ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The OnePlus 13 is a handy guide a rough, practically no-compromise cellphone that begins at $899.
- A Snapdragon 8 Elite, paired with a 6,000mAh battery and 80W quick charging, is a recipe for endurance success.
- IP69 is sort of extreme, however you may admire it when least anticipated.
apr / 2025
Over at OnePlus’ web site, each OnePlus 13 fashions are on sale for $50 off, and every buy comes with a free reward. Choices embody a OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Professional and a Sandstone Magnetic Case.
It is not usually that I evaluation a smartphone within the first few calendar weeks and really feel assured in calling it a “Telephone of the 12 months” contender. However after I examined the OnePlus 13 again in January, that is exactly what occurred.
Whether or not Google lastly launches a Pixel Professional Fold with a flagship digicam system this summer season, or Apple releases a thinner iPhone within the fall, the OnePlus 13 will probably nonetheless be on my thoughts when the year-end nominations are due.
Additionally: I modified 10 OnePlus cellphone settings to considerably enhance the person expertise
There’s rather a lot going for the newest flagship cellphone, from the safer (and dependable) ultrasonic fingerprint sensor to the IP69 ranking to the 6,000mAh Silicon NanoStack battery. It is also one of many first telephones in North America to function Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, which guarantees enhancements to efficiency, effectivity, and AI workloads.
I examined the OnePlus 13 alongside my iPhone 16 Professional Max and Google Pixel 9 Professional XL to see precisely how the Android cellphone stacked up towards one of many finest telephones from 2024. In a couple of methods, the OnePlus 13 falls quick, however in some ways, it places the iPhone and Pixel to disgrace.
Once I first unboxed the OnePlus 13 and held it in my hand, my response was audible. Permit me to geek out right here: The marginally curved glass, the slimness of the cellphone, and the general look made my then-four-month-old iPhone feel and look outdated. It is as if OnePlus made the iPhone 17 Air earlier than Apple did.
Nevertheless, what sells the OnePlus 13 design for me is the brand new Midnight Ocean coloration, which flaunts a vegan-leather backing that makes the cellphone visually distinctive and extra snug to carry than its glass-only predecessors. The feel is not as tough and grippy as precise leather-based, although, so I might be concerned about seeing the way it ages over the yr. (April replace: The textured backing is holding up nicely, save for a couple of darkish spots on the corners, probably brought on by the cellphone rubbing towards my palms.)
Should you have been hoping the primary main Android cellphone of 2025 would function Qi2 wi-fi charging, I’ve excellent news and unhealthy information. Whereas the OnePlus 13 does not have an in-body Qi2 charging coil, that means MagSafe (and comparable) equipment will not connect on to the again of the system, OnePlus has embedded magnetic guides inside its protecting covers, enabling customers to reap the benefits of the equipment as long as the OnePlus 13 is encased. It is a burdenless workaround, however one which hopefully will not be obligatory with the subsequent mannequin.
For what it is value, since publishing this evaluation, a number of different Android telephones have been launched, together with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely, Nothing Telephone 3a Professional, and Motorola Razr Extremely — none of which function Qi2 wi-fi charging.
For years, one facet that is held OnePlus telephones again is the water and mud resistance ranking, or lack thereof. With the OnePlus 13, the corporate is lastly taking a stronger stance on the endurance customary, certifying the cellphone with an IP69 ranking. It is a step above the IP68 scores we generally see on competing units, and permits the OnePlus 13 to face up to high-pressure, high-temperature water jets and humidity adjustments.
Additionally: 5 behavior trackers on Android that may reveal your patterns – and inspire you to vary
In follow, this implies the OnePlus 13 can perform correctly even should you go away it in your washer and dryer, dishwasher, or a pot of boiling soup. The IP69 ranking feels very very similar to a flex, but it surely’s a profit that customers will admire once they least count on it.
Powering the system is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chip that, from my months of utilization, has some noticeable strengths and weaknesses. For day-to-day utilization, reminiscent of bouncing between productiveness apps, positively not scrolling by way of TikTok, and taking pictures and movies, the processor handles duties gracefully. It helps that OxygenOS 15, based mostly on the newest model of Android, has a number of the smoothest animations I’ve seen on a cellphone.
Additionally: I discovered a Bluetooth tracker for Android customers that features higher than AirTags (and it is cheaper)
However when you hearth up graphics-intensive purposes like Adobe Premiere Rush and Honkai Star Rail, you may discover some stuttering as the upper warmth improvement results in throttling efficiency. This is not a dealbreaker, per se, because the nerfs are solely obvious whenever you’re utilizing the system for a protracted time.
I’ve truly been utilizing the OnePlus 13 fairly liberally, because the 6,000mAh Silicon NanoStack battery has stored my evaluation unit operating for at the very least a day and a half per cost. That is unseen with some other mainstream cellphone within the US market, and I totally count on extra producers to undertake silicon batteries for his or her larger vitality density. If not that, copy the 80W quick charging or 50W wi-fi charging; they’re fairly the revelation.
On the digicam entrance, the OnePlus 13, with its triple digicam setup (50MP broad, ultrawide, and telephoto), has been a dependable shooter all through most of my days. Whereas the Sony LYT-808 sensor is not on par with the one-inch sensors I’ve examined on worldwide telephones just like the Xiaomi 15 Extremely, it does a superb job of capturing particulars and ending the output vividly. Should you’re a fan of sharp, vivid, and barely oversaturated imagery (learn: extra colourful than how the precise topic seems), then the OnePlus 13 will serve you nicely.
Additionally: One of the best Android telephones to purchase in 2025
The place the digicam sensors fall quick is in post-processing and AI-tuning options. For instance, the cellphone leans closely on computational images to contextualize particulars when taking far-distance pictures. This typically results in photos with a synthetic, over-smoothing filter. However when the backend software program works, it might reproduce particulars that you simply in all probability did not assume you’d seize within the first place.
ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation
For a beginning value of $899, the OnePlus 13 delivers some significantly good worth — presumably the most effective of all the most important flagship telephones I’ve examined thus far this yr. The corporate has improved the system in virtually each means, from the design to the efficiency to its accent ecosystem.
I simply want OnePlus provided extra intensive software program assist, because the OnePlus 13 will solely obtain 4 years of Android OS updates and 6 years of safety updates. Samsung, Google, and Apple supply at the very least seven years of OS assist. Should you can shoulder the shorter promise of longevity, this is likely one of the best telephones for me to advocate proper now.
We awarded the OnePlus 13 an Editors’ Selection as a result of it nails all the basics of an excellent smartphone expertise whereas main the market in some regards, reminiscent of battery and charging, sturdiness, and design. The specs this yr are noticeably improved in comparison with its predecessor, the OnePlus 12, with a sooner processor, lighter construct, bigger battery capability, and a extra succesful digicam system. Most significantly, the OnePlus 13 begins at $899, undercutting its closest opponents just like the Google Pixel 9 Professional XL and Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely.
As per OnePlus, this supply will finish on June 8, 2025.
Nevertheless, offers are topic to promote out or expire at any time, although ZDNET stays dedicated to discovering, sharing, and updating the most effective product offers so that you can rating the most effective financial savings. Our workforce of consultants repeatedly checks in on the offers we share to make sure they’re nonetheless dwell and obtainable. We’re sorry should you’ve missed out on a deal, however do not fret — we always discover new probabilities to save lots of and share them with you on ZDNET.com.
The current US tariffs on imports from nations like China, Vietnam, and India intention to spice up home manufacturing however are prone to drive up costs on shopper electronics. Merchandise like smartphones, laptops, and TVs could change into costlier as firms rethink world provide chains and weigh the price of shifting manufacturing.
Additionally: Tariff struggle has tech patrons questioning what’s subsequent. Here is what we all know
Smartphones are among the many most affected by the brand new US tariffs, with units imported from China and Vietnam dealing with steep duties that would increase retail costs by 20% or extra. Manufacturers like Apple and Google, which rely closely on Asian manufacturing, could both go these prices on to shoppers or soak up them on the expense of revenue margins.
The tariffs may additionally result in delays in product launches or shifts in the place and the way telephones are made, forcing firms to diversify manufacturing to nations with extra favorable commerce circumstances.
This story was initially printed on January 7, 2025, and was up to date on June 1, 2025, including data for a brand new June low cost.
