OnePlus 13 Review: The OPPO Find X8’s Doppelganger?

OnePlus had a challenging 2024. Between product issues with the OnePlus 12 series and public backlash over misleading marketing materials, the company faced a storm of criticism. Now, with the launch of the OnePlus 13 and OnePlus 13R (review), the brand seeks to regain its lost glory.

We’ve spent considerable time with the OnePlus 13, and here’s our detailed review of whether this flagship can help OnePlus reclaim its crown.

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OnePlus 13 Review: Design & Build

OnePlus has always been known for bold design choices, and the OnePlus 13 is no different—though this time, the changes are subtler yet more refined. At 213 grams, the OnePlus 13 strikes a good balance between being substantial without feeling cumbersome. Its boxy design may seem like an Apple-inspired choice, but it genuinely enhances grip and handling. The shift from curved edges to flat aluminum frames gives it a clean, modern aesthetic. However, the flat sides are more prone to scratches compared to its curvier predecessors—a potential concern for those who prefer using their phone without a case.

We tested the Arctic Dawn variant, which features a sandstone white finish reminiscent of the iconic OnePlus sandstone finish. Not only does it look gorgeous, but it also resists fingerprints and smudges remarkably well. OnePlus has also introduced a matte-finished black version for those who prefer a more understated look.

The camera module design is less divisive this year. OnePlus uses a W-style telephone stack, which helps cut down some of the camera hump. This clever design makes the phone feel slimmer, though it still wobbles slightly when placed on flat surfaces.

Durability has also received a big upgrade with IP68 and IP69 ratings. While IP68 protects against dust and submersion, the IP69 rating ensures the device can withstand high-pressure water jets—making it one of the most durable flagship phones of 2025.

Additionally, the front is protected by Ceramic Guard, which OnePlus claims is 2X tougher than Gorilla Glass Victus. Whether this holds true in everyday use remains to be seen.

OnePlus 13 Review: Display

The OnePlus 13 boasts a 6.82-inch AMOLED display sourced from BOE, offering a QHD+ resolution of 3168 x 1440 pixels and a 19.8:9 aspect ratio. By default, the display runs at a 1080p resolution, but users can manually switch to 1440p for sharper visuals. When set to 3K+ resolution, the display looks incredibly crisp, making it ideal for high-quality media consumption. Thanks to the presence of LTPO technology, the system can adjust the refresh rate based on what’s on screen, striking a balance between performance and battery efficiency.

In terms of brightness, the OnePlus 13 impresses with its 800 nits during regular use, 1600 nits in high-brightness mode, and a peak of 4500 nits for HDR content. In real-world testing, the screen held up excellently across various lighting conditions, providing clarity indoors and under direct sunlight. Viewing angles are also solid, with minimal brightness or color shifts even at sharp angles.

For users concerned about flickering, the OnePlus 13 employs 2160 Hz PWM dimming to reduce flicker at lower brightness levels, and DC dimming is available above 70 nits. The panel also supports a wide range of HDR formats, including Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG, ensuring top-tier compatibility for video playback.

When it comes to color, the display is nothing short of vibrant. With 100% DCI-P3 coverage and support for 10-bit color depth, the screen offers rich and accurate visuals. The “Natural” color profile out of the box provides a balanced and accurate color palette, while users can opt for the “Vivid” and “Pro” profiles for more saturated tones or a professional-grade experience. Additionally, the screen’s color temperature can be fine-tuned to suit individual preferences.

The Aqua Touch 2.0 technology is meant to ensure smooth touch input even with wet fingers. While it works reasonably well with damp hands, its performance falters when there’s more moisture or water droplets on the screen, causing the display’s responsiveness to drop and requiring users to wipe or tap again to restore functionality.

OnePlus 13 Review: Speakers and Haptics

The OnePlus 13 features a stereo speaker setup that provides an decent audio experience. While the sound profile is balanced and performs adequately for gaming or casual content consumption, it falls short when compared to some competitors. For a richer audio experience, especially for music or immersive movie watching, I’d recommend opting for wired earphones or Bluetooth headphones.

On the flip side, haptic feedback on the OnePlus 13 is where it truly excels. As with other OnePlus devices, the haptics are finely tuned, offering a satisfying feel when interacting with the device. Whether you’re unlocking the phone, adjusting the volume, or performing other actions, the feedback is well-integrated and adds to the overall premium feel of the device.

OnePlus 13R Review: Software

The OnePlus 13 runs on OxygenOS 15, a rebranded version of ColorOS 15 based on Android 15. OnePlus has committed to four years of major Android updates and five years of security patches, which is reassuring for a flagship device. However, competitors like Samsung and Google have raised the bar, offering seven years of OS updates and eight years of security patches, leaving OnePlus trailing behind in software longevity.

OxygenOS 15 delivers a mostly smooth experience, with polished animations and impressive responsiveness. However, some rough edges persist, breaking the overall fluidity. Transition effects occasionally feel clunky, detracting from the polished look of the UI.

Even more concerning are the bugs that disrupt the user experience. Notifications sometimes fail to display properly, the “apply wallpaper to lock screen” feature is broken, and the AI Intelligent Search feature often struggles with consistency. For the uninitiated, AI Intelligent Search is a global search tool powered by Google’s Gemini AI, designed to help users search files, folders, and the web seamlessly on the device. Unfortunately, it’s a hit-or-miss feature that fails to live up to its promise.

One of the biggest disappointments is the amount of pre-installed bloatware. The App Picks (formerly App Market) and Global Search features aggressively push unwanted apps, while the Phone Manager app constantly bombards you with unnecessary notifications. Although you can disable these, the process is cumbersome—an unacceptable hassle for a device in this price range.

This is particularly disheartening because OnePlus was once synonymous with clean, bloat-free Android experiences. The “Never Settle” mantra that once defined the brand has been overshadowed by intrusive ads and pre-loaded apps. It’s clear that OnePlus is prioritizing short-term monetization over maintaining the premium, user-centric experience it was once known for.

OxygenOS 15 borrows heavily from OPPO’s Find X8 series, particularly in its AI-powered tools. While these features have potential, they feel more like a rebranded ColorOS experience than something unique to OnePlus. Here’s a closer look at some of the AI highlights:

• Circle to Search: Draw a circle on the screen to initiate a search for content or songs. While innovative, its practicality depends on individual use cases.
• Magic Composer: A rebranded version of OPPO’s AI Writer, this tool allows users to generate text in various tones—Formal, Polite, Artistic, Casual, or even Emoji-filled. It can also proofread and rewrite text effectively, making it handy for social media posts or notes.
• AI Recording Summary: This feature transcribes and summarizes recordings, including calls, in multiple languages like Hindi. In testing, it proved impressively accurate, adding genuine value for users who rely on voice memos or call recordings.

While these features are genuinely useful, they lack the distinct OnePlus identity, further eroding the sense of differentiation from OPPO devices.

Overall, the OxygenOS 15 is a tale of two sides. On one hand, it offers impressive AI tools, smooth animations, and robust customization options. On the other, it is bogged down by bugs, bloatware, and a sense of being a ColorOS clone. For a flagship, this lack of refinement and individuality is disappointing.

OnePlus once stood as a beacon of clean, no-nonsense Android, but the OnePlus 13’s software feels like a compromise—a far cry from the bold and innovative “Never Settle” ethos. It’s a good experience, but it could and should have been great.

OnePlus 13 Review: Performance

The OnePlus 13 positions itself as a flagship that deivers speed and reliability that rivals the best in the market. At its core is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite, built on a cutting-edge 3nm process. This chip brings some serious firepower, with two cores clocked at 4.32 GHz and six cores running at 3.35 GHz, making it one of the fastest mobile processors available today.

This processing muscle is complemented by configurations offering 12GB, 16GB, or even 24GB of LPDDR5X RAM, paired with up to 1TB of UFS 4.0 storage. Whether you’re juggling multiple demanding apps or diving into resource-intensive tasks, the OnePlus 13 is built to handle it all with ease. The phone features a massive 9,925mm² vapor chamber, an 8.54% increase over the OnePlus 12, which plays a critical role in managing thermals during prolonged gaming sessions. As a result, throttling is minimized, and frame rates remain consistent even during extended play.

I tested titles like Genshin Impact at max settings and enjoyed a smooth 60fps experience without any noticeable stutters. Even graphically intensive games like Grid Legends maintained a steady 30fps, showcasing the device’s capability to handle complex rendering.

However, the gaming experience isn’t entirely without flaws. Features like frame interpolation, which could further enhance smoothness, didn’t work in any of the games I tested. While this is a missed opportunity, it’s a relatively minor drawback when considering the phone’s overall gaming prowess.

For everyday tasks, the OnePlus 13 is nothing short of impressive. Apps launch instantly, multitasking feels effortless, and the ample RAM ensures that even memory-intensive tasks like editing large files or running virtual desktops don’t slow it down. The fluid responsiveness of the device sets a new benchmark for premium smartphones.

That said, there’s one notable omission: the lack of bypass charging, a feature available on competitors like the iQOO 13. For gamers who prioritize uninterrupted performance while charging, this might feel like a missed opportunity.

Despite minor shortcomings, the OnePlus 13 excels as a reliable everyday companion. Just like other existing Snapdreagon 8 Elite phones like the iQOO 13 and Realme GT 7 Pro, it shine is our testing delivering fast, fluid, and reliable performance without a single hiccup. Whether you’re a gamer, a multitasker, or simply someone who demands the best from their smartphone, the OnePlus 13 rises to the challenge with flagship-level performance that’s hard to beat.

OnePlus 13 Review: Cameras

The OnePlus 13 builds on OPPO’s advanced R&D in camera technology and leverages the Hasselblad-tuned algorithms developed under their partnership. The results speak to a well-rounded camera experience, though a few rough edges remain.

The triple-camera setup is led by a 50MP Sony LYT-808 sensor, featuring a large 1/1.4-inch size, 1.12µm pixels, an f/1.6 aperture, and OIS. OnePlus uses a 7P lens with ALC coating, minimizing distortions and lens flare.

The second sensor is a 50MP Sony LYT-600 telephoto camera with a 1/1.95″ sensor size, f/2.65 aperture, and 0.8µm pixel size. This optically stabilized lens supports 3x optical zoom and a rather ambitious 120x digital zoom, though the latter is more of a marketing highlight than a practical feature.

Completing the setup is a 50MP S5KJN5 ultra-wide camera with a 120° field of view. While its sensor size (1/2.75″) and pixel size (0.64µm) are smaller than the main camera, the f/2.05 aperture compensates for light gathering.

Primary Camera

The primary sensor delivers reliable performance in most scenarios, excelling in detail retention and color accuracy. Daylight shots are crisp, with vibrant but natural colors. However, its low-light capabilities leave room for improvement, particularly in handling highlights, which can sometimes appear overblown, especially in low-light.

On the plus side, the shutter is quick and responsive, making it ideal for capturing fleeting moments. The HDR algorithm manages dynamic range well in standard conditions but occasionally falters in high-contrast scenes.

Ultra-wide

In well-lit conditions, the ultra-wide sensor impresses with plenty of detail and minimal edge distortion, thanks to improved software corrections. However, its low-light performance is underwhelming, with noise and softness creeping into shots. This makes it less versatile in challenging lighting conditions compared to its main counterpart.

Telephoto

The telephoto lens shines in daylight, capturing sharp zoomed-in shots with excellent clarity at higher magnifications. However, it struggles in Autofocus as it can occasionally falter, requiring multiple attempts for precise focus. Also, over-sharpening is noticeable in processed images, reducing the natural look of zoomed shots. We also noticed that low-light performance dips significantly, with softer details and muted colors.

While the 3x optical zoom is practical and useful, the 120x digital zoom is largely a gimmick, as images at this level of magnification appear washed-out and lack usable detail. The selfie camera, while decent, suffers from the lack of autofocus. This shortcoming becomes particularly noticeable in group shots or when capturing subjects at varying distances.

Portrait Mode

Portrait mode has been a mixed bag. In daylight, it produces sharp edges and pleasing background separation. In low-light conditions, portraits lack depth and clarity, often resulting in uninspired shots.

Macro

Macro capabilities on the OnePlus 13 are inconsistent. The phone alternates between the ultra-wide sensor (0.6x to 1.9x) and the main sensor (2x to 10x) for close-ups. While results can be impressive when focus is nailed, the system frequently struggles to achieve consistent focus, making the macro mode unreliable for extreme close-ups.

Snapshot Mode and Master Mode

There’s also Snapshot Mode. This mode excels with a quick shutter, allowing users to capture fast-moving subjects without noticeable motion blur.

There’s also Master Mode. Designed for enthusiasts, it offers extensive manual controls for professional-grade shots. However, the absence of HDR support in this mode feels like a missed opportunity.

Video

As for as videos are concerned, the OnePlus 13 offers smooth lens switching for seamless transitions between sensors while recording. Videos shot in 4K@60fps are sharp and detailed, but exposure handling struggles in rapidly changing lighting conditions.

The Cinematic Bokeh mode produces pleasing results but is limited to 1080p resolution, which feels inadequate for a flagship device in 2024. Competitors like iQOO and Realme offer 4K@120fps, making the absence of this feature on the OnePlus 13 particularly glaring.

Despite these omissions, video stabilization is decent for casual shooting, and the overall video quality is satisfactory. However, power users expecting flagship-grade video capabilities may feel underwhelmed.

Overall, the OnePlus 13 offers a versatile and capable camera system with highlights like a fast shutter, sharp zoom capabilities, and smooth video transitions. However, its low-light performance, HDR balancing, and autofocus consistency need further refinement. For casual photographers, the OnePlus 13 provides an enjoyable and reliable experience. However, power users and enthusiasts seeking cutting-edge camera innovation may find its limitations frustrating.

OnePlus 13 Review: Battery Life and Charging

The OnePlus 13 comes with a massive 6,000mAh battery, utilizing dual-cell silicon-carbon composite anode technology. This allows the device to offer a larger battery without significantly increasing the weight or thickness of the device, making it more practical for day-to-day use.

During my usage, which included about 1.5 hours of camera use and extensive gaming, I achieved 5.5 to 6 hours of screen-on time. For lighter usage, including regular browsing, calls, and social media, the battery easily lasted around 8 hours of screen-on time. In the PCMark battery test, the OnePlus 13 delivered a solid 11 hours and 23 minutes, which is decent for a flagship smartphone.

Charging performance is one of the standout features. The OnePlus 13 supports 100W wired charging, which can take the device from 0% to 100% in about 35 minutes. This is incredibly fast and makes topping up during short breaks a breeze. On top of that, the phone supports 50W wireless charging, offering fast wireless top-ups for users who prefer a cable-free experience. It also supports the PD standard, which means you can use any compatible PD charger for fast charging, though the included charger is not PD compatible.

Overall, the OnePlus 13’s battery life and charging capabilities are more than adequate for power users, with rapid recharging speeds ensuring minimal downtime.

Review Verdict: Should You Buy the OnePlus 13?