The OnePlus 13 was a turning point for the Chinese manufacturer. Although OnePlus made phones for a decade, there was always a sense that its camera prowess wasn’t up to scratch — at least against its Chinese rivals and Google.
That narrative changed with the OnePlus 13, with the device able to deliver standout cameras with the same versatility as the Vivo X200 and other phones in this category. I’m still a little miffed that we didn’t get a Pro version (much less an Ultra model), but it’s a good thing that OnePlus focused on a single device, and it isn’t like the OnePlus 13 misses out on much.
One of the best designs of 2025
I’ll admit that I wasn’t a fan of the design when I saw the renders of the OnePlus 13. I’ve always liked the designs of OnePlus phones in the past, and I felt that the manufacturer was veering away from its design ethos in an effort to stand out.
Thankfully, it turned out to be a non-issue; the OnePlus 13 still feels good in-hand, and even though it has a flat design, the subtle bevels ensure the sides don’t dig into your palm. The weight balance is ideal, and the unique leather back continues to be one of my favorite features on the phone.
The leather is softer and has a better texture than regular leather-backed phones, and after nearly a year of use, it continues to look great — the blue model is still my recommendation. I didn’t see any issues with the build quality even with a dozen or so tumbles, and the fact that the rear panel has leather instead of glass also makes a difference in this area.
What’s notable is that the custom glass layer at the front did an admirable job. I don’t use a case with my phones, so it’s good to see the device come away unscathed after long-term use. Similarly, I had no problems using it outdoors during India’s monsoon season, with IP68 and IP69 water resistance clearly up to the task.
Hardware with plenty of power left
The 6.82-inch AMOLED panel continues to be one of the best around; it has excellent colors, good brightness levels, and doesn’t have any issues with HDR content. There really isn’t much to talk about here other than to say that the green line issue that plagued devices in the past just wasn’t a problem.
Honestly, I can say the same about the hardware. The Snapdragon 8 Elite is an absolute powerhouse, and I still feel that it isn’t being used to its full potential — you just don’t have that caliber of games on Android. We’ve seen manufacturers go to great lengths in recent years to tout lag-free use after several years, and to me, that makes the biggest difference with these kinds of phones.
Sure, any phone is undoubtedly fast when you start using it (unless you have Samsung’s A series devices), but the real test is after a year or two, when things inevitably start slowing down. Thankfully, this isn’t an issue on the OnePlus 13, and the phone feels just as fluid as the day I set it up. OnePlus says the phone will be fast even after four years of use, and I don’t doubt those claims — I recently booted up the OnePlus 8T to test it out for a while, and it held up astonishingly well.
Battery life has been consistent too; I still get a day’s worth out of the device, and there isn’t any noticeable battery degradation. Of course, the use of silicon carbon battery tech means the OnePlus 13 should have better longevity than earlier models, and I’ll be putting that to the test by reevaluating the phone next year. As it stands, the battery is just as reliable, and I like that I can easily charge the device with any USB PD charger at 50W.
OxygenOS 16 gives a much-needed software boost
The OnePlus 13 launched with OxygenOS 15, and it just got the update to the Android 16-based OxygenOS 16. The update introduces a brand-new UI with translucent effects, and it has better cohesion and increased fluidity. While I’m still not enthused about the UI looking so similar to iOS 26, I’ll admit that it is better than OxygenOS 15.
The software update injects freshness and additional fluidity, and makes the device that much better. You get a decent number of new features as well, and while there’s now a split notification pane, you can use the older unified style.
OnePlus 13, a year later: Still going strong
Just because the OnePlus 15 is launching doesn’t make the OnePlus 13 any less of a phone. If anything, the OxygenOS 16 update allows it to stand out even more, and the OnePlus 13 continues to be the best OnePlus phone you can buy today.
This is where things have meaningfully changed in recent years; flagships are designed to last four years or more, and if you don’t immediately need the latest tech or the best camera innovations, there are considerable savings to be had by buying last year’s devices.
Switching to the OnePlus 13 after using the Vivo X300 Pro, I don’t notice any sizeable difference in fluidity or usability in general, and I get the feeling that the phone will continue to be that way for the foreseeable future.
The OnePlus 13 is still just as fast as the day it launched, and the combination of powerful internals and great cameras ensure that will continue to be the case going into 2026 and beyond.
