OnePlus 12Prakhar Khanna / Digital Trends

OnePlus has made a significant name for itself in recent years with some of thebest Android phonesout there . Its most late effort , theOnePlus 12 , is a terrific flagship for anyone who desire something that ’s not just another Samsung Galaxy or Apple iPhone .

But if you have some forbearance , next twelvemonth ’s OnePlus 13 may take some large changes that could be deserving waiting for . Here ’s why you should maybe hold off on the OnePlus 12 and expect for the OnePlus 13 or else .

OnePlus 12 in hand with OnePlus 12R in the background.

OnePlus 12Prakhar Khanna / Digital Trends

A completely new design

Like Samsung , Google , and Apple , OnePlus has been sticking with a certain figure esthetical for its past few smartphone releases .

Take a look at the OnePlus 10 , 10 T , 10R , 11 , 11R , 12 , and 12R — all of these models lookverysimilar to each other . You have a expectant , off - kernel tv camera module that is aligned left . with alloy to make it appear connected to the twist frame . Up until the OnePlus 11 , it was a square camera module . OnePlus then flip to a circular protrusion , but it ’s still in the same position .

This same esthetic has been in berth for three class now . It ’s time for a change , and that ’s what we may see with the OnePlus 13 . AWeibo postclaims that the OnePlus 13 is confirmed to have a new blueprint that removes the “ family flexible joint . ” Since this is n’t afoldable headphone , the “ family hinge ” is likely refer to the camera module and how it ’s connected to the frame .

There are no indications of what the pattern modification would mean , but I ’d imagine since the “ flexible joint ” is going away , the position of the camera will alter . Perhaps it will be in more of a centered position as it wo n’t be connect to the frame . I doubt that OnePlus would make the television camera module smaller , as one of its signature features revolves around its Hasselblad partnership . Any chance OnePlus can get to emphasize its photographic camera chops , it ’s going to take it .

Of course , we wo n’t find out what the OnePlus 13 will look like anytime shortly — either at the end of this year or in former 2025 . But if you are n’t a vast fan of how the OnePlus 12 take care , then it could be deserving waiting to see what change .

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 4

The OnePlus 12 presently utilise Qualcomm’sSnapdragon 8 Gen 3chip . It ’s largely expected that the OnePlus 13 will apply the next loop of Qualcomm ’s flagship chipset — the outgoing Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 .

Qualcomm has already confirmed that Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 will establish in October . This is the silicon chip that will power most Android flagships in 2025 , and that should admit the OnePlus 13 . There are n’t a destiny of point about the chip ’s capabilities , butsome leakssuggest that Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 may even outperform Apple ’s A18 , which we expect in theiPhone 16 Pro .

Currently , the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 has execute extremely well in our OnePlus 12 and Samsung Galaxy S24 devices . If the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 can provide even quicker performanceandeven dependable might efficiency , that ’s an exciting proposition worth waiting for .

Ultrasonic fingerprint sensor

A lineament commonly found on Android earpiece is and under - exhibit fingerprint sensing element . It collapse you a secure way to unlock your phone and apps , all while enshroud the tech underneath the video display .

OnePlus is no stranger to under - display fingerprint sensors . For the past several age , it has continue to use ocular under - showing fingerprint sensors , which have mostly prove to be truehearted and reliable . However , one proceeds with the optical sensors is that they fall a smart light when scanning your finger , which can be vexing to use in benighted environments .

Rumor has it that the OnePlus 13 will be switching to supersonic technology for the under - display fingerprint sensor . Rather than using a bright brightness level to scan , an ultrasonic sensor send out pulses of ultrasonic sound waves and captures your fingermark using the excogitate echoes of those emitted level-headed waves .

Ultrasonic fingerprint sensors are not Modern ; they ’ve been around for a few years now . The most recent smartphones to adopt the ultrasonic detector make up Samsung ’s S24 family . Samsung exact that with supersonic technology , fingermark scanning is 77 % tumid and 50 % faster than the previous generation .

It will be exciting to see an supersonic fingerprint detector make its style to the OnePlus 13 . It has the potential to be even faster than the current optical sensing element , peradventure more secure , and easier on your eye . That ’s a win - win - win if you take me .

A more advanced telephoto camera

OnePlus made some nice improvements to the camera scheme on the OnePlus 12 when compare to its precursor , the OnePlus 11 .

The OnePlus 12 is equipped with an telling 50 - megapixel master camera , a 64MP periscope telephoto camera with 3x ocular rapid growth , a 48MP ultrawide television camera , and a 32MP selfie camera . OnePlus has kept the Hasselblad partnership as well , making it a great overall phone for photographers .

Despite the impressive resolving power for the telephotograph electron lens , it ’s a picayune dissatisfactory that it only reaches 3x optical zoom . For lesson , theSamsung Galaxy S24 Ultrahas a quad - camera system with a 10MP telephotograph and a 50MP periscope telephoto lens system that are adequate to of 3x and 5x optic rapid climb , respectively . The Honor Magic 6 Pro is also doing interesting things in the telephoto space , offering a 180MP periscope telephoto sensing element with 2.5x optical zoom and 100x digital rapid growth .

OnePlus has a lot of room left to grow in the camera distance . With a new design ( and likely a new television camera module ) possibly in the works , let ’s go for that also translate to a stronger telephotograph camera on the OnePlus 13 .

Stronger IP rating

TheOnePlus 12 has an IP65 ratingto keep it protected against dust and water . This scotch mean that the enclosure is dust - immune and the body of the telephone set can hold up spattering of water without being damaged . It ’s a just level of protective covering , but it ’s also not the honest you could get .

There are hatful of other smartphones on the market with an even higher military rank . For example , theiPhone 15,Google Pixel 8 , andSamsung Galaxy S24all have an IP68 military rank , which mean a mellow opposition to liquid . Specifically , they can be deluge in freshwater up to six meter for up to 30 minutes .

Again , with an inevitable design change coming with the OnePlus 13 , that hopefully means a higher IP rating for better rubble and H2O resistance . There ’s no reason OnePlus should n’t be offer IP68 at this day and age , and the OnePlus 13 could be the telephone to make this .

Longer software updates

At the bit , OnePlus prognosticate up to four years of major Android oculus sinister update and five years of security department patches .

While that ’s pretty decorous , Google and Samsung have up the ante with a seven - year promise for OS update . Apple has never guarantee a dictated amount of years with its iOS updates , but on average , an iPhone gets around five twelvemonth or more .

Given all that , it ’s potential that OnePlus could brook its future flagships to match its competitors . And what better stop to start a seven - year acclivity road map than with the OnePlus 13 ?

Time to play the waiting game

The OnePlus 12 originally debuted in China on December 5 , 2023 , before launching globally in January of this year . Unless something drastic happens , we can wait a similar timeline for the OnePlus 13 .

If any of the aforementioned features are things you really like about , wait for the OnePlus 13 may be the move . But if you need a new headphone now — and/or you do n’t deal about the upgrades mentioned above — the OnePlus 12 remains one of thebest smartphonesyou can grease one’s palms today .