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The OnePlus 13 will be a specs champ, so why is nobody excited about it?

By Adrian Diaconescu

Published: Oct 03, 2024, 7:45 AM

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Are you excited for one of the year's last major remaining smartphone launch events? What do you mean what launch event? I'm talking about the OnePlus 13, of course. You know, the lone sequel to one of the best Android phones of 2024, which was technically released in 2023... in China.

Similar to the OnePlus 12, this bad boy is expected, nay, confirmed to see daylight in the world's largest smartphone market before all other regions and countries. This local OnePlus 13 announcement is likely to take place in October, which is... this month?!

That's right, we seem to be mere weeks (at most) away from the formal introduction of quite possibly one of the greatest mobile devices of the next year or so, and yet, almost no one is buzzing about the OnePlus 13. Heck, I believe I've seen more Pixel 9a headlines on our little PhoneArena website here in recent weeks, and that's a mid-ranger not expected out for around seven months.

Should we be paying more attention to the OnePlus 13?

Absofrigginlutely! In fact, I can't even believe I'm seriously asking that (rhetorical) question right now. That really should be a no-brainer based on the simple following reasons:

A stunning 6.82-inch second-gen "Oriental Screen" with a resolution of 3168 x 1440 pixels, 120Hz refresh rate technology, and a peak brightness of 5000 nits;
6,000mAh battery with 100W wired and 50W wireless charging capabilities;
Up to 24GB RAM paired with 1TB storage;
Four 50MP cameras;
Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 processor.

I know, I know, specs are not everything. And some of those eye-popping numbers are either not 100 percent confirmed or not guaranteed for other markets besides China. But the display teased on Weibo a few days ago as a major improvement over the OnePlus 12's panel is definitely real, definitely coming to the entire world, and almost certainly a joy to behold.

After all, the OnePlus 12's first-gen "Oriental Screen" also managed to burn our eyes (in a good way) with a peak brightness of 4500 nits, which looks undeniably amazing in real-life use even at a considerably lower level.

This is our best look at the OnePlus 13 so far. | Image Credit -- Weibo

If the OnePlus 13 can indeed go higher in the (theoretical) brightness department, as well as in terms of color reproduction, power consumption, and touch response, I personally don't need another major upgrade to closely follow this puppy's imminent announcement and ensuing commercial run.

Of course, OnePlus is not actually wrapping up the upgrades there, preparing to trump the existing Galaxy S24 Ultra and most likely the impending S25 Ultra as well with a huge battery, an insane amount of memory, and a fittingly impressive top-tier storage configuration.

Then you've got the cameras, which OnePlus is expected to completely overhaul, and the processing power, which will be unbeatable. Granted, the three 50MP rear-facing sensors and the single 50MP front-facing snapper may or may not prove more capable in real-world performance than the S25 Ultra's cameras, but I believe we know enough about them to give the OnePlus 13 more attention than... the company itself.

What is OnePlus doing?!

Better yet, what is OnePlus not doing in the lead-up to its next Android flagship launch? Well, the device manufacturer is not doing a very good job of promoting this fast-approaching announcement event, for one thing.

Unless something was lost in translation last month and the OnePlus 13 is not set for a Chinese unveiling in October, the handset's official buzz-building campaign is far too discreet. Even the unofficial "advertising campaign" feels weirdly muted, with most of the industry's top insiders and leakers focusing on cracking the Galaxy S25 Ultra code while ignoring quite possibly its number one rival almost completely.

Instead of a OnePlus 13 teaser image, here's a nice OnePlus 12 photo. | Image Credit -- PhoneArena

Of course, the OnePlus 13 may only be expanded from China to the rest of the world in December or January, thus giving the device maker and (Western) social media leakers plenty of time to pump up our excitement levels.

But that's part of the problem in my view, and it might explain why the OnePlus 12 always felt like an underdog next to the Galaxy S24 Ultra and even the Pixel 8 Pro. This China-first release strategy is clearly detrimental to the brand's presence and reputation in markets like the US, where consumers are essentially being told they're... not that important.

It's definitely hard to get people excited twice in the space of just a couple of months for the exact same product, which is why this strategy needs to change. Today! Otherwise, we'll be back in a year (or slightly less) to discuss why the OnePlus 14 is not very discussed, and then another year down the line, we'll be scratching our heads wondering why OnePlus is exiting the US market. That would obviously be a modern-day mobile industry tragedy, but it's definitely possible with the way things are going.

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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.