OnePlus 13

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The OnePlus 13 (starting at $899.99) might cost $100 more than its predecessor, but the new model is improved in nearly all the right ways. It has a sleek design that's more durable, it pushes the screen brightness to levels we haven't seen before, and its battery life is among the best available from an Android phone. Further, OnePlus adopts a modest amount of AI in an attempt to catch the competition and pushes its photography forward through its ongoing partnership with Hasselblad. Despite these strengths, we think the $1,099.99 Google Pixel Pro XL is worth the higher premium for its more advanced AI, better cameras, and longer software support window. Moreover, Samsung plans to announce the Galaxy S25 on January 22, which is sure to be a strong competitor. However, if you prefer to save a couple of hundred dollars and want something a little off the beaten path, the OnePlus 13 is worth checking out.

Design: Sleek, But Not Unique

The OnePlus 13 looks spiffy and impressive but is similar in appearance to last year’s OnePlus 12. It measures 6.41 by 3.01 by 0.33 inches (HWD) and weighs 7.51 ounces, which makes it slightly shorter, thinner, and lighter than the old model (6.47 by 2.98 by 0.36 inches, 7.76 ounces) but similar to the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL (6.4 by 3.0 by 0.30 inches, 7.80 ounces) and the $1,299.99 Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (6.40 by 3.11 by 0.34 inches, 8.22 ounces).

The phone feels light and is easy to hold, even in my small hands. The Ceramic Guard front glass flows elegantly into the rounded corners. The aluminum frame houses a ringer switch on the left side and a volume rocker and power button on the right. The switch and the buttons are made of metal and have a premium feel. A USB-C (3.2 Gen 1) port for charging and data transfer is built into the bottom edge. A SIM card tray is positioned to its left, and a speaker grille is located to its right.

The phone comes in three colors: Arctic Dawn (white), Black Eclipse (black), or a microfiber vegan leather finish called Midnight Ocean (blue). We received the Arctic Dawn and Black Eclipse models.

OnePlus describes the back glass of the Black Eclipse model as having a "wood grain texture," though that's not my impression of it. Instead, the back feels like matte plastic. It is smooth, slippery, and a magnet for dust. You’ll want to put a case on the phone to prevent it from slipping out of your hand. OnePlus doesn't say what type of glass the rear panel is made from.

A large, round Hasselblad-branded camera bump takes up most of the top half. Its coloring matches the rest of the glass. It contains three separate cameras and a flash module. The overall look is clean and elegant, though it prevents the phone from lying flat on a hard surface.

The phone has an improved waterproof rating that matches—and even exceeds—the competition. The OnePlus 13 has IP68 and IP69 ratings for water and dust protection. The IP68 rating means that it can be fully submerged in 1.5 meters of water for up to 30 minutes. The IP69 rating allows it to also survive jets of hot water at 176 degrees for 30 seconds (in case you...accidentally walk through a car wash). The Galaxy S24 Ultra and the Pixel 9 Pro XL both stop at IP68.

The OnePlus 13 comes with several accessories in the box, including a USB-C cable and the company's proprietary 80W SuperVOOC charger. Neither Samsung nor Google packs a charger with their phones.

Display: Super Bright

The 6.82-inch ProXDR LTPO 4.1 display is mostly unchanged from the previous model. It has a resolution of 3,168 by 1,440 pixels with a density of 510 pixels per inch (ppi). It supports Display P3 and 10-bit color depth while offering a variable refresh rate between 1 and 120Hz. Gamers can easily set their screens to the full 120Hz refresh rate during play. While some phones from Samsung and Google have a similar variable refresh rate, the S24 Ultra has a slightly lower resolution of 3,120 by 1,440 pixels across 6.8 inches. The Pixel 9 Pro XL's screen measures 6.8 inches and has a resolution of 2,992 by 1,344 pixels.

The OnePlus 13 has the brightest display of the bunch. It delivers an average brightness of 1,600 nits but can ramp that up to a stunning 4,500 nits. Samsung’s S24 lineup reaches a peak of 2,600 nits, while the Pixel 9 Pro XL tops out at 3,000 nits. The OnePlus 13's display is vibrant under any lighting condition, and I had no problems viewing it under direct sunlight.

An under-screen fingerprint sensor unlocks the phone seamlessly, as does the face recognition software. I prefer to use the fingerprint sensor, as it’s more secure, though I also enjoy the wispy animation that occurs when it recognizes your fingerprint.

The phone ships with a pre-applied screen protector, but it is of low quality and collects fingerprints easily. Notably, the display supports gloved fingers and wet fingers.

Performance: Impressively Powerful

The OnePlus 13 runs on the mobile platform with a clock speed of up to 4.32GHz. It includes fast LPDDR5x memory and UFS 4.0 storage, both of which help with performance. The phone’s storage is not user-expandable, so you’ll have to pick either the 256GB model with 12GB of RAM for $899.99 or the 512GB model with 16GB of RAM for $999.99.

I tested the 512GB model and found it to be impressively fast and responsive. Moving from app to app was a breeze, even when I had dozens open at once. Multiple browser tabs posed no problem for this phone. I opened over 50 tabs in Chrome and didn’t experience even the slightest hiccup in performance.

The OnePlus 13 performed equally well on our benchmark testing. The Geekbench 6 test measures CPU performance, and the OnePlus 13 scored 2,955 on the single-core test and 9,143 on the multi-core test. This is significantly better than the results from both Samsung and Google. Samsung’s S24 lineup runs on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 platform and reached a high of 2,273 on the single-core test and 7,056 on the multi-core test. Google uses its own Tensor G4 processor and Titan M2 coprocessor to power its Pixel 9 Pro XL, which scored 1,677 and 4,100 on the Geekbench tests.

The OnePlus 13 also beat the competition on the GFXBench graphics testing suite. It averaged 90fps during the Aztek Ruins 1440p Offscreen test, which is significantly better than the 66fps achieved by the S24 Ultra and the 43fps of the Pixel 9 Pro.

Unsurprisingly, the phone played Genshin Impact flawlessly. I was able to slash my way through without any slowing or stuttering. Less intensive games, like Alto’s Odyssey, play without issue.

Battery: A Full 24-Hour Day

The phone is powered by a 6,000mAh battery that is divided into two 3,000mAh cells. We test phone batteries by running a YouTube video on a loop over Wi-Fi with the screen set to its maximum brightness. In this setup, the OnePlus 13 lasted an impressive 24 hours and 28 minutes on a single charge. That’s better than just about every other Android phone on the market and blows both the S24 Ultra (14 hours, 10 minutes) and the Pixel 9 Pro XL (12 hours, 25 minutes) out of the water. Only the $1,199 Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max (29 hours) fared better.

OnePlus' wired and wireless charging speeds continue to lead the category. The OnePlus 13, like the 12 before it, uses the company’s exclusive 80W SuperVOOC charging adapter to rapidly charge the battery. This wired connection charges the phone from 0% to 100% in 40 minutes. The OnePlus 12 manages the same feat in 38 minutes, but it has a smaller 5,400mAh battery. The S24 Ultra, by comparison, comes with a 5,000mAh battery and charges at up to 45W, while the Pixel 9 Pro XL and its 5,060mAh battery can muster a maximum wired charging rate of 37W.

You’ll have to purchase OnePlus’ $79.99 AirVOOC 50W Magnetic Charger separately to take advantage of the phone's top wireless charging rate of 50W. By comparison, the S24 Ultra can reach up to 45W, and the Pixel 9 Pro can reach up to 23W when charging wirelessly.

OnePlus' Magnetic Charger wirelessly charges the phone in 1 hour and 8 minutes. The charger is huge and has its own internal cooling fan, so you’ll want to make sure you’re charging on a smooth, flat surface to prevent overheating. It’s not the most elegant thing, but it charges the phone at a faster rate than many wired connections.

Connectivity: Still No mmWave

The OnePlus 13 is compatible with most of the 5G spectrum of the major US networks, including frequencies. However, it lacks support for the ultra-fast mmWave 5G that’s available in some urban markets. This feels like a lost opportunity for OnePlus, as the top phones from Google and Samsung include it.

Cell connectivity is generally weak where I live, but the OnePlus 13 produced some of the fastest download speeds I’ve seen on Google Fi. It managed peak download speeds of 246Mbps and peak upload speeds of 5.75Mbps. At the same location, my iPhone 14 Pro reached 114Mbps down and 45.3Mbps up on the T-Mobile network. (Fi runs on T-Mobile.)

The phone is equipped with , though we conduct our speed testing on a Wi-Fi 6 router. It reached download speeds of 535Mbps and uploads of 22.4Mbps. The iPhone 14 Pro (489Mbps down, 22.6Mbps up) got similar speeds from the same location. Speeds drop significantly when tested at the edge of the Wi-Fi network. The OnePlus 13 still did well, reaching downloads of 227Mbps and uploads of 20.5Mbps. The iPhone 14 Pro (60.7Mbps down, 20.9Mbps up) was not nearly as fast.

Dual-band GPS is on board for precise navigation, and an NFC radio is available for mobile wallet and ticket applications. The OnePlus 13 lacks a 3.5mm headphone jack, so you’ll have to use its Bluetooth 5.4 radio to listen through your favorite wireless headphones. We are happy to point out that the phone supports advanced Bluetooth codecs, including AAC, aptx, aptx HD, LDAC, LHDC 5.0, and SBC.

Speakers: Loud Enough

Calls sound crisp and clear on the OnePlus 13. I could hear every word during the test calls I made, and no one had a problem hearing me. The phone is quite loud. The earpiece reaches 85.9dB at maximum volume, while the speakerphone reaches 99.6 dB, which is louder than most.

OnePlus adopts OReality Audio on the OnePlus 13, and the results are impressive. The bass on our test track, “Silent Shout” by The Knife, is loud and clear. It even vibrates the phone in my hand. I can clearly hear all elements of the song from the phone’s forceful stereo speakers.

Cameras: Hasselblad Assisted by AI

OnePlus' partnership with Hasselblad plays a major role in the phone's camera performance. Hasselblad helps with photo processing and has a hand in the camera system's design.

This year, all three rear-facing cameras have 50MP sensors. The main shooter features a Sony LYT-808 sensor with optical image stabilization (OIS), electronic image stabilization (EIS), an aperture of f/1.6, and a field of view of 85 degrees. It has the equivalent focal length of a 23mm lens. The telephoto camera has a Sony LYT-600 sensor with OIS and 3x optical zoom. It has an aperture of f/2.65 with a 32.8-degree field of view and an equivalent focal length of 73mm, which makes it great for taking portraits. The ultra-wide camera drops OIS but comes with an aperture of f/2.05 and a 120-degree field of view.

The front-facing selfie camera has a 32MP Sony IMX615 sensor, an aperture of f/2.45, and a 90-degree field of view. Its focal length is equivalent to that of a 21mm lens.

In general, photos from the OnePlus 13 are crisp with colors that are true to life. Color science is Hasselblad's specialty.

When zooming into this picture of a tree (above), it's easy to make out individual clumps of pine needles, though some areas are more pixelated than others.

I used the macro setting to take this photo (above) of a dried flower. While the mode does a good job of enlarging the subject, I wish it had a little more clarity when zoomed in. The leaves appear slightly blurry and pixelated upon close inspection.

Here is a progression of the zoom capabilities, starting with 0.6x zoom through 3x optical zoom:

The selfie camera is mostly unremarkable, but it does a decent job of capturing photos of my sleeping dog.

The Master Photo mode lets you dial in precise ISO and shutter speeds, adjust the white balance and exposure value, or manually set the focus. I found these settings fun to play around with, but I prefer my DSLR for advanced photography.

The phone can record Dolby Vision video in 4K and 1080p at either 60fps or 30fps. You can dial the resolution up to 8K if you wish, though the frame rate is limited to 30fps. Lots of video modes are available to cater to the moment, such as Steady Video, Movie Mode, Slow Motion, and Multi-Scene. The videos look sharp and clear, just like the photos.

There are a few AI editing tricks available that offer mixed results. You can use AI to upgrade the detail of your photo to 4K, though I don’t see much of a difference. The AI Eraser, available to many Google and Samsung phones, is more useful. You can lasso an area (or paint over it with your finger if you prefer) to remove items in the background. There’s a special button specifically for removing unwanted people. I found all the results to be hit or miss. When the AI works, it seamlessly removes unwanted background objects. But sometimes, the AI doesn’t catch everything, and you’re left with some odd markings or splotches in your photos.

The same holds true for the phone’s AI Unblur and AI Reflection Eraser. When they work, the AI can sharpen pictures that are slightly out of focus or remove reflections from windows or other objects from your photos. When they don’t, your photos have stray elements that look silly. Luckily, it's easy to undo the AI wizardry. Ultimately, the AI on the OnePlus 13 feels more like a parlor trick than a fully finished feature.

Samsung and Google have the edge here, with better cameras and more robust AI features that work slightly better.

Software: OxygenOS With a Dose of AI

OnePlus ships the phone with its Oxygen 15 operating system, which is based on Android 15. There’s a folder of Google apps on the home screen, along with a widget filled with OnePlus apps. Some of the apps, like Settings and Weather, are useful. Others, like the OnePlus Store and the Community app, are not. Netflix comes preinstalled, as well as the Zen Space meditation app. You can uninstall any app you don’t want.

Navigating around the phone is smooth and easy, and OnePlus' gestures are intuitive and helpful. There’s a dedicated gaming mode that optimizes performance while silencing notifications that some might find useful.

Several AI features are available, including AI Notes, Circle to Search, and a Pass Scan tool for scanning boarding passes. Google Gemini, the AI assistant, is also available to answer questions, write emails, and set up alarms. Once again, none of the AI features here are particularly impressive, and you're better off sticking with Google or Samsung for more advanced AI capabilities.

Google and Samsung also have an advantage in terms of software support. Both companies offer seven years of software updates and security support to their phones. OnePlus will only provide four years of OS support to the OnePlus 13, along with six years of security updates. This feels like yet another missed opportunity for OnePlus to match the competition.

Verdict: A Feature-Rich Flagship With Minor Drawbacks

The OnePlus 13 brings high-end performance and features to a reasonably priced flagship phone. It has an impressive display, ultra-long battery life, industry-leading charging speeds, and powerful performance. We wish the cameras were slightly better and that its AI offerings were more substantive. The phone lags behind Google and Samsung in terms of software support, camera quality, AI, and 5G radio support, which makes the Pixel 9 Pro XL your best bet, while the forthcoming Galaxy S25 might be worth holding out for. Still, the OnePlus 13 is easy to recommend if you're looking for a powerful flagship phone with a slightly lower price than the competition.