OnePlus 13 vs OnePlus 11: The Great Leap
Intro
In a smartphone world dominated by Apple and Samsung, OnePlus has always been a breath of fresh air. The next big thing coming from the company is already here and ready to take on the big guys. The OnePlus 13 awaits its global premiere, which is set for early January, 2025, but before it can take on the iPhones and Galaxies, this flagship has to prove itself against its own kind.
Today we're going to pit the recently announced in China OnePlus 13 against the hugely successful OnePlus 11. This might seem like a strange comparison, but it makes a lot of sense, especially for OnePlus 11 owners looking to upgrade.
OnePlus 13 vs OnePlus 11 differences:
| OnePlus 13 | OnePlus 11 |
|---|---|
| Shorter but wider phone, not much heavier | Taller and narrower mainly due to the curved screen, slightly lighter as well |
| Larger and brighter 6.82-inch display | A smaller 6.7-inch screen with the same 120Hz refresh rate |
| Triple camera system with three 50MP Sony sensors, periscope telephoto | Triple camera but the sensors are 50, 32, 48MP, 2x telephoto |
| More memory in the base version (12GB) | Less base RAM (8GB) |
| More native storage (256GB) and no microSD card slot | 128GB of storage in here |
| A newer and faster Snapdragon 8 Elite processor | Older Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (two generations back) |
| Larger 6,000 mAh battery that will potentially deliver better battery life | A smaller 5,000 mAh battery |
| Fast 100W wired charging, 50W wireless charging | 100W wired charging, wireless charging |
Table of Contents:
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Design and Display Quality
Flatter screen is king
We now know the exact dimensions of the OnePlus 13, and it's a slightly shorter but wider device, compared to the OnePlus 13. The display is a 6.82-inch panel, as opposed to the 6.7-inch screen in the OnePlus 11, and the curvature is almost non-existent on the new model (it's quad 2.5D glass), leading to a wider device.
The design of the OnePlus 13 isn't groundbreaking and follows in the footsteps of the previous couple of generations. The same circular camera system is present on both phones, offset to the left and proudly displaying the Hasselblad logo.
The design of the OnePlus 13 isn't groundbreaking and follows in the footsteps of the previous couple of generations. The same circular camera system is present on both phones, offset to the left and proudly displaying the Hasselblad logo.
The back is also slightly curved on both phones, and in terms of materials, there's nothing surprising. Well, almost. The new OnePlus 13 comes with one faux leather option in blue (it's a polymer material), and it looks great. The other two variants are frosted glass. The OnePlus 11 also features the same glass-metal sandwich but with much more pronounced curvature on the screen and back.
OnePlus 11 available colors:
- Titan Black
- Eternal Green
- Jupiter Rock
OnePlus 13 available colors (China):
- Obsidian Secret Realm
- Blue Moment
- White Dew Morning Dawn
In our display test, the OnePlus 11 managed to shine with 734 nits, which by 2024 standards is not that bright. Stay tuned for some hard numbers and our display test comparison soon.
Last but not least, the OnePlus 13 features an under-display ultrasonic fingerprint scanner, just like the one used in Galaxy S-series devices of late, which is an upgrade over the regular optical fingerprint sensor inside the OnePlus 11.
Last but not least, the OnePlus 13 features an under-display ultrasonic fingerprint scanner, just like the one used in Galaxy S-series devices of late, which is an upgrade over the regular optical fingerprint sensor inside the OnePlus 11.
Performance and Software
Elite Snapdragon affair
In terms of hardware, there aren't any surprises. The OnePlus 13 comes with the latest and greatest Qualcomm silicon, namely the Snapdragon 8 Elite. We already have some Geekbench scores putting this chip right next to Apple's A18 but we have to run our own test to confirm that.
The OnePlus 11, on the other hand, features the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, which will be two generations old once the new flagship arrives. The biggest difference, however, won't be in raw performance, despite the expected gap in benchmarks.
Even though the OnePlus 11 features a two-year old chipset, the real-life day-to-day experience probably won't be that different. Where things will differ is AI. The new model launched with ColorOS 15 in China, featuring its own AI Assistant with features similar to Circle to Search, Voice Summary, Photo Edit, and more. Whether or not the global version will come with the same features or rely on a third party service such as Gemini or ChatGPT, for example, it's not clear yet.
Regarding the RAM situation, there's a 24GB RAM version of the OnePlus 13 paired with 1TB of storage, while the OnePlus 11 can be bought with "only" 16GB of RAM max.
Performance benchmarks will populate this section once the OnePlus 13 lands on our lab table.
The OnePlus 11, on the other hand, features the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, which will be two generations old once the new flagship arrives. The biggest difference, however, won't be in raw performance, despite the expected gap in benchmarks.
Even though the OnePlus 11 features a two-year old chipset, the real-life day-to-day experience probably won't be that different. Where things will differ is AI. The new model launched with ColorOS 15 in China, featuring its own AI Assistant with features similar to Circle to Search, Voice Summary, Photo Edit, and more. Whether or not the global version will come with the same features or rely on a third party service such as Gemini or ChatGPT, for example, it's not clear yet.
Performance benchmarks will populate this section once the OnePlus 13 lands on our lab table.
Camera
Sony prowess with Hasselblad treatment
There's a brand-new camera system on the OnePlus 13. The phone features a triple setup consisting of a 1/1.4" 50MP Sony LYT-808 primary sensor with OIS support, a 23mm focal length, and an f/1.6 aperture.
The ultrawide camera is a 50MP Samsung JN5 sensor with 15mm focal length equivalent and an aperture of f/2.0 and there's a 1/1.95" 50MP Sony LYT-600 telephoto-periscope camera system with OIS, an f/2.6 aperture, and 3x optical zoom or 73mm focal length equivalent.
The OnePlus 11 also comes with an ample camera system; the phone features a 50MP main camera sensor, a Sony IMX890 sensor. The ultra-wide camera sensor is a 48MP with macro capabilities, and the third rear camera is a 2X zoom lens—no periscope magic, but still great for portrait shots.
As we always say, samples speak louder than specs, so expect some side-by-side images here soon.
The ultrawide camera is a 50MP Samsung JN5 sensor with 15mm focal length equivalent and an aperture of f/2.0 and there's a 1/1.95" 50MP Sony LYT-600 telephoto-periscope camera system with OIS, an f/2.6 aperture, and 3x optical zoom or 73mm focal length equivalent.
As we always say, samples speak louder than specs, so expect some side-by-side images here soon.
Battery Life and Charging
New silicon-carbon tech starts to go mainstream
The OnePlus 13 is the latest flagship phone from China to hop on the silicon-carbon battery train. It's a neat hybrid technology that imbues the anode of a lithium-ion battery with some silicon material, expanding the capacity (pure silicon has 5000% more potential capacity in comparison to lithium, emphasis on potential). This allowed OnePlus to cram in a 6,000mAh cell inside the OnePlus 13, while keeping the size roughly the same as let's say the OnePlus 11 we're currently comparing it to.
The latter comes equipped with a 5,000 mAh battery, and this 1,000 difference will most likely translate into battery life. The charging situation is virtually identical, both phones can suck up electricity with 100W of power via a wire, and 50W through the magic of magnetic induction. We'll have to wait and see, and, of course, stay tuned for battery benchmarks and overall battery estimate once we've done testing the OnePlus 13.
Specs Comparison
Here's a quick specs comparison between the two phones. If you want to delve deeper, check out our full OnePlus 13 vs OnePlus 11 specs comparison on PhoneArena.
| Specs | OnePlus 13 | OnePlus 11 |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 162.9 x 76.5 x 8.5 mm | 163.1 x 74.1 x 8.5 mm |
| Weight | 210 g | 205 g |
| Screen | 6.82-inch OLED 1-120Hz | 6.7-inch OLED 1-120Hz |
| Processor | Snapdragon 8 Elite | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 |
| RAM, Storage and Price | 12/256GB for 4499 yuan ($600) | 8/128GB for $550 |
| Cameras | 50MP main 50MP ultra-wide 50MP telephoto 16MP front | 50MP main 48MP ultra-wide 32MP 2X zoom 16MP front |
| Battery Size | 6,000 mAh | 5,000 mAh |
| Charging Speeds | 100W wired 50W wireless | 100W wired 50W wireless |
Which one should you buy?
This is still a preliminary comparison, but even at this early point in time, we can safely say that the OnePlus 13 is the better choice here. Not only will it come with substantial upgrades in the hardware department, camera, and battery, but it probably will bring some software magic onboard as well.
What about the OnePlus 11 then? Well, if you find one for cheap, maybe you can use it as a backup phone or a second device. In terms of upgrading, if you already own the OnePlus 11, the new OnePlus 13 is a great device to upgrade to.
What about the OnePlus 11 then? Well, if you find one for cheap, maybe you can use it as a backup phone or a second device. In terms of upgrading, if you already own the OnePlus 11, the new OnePlus 13 is a great device to upgrade to.
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