The OnePlus 13 proves newer isn’t always better
This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
Just the other day, I finished my review of the OnePlus 13, and it’s crystal clear––both objectively and subjectively, it’s a phone that offers good value.
Flagship evolution is supposed to go forward.
It has top-notch hardware, with the star of the show being the Snapdragon 8 Ultra chipset that currently leads the synthetic benchmark rankings. We also get one of the most customizable Android skins, with numerous ways to personalize the user experience however we see fit.
It also offers a large battery, a promising triple camera, and an attractive price tag, undercutting most of its potential current rivals from Apple, Samsung, and Google by a significant margin.
By all means, the OnePlus 13 should be a successful flagship. Yet, despite these impressive features, the OnePlus 13 stumbles in key areas, preventing it from being a true flagship standout.
What went wrong with the OnePlus 13?
The answer to all that is fairly simple. The recurring theme throughout the OnePlus 13 review was the looming sense of inconsistency and even downgrades in some areas. With an average camera and battery life that feels like it should be much better, as well as a design language that's not a significant improvement over the OnePlus 12, the new OnePlus 13 is best described as "one small step forward and two steps sideways".
Camera
Flagship evolution is supposed to go forward.
That's the logic that all phones should strive for. Yet, with a camera that fails to match the OnePlus 12 from last year, which delivered significantly more natural and pleasing photos, the OnePlus 13 fails the one category where we usually hope to see most improved. Here's an in-depth piece on the OnePlus 13 camera and here's how it stacks up against the OnePlus 12. The bottom-line from both is the same: upgrading for the camera alone is not worth it.
Not only did the phone lose a whole periscope camera that was available on its Oppo Find X8 Pro cousin, but it appears that the image-processing algorithms and whole philosophy behind the camera package has been changed for the worse. If you haven't heard of the Oppo-OnePlus partnership before, they are partnering up in terms of hardware and software, with Oppo and OnePlus flagships usually sharing almost similar specs sheets. Sadly, a few important bits are missing from the OnePlus 13, namely the extra periscope camera and a dedicated Camera button.
Battery life
With a Snapdragon 8 Ultra chipset and a massive 6,000mAh battery, the OnePlus 13 should deliver class-leading battery life. Unfortunately, in our testing we found that it fails to outperform rivals like the Galaxy S24 Ultra or iPhone 16 Pro Max, barely edging out the Pixel 9 Pro XL.
While the phone does provide reliable backup for heavy use, even lasting up to two days with careful management and battery-pampering, it feels as if the hardware could achieve much more. Future software optimizations might unlock its full potential, but for now, there’s certainly room for some improvement.
AI
Then, we have AI. Don't get me wrong, the OnePlus AI tools included with the phone are useful in some situations. They let you fine-tune photos in your gallery app and fix some common nuisances like window reflections and blurry images. Useful but far from mind-blowing, and not something that seems to be a too-tasking use of artificial intelligence. Definitely not something we haven't already seen before.
That's fine and all, but one thing's missing––excitement. With the industry currently in an arms race to deliver more and more compelling AI features to its flagships, OnePlus seems to be lagging in AI innovation.
While the AI tools on the latest OnePlus flagship are functional, they lack true innovation. In a time when competitors are introducing transformative AI features, OnePlus really missed an opportunity to stand out among its peers.
Finally, there's the design part, which I don't really like. The modern flat design of the OnePlus 13 is okay from a usability standpoint, but the OnePlus 12 had more charm and visual appeal with its more curved design language that was frankly unique in the day and age of cookie-cutter flat phones.
Design
Finally, there's the design part, which I don't really like. The modern flat design of the OnePlus 13 is okay from a usability standpoint, but the OnePlus 12 had more charm and visual appeal with its more curved design language that was frankly unique in the day and age of cookie-cutter flat phones.
Well, OnePlus erased most of the visual uniqueness, and in my opinion, the OnePlus 13 has turned out to be a bland phone that doesn't really have anything noteworthy going for it. The faux leather paired with the silver frame creates a visual mismatch that might not appeal to everyone's taste, it definitely did not tickle my fancy. Couldn't put on the protective case on fast enough.
The OnePlus 13 fails to beat the OnePlus 12
The OnePlus 13 is undoubtedly powerful, but power alone doesn’t make a flagship. When compared to its predecessor, the OnePlus 12, it falls short in key areas like battery life, camera performance, and design appeal. The OnePlus 12 still feels like the more complete and compelling device—a testament to how high OnePlus set the bar last year.
According to our in-house tests, the OnePlus 12 has better battery life and better camera, and it actually received all the same cloud-based AI features the OnePlus 13 has via the latest major Android update. It also has a much cooler and more appealing design language that stands out much more. It's a phone that feels ahead of its time, especially when you compare it with the OnePlus 13 side-by-side.
Overall, the new OnePlus 13 fails to live up to the expectations established by the OnePlus 12, and at least in my eyes, looks like a slightly inferior device.
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