OnePlus is not your average phone brand, and the OnePlus 13 is refreshing proof that they can top the competition at a better price.
Over the last few weeks I’ve been using the OnePlus 13 as my daily driver, and it’s powerful and unique, with a well rounded mix of features, improved photography, and an updated design.
So far this year this is my favourite new phone, especially because OnePlus didn’t stuff the device with useless AI features, and they focus on price and quality.
I have a few small complaints about some of the features, and even the photography to a degree, but I am very impressed with OnePlus how they’re continuing to evolve.
Price and availability
This is something I normally talk about at the end, but the pricing and where you can get the OnePlus 13 are important.
The OnePlus 13 is available starting at $1,249.99 in Canada, and $899.99 in the U.S. in Midnight Ocean, Arctic Dawn, and Black Eclipse. That includes 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage, or it’s available with 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage for $1,399.99 Canadian.
In Canada the OnePlus 13 is available through the OnePlus website and Best Buy Canada, while the U.S. is selling it at OnePlus, Best Buy, and Amazon.
The pricing pits the new phone directly against the latest Google Pixel phone, and it’s a lot cheaper than the top two flagship Samsung phones. Those are big factors in making a decision to upgrade, and it makes the flagship phone incredibly appealing.
Performance, RAM, and multi-tasking
The OnePlus 13 is blazing fast, thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite, with 16 GB of RAM, if you pick the more powerful phone. However both models can be blazing fast thanks to OnePlus’ RAM expansion. With the 16 GBs of base RAM, I boosted my OnePlus to 28 GB of RAM, and it makes the everything fly.
Not everyone has the same demands as me, but I edit videos on my phone, and it’s the best test of any CPU and overall phone stability. On other phones I’ve had the app crash, it won’t load certain video files because they’re too big, or the app just stalls, but the OnePlus is so powerful, I never have an issue editing. I’ve even put the system to the test and tried editing a long video, at over 10 minutes, and the system worked like a charm.
For most users, the power of the phone is most obvious when you’re gaming, or even just multi-tasking. I often keep a lot of apps open at once, and flipping between them is quick and efficient.
Gamers will also appreciate that the phone has Dual Cryo-Velocity vapour chambers, to keep the heat down, even during longer sessions. OnePlus also released a new fast charger that helps reduce heat, the OnePlus AIRVOOC 50W magnetic charger.
Finally, OxygenOS 15 feels smooth and stands against the competition. Some features are familiar to Android, like circle to search, but a few new features are interesting, like the new translation options with the OnePlus Buds Pro 3. OxygenOS 15 is my new favourite UI for the simplicity, the customization options, and the speed improvements.
Cameras, image quality, and AI
Image quality on the new phone has a number of improvements, thanks to new processing, a change to the zoom camera build, and Hasselblad refinements, especially for portraits.
While the camera specs are essentially identical to the OnePlus 12, the software makes the difference. I’ll admit that I thought the OnePlus 12 was one of the best cameras I have ever used on a phone, particularly in portrait and pro mode. The OnePlus 13 has noticeable improvements to photos, and it has a much-improved approach to capturing photos in difficult lighting conditions.
The new Clear Burst mode captures action beautifully, as you’ll see in some of my sample photos below, and the 5th-Gen Hasselblad camera for mobile works wonders. As well, I even found the selfie camera results much improved, even when I had the sun behind me or over my shoulder.
One of the biggest upgrades is 4K 60fps Dolby Vision HDR on all cameras, including the front facing camera. Vloggers and creators will be impressed with the results.
And I appreciate the results of the new smart modes, that will popup to help capture better photos of fireworks, stage lighting, and silhouettes.
Standard photo zoom range from 0.6 at the ultra-wide angle, to 1x, 2x, 3x, and 6x, but you can zoom up to 120x. The 3x zoom camera is by far my favourite, and delivers exceptional clarity and depth in a wide range of situations. For digital zoom, 6x and up to 20x can deliver decent results in good lighting conditions, but the results are hit and miss sometimes.
The one complaint I have is how AI is being used to improve zoom results. Depending on what you’re shooting, the results don’t always work out. With digital zoom beyond 20x, some things end up taking on strange contours and textures, and it doesn’t really improve the image. I’m not sure if this is better or worse than pixelated photos, but there’s also no way to turn it off.
Some unique AI features you can use after taking photos include AI Detail Boost, to make photos clearer, Unblur, and Reflection Eraser. The detail boost is not bad, but the results are limited. So far I haven’t had a lot of luck with Reflection Eraser, as it usually only removes small amounts of reflections.
All of this said, I still think the cameras and results are very impressive. The photos look and feel more like real camera images, which is saying a lot, rather than phone photos that are often oversaturated and unrealistic. I also had some great results using the camera at night.
Display, design, and build quality
The display on the OnePlus 13 is absolutely gorgeous, with a screen resolution up to 3168×1440, and a 120 Hz display. The 6.82-inch AMOLED screen is vivid and bright, and it impressively has an average brightness of 1,600 nits, with a top brightness of 4,500 nits.
Using the screen is fast and responsive, and turning on a special feature called Gloves Mode, you can even use the phone with regular gloves.
The most interesting thing to mention for the build and the build quality are the IP68 and IP69 ratings. While IP68 is widely seen on many phones, and means that the phone is water resistant, to a degree, IP69 means that the OnePlus 13 is also resistant against high-pressure water streams.
As an example of that, OnePlus gave me a chance to put their phones in a dishwasher and a washing machine, and they came out working fine. While there are a number of limitations for both ratings, including the type of water, it is refreshing to see a phone that can take a bit more abuse.
Overall, the build quality is really solid, I love the slightly curved front glass and rear panel, the metal frame, and most of all, the gorgeous Midnight Ocean colour, with the micro-fibre vegan leather back. I also think the new camera design looks great, with the bright white finish.
Battery life and charging
None of the competition can top OnePlus’ battery life or charging speeds. So far it hasn’t been done, and it’s one of the biggest reasons that I love the phones, because I usually only need to charge once every 1-2 days, depending on how heavily I’m using it.
The OnePlus 13 features their first 6,000 mAh Silicon NanoStack battery, and cable charging up to 100W, thanks to the included SuperVOOC power plug and cable. None of the competition includes the power cable and brick, either, so it’s another point for OnePlus in my books.
From 1%, I can charge to 100% in around 40 minutes, and I can get a very good charge in less than 15 minutes to get me through an afternoon or more.
OnePlus has also launched their new AIRVOOC 50W Magnetic Charger that gamers will love, acting to cool the device and power it during long sessions.
This new charger is thanks to the magnetic case that you can get for the phone, making it compatible with MagSafe accessories, but I haven’t tested that feature.
If you don’t need the best screen resolution, colour boosting, image sharpening, and a few other cosmetic display features, you can also extend the battery life even further. At 12% charge, battery saver mode offered that I could keep the phone going up to 5 hours, or even up to 2.5 hours at a standard setting.
Final thoughts
The OnePlus 13 is exceptional and it’s an excellent upgrade. Performance, dependability, power, and the eye-catching photography all stand out.
The speed of the phone and the excellent user experience are two of my favourite things, but I’ve also captured some amazing photos and videos with the phone, and I think the shot above is one of the best that I’ve ever captured with a phone. It’s crisp and vibrant, with depth and beautiful, natural colours. I usually can easily spot the difference between camera and phone photography, but OnePlus has blurred the lines.
All photos by W. Andrew Powell/The GATE
