OnePlus 13 assessment: An ideal choice when you’re sick of the same old flagships

Whereas there is a sturdy world market of smartphone producers, within the U.S., most individuals are in all probability rocking one thing made by Apple, Samsung, or Google. These corporations all make completely nice flagship telephones, however if you need an alternate, OnePlus 13 is perhaps the one for you.

The newest handset from OnePlus is, if nothing else, proof that the Chinese language firm can grasp with the large boys. To be truthful, loads of earlier OnePlus telephones have roughly confirmed that too, however the case has by no means been extra convincing than it’s now. The $899 OnePlus 13 provides you just about every part you’d need from a contemporary flagship, together with wonderful efficiency, a fairly show, some AI options when you’re into that form of factor, and among the best smartphone batteries I’ve ever seen.

OnePlus 13: Specs

Beginning at $899, here is what you get if you shell out for a OnePlus 13:

Put merely, it is a huge flagship telephone with huge flagship specs. The Snapdragon 8 Elite processor is top-of-the-line, and is making its U.S. debut with OnePlus 13. It’s extensively anticipated to additionally energy the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S25, so OnePlus technically beat Samsung to the punch right here. For some further money you’ll be able to bump the RAM as much as 16GB or the storage as much as 512GB, however sadly, there is not any 1TB choice for the true storage sickos on the market.

Whereas OnePlus makes use of a proprietary working system known as OxygenOS, it was initially based mostly on Android, and thus will likely be acquainted to anybody who usually makes use of Android telephones. The newest OxygenOS construct is clear, missing in among the up-front bloatware that used to plague these telephones.

OnePlus 13: Show

One factor you will discover instantly upon choosing up a OnePlus 13 is that the show could be very good. Its 3168×1440 decision is sharp as hell, and its 4,500 nits of peak brightness make it a pleasure to take a look at in direct daylight. The refresh charge is dynamic, oscillating between 1 and 120Hz to offer peak smoothness whereas preserving battery the place it will possibly.

There’s not way more to say concerning the show, actually. It has every part you’d need from a flagship smartphone show. Contemplating my iPhone 16 is priced solely $100 cheaper than OnePlus 13 and would not provide anyplace close to as a lot when it comes to decision or refresh charge, I might say OnePlus has settled onto an excellent worth right here.

OnePlus 13: Design

Design is one space the place I discover OnePlus 13 to be just a little questionable.

That does not actually have something to do with the best way it appears, although. Whereas a 6.8-inch show means it is a very massive telephone and thus is not going to be nice for anybody with smaller palms, it is no less than fashionable to the attention. It is acquired a giant, cool-looking rear digicam module designed by the Swedish firm Hasselblad, which is now not awkwardly hooked up to the aspect of the telephone by a giant clamp-looking factor prefer it was on the final couple of OnePlus gadgets. It is a free-floating digicam module now, oriented to the left aspect of the telephone, close to the highest of the rear finish.

As for colours, your choices are Midnight Ocean, Arctic Daybreak, and Black Eclipse. In less complicated phrases: Darkish blue, white, and black, respectively. OnePlus supplied me with an Arctic Daybreak mannequin, and I do suppose it appears spiffy.

My points with the telephone’s design are nearly solely to do with OnePlus’s alternative to make use of a microfiber vegan leather-based texture on the telephone’s rear aspect. I am going to admit that it is a cool thought in principle. I’ve by no means used a telephone that appears like this within the palms, and I am positive loads of folks will prefer it. For me, although, it simply feels type of…greasy? There is no precise moisture, however the leathery texture at all times makes it really feel prefer it’s on the verge of slipping out of my palms, as if my fingers are sweaty, even after they’re not.

OnePlus 13: Efficiency

Because of the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor powering the OnePlus 13, I can not actually consider something adverse to say concerning the telephone’s efficiency profile.

In relation to day by day use (which, for me, largely manifests as social media and streaming music or movies), every part runs easily. Apps open and cargo shortly and I detected no quantity of slowdown when making an attempt to do so much without delay. I additionally respect that the telephone by no means grew to become heat on me, even whereas doing considerably intensive battery testing.

If you’d like a extra analytical strategy to efficiency appraisal, the Geekbench 6 benchmarking software program was additionally type to OnePlus 13. Its multi-core CPU rating was 9,092, which is greater than 2,000 factors increased than the Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely, which got here in at 6,782. That Snapdragon 8 Elite processor is the actual deal.

OnePlus 13: Battery life

Having mentioned all of that, by far probably the most spectacular factor concerning the OnePlus 13’s efficiency is its battery life. It lasts so lengthy that testing it for this assessment was really tougher than it normally is for smartphones.

I believe you possibly can simply begin at some point at 100% battery and make it properly into the afternoon of the following day with out plugging in when you needed to. Proof: I used to be in a position to try this. This factor merely refuses to die, except you do what I did and loop an HD video in full display screen till it dies. Utilizing that methodology, I used to be capable of wring 24 hours of steady playback out of the OnePlus 13. Unimaginable.

If that is not sufficient, it additionally prices unbelievably quick, supplied you utilize the included cable and wall adapter. Simply half an hour of charging will in all probability get you thru a full day.

OnePlus 13: AI options

Sure, the OnePlus 13 brings some AI options to the fold that weren’t current in earlier OnePlus gadgets. Full disclosure: I hate a lot of the issues we name “AI” nowadays. I made it clear after I reviewed the Google Pixel 9 final 12 months that “magic” textual content and photograph modifying instruments that use generative AI really cheapen the experiences of written communication and pictures. Sadly, OnePlus packed in a handful of AI options which might be roughly similar to what I used to be speaking about again then.

As an illustration, you’ll be able to have AI clear up or reformat textual content in your notes or textual content messages. Ho-hum. Each telephone can try this now, plus it’s best to actually have the ability to write your personal textual content messages when you’re an grownup. Circle to Search can also be right here, which is without doubt one of the few AI options that’s really helpful and sensible.

Many of the AI options are within the realm of photograph modifying. You possibly can circle or spotlight objects in images to have objects erase them, identical to on Pixel telephones. This labored OK in my temporary testing, although it inexplicably could not take away an object that ought to have been simply detachable in a single photograph. “Magic Unblur” supposedly removes movement blur from images, however I had a tough time getting it to make a lot of a distinction.

The identical goes for “AI Detail Boost,” which is meant to sharpen photographs and make them look higher. After I tried this, the top outcomes have been almost indistinguishable from the unique images. Your mileage could range. I do not essentially need to sound like a Luddite, however the rising encroachment of those options that make every part look too good and faux would not make me really feel good.

OnePlus 13: Cameras

The aforementioned Hasselblad digicam array on the rear finish of the OnePlus 13 features a trio of lenses, within the broad, ultrawide, and telephoto selection. All three measure in at 50MP, which is sweet and easy.

In apply, images taken on the OnePlus 13 utilizing default settings look nice. You may should excuse how gray and gloomy New York Metropolis was in the course of the testing interval. I discovered that photographs usually regarded sharp and fairly, if just a little unnaturally vibrant in comparison with what my eyes have been really seeing at instances.

The zoom lens is ready to produce spectacular ranges of readability from far-off, although I might level out which you could see the software program fudging some particulars when you look intently sufficient.

One challenge, which is in keeping with my experiences utilizing earlier OnePlus telephones, is that nighttime photographs usually seem like they’ve studio lighting on them or one thing. They’re just too vibrant for my style. Sure, you’ll be able to see what’s occurring in them higher than you possibly can previous to software-enhanced nighttime pictures, but it surely would not look something like what I noticed with my eyes.

Nonetheless, other than that, it is a good set of smartphone cameras. Macro pictures means that you can get excessive quantities of element on small objects, as an example.

And, as at all times, portrait mode can create a pleasant bokeh impact if you want it.

OnePlus 13: Ultimate ideas

By a lot of the metrics that matter, OnePlus 13 is a wonderful smartphone. For $899, you get a vibrant show, AI options that no less than have some parity with the competitors, among the best smartphone batteries ever, and top-level efficiency.

Personally, I would not name the OnePlus 13 cameras a promoting level on their very own, although they’re completely nice. Past that, I do not love its vegan leather-based again texture, and I nonetheless have main qualms with the entire AI creep in our lives. However when you want a brand new Android (or Android-like) telephone and need to get out of the Apple/Google/Samsung bubble, that is in all probability the best way to do it.