OnePlus has been a bit up and down because it merged with Oppo again in 2021. It gained larger entry to highly effective elements and partnerships with manufacturers like Hasselblad, whereas its software program and product lineup took a number of steps again earlier than discovering its stride once more. However now, three generations after the merger, OnePlus’ newest flagship telephone — the OnePlus 13 — looks like a implausible return to kind. In some areas, the corporate is even pushing the bounds of {hardware} and gadget design in ways in which rivals from Samsung and Google aren’t. And with a beginning worth of $900, OnePlus has managed to undercut its closest competitor too, which makes this telephone an awesome selection for anybody who cares extra about getting {hardware} upgrades than fancy new AI methods.
Design and show: Peak brightness and magnificence
In a time when Apple, Google and Samsung’s prime telephones all sport minor twists on virtually the identical system, I like that OnePlus is doing its personal factor. As a substitute of a totally boxy design, the OP13 has tapered edges that curve gently to satisfy its metallic body. You continue to get the corporate’s signature Alert Slider which makes it a cinch to set your telephone’s ringer to silent, vibrate or absolutely audible. However my favourite design characteristic is that when you go for the Midnight Ocean or Artic Daybreak colours, the telephone comes with a micro-fiber vegan leather-based again. And in a world stuffed with glass bricks, OnePlus’ natural upholstery is just a pleasure to the touch. That is the type of handset I’d really feel unhappy to throw in a case.
In the meantime, the OP13’s 6.8-inch OLED panel dazzles due to shiny, vivid colours and a silky 120Hz refresh price. With a peak of as much as 4,500 nits, it will get even brighter than different Android flagships together with Samsung’s new Galaxy S25 Extremely (2,600 nits). The one aesthetic selection I’m nonetheless unsure about is the big round digicam module on the again. Between its pearlescent end and the 4 circles for its lenses and the flash/autofocus system, it nearly appears like OnePlus smashed a chronograph watch into the rear of the telephone. However perhaps that’s simply me.
Efficiency and software program: A lot reminiscence
The OnePlus 13 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chip together with 16GB of RAM and as much as 512GB of storage. Nonetheless, in contrast to the processors utilized in Samsung’s Galaxy S25 household, the chip within the OP13 doesn’t characteristic any further customizations or overclocking. This results in benchmark outcomes which are about 5 p.c decrease (9,267 for the OP13 vs 9,828 for the Galaxy S25 Extremely in Geekbench 6 multi-core). In the true world, although, the telephone nonetheless feels blisteringly quick.
I’d even argue that because of the OP13’s larger quantity of reminiscence, it’s a better option for multitaskers or anybody who likes holding a bunch of apps open within the background. Moreover, over the previous few years, OnePlus has refined Oxygen OS in order that it feels smoother and extra responsive than it did when it grew to become a fork of Oppo’s ColorOS again in 2022.
On the AI entrance, OnePlus is holding issues refreshingly lowkey. The telephone helps Google Gemini and Circle to Seek for all of your summarizing and question-asking wants. There’s additionally an improved search characteristic contained in the telephone itself that makes it a bit simpler to search out particular information and a better Notes app that makes use of machine studying to shine up, elaborate or condense fast ideas. However that’s about it other than an AI-powered translation characteristic that arrived shortly after launch, which is mostly competent however not particularly novel or thrilling. So whereas AI is certainly current, it isn’t almost as large of a spotlight as it’s on the Galaxy S25 household, which isn’t a foul factor.
Cameras: Practically prime tier
The OnePlus 13 encompasses a trio of 50-megapixel sensors for its predominant, ultra-wide and 3x telephoto lenses, plus a laser-detect autofocus system for elevated sharpness. Altogether, it’s a stable bundle that may seize great-looking photos at a wide range of distances and viewing angles, with OnePlus including issues like its twin publicity Clear Burst tech to assist make snapping fast-moving topics a bit simpler.
By way of picture high quality, the OP13 does a great job of splitting the distinction between having wealthy, saturated colours and crisp particulars, however with out exaggerating issues such as you typically see on Samsung telephones, which are inclined to oversharpen or push heat tones a bit too laborious. OnePlus’ 3x optical zoom lens matches these on equally priced rivals just like the S25+, although it's nonetheless in need of the 5x lenses discovered on the Pixel 9 Professional and S25 Extremely.
One small problem is that in low gentle, the OP13’s Evening Mode generally struggled to maintain up with the Pixel 9’s Evening Sight, leading to images that aren’t fairly as sharp or detailed as you’d like them to be. It’s shut, however to me, OnePlus’ cameras stay a half-tier beneath Samsung, Google and Apple when taking pictures pics in darker environments.
Battery life and charging: Tremendous quick, nevertheless it’s proprietary
It looks like each high-end Android telephone has been caught with 5,000mAh batteries for the previous half-decade. However for this go round, the OnePlus 13 has smashed previous that barrier with a 6,000mAh cell, leading to class-leading longevity. On our native video rundown take a look at, it posted a time of 30 hours and 18 minutes, which is nearly an hour longer than the Galaxy S25 Extremely (29:27) and almost three hours higher than a fundamental Pixel 9 (27:32).
In the meantime with regards to recharging, the OnePlus 13 leads the way in which too with wired speeds of as much as 100 watts or a powerful 50 watts wirelessly. Nonetheless, the main caveat is that as a result of OnePlus depends on its proprietary SUPERVOOC tech, you’ll solely get these blistering charges when utilizing the corporate’s first-party peripherals. Fortunately, an 80-watt charger comes within the field, although if you wish to hit max energy, you’ll have to improve to OnePlus’ 100W Twin Port adapter. It’s an identical scenario for wi-fi charging, which requires the corporate’s 50W AIRVOOC puck. That mentioned, the OP13 recharges greater than twice as quick as a Galaxy S25 when utilizing a cable and greater than 3 times faster wirelessly. Plus, you possibly can nonetheless use common energy adapters in a pinch, you’ll simply must stay with vastly decreased wattages.
One other small wrinkle is that although OnePlus says the 13 helps Qi2 charging, it doesn’t play properly with magnetic third-party equipment with out some assist. In my testing, whereas the telephone offers a weak magnetic connection, each Qi2 peripheral I attempted slid off with the slightest motion. Like Samsung did with the Galaxy S25, OnePlus’ resolution was to make a case with its personal set of magnets that enables add-ons to connect with a lot larger safety.
Wrap-up
All through the years, OnePlus has used taglines like “flagship killer” and “extremely in each approach” as a method of taking photographs at its greatest rivals from Samsung, Google and extra. However for the OnePlus 13, it looks like the corporate simply went and made a very stable premium handset with no bunch of AI fluff. The telephone has wonderful efficiency, an enormous battery and a stunning display screen that may grasp with the shows on any of its opponents. It additionally sports activities a singular design with some down-to-earth touches like its optionally available fake leather-based again.
Granted, digicam high quality might be a contact higher, particularly in low gentle, and I actually want OnePlus had simply included full magnetic Qi2 compatibility as an alternative of forcing folks to depend on a case. However hey, a minimum of you get a superfast wired energy adapter (which, in contrast to quite a lot of telephones, comes within the field) and the choice to make use of the corporate’s blazing charging puck if you wish to go cable-free.
However most significantly, for a beginning worth of $900, you get longer battery life, a brighter display screen, extra RAM, larger storage and the identical 3x zoom as a base Galaxy S25+ — all for $100 much less. There’s no different method to put it, that’s only a whole lot, even when OnePlus’ software program assist solely lasts for six years as an alternative of the seven you get from Samsung and Google. The OnePlus 13 is an instance of how one can hold issues easy in an more and more advanced and AI-obsessed world whereas delivering on all of the necessities.
This text initially appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cellular/smartphones/oneplus-13-review-a-focused-flagship-that-ignores-the-ai-hype-140013418.html?src=rss