The OnePlus 13. On paper, it’s a mouthwatering concoction of top-tier specs, promising more bang for your buck than any other flagship phone. The phone flexes the best-rated display out there, the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor that screams speed, and top tier battery life. All this starting at just Rs. 69,999 or $999. But can OnePlus truly deliver and outshine its rivals? Let’s dive into our quick review and see if the OnePlus 13 is really worth the money.
Table of Contents
OnePlus 13 Specifications: Truly a Flagship
| OnePlus 13 | |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 162.9 x 76.5 x 85mm (Arctic Dawn / Black Eclipse) 162.9 x 76.5 x 89mm (Midnight Ocean) |
| Weight | 213g (Arctic Dawn / Black Eclipse) 210g (Midnight Ocean) |
| Color Options | Arctic Dawn, Black Eclipse, Midnight Ocean (Vegan Leather) |
| Display | 6.82 inches, 3168 x 1440p (QHD+), 510 PPI 120Hz ProXDR Display with LTPO 4.1 HBM: 1600 nits, Peak Brightness: 4500 nits 100% Display P3, 10-bit Color Depth |
| Display Protection | Crystal Shield Super Ceramic Glass |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite (3nm) |
| RAM | 12GB/16GB/24GB LPDDR5X |
| Storage | 256GB/512GB/1TB UFS 4.0 |
| Rear Cameras | 50MP Wide (Sony LYT-808, f/1.6, 7P lens, ALC coating, OIS, PDAF) 50MP Telephoto (Sony LYT-600, f/2.65, 3x optical, 120x digital) 50MP Ultra-wide (ISOCELL JN5, f/2.05, 6P lens, 120-degree FOV) |
| Front Camera | 32MP Sony IMX615 |
| Video Recording | 8k at 30FPS, 4K at 60 FPS with Dolby Vision (Main) 4K at 60 FPS (Telephoto, Ultrawide) 4K at 60 FPS (Selfie) |
| Software | Android 15-based OxygenOS 15 |
| Battery | 6,000 mAh (Dual-cell 3,000 mAh) |
| Charging | 100W SuperVOOC Wired 50W AirVOOC wireless |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, 5G, 5.5G in India, USB 3.2 Gen 1, NFC |
| IP Rating | IP68 + IP69 |
| Starting Price | ₹69,999, $899, €999 |
OnePlus 13 Design: Premium, Durable, and Refreshing
The OnePlus 13 comes in three color options: Midnight Ocean, Arctic Dawn, and Black Eclipse. The Midnight Ocean variant features a vegan leather finish on the rear, making it 0.4mm thicker and 3 grams lighter than the other two, which have glass backs.
I’m reviewing the White model here, and while I’m not usually drawn to white phones (except for the Pixel 2 XL in Panda), I really like the shimmery texture on the back and the patterned silver camera module. However, it’s slightly slippery, so the vegan leather option might be a better choice for those seeking more grip.
OnePlus has moved away from its curved design, opting for a mostly flat back, sides, and front. Thankfully, it’s not entirely edge-to-edge flat like the OnePlus 13R, but instead has slightly contoured edges. This prevents it from digging into my hands – a major reason I wasn’t a fan of the OnePlus 13R’s ergonomics.
The phone uses a micro quad-curved panel, with gentle curves at all four edges where the screen meets the body. This makes it feel premium and comfortable to hold. And despite weighing 213 grams, the phone doesn’t feel tiring during prolonged use thanks to good weight distribution.
Durability is another standout feature. With dual IP68 and IP69 ratings, the OnePlus 13 can handle high-pressure or steam-jet cleaning and survive longer underwater than most phones. Also, it uses Crystal Shield Super Ceramic Glass (instead of Gorilla Glass), claiming a 500% better drop resistance and a 70% improvement in impact resistance.
OnePlus 13 Peripherals: A Closer Look
The OnePlus 13 features volume rockers and a power button on the right frame. While both buttons are clicky and tactile, the power key lacks a differentiating texture. However, this shouldn’t be an issue as it’s still easy to distinguish from the volume buttons.
Above the volume buttons on the right frame, you’ll find the alert slider. Continuing along the edge of the phone, the top edge houses an IR blaster, two extra microphones, and the secondary speaker grill.
On the bottom edge, there’s the SIM tray, a microphone, a USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 charging port, and the main speaker grill. Antenna lines run along all four sides of the phone for enhanced connectivity.
Finally, on the rear, the camera module accommodates three lenses, an LDAF sensor, a flashlight, and a fourth microphone.
OnePlus 13 Display: More Than Meets the Eye
The OnePlus 13 boasts a 6.82-inch micro quad-curved 2K AMOLED display with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. This Quad-HD+ panel utilizes LTPO 4.1 technology to dynamically switch between 1-120Hz, saving battery without sacrificing smoothness. It further supports 10-bit colors, Dolby Vision support, and 100% DCI-P3 coverage.
Forget about that DisplayMate A++ rating; the screen is a visual treat. Colors are vibrant but without being oversaturated in any way. Viewing angles are excellent, and text and images are incredibly sharp. The display can hit a maximum brightness of 4500 nits for HDR content, but even its typical brightness of 1600 nits is more than enough for clear visibility, even in bright sunlight.
Watching HDR YouTube videos and Netflix shows is a delight, thanks to the detailed visuals and rich colors. Note that the QHD+ resolution isn’t enabled by default—you’ll need to activate it manually during setup for that ultra-crisp experience.
The OnePlus 13 also features an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner beneath the display, matching the capabilities of Samsung flagships. It unlocks the phone instantly with a quick tap, even with greasy or wet fingers.
OnePlus 13 Speakers: Loud and Clear (But Missing Dolby Atmos)
Complementing the display is a stereo speaker setup. Understandably, the secondary speaker isn’t as loud, and I noticed the imbalance when holding the phone horizontally. However, once you turn up the volume, the sound is loud and free from distortion or cracking. I watched an entire season of Suits on this phone using just the speakers.
That said, I do miss Dolby Atmos, which OnePlus has omitted from its newer phones.
OnePlus 13 Performance: ‘Elite’ in Every Way
The OnePlus 13 is powered by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset. This name isn’t just for show—it introduces new, more powerful Oryon cores, replacing the older Kryo cores from last year’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. These upgrades deliver up to 45% better performance. Plus, the processor reaches a higher peak clock speed than any other mobile chipset on the market.
The chipset is paired with 12GB, 16GB, or an impressive 24GB of LPDDR5X RAM, along with storage options of 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB of UFS 4.0. The 24GB RAM + 1TB storage variant is exclusive to India.
Performance is top-notch. The phone handles heavy apps, games, multitasking, and quick app switching effortlessly. For those who demand even more, OnePlus has included a “High Performance” mode in settings, which pushes the phone to its maximum capabilities—though at the cost of higher power consumption.
In benchmarks, the OnePlus 13 scored approximately 2.7 million on AnTuTu. On Geekbench 6, it achieved 2894 in the single-core test and 9211 in the multi-core test. These results match the performance of the Realme GT 7 Pro with 8 Elite, which we tested earlier.
During our CPU throttling tests, the processor dipped into the orange zone by the end of the 15-minute test, throttling to 63% of its maximum performance. However, it cools down quickly, and this throttling behavior has minimal impact on real-world use, thanks to its large vapor chamber cooling system.
In gaming, the phone handled Call of Duty Mobile, PUBG Mobile, and Genshin Impact seamlessly. Call of Duty Mobile ran at 120 fps on medium graphics quality with ultra frame rate settings. However, increasing the graphics quality to maximum dropped the frame rate to 59–60 fps.
In PUBG Mobile, I achieved a steady 118–120 fps with Smooth graphics and Ultra Extreme frame rate settings. Switching to Ultra HDR graphics reduced the frame rate to 38–40 fps.
OnePlus 13 Software: OxygenOS 15 is Butter Smooth
The OnePlus 13 comes with the latest Android 15-based Oxygen OS 15. And boy, oh boy, this is easily one of my favorite Android skins, alongside One UI and Motorola’s MyUX. OnePlus has focused on three key areas: improving visuals, animations, and AI.
Thanks to parallel processing, you’ll notice the buttery-smooth animations as soon as you start using the phone. We’ve already discussed the new Oxygen OS 15 and AI features separately, but highlights include removing reflections from images, enhancing clarity, removing unwanted objects from photos, and using AI to improve your written text.
OnePlus’s in-house OHaptics are the icing on the cake. The crisp vibrations when adjusting brightness, sliding the volume slider, and throughout the software are pure magic. I have to give it to OnePlus for that.
There’s no bloatware, unnecessary apps, or ads preloaded on the device. Overall, the software experience is fantastic.
OnePlus promises 4 years of Android version updates and 5 years of security updates, meaning the OnePlus 13 will be updated at least until Android 19. While this may not outdo Samsung and Google’s 7-year update policy, we must remember that those devices are more expensive as well.
OnePlus 13 Camera Review: Falls Short of Flagship Standards
The OnePlus 13 has three rear cameras: a 50MP wide Sony LYT-808 with an f/1.6 aperture, a 50MP TriPrism telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom, and a 50MP ultra-wide camera with a 120-degree field of view. All cameras are powered by 5th-generation Hasselblad tech, which tunes the camera’s post-processing.
Photos from the main camera are sharp, detailed, and vibrant. However, the Hasselblad color tech sometimes makes them overly contrasty and can lead to overexposure or excessive brightness. The shutter speed, however, is quick, helping to reduce motion blur.
The telephoto lens is a standout. Though there’s a noticeable color shift when switching from 1x to 3x, I prefer the latter for its warmer, more natural look, especially for human portraits. Even the 6x zoom maintains great detail, thanks to OIS on the lens. The images are processed so well that you’d almost forget the zoom lens is a downgrade from the OnePlus 12’s 64MP telephoto. However, going beyond 6-10x causes photos to lose detail and color.
The ultra-wide lens preserves good detail, even indoors under artificial lighting, with no visible noise or grain. It’s great for capturing landscapes, monuments, and group photos in tight spaces. Likewise, the front 32MP selfie camera delivers sharp, detailed photos with accurate skin tones and good exposure balance, even against light sources.
When it comes to capturing videos, the rear camera can shoot 8K at 30fps and 4K at 60fps, while the other two lenses max out at 4K 60fps. The maximum video zoom is capped at 18x, and you can switch between all four lenses when shooting at 4K 60fps. The front camera also shoots 4K at 60fps, though it loses some detail when shooting indoors.
Overall, the OnePlus 13’s camera performs well for everyday photos. However, I personally prefer the telephoto and ultra-wide lenses over the main camera. The main camera falls short of flagship standards like the iPhone 16 Pro, Galaxy S24 Ultra, or Pixel 9 Pro. It captures fewer details and struggles with skin tones, often distorting or overexposing them. In contrast, the iPhone 16 Pro excels at capturing intricate details, especially on faces and clothing.
Anyways, while the main camera is not up to flagship standards, I’m certain the zoom lens will bring a smile on your face.
OnePlus 13 Battery: Excellent Longevity and Blazing-Fast Charging
The OnePlus 13 packs a massive 6,000mAh battery – and it’s no ordinary battery. It features Silicon Anode technology, allowing for more capacity in a lighter and more compact package. This explains how OnePlus managed to squeeze in a 600mAh larger battery than the OnePlus 12’s 5,400mAh cell, while still making the phone 7-10 grams lighter.
And let me say this loud and clear: the OnePlus 13 has excellent battery life. Thanks to the combination of this large battery, the Snapdragon 8 Elite’s efficiency, and software optimizations, it easily lasts over a day’s worth of use. I consistently got nearly 8 hours of screen-on time with mixed usage, including watching Netflix and YouTube videos, browsing social media, and using wireless Android Auto.
Using the included 100W SuperVOOC charger, I was able to charge the OnePlus 13 from 0 to 100% in just over 45 minutes. (Note that you’ll need to enable ‘Smart Rapid Charging’ in the battery settings to achieve these speeds.)
The OnePlus 13 also supports blazing-fast 50W wireless AirVOOC charging, though you’ll need to purchase the OnePlus AirVOOC charger separately. Interestingly, OnePlus is selling magnetic charging cases separately that allow you to use some of Apple’s MagSafe accessories with your OnePlus phone.
OnePlus 13 Connectivity: Future-Proof with Wi-Fi 7 and 5.5G
The OnePlus 13 is equipped with the latest Wi-Fi 7, 5G, and Bluetooth 5.4 (supporting SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX-HD, LDAC, and LHDC 5.0 codecs). Other connectivity features include NFC and GPS, GLONASS, BDS, Galileo, QZSS, and NavIC support.
The phone features 5.5G technology in India, enabling it to connect to three different network cells—potentially from separate towers—simultaneously, enhancing connectivity and performance. Both the OnePlus 13 and 13R support Jio 5.5G, which uses Jio’s advanced Component Carrier Aggregation (3CC) 5G network, delivering download speeds exceeding 1Gbps.
Elephant in the Room: Green Line Display Issue
One of the biggest concerns surrounding recent OnePlus phones has been the infamous ‘green line’ issue, where a green or pink line appears on the display seemingly out of nowhere. Some previous OnePlus models suffered from this problem, with users reporting the line appearing suddenly or after a software update. OnePlus initially addressed this by issuing phone vouchers.
According to tipster Yogesh Brar, OnePlus has taken steps to mitigate this in the OnePlus 13 and 13R by carefully choosing their display partner, upgrading the substrate, and avoiding Samsung displays for now.
To address this concern, OnePlus is offering a Lifetime Display Warranty for the OnePlus 13 and 13R, covering repairs or replacements in case the green line appears. Additionally, for those who purchase either phone before February 13, 2025, OnePlus is providing a free replacement within the first 180 days if any hardware issue arises.
OnePlus 13 Pros and Cons
Pros
- Excellent Performance: Powerful processor, handles gaming with ease, and smooth software.
- Fast Charging: Charges incredibly quickly.
- Impressive Display: High-quality display with vibrant colors and smooth refresh rate.
- Durable Build: IP69 rating for dust and water resistance.
- Great Haptics: Provides satisfying tactile feedback.
Cons
- Main Camera Could Be Better: While decent, the main camera doesn’t quite match the flagship-level performance of some competitors.
- Limited Software Updates: Receives fewer software updates compared to Samsung and Google phones.
- Magnetic Charging Requires Separate Case: To utilize magnetic charging, you need to purchase a special case, adding extra cost.
OnePlus 13: Price, Value, and Final Verdict
OnePlus has priced the OnePlus 13 similarly to last year’s OnePlus 12 while offering impressive features like the Snapdragon 8 Elite, an IP69 rating, a new Silicon anode battery, and 100W SuperVOOC charging. It even comes with the charger in the box, though this perk isn’t available in Europe.
The OnePlus 13 is available in 12GB/256GB and 16GB/512GB variants in North America, Europe, and India. There’s a special 24GB/1TB variant exclusively available in India. Here’s how they’re priced:
- 12GB + 256GB: ₹69,999 in India, $899 in North America, €999 in Europe
- 16GB + 512GB: ₹76,999 in India, $999 in North America, €1,149 in Europe
- 24GB + 1TB: ₹89,999 (This variant is exclusive to India)
The price drops even further with limited-time introductory offers and bank discounts. For instance, using an ICICI bank card in India gives you an additional ₹5,000 off, bringing the price down to ₹64,999. At this price, OnePlus is significantly undercutting the iPhone 16 Pro, Pixel 9, and Galaxy S24 Plus and S24 Ultra. And while it does make some compromises in the camera department, the OnePlus 13 still offers great value for money.
