones nonetheless wrestle to supply actually easy transitions between lenses like this, and once more, it is nice to see OnePlus work on an annoying weak level like this.
Picture 1 of 2
OnePlus did not spend an excessive amount of time speaking about AI in its presentation for the telephone, however it did (rightfully) spotlight the AI options discovered within the telephone’s gallery app. As Android Central’s Equipment Editor, Namerah Saud-Fatmi, came upon final October when she pitted OnePlus’s new AI options in opposition to Google’s well-known Magic Eraser, OnePlus would not simply maintain its personal — it really does issues higher than the competitors.
Not solely that, however OnePlus does a greater job of surfacing these options than Samsung, matching Google Images’ intelligent strategies by including a dynamic button for beneficial AI options when scrolling via images. Options like AI unblur are urged on images which have apparent blurring.
Fortunately, due to the wonderful movement seize, you will not have to do that fairly often, however you may at all times contact up previous images with OnePlus’ glorious AI options.
OnePlus 13: Software program
The OnePlus 13 launches with the Android 15-based OxygenOS 15, which sports activities an similar function set to Oppo’s Coloration OS discovered on telephones just like the OPPO Discover X8 Professional. Oxygen OS 15 has been out there on the OnePlus 12, OnePlus 12R, OnePlus Open, and several other different OnePlus telephones for round 2 months now, so a lot of the function set is not something new.
In abstract, you may get probably the greatest Android UIs out there at the moment, together with tons of customization choices, cleverly designed UI components and buttons that make it simple to seek out what you want rapidly, and distinctive components just like the OnePlus Shelf on the house display screen that you could be or could not use (I do not).
OnePlus additionally launched many AI options with Oxygen OS 15, like AI writing assist, images enhancement instruments — not generative AI stuff like Samsung and Google have carried out — and helpful instruments like Google’s Circle to Search. Most of this stuff are anticipated in trendy telephones, however I am pleased that OnePlus is not always pushing them in our faces like another firms have.
Oxygen OS 15 is the epitome of a wonderful model of Android, however I wish to see extra AI options with offline capabilities.
My largest critique of those instruments is not their performance. They really work extremely effectively and sometimes higher than on different telephones. The difficulty is that nothing is completed domestically; as an alternative, all of those AI instruments run by way of cloud computing. Meaning there is not any method to run them with out an web connection and no assure they will nonetheless be out there six years down the street when OnePlus ends software program help for the telephone.
OnePlus says it would doubtless transfer the most well-liked options to native computing down the street as soon as it identifies those individuals take pleasure in utilizing usually. I would moderately see the corporate go native first and supply cloud companies for higher velocity or accuracy, however OnePlus says it went this route as a result of it makes it simpler to scale performance at a greater price.
No matter the place AI computing is completed, OxygenOS 15 stays my favourite Android taste available on the market at the moment. It is full of unimaginable options, has the perfect UI and multitasking, and someway feels each quick and gentle regardless of being feature-rich.
OnePlus 13: The competitors
OnePlus’s most direct competitors within the U.S. is the Google Pixel 9 Professional and Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus. Each telephones retail for a similar worth however supply much less RAM and fewer storage. Moreover, each are slower — considerably extra so within the Pixel’s case — each supply worse shows which might be harsher in your eyes, and Samsung’s haptics really feel downright pitiful in comparison with Google or OnePlus’s.
Charging velocity can be embarrassingly gradual on Samsung and Google telephones in comparison with OnePlus, and battery life is healthier on the OnePlus 13 than both of those gadgets. The one actual benefit of going both to Samsung or Google is that you will get three extra OS updates earlier than you might wish to purchase a brand new telephone. I am undecided how many individuals really maintain on to telephones for greater than 5 years, however it’s nonetheless a bonus Google and Samsung have for now.
Internationally, manufacturers like Vivo supply the same UI on some telephones and may additionally supply barely higher cameras relying on what you want photographing. General, the digital camera enhancements OnePlus made with the OnePlus 13 imply that even telephones just like the Vivo X100 Professional are outclassed in issues like movement seize or video recording high quality.
If worth is the largest concern, a OnePlus 12 could be had for a couple of hundred {dollars} much less and presents lots of the greatest options of the OnePlus 13. It is not IP69 rated, its digital camera is not fairly pretty much as good, and the curved show actually irritates some individuals, however it’s blazing quick, presents unimaginable haptics, and sports activities all the perfect Oxygen OS 15 options the OnePlus 13 has.
OnePlus 13: Do you have to purchase it?
You can purchase this if…
- You need a unique-looking telephone that is constructed higher than you thought a telephone might be.
- You want a wonderful digital camera expertise that may seize children and pets with out blur.
- You are an influence consumer who loves peak efficiency, multitasking, and thermal administration.
- You are bored with battery nervousness on telephones and need a telephone that’ll cost in just some minutes.
You should not purchase this if…
- You wish to use AI instruments with offline performance.
- You wish to hold utilizing your telephone for greater than 6 years with updates.
The OnePlus 13 is the perfect Android telephone ever made. It is the one telephone I’ve ever given an ideal evaluation rating as a result of there is not any space the place the telephone falters or wants actual enchancment. The {hardware} is pretty much as good because it will get, providing the perfect haptics, superior construct high quality, top-notch design, and distinctive options just like the alert slider. It additionally has a show that is each best-in-class and protected on your eyes in the long run, in contrast to the competitors in North America.
The worth for the cash nonetheless eclipses every part else in its class regardless of the $100 worth enhance over final 12 months’s OnePlus 12. Extra RAM and storage than the competitors means it will really feel newer for longer than different telephones, and the top-tier efficiency and multitasking will make any energy consumer pleased. Plus, there’s merely nothing just like the OnePlus 13’s battery life or charging speeds.
The OxygenOS 15 software program expertise is the cream-of-the-crop Android expertise, offering an intelligently designed UI with tons of options you may really wish to use as a result of they’re simple to seek out — not hidden in tons of sub-menus or requiring extra downloads like another manufacturers. It is also not overly full of ineffective AI bloat that you simply’d in all probability use as soon as and overlook about.
And let’s not overlook concerning the digital camera, which someway meets and even generally beats the perfect available on the market. It is a place I by no means thought I would see a OnePlus telephone in, but the OnePlus 13 sports activities a digital camera that everybody will love to make use of all day. The OnePlus 13 is a triumph of a telephone that everybody ought to take into account, and it is nearly actually the 2025 telephone of the 12 months regardless of launching within the first two weeks of January.
