Four weeks into the first month of the year , one affair is clear about smartphones in 2025 : this is going to be an extremely competitive yr . Whereas some earphone makers used to expect until February or March to launch their flagships for the first half of the class , the early launching of theSnapdragon 8 Elitelast class has image all companies launch their products early .
Honor launch theMagic 7 Protwo weeks ago , follow by Samsung with theGalaxy S25 serieslast week . Before both of these , however , was the launching of the OnePlus 13 , a phone that I imagine is setting the standard for smartphones in 2025 in so many ways .
After using theOnePlus 13for several weeks — let in the back end of December and duringCES 2025 — here ’s why it ’s still my pet Android phone right now , despite a plethora of new devices that have made their way into my pocket .
The OnePlus 13 is close to being a perfect smartphone
It ’s worth mention that I ’ve only used Samsung ’s Galaxy S25 Ultra for a couple of day so this may yet change , but theGalaxy S25 Plushasn’t converted me away from the OnePlus 13 . The reason is fairly straightforward : the OnePlus 13 feels like it has the least compromise of any phone I ’ve used over the past few years .
A expectant display ? Check . Outstanding performance ? Check . Phenomenal barrage fire life and charging ? Check . Superb software , including the first-class Open Canvas multitasking that has made its way from the foldableOnePlus Opento non - folding phones ? Check . What about wireless charging , a particular hurting compass point of previous OnePlus phones ? Also present , in some way at least .
I ’ve used many OnePlus headphone in the past , but this is the first non - fold OnePlus phone that has blown through any preconceived notions and fork out everything I ’m looking for . It ’s not the slim or the lightest smartphone on the securities industry , but it does n’t demand to be . The OnePlus 13 more than makes up for anything perceived as lose by offering so much in so many areas .
All the hardware you could wish for
The OnePlus 13 delivers on OnePlus ’s decade - long mantra of “ Never locate . ” The satire behind this motto has always been that while it ’s been ever - present in OnePlus smartphones , even the best OnePlus phone felt up like you had to settle in some way of life . The OnePlus 13 ultimately leaven that that mantra can lead to one of the most polished smartphones you may use justly now .
This is most apparent in performance , battery , and charging , three area that OnePlus has systematically delivered . The root OnePlus 13 features 256 GB of memory and 12 GB of RAM , and there are also options with double the storehouse , as well as 16 GB RAM . If you want to go all out , you could get the 1 TB depot model which has 24 GB of RAM .
Of naturally , RAM is n’t everything , but couple with the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor and extremely polished software means you have a fast software experience that has yet to bumble for me . The OnePlus 13 has all the ironware I need in a smartphone , and the OnePlus approach of discombobulate the kitchen sinkhole at the internals entail you have a specs flat solid that can dispute the very best smartphones .
Class-leading battery life and charging
It ’s not just the internals that OnePlus has surpass on , but the way they manifest themselves into one package . This is most apparent in the battery life and charging , where the OnePlus 13 has socio-economic class - lead assault and battery life and charging .
The first OnePlus smartphone to take over silicon carbon assault and battery technology — instead of the lithium - ion technology used for many generations — has allowed OnePlus to increase the density of the battery while making it thin and lighter . Case in dot : the OnePlus 13 is 0.7 millimetre thinner and 10 grams lighter than last yr ’s OnePlus 12 , despite increase the battery capacitance to 6,000 mAh .
Optimizations in software , improvements in efficiency offered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite — despite it also ask more tycoon — and the larger capacity all mean the OnePlus 13 has deliver excellent battery aliveness as well . During the retiring six weeks of using it , it ’s consistently deliver multi - mean solar day shelling life , even when used as a hot spot while traveling .
As far as workhorses go , the OnePlus 13 delivers , and even when it ’s running a little low , it accept mere minutes to bounce back . In the U.S. , you get an 80W courser in the loge , and this charges the battery to full in just 39 minute . That ’s a standardized swiftness of 153 mAh per minute , which is fast than almost any other phone I ’ve tried . For setting , here ’s how it compares to key contender in the U.S. :
These are the key challenger for the OnePlus 13 in the U.S. , but what about abroad ? Here OnePlus has far more competitors that are on par or beat it , but here ’s how the OnePlus 13 stack up :
Yes , despite the Honor Magic 7 Pro having the same max charging speed — the OnePlus 13 stick out 100W charging when connected to a 240V power provision outside the U.S. — and a small battery , it institutionalize at a slenderly modest standardised charge pep pill . Similarly , the Oppo come up X8 Pro supports the same charge focal ratio and has a similar - sized battery , but lease more or less prospicient than its more low-cost first cousin .
There ’s only one current speech sound I ’ve used that pulsate the OnePlus 13 in its charging velocity : theRealme GT 7 Pro , which boast a 6,500 mAh battery and takes 36 minutes to charge to full with its 120W charger . This leads to a exchangeable charge fastness of 181 mAh per instant , or about 18 % faster than the OnePlus 13 .
Outstanding cameras that can compete with the best
A straight flagship needs more than just great operation , barrage life , and display ; it also needs first-class cameras , and the OnePlus 13 has delivered for the most part . As I ’ve been using it , a series of package update has considerably improved the tv camera , and right now , it has a camera that can match any smartphone sell in the US , as well as many sell outside the US .
Despite only having a single telephoto crystalline lens that offers 3x soar — and miss the secondary 6x periscope lens offer by the Oppo Find X8 Pro — it matches its sibling at most focal length and delivers mostly consistent photo . There are peak where the photographic camera do n’t quite present , but the barter - offs that were present in previous OnePlus cameras have proven to be few and far between with the OnePlus 13 .
As I ’ve been test the OnePlus 13 alongside the Galaxy S25 Ultra and Galaxy S25 Plus over the past few days , one thing has become apparent : the OnePlus 13 does n’t need a subaltern telephoto to challenge the Galaxy S25 Ultra , despite the latter costing 30 % more . Stay tuned for our full comparison in the coming days !
The OnePlus 13 is the best value-for-money smartphone
Therein lies the true appeal of the OnePlus 13 : at $ 1,000 , it offers the best value - for - money experience I ’ve used on a smartphone at this price point , bar none . The iPhone 16 Pro and Pixel 9 professional come nigh but the OnePlus 13 beats them in most areas I ’ve note . Meanwhile , the new Galaxy S25 Plus costs the same , but the OnePlus 13 also has it beat .
When considering which of the dear smartphones to bribe , several weeks with the OnePlus 13 have helped me realize that there ’s small reason not to bribe it . Sure , you may prefer Google ’s flavor of Android , Samsung ’s display , or the iPhone ’s ecosystem and apps , but when it come to being the best pound - for - British pound smartphone , the OnePlus 13 is in a socio-economic class of its own .
