Elegant and well-priced, that is the OnePlus 13.
In November 2024, the OnePlus 13 was released as OnePlus's latest flagship smartphone, and we feel it might just be one of the most complete smartphones ever made.
The OnePlus 13 is designed to deliver top-tier performance and design at a competitive price, with key features such as the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, starting 12GM RAM (up to 24GB), IP68/IP69 dust tight and water resistance, and a very sweet premium 5th gen Hasselblad 50MP camera mobile system.
All in all, especially for its design, OnePlus this time seem to understand the assignment very well.
Here's our brief review of the OnePlus 13.
Editor
Jodee Tan chevron_right
Table of Contents
OnePlus 13 Specifications
- Display: 6.82-inch LTPO AMOLED, 3168x1440 pixels, 1-120Hz dynamic refresh rate, 4,500 nits peak brightness.
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite.
- RAM: 12GB / 16GB / 24GB.
- Storage: 256GB / 512GB / 1TB.
- Rear Cameras: Triple 50MP setup (wide, ultrawide, telephoto).
- Front Camera: 32MP.
- Battery: 6,000mAh with 100W wired and 50W wireless charging.
- Operating System: OxygenOS 15.
Design: Has a Unique & Premium Look
Coming in 3 colours—Black Eclipse, Midnight Ocean and Arctic Dawn; the OnePlus 13's cover is what makes it stand out among many other competitors.
Although we have the Black Eclipse unit variant, a close look (and feel) of the cover shows an interesting wood-grain like finish that gives off a unique yet elegant and timeless aesthetic. According to GSMArena, the phone's back is made of silicone polymer supported by a titanium frame while the front is finished with a Glass front (Ceramic Guard).
Thus, the overall choices in material keeps the smartphone feeling smooth, premium, sufficiently durable, and very light at just 213g!
Display: It's Clear & Very Bright Even Under The Sun
The OnePlus 13 certainly has a good and clear screen that you'll be able to see under the sun with no problem, offering peak brightness of 4,500nits. It has a 6.82-inch LTPO AMOLED display with a resolution of 3168x1440 pixels, and can achieve a dynamic 1-120Hz refresh rate for smooth visuals.
The screen also supports 100% DCI-P3 color gamut which means good visuals for most entertainment apps especially videos and games.
Performance: Fast & Gets The Job Done
So the OnePlus 13 is powered by Qualcomm's newest Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, which provides smartphones exceptional speed and efficiency, handling demanding applications and multitasking with ease, as well as handle AI systems. This chipset is also recorded as 40% faster than its predecessors.
You can choose to get the OnePlus 13 in configurations of 12GB, 16GB, or 24GB of RAM, and with 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of internal storage. Our unit is the middle range at 16GB with 512GB memory.
We have no problems running the phone for most apps, but we faced slight hiccup with the OnePlus 13.
While an unusual thing to do for most people, we felt the phone going warm when it was downloading and loading two new games simultaneously (Ragnarok Origin and Zenless Zero). But after that, the phone resume operation at its initial room temperature.
It also did not peak in temperature when we were playing Zenless Zone Zero. Thus, you won't have problems gaming on the OnePlus 13.
Camera System: A "Sharp" Shooter
The OnePlus 13 is equipped with a triple 50MP rear camera setup which consist of a wide, ultrawide, and telephoto lenses, all developed in collaboration with premium camera brand Hasselblad mainly with enhanced color accuracy and image quality. There's also a 32MP front-facing camera that offers the regular high-quality selfies and video calls.
When compared to the OnePlus 12, the OnePlus 13 does a lot better in darker light conditions. Colour reproduction and AI image processing is where you'll see a difference between other flagships, and will be a subjective thing.
Compared to the new Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, the OnePlus 13 looks a little more saturated, especially with a green tint similar to the MIX Flip. If we compare to the latter, I like OnePlus 13 a lot more as photos gives a bit more tro, lomo-like effect that holds its own charm. If you prefer a neutral colour palette, you might want to look elsewhere (like the vivo X200 and Samsung Galaxy S25).
Moreover, the AI image processing tend to over-sharpen photos. While this is good for low-light conditions, it can make certain cloudy-day images look overly sharpened. Still, the results were tolerable and subjective in its aesthetic value (and I don't mind it too much). Plus, many photos had satisfying results to my liking. I do wish I could change the focus for portrait photos post-processing.
Battery & Charging: Gives You More Than A Day of Use
For a very slim and lightweight phone, the OnePlus 13 has a substantial 6,000mAh battery, and provides up to 50 hours of mixed-use on a single charge. It also supports 100W wired charging and 50W wireless charging.
In our experience, the OnePlus 13, when down to 40%, would still be able to last (idle) for another day (or between 10 - 12 hours give or take). During use, OnePlus 13 had a 9% battery usage on a 40 minutes play in Zenless Zone Zero, and about 3% usage on a 10 minutes camera use.
Given our experience, regular use of the OnePlus 13 (between 4 to 6 hours of screen time with casual 30 minutes gaming, 1 hour music listening and social media app use) should last the day with 30 - 50% battery left.
Software & Updates: Clean & Standard, But Lacking Than Competitors
This time, the OnePlus 13 runs on OxygenOS 15, based on Android 15 OS by Google. This UI offers a clean and fast user experience. OnePlus has also announced its commitment to four years of Android updates and six years of security patches. While that can be sufficient for most average consumers, it is slightly less than some competitors which are now providing 7 to 8 years worth.
Who is This For?
Priced at RM4,399, the OnePlus 13 consists of high-end features great for tech enthusiasts and heavy-usage consumers. However this is a good-value smartphone for just about anyone especially for those who don't want to change their smartphones often.
Most types of users would want the OnePlus 13 for its high-performance quality, premium design, and long-lasting operation given its 6,000mAh battery that isn't easy to drain in a day. The bonus is also its high-end camera system to enjoy, though recommended towards consumer-level to hobbyist photographers due to the slight green-tint colour-profile of the results.
Pros:
- Exceptional Display: High-resolution screen with dynamic refresh rate and impressive brightness levels.
- Robust Performance: Top-tier processor and ample RAM ensure smooth multitasking and gaming experiences.
- Versatile Camera System: High-quality sensors and Hasselblad collaboration result in excellent photography capabilities.
- Long Battery Life: Large battery capacity with fast charging options minimizes downtime.
Cons:
- Limited Software Support Duration: Four years of Android updates and six years of security patches may be less than some competitors.
- No Expandable Storage: Lack of microSD slot may be a limitation for users requiring additional storage.
Alternatives: If you prefer a more neutral/natural-like photography result, you can opt for the Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus or Google Pixel 9, both of which offer similar features as well as longer years of software support. The caveat is that both are more expensive and less premium-looking (in our opinion).
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