Review Summary
Expert Rating
The OnePlus 13 brings significant changes on two key fronts. First is the smartphone itself, now equipped with Qualcomm’s latest and greatest Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC, delivering a generational leap in performance. The second is the customer care service under Project Starlight in India. It guarantees “worry-free” replacement if customers face issues with the phone’s hardware (as always, conditions apply). OnePlus had also announced a “lifetime warranty against the green-line issue on all its smartphones,” which is reassuring, given that some customers were becoming weary of Android smartphones for their display hardware-related issues.
Aside from these changes, OnePlus has also upgraded the battery, display, durability, and, of course, the software – bringing AI improvements and some drawbacks. Naturally, these changes come at a higher cost, with the OnePlus 13 starting at Rs 69,999, which is Rs 5,000 more than the starting price of the OnePlus 12 (review) of last year. Can the number 13 prove to be lucky for OnePlus 13?
Table of Contents
Verdict
The OnePlus 13 is easily the most powerful OnePlus smartphone yet, thanks to the Qualcomm 8 Elite powering the device. The new iteration also excels in key areas, including durability, display, battery, and cameras. Even software-wise, the OnePlus 13 still delivers a clean Android experience, though some proprietary apps (App Picks and so) feel unnecessary and there’s no option to delete them. Overall, whatever OnePlus 12 does good, the OnePlus 13 raises the bar.
Design and display
Truth be told, the OnePlus 13 doesn’t break new grounds based on appearance. It has a design similar to the OnePlus 12, featuring curved metallic edges and a large circular camera module on the back, which also closely resembles the OnePlus 11. I am not the biggest fan of the rear camera module’s placement as it awkwardly sits on the left of the panel, while the Hasselblad branding stays on the right. In that case, this part of the design can be improved.
Smartphone | OnePlus 13 | Vivo X200 | iQOO 13 |
Thickness | 8.9mm | 8mm | 8.13mm |
Weight | 210 grams | 197 grams | 213 grams |
IP rating | IP69 | IP68, IP69 | IP68, IP69 |
However, it incorporates several small changes that are equally noteworthy. The OnePlus 13 is way more comfortable to hold due to its sleeker and lighter build, and I particularly appreciate the soft touch of the “microfiber leather” finish (limited to the Midnight Ocean variant). If you opt for the regular white and black colour options, the glass back ensures an even slimmer profile. Ergonomically speaking, the OnePlus 13 feels well-balanced with its weight distribution. Mind you, the brand achieves all this despite housing a much bigger 6,000mAh battery.
Perhaps the most significant design upgrade is that OnePlus finally embraces top-end certifications to ensure flagship-grade durability, at least for its premium device. The OnePlus 13 comes with IP68 and IP69 ratings, which promise a new level of protection against water. Theoretically, this even allows for a thorough cleaning in dishwashers if that’s something you want to try. The box also includes a protective case for added protection.
Smartphones | Display size | Peak brightness |
OnePlus 13 | 6.82-inch AMOLED ProXDR | 4,500 nits |
Vivo X200 | 6.67-inch AMOLED | 4,500 nits |
iQOO 13 | 6.82 AMOLED | 4,500 |
There’s no complaint about the playback quality, whether you’re watching content on YouTube, Netflix, or any OTT platform. However, OnePlus has introduced a new feature, expanding on last year’s Aqua Touch. The addition of a glove touch feature allows you to operate the screen even while wearing gloves. I found this particularly useful during Delhi’s cold weather.
Cameras
The OnePlus 13 marks the fifth year of OnePlus’ collaboration with Hasselblad to improve the camera performance across its flagship devices. The new iteration features minimal hardware upgrades, though there’s an evident improvement in performance, especially if we factor in dynamic range and brightness in images with different lenses (ultra-wide and telephoto). The front camera now supports 4K recording at 60fps, which many content creators will appreciate. As expected, OnePlus boasts new AI features to improve the camera experience.
The OnePlus 13 ‘s real strengths lie in its ultra-wide and tri-prism telephoto lenses, which are increasingly valuable for content creators capturing moments on the go. I also appreciate the new AI scenes OnePlus offers (Stage, Silhouette, and Fireworks), providing different colour and ISO profiles based on lighting conditions. Like OPPO’s approach, OnePlus ensures these AI modes appear automatically, making the camera more usable for users unfamiliar with manual settings.
For professional users, the Master Hasselblad mode offers extensive controls to fine-tune colour balance and shutter speeds. Sadly, this mode isn’t available for the front camera. Having said that, selfies with the OnePlus 13 can be inconsistent in colours and sharpness. The phone can even struggle with detecting the accurate shade of skin complexion.
Moving to videos, the OnePlus 13 captures stable and crisp footage in 4K resolution. The phone also supports 8K at 30fps recording, though the files become extremely large. Overall, its video recording performance is solid and justified, but I believe iPhones still lead the way with a more balanced colour approach in videos. OnePlus should consider adding an iPhone-inspired Cinematic mode (Portrait video), a key feature for flagship smartphones.
Lastly, there are new AI-backed editing features directly borrowed from OPPO. My favourite is the Ai Detail Boost, which improves the sharpness and colours of dull images. AI reflection is another useful tool and serves as a great party trick. Otherwise, there are loads of Hasselblad-tuned colour profiles.
Performance and software
As I mentioned, the Snapdragon 8 Elite powering the OnePlus 13 delivers a generational leap in performance. If we look at the AnTuTu scores, the new iteration achieves a 49.61 percent jump in performance compared to last year’s OnePlus 12. Its AnTuTu result may not be as good as what the iQOO 13 achieves with the same chipset, but there’s no major impact on real-life performance. I pitted the OnePlus 13 against the Snapdragon 8 Elite-powered iQOO 13 (review) and Dimensity 9400 SoC-powered Vivo X200 (review), and you can find more information in our detailed performance review.
For everyday work and productivity, the OnePlus 13 performs effortlessly. It handles multitasking and demanding games with ease, and the additional year of promised OS upgrades ensures better long-term usability. OnePlus has also finally introduced new Gen AI features, which I expect to roll out on last year’s model soon. These include:
- AI summary to condense lengthy notes or new articles.
- AI writer to proofread or generate Instagram captions or emails.
- Intelligent Search, built on the existing Global Search, to help users easily find files or notes saved on-device. However, it didn’t work in its full capacity during my review.
- There is an OPPO-inspired feature called “Share with iPhone,” which allows users to share files, including Live Photos, with iPhones. The connection process might take about a minute, but the sharing occurs in seconds.
Similarly, I appreciate OnePlus’ efforts to improve network connectivity, at least for Jio customers (likely due to Jio’s adoption of stand-alone technology). The OnePlus 13 series is the first in India to support a 5.5G network for faster data speeds and reliable connections. I use an Airtel SIM, but I didn’t face issues with connectivity, barring the common network in the usual locations.
Let’s get to the part that I don’t like – the UI. Mind you, OnePlus still offers a much cleaner OS than its rivals, with fewer pre-installed apps. In the OnePlus 13’s case, there’s only one third-party app (removable). However, the latest Android 15-based OxygenOS 15 includes some ColorOS proprietary apps, such as App Picks (app store) and Internet (browser), despite Google Play and Chrome being pre-installed.
Smartphones | Pre-installed apps | OS updates (Android + security) |
OnePlus 13 | 44 | 4 years + 6 years |
Vivo X200 | 53 | 4 years + 5 years |
iQOO 13 | 56 | 4 years + 5 years |
I think OnePlus should have allowed users to uninstall them to preserve their original clean look and feel. There’s still a fix via a firmware update, but that decision rests entirely with the brand.
Battery and charging
Like most recent flagships, the OnePlus 13 drastically increases the battery capacity to 6,000mAh, thanks to the wider adoption of the silicon-carbon composite anode tech. The silicon-carbon layer also helps keep the battery cool during charging, which theoretically improves the battery life in the long run.
I also got to try the 50W AirVOOC wireless proprietary charger, sold separately for Rs 5,499. I’m not the biggest fan of its design, as its concave bottom prevents it from lying flat. However, the OnePlus 13 charged from 20 to 100 percent in just an hour with this proprietary wireless charger, which is impressive given the size of its battery.
Smartphones | Battery | Charging time (20 to 100 percent) |
OnePlus 13 (100W + 50W) | 6,000mAh | 27 minutes (wired), 60 minutes (wireless) |
Vivo X200 (90W) | 5,800mAh | 38 minutes |
iQOO 13 (120W) | 6,000mAh | 23 minutes |
To know how OnePlus fares against rivals in battery performance, you can refer to our dedicated battery review.
Final verdict
The OnePlus 13 may bear a resemblance to last year’s OnePlus 12, which itself shared similarities with the OnePlus 11, but the latest iteration delivers a significant leap in performance. Thanks to the Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC, there’s little to criticise when it comes to the phone’s performance for daily use or gaming. It also boasts one of the best displays across all segments, providing a brilliant viewing experience.
Users will also likely appreciate the new AI features bundled under the OnePlus AI suite, along with the reliable performance backed by the 6,000mAh battery, which delivers impressive backup on a single charge.
As I said, OnePlus can explore a new design in the next iteration as the current is a bit monotonous, at least in terms of approach. Its software experience remains decent, though some proprietary apps serve very little purpose, at least to me. The option to uninstall them would’ve been ideal.
Aside from these minor quirks, the OnePlus 13 is one of the best smartphones in India you can buy right now.
Editor’s rating: 8 / 10
Reasons to buy:
- The OnePlus 13 features a tall, vibrant display.
- It offers long battery backup and fast charging speeds.
- Its durability has been improved with IP68 and IP69 ratings.
- There are loads of AI features for productivity and cameras.
Reasons to not buy:
- The OnePlus 13 utilises the same design with minor tweaks.
- Some proprietary apps aren’t useful and there’s no option to delete them.