I used the OnePlus 13 when it came out, and I switched to the OnePlus 13R a little later. While the OnePlus 13 is undoubtedly better, it isn’t twice as good; the difference between the two is mostly down to the auxiliary cameras. Basically, the OnePlus 13R is the much better value, and if you need a new phone and don’t care about the wide-angle and tele lenses, it is the device to get.
That’s doubly so now; the OnePlus 13R usually costs $599, but it’s now down to $499 on Amazon, making it an even better value. To put that into context, the OnePlus 13 costs $849 now, 41% more than the 13R.
I don’t have to convince you that the OnePlus 13R is good — the phone does that by itself. It has a similar design as the OnePlus 13, and the 120Hz OLED panel is among the best in this category. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 may not be the latest, but you’ll hardly notice the difference while gaming — I didn’t when I used the phone.
You also get a terrific 50MP camera at the back, and that’s joined by a 50MP 2x lens. While it isn’t as good as the OnePlus 13, it still does a decent job in most situations. In fact, the main camera is almost as good in all but low-light scenarios.
Then there’s the battery; the 6,000mAh battery doesn’t have silicon tech, but it is still the biggest battery in this segment, and it easily lasts a day and a half. In my use, I averaged two days between charges, and with 80W charging, it takes under an hour to fill up the massive battery.
All of this is my way of saying that if you want a new phone in the vicinity of $500, there isn’t anything better than the OnePlus 13R.
