Launched in Europe, the OnePlus 13 promises a major upgrade over the OnePlus 12, and with the latest Qualcomm processor and a 6,000 mAh battery, you won’t be short of power.
OnePlus is early to launch its latest flagship in Europe this year. The OnePlus 13 already appeared in China at the end of October and, as is good practice, is only crossing over to European territory a few months later. Thirteen is not an unlucky number for OnePlus, because the OnePlus 13 is not just a successor to the previous version.
OnePlus has tinkered heavily with its flagship phone. The new generation introduces an improved screen and especially a very large battery. It is also the first smartphone to bring the Qualcomm Snapdragon Elite processor to Europe.
The OnePlus 13 appears in three shades, each of which has its unique touch. There is a black color option that mimics a wood texture, a blue color option with vegan leather casing and a white color with surface-based glass coating. What they have in common is an IP68 and IP69 rating. The IP69 rating means the device can also tolerate water with higher pressure.
Gloves on
OnePlus proudly proclaims that the display has received a DisplayMate A++ rating, which apparently has never happened before. The screen size remains more or less the same at 6.82 inches and has room for 3,168 x 1,440 pixels. The screen supports a refresh rate of up to 120 Hz with frame interpolation, which ensures smooth images when playing video. The optical fingerprint sensor embedded in the display will be replaced with an ultrasonic one for faster and more accurate screen unlocking.
A few technological tricks keep the display working smoothly in different weather conditions. A technology called RadiantView keeps the screen readable in bright sunlight. What will benefit you more on a wet Belgian winter day is the AquaTouch technology that keeps the screen functioning when water droplets are on it and was previously introduced with the Nord 4. New for the OnePlus 13 is that you can also operate the screen with (light) gloves on.
Elite
The OnePlus 13 is the first smartphone on the European market with the Qualcomm Snapdragon Elite on board. In China, it shares that title with the Xiaomi 15, but that device has yet to cross over to our shores. The Snapdragon Elite is a CPU processor tailored for smartphones, which should result in powerful performance, benchmarks will have to back up that claim.
The device is available with 12 GB RAM and 256 GB internal storage, or with 16 GB RAM and 512 GB internal storage. There is a version with even 24 GB RAM and 1 TB of storage, but it doesn’t seem to be coming to Europe. With the configurations available, you don’t seem to be short of anything as far as we are concerned.
Large battery
The OnePlus 13 should also excel in battery life. On paper, the battery capacity is 6,000 mAh, which in practice is split between two 3,000 mAh batteries. This allows for better heat distribution while charging. This allows you to continue using the device while charging without risk of overheating and also benefits battery life.
On the cable, the OnePlus 13 achieves a charging capacity of 100 W. The smartphone is a bit fussy and will only reach its maximum charging capacity with a branded SuperVOOC charger. With the right charger, you’ll be at 100 percent in 36 minutes. Wireless charging can go up to 50 W, which gets you a full battery after 75 minutes.
No Hasselblad for the mouth
OnePlus again partnered with Hasselblad to design the cameras, as did sister brand Oppo. The camera composition is not identical to the Oppo Find X8. The Oppo model included a quad-camera setup, while the OnePlus 13 puts a three 50 MP cameras in the circular island.
The 50 MP main camera is assisted by a Sony LYT-808 sensor that lets in a lot of light. 2024 was the year of zoom cameras, and the Oppo Find X8 sets the bar very high for the OnePlus 13. The zoom lens sacrifices megapixels (from 64 MP to 50 MP), but boasts a (not so) secret weapon: AI. From the moment you zoom in 10x, AI takes over to keep the image sharp. Optical image stabilization reduces camera “shake” when zooming in.
OxygenOS 15
At launch, the OnePlus 13 comes with OxygenOS 15. This software based on Android 15 is visually quasi-identical to Oppo’s ColorOS 15. Typically, OnePlus is able to control itself better than Oppo when it comes to allowing bloatware, and we can only hope that remains the case with the latest model. The OnePlus 13 gets six years of support.
OnePlus is not sparing with AI. OxygenOS 15 includes of numerous AI features for photo and video, as well as for writing messages and summarizing texts. Intelligent Search is an AI feature that searches for information in locally saved files.
Available in black, white or blue, the OnePlus 13 costs 999 euros for the base configuration (12 GB + 256 GB). For 16 GB + 256 GB you will pay 1149 euros; prices include VAT.