The number 13 does n’t have the best reputation . Whether it ’s tall buildings cast out the bit for its story or the London Eye replace the thirteenth pod with the 33rd , the bit 13 has been think unlucky for centuries .
Yet , here I am using the OnePlus 13 , the brand ’s top smartphone for the coming twelvemonth . Has OnePlus misguidedly tempt destiny , or is it about to redeem the number 13 ’s repute ?
OnePlus 13: specs
50MP spacious - angle , f/2.05 , 15 mm , EIS
50MP telephoto , f/2.65 , 73 mm , OIS and EIS , 3x visual rapid climb
50W AirVOOC wireless charging
OnePlus 13: design
Provided you get the Midnight Ocean OnePlus 13 , as seen in our exposure , you ’re go to own astunningsmartphone . The back is cover in vegan microfiber , which is soft than vegan leather and does n’t have such a pronounced grain , although OnePlus has still added a clear-cut leather - similar pattern to give it some fibre . It ’s quick , grippy , and hide - friendly . There ’s also the choice of two other colors , Arctic Dawn and Black Eclipse , which do n’t have a vegan microfiber back ( you could see all three colors in the painting below ) .
The front is covered in a Crystal Shield Ultra Ceramic Glass , not Corning ’s Gorilla Glass as some may expect , but OnePlus promises it excels at drop and shock electric resistance . My OnePlus 13 did take an unexpected tumble , resulting in the screen guardian ripping in the corner , but the screen remain whole , so it certainly appear to be hardwearing .
The body has IP68 and IP69 dust and water supply resistance , with the latter ensure the phone can grapple with jets of hot water . Inside the phone , OnePlus has used 13 different feeler for an improved connection , plus a new cooling organisation with two layer of plumbago and 14 temperature sensors . This should help keep the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite central processor under control , which we ’ll add up back to by and by .
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I want to get all this more technological contingent in in advance of talking about how the phone is to use , as it prove the advances OnePlus has made that you ca n’t readily spot . The telephone set is well - looking on the outsideandhigh - technical school on the interior , just as we want . I love the quad - curve glass over the screen and the polished metal bod , which much eliminates the bezel entirely and make the OnePlus 13 look modern and high - calibre .
From the import I see the Midnight Ocean color and picked up the OnePlus 13 , I bed thing were looking sound .
It ’s well balanced and effectively hides its 210 - Hans C. J. Gram weight . And at 8.9 millimeter blockheaded ( or 8.5 mm thick if you choose one of the other colour ) , it has hit the unfermented stain for comfort and contrivance . I never feel like it ’s going to slip out of my script or that it ’s tiring to harbour . This tremendous serviceability pass to the new ultrasonic fingerprint sensor , which is set high up on the filmdom and reacts outright to your jot . It has been entirely reliable , too .
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I ’m please the handy Alert Slider is on the side of the sound ( even though it’sno longer a OnePlus exclusive characteristic ) , and adore the spirit of the haptics used throughout the organisation .
From the consequence I watch the Midnight Ocean colour and picked up the OnePlus 13 , I knew thing were looking estimable . Now , several weeks into living with it as my everyday sound , it has meet my expectation and even exceeded them in position . It ’s a fantastic - looking and -feeling phone and one of OnePlus ’s upright ever .
OnePlus 13: screen
The OnePlus 13 has a 6.82 - inch screen with some very telling specs . It is the first to be rated A++ by industry consultants DisplayMate . It has a 510 pixel - per - column inch ( ppi ) density , 2160Hz pulse width modulation ( PWM ) . and a 4,500 nit top brightness , plus a 1 - 120Hz refresh pace The screen has a fashion for use when have on boxing glove , and the latest version of OnePlus ’s Aqua Touch system provide it to be used with wet fingers .
There ’s also a gonzo mood where the screen can hunt down two unlike refresh rates at the same time , such as 120Hz for a secret plan in a small window and lower for a less intensive app like messages on the principal screen door . OnePlus pronounce it help meliorate stamp battery life history , and game do count very smooth when running in a float window , but I ’m not sure how often anyone will apply this feature of speech .
Weird “ feature ” away , the screen looks brilliant — full of colour and very bright — but it ’s not without problems . It ’s very sensible and not very good at differentiate intentional touches from accidental speck , and because it ’s so tight to react , lots of things pass all at once , none of them ordinarily wanted .
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There ’s also a trouble with the way the screen and software acknowledge up swipe , and it ’s a matter of luck whether you get an overview of apps or minimize your current app into a floating windowpane . It ’s really pestering , and it ’s not intuitive to get your app back from its minimized form , either .
OnePlus 13: software and AI
The screen ’s take are tie to the OnePlus 13 ’s computer software , so what ’s it care otherwise ? It uses OxygenOS 15 over Android 15 , and it will be support for four years and will get six years of certificate update . OnePlus work a big deal about how smooth its living and transitions are , and sure enough , it ’s a visual delight . Still , I ’m not sure justhowmuch difference you really mark compare to OxygenOS and Android on theGoogle Pixel 9 Prounder steady usage .
I likedOxygenOS 15 when I tried it out on a OnePlus 12 , but I have noticed an issue that only show up with extended everyday purpose . It ’s not very skilful at deliver presentment . I ’ll often unlock the sound and get a onslaught of notification from apps like Threads and WhatsApp that I was n’t alerted to when the earphone was locked .
OxygenOS 15 has many more useful , non - AI feature when you dig into the configurations menu .
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I ’ve seen a more positive divergence , too , where the muddiness of OxygenOS 15 on the OnePlus 12 has been eliminated , have it appear more smooth in casual use . The implementation of its Dynamic Cloud ( aDynamic Islandclone ) is also adept as it ’s never intrusive and prioritizes alive information like music playback and some AI natural process .
What about the AI ? There ’s nothing here we have n’t seen before , such as contextual search , AI replies ( which I could n’t get working ) , sum-up , and AI Notes for automobile - data format , cleanup , and rewrite . There ’s alsoCircle to Search , andGoogle Geminiis the nonremittal assistant . I used the Recorder app during an audience , and OnePlus ’ AI create a short summary in the Notes app . It also weirdly summarized the conversation in transcript form , where a complete , unabridged copy would have been far more useful . The feature worked , but neither the transcript nor the summary was specially helpful .
OxygenOS 15 has many more utilitarian , non - AI characteristic when you dig into the preferences menu . There ’s a three - digit motion for a dual - app rip sight , the aforesaid be adrift windows , a dedicated nipper mode , a Quick Launch feature to attach an often - used app to the fingermark sensing element , and the Zen Mode app to help oneself you focus by reducing interruptions . I like that none of these are push on you and are found after making an feat to learn the software .
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
OnePlus 13: camera
There are three 50 - megapixel camera on the back of the OnePlus 13 : a 50MP Sony LYT808 primary camera , a 50MP wide - slant , and a 50MP Sony LYT600 telephoto with a 3x ocular rapid climb using a canny “ triple prism ” assembly that ’s smaller and light than a periscope soar . This really exhibit in the phone ’s innovation , as the photographic camera module is almost affluent with the rear . The app does push a 6x zoom , but this is a intercrossed zoom driven by the cameras , software , and AI .
It ’s a cracking camera and not just one aspect , butallof it . It occupy punchy , elaborated , and exciting photos in most environments , and I was especially impressed with its lowlight power . I took a serial of admittedly well - lit shaft in Amsterdam , and the OnePlus 13 balanced the image well , never overexposing or using too much smoothing . The results are photos I did n’t need to edit , and I jazz that in a camera .
The 6x zoom may be a loanblend , but it ’s really good . You have to zoom aright in to spot the tiny amount of digital sweetening and a soupcon of blur , but otherwise , you probably wo n’t secern they are n’t optic soar shot . There ’s good consistency between the chief and wide - slant photographic camera , too . The zoom mood are n’t quite so safe in low light , and the software can make paradigm look unnatural in its quest to sharpen thing up .
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OnePlus has added a choice of unlike mode to increase value , but whether you use them depends on your life style . There ’s a special salvo mode and an action mode for video where it shoots at 60 physique per second ( fps ) regardless of the camera used , plus software program chicane to enamor fast - moving objects . It did an average job of enchant a fast - moving kitten . It ’s all very berth - dependent , just like the Smart Scene modes for taking photo of a faraway stage , fireworks , and silhouette .
Hasselblad is involved in the OnePlus 13 ’s camera , but it ’s hardly promoted at all alfresco of some branding , theX Pan mode , and a few mediocre filter . None of these “ extras ” matter , though , as you may safely ignore all of them and take fantastic picture with the OnePlus 13 just by tapping the shutter release .
OnePlus 13: performance
At the heart of the OnePlus 13 is theQualcomm Snapdragon 8 Eliteprocessor with either 12 Great Britain or 16 GB of RAM and 256 gigabit or 512 GB of storage space . Ever since the comer of the Snapdragon 8 Elite , we ’ve had some concerns about the amount of heat energy it give when work on very hard . How does the chip fare inside the OnePlus 13 ? During general use and comparatively elementary gaming sessions , it does n’t get hot at all , so you should n’t have any concern about it under normal circumstances .
But what about when it ’s work harder ? The 3DMark Solar Bay Stress Test bench mark ( which initially caused theRealme GT 7 Pro problemsthatwere later limit ) run and completes , and while the earphone ’s alloy frame is hot to the touch , the back of the earphone is n’t .
The new Qualcomm chip is very muscular , and it does get blistering under strain , but it has not caused any problems for me at any other sentence . I do n’t think it ’s a cause for worry , and it do no differently in theAsus ROG Phone 9 Pro , but there ’s some evidence in the benchmarking scores that the Asus phone is better adapted to serious gambling .
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
Leaving games away , it ’s hard to say the OnePlus 13 is faster than any of its Snapdragon 8 elect competitors , but the combining of the chip and OxygenOS 15 ’s overall slick intention and smoothness is a achiever . Everything feels effortless , with no lag or stuttering , and every app I use spread immediately and engage without fault . This dependability present confidence , and I ’ve confidently lived with the OnePlus 13 for almost a month . Calls also sound excellent , and both its Wi - Fi and cellular connections are impeccable .
OnePlus 13: battery and charging
The twofold - battery configuration inside the OnePlus 13 gives it a total capability of 6,000mAh , which means a seriously tenacious battery life . watch out a 2160p video for around 30 minute on YouTube depletes only 4 % , and aAsphalt 9 Unitegaming session of a similar duration expend up the same amount . These impressive chassis do n’t even reflect how vigour efficient the battery is when you ’re just doing normal thing . With around two hours of ecumenical use , the battery rarely depletes below 70 % from a full charge in a 24-hour interval , work two or even three days of light use potential without visiting the charger .
Even when I ’ve used the OnePlus 13 past four hours of silver screen time , the phone still has around 50 % remaining at the end of my solar day , making the telephone great for those who want a phone with a electric battery that can withstand large use . When it come to charging , OnePlus does not let in its proprietary SuperVOOC charger in the box . It ’s hoping you already have one from a premature phone or are uncoerced to corrupt one on an individual basis .
Using the 100 - watt SuperVOOC charger will reload the phone fully in 36 minutes or in 50 arcminute if you utilise OnePlus ’s 50W AirVOOC wireless battery charger . If you choose a more common wired courser , such asAnker ’s 100W Prime GaN wall unit , it takes 15 minutes to pass 50 % , but 70 minute of arc to fully charge . The speech sound still bears the SuperVOOC branding and claims “ ultrafast charging , ” just like using a OnePlus - branded charging block and transmission line , but it lacks the proprietary magic for speedy charging past about 70 % . This makes pay up $ 50 for OnePlus ’ peculiar 100W courser essential if you want the fast possible charge meter .
3x optical zoomAndy Boxall / Digital Trends
I ’ve been trying out OnePlus ’ newfangled summary 50W AirVOOC wireless charger , too . The puck - alike chassis is cool , but an odd design decision makes it annoying to use , as the red “ clown ’s olfactory organ ” in the heart and soul raise the puck ’s built - in buff , which noisily hums away while charging , off the surface and resultant role in your phone wobbling around instead of staying level so you’re able to reliably view the screen while charging .
OnePlus 13: case and wireless charging
There ’s another radiocommunication charge oddity to discuss . If you buy the Arctic Dawn OnePlus 13 and decide to get one of the Sandstone , Aramid Fiber , or Wood Grain prescribed display case , you ’ll find a shaving of plastic inside the box . Despite initial appearances , it ’s not part of the packaging and should n’t be throw away . It ’s actually designed to slip between the character and the OnePlus 13 ’s rear venire and is supposed to meliorate wireless charging .
It ’s an atrocious and annoying root to a problem clearly of OnePlus ’ own doing , as getting it to sit in on the button the correct place and not poke through the camera module cutout is nettle . I ca n’t sustain whether it makes any difference of opinion as I do n’t have the Arctic Dawn interlingual rendition , but the Midnight Ocean phone wirelessly file normally with the case and without the credit card .
OnePlus 13: price and availability
The OnePlus 13 is available start out January 7 and be $ 900 for the 12GB/256 GB translation and $ 1,000 for the 16GB/512 GB model . I have been reviewing the 16GB/512 GB OnePlus 13 . It ’s inauspicious that OnePlus does n’t provide a 1 TB alternative , which may disconcert some potential purchaser , as Google , Samsung , and Apple all offer the option of 1 TB of reposition space with their top devices . Although not unexpected , the price are $ 100 more than the equivalentOnePlus 12models , bringing costs in wrinkle with competing gadget from Google and Samsung .
While there ’s a difficult choice to make around speech sound at the same Mary Leontyne Price , there ’s also a fair amount of temptationbelowthe cost of the OnePlus 13 . The OnePlus 13R does n’t have this year ’s top Qualcomm micro chip within , but the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is still a superb performing artist with excellent efficiency , and it ’s good value at $ 600 . If you ’re looking at the 13R , you should also look at theGoogle Pixel 9 . At the clock time of written material , we ’re waiting for theSamsung Galaxy S25to be imminently announce , and we do n’t advocate look at theGalaxy S24orGalaxy S24 Plusinstead of the OnePlus 13 .
OnePlus 13: verdict
I ’ve been using the OnePlus 13 as my primary earpiece for about a calendar month now , and it has been fantastic . I love the photograph it take , the speed and suaveness of the software , the striking aim , the Midnight Ocean color , and how prosperous it is to hold . It ’s the little things that make it so good to own , such as the immensely improved fingermark detector , tactile haptics , the Alert Slider ’s kindliness , and the incredible efficiency that leads to recollective bombardment liveliness .
Based on my time with the OnePlus 13 , I believe it ’ll make you feel very favourable indeed .
The projection screen is overly tender , though , and I ’d like the apprisal to be more dependable , but these are small issues that do n’t dramatically take away from the rest of the telephone set . The OnePlus 13 is right up there with the Google Pixel 9 professional as being an unambiguous good word , and Samsung really ask to drive home with the Galaxy S25 to total close to meet the saloon ready by it .
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
The number 13definitelyhasn’t been unlucky for OnePlus , and you should put any superstitious worry apart and just go out and buy the OnePlus 13 . base on my time with it , I believe it ’ll make you feel very prosperous indeed .
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