Review of the OnePlus 13R: a triple threat of intelligence, performance, and battery

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OnePlus 13R review: price and availability

• OnePlus 13R price is $599 / £679
• Available with 12GB RAM + 256GB ROM in North America and Europe
• India also has the option of a 16GB + 512GB variant

With only one storage option—256GB ROM + 12GB RAM—available in North America and Europe, the OnePlus 13R is a straightforward purchase.

A more robust 512GB + 16GB extra combination is available for individuals in India, which would make some Western markets jealous of Asia.

Priced at $599/£679, the OnePlus 13R is £30 more expensive in the UK than its predecessor, the OnePlus 12R, which was released at the same price in the US.

The 13R is positioned well in the market, delivering a large screen, a large battery, and plenty of performance at a price point that undercuts Apple, and it was launched in the US at the same price as the 256GB OnePlus 12R from the previous year. Although the £30 price rise is a little annoying for UK customers, OnePlus has made improvements to the 13R, which still provides a good all-around experience.

The OnePlus 13R is priced at the upper end of the “affordable flagship” market, and unlike the OnePlus 12R, it only comes with 256GB of ROM and 12GB of RAM in the US. This time, there isn’t a less expensive model with 8GB or 128GB of RAM and storage.

This indicates that it costs more than the more compact, palm-friendly Google’s own version of a low-cost flagship, the Pixel 8a, is priced comparable to the AI-powered Samsung Galaxy S24 FE and the alternative Nothing Phone (2), albeit the latter is already a year and a half old.

The OnePlus 13R’s exceptional battery life is one of its main selling points, but if you value battery life above all else in a large-screen phone, you might want to check out the Honor Magic 7 Lite. Although it isn’t accessible in North America and has a larger battery (6,600mAh), it is significantly less expensive.

• Value score: 4 / 5

OnePlus 13R review: specs

Three key specifications are included with the OnePlus 13R. It has a large, bright, and striking 6.78-inch screen with a maximum brightness of 4,500 nits, a massive 6,000mAh battery that lasts for two days, and smooth performance because it uses the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 CPU as the OnePlus 12, the brand’s last flagship.

All but the most frequent power users will be satisfied with the 256GB of storage, three cameras around the back, and quick 80W wired charging.

OnePlus 13R review: design

• Wonderfully premium aluminum and glass frame
• A little large for small hands, and can’t be submerged in water

With a sleek aluminum frame encircling the phone and glass on either side, the OnePlus 13R is a stylish piece of hardware.

Because both companies are owned by the same business, the flat sides are reminiscent of both the Oppo Find X8 range and Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro and 16 Pro series. The latter shares several design characteristics with the OnePlus 13 series.

Gorilla Glass 7i, the first OnePlus phone to use this new glass type, is used to cover the phone’s screen and back to complete the luxury package. According to manufacturer Corning, the glass is “specifically engineered to address the need for improved drop protection and scratch resistance.”

This implies that the 13R should be resilient to the occasional drop and knock, but I didn’t really test this out when I was reviewing the phone.

The OnePlus 13R has a high-end appearance and feel, is well-built, and performs better than its pricing suggests, even though its design isn’t totally original.

I would have preferred the power and volume buttons on the right of the 13R to be positioned lower down, but those with smaller hands will find the gadget too large, especially for one-handed operation.

My thumb was strained by the volume rocker in particular, which made it difficult to turn up the volume without making awkward hand shuffles. The buttons would naturally fall beneath the thumb if OnePlus positioned these a few millimeters lower, making manipulation simpler.

The OnePlus 13R has OnePlus’ now-iconic alert slider, which makes it simple to choose between silent, vibration, and ring modes. However, it has the same placement problem as the volume and power buttons; it’s positioned a bit too high up on the left side of the phone for my taste.

Although this was a unique feature in the early days of OnePlus, as user patterns have changed over time and fewer people are regularly flipping between ring states, its inclusion now seems a little unnecessary. Carl Pei, a former co-founder of OnePlus, even went so far as to tweet that “most people never use it” in reference to the alert slider.

The speaker and SIM tray, which can hold two cards, are on either side of the USB-C connector, which is located in the middle of the phone’s bottom edge. Only the massive round camera housing on the back breaks the sleek, minimalistic finish of my Nebular Noir-colored smartphone.

Positioned on one side of the phone, it adds a tiny touch of distinction to the Find X8 devices’ central camera hump, which slightly shifts the weight but isn’t a problem for everyday use. Because OnePlus has kept the 13R’s weight down to a manageable 206g, it fits pleasantly in the hand.

The IP65 water resistant rating of the phone is one unsatisfactory feature. Although an IP68 rating (water resistance for submersion) is not unusual in this price range, it is an upgrade over the IP64 rating of its predecessor and offers protection against water jets.

• Design score: 4 / 5

OnePlus 13R review: display

The phone’s IP65 water resistance rating is one unsatisfactory feature. Although it offers protection from water jets and is an upgrade over its predecessor’s IP64 classification, an IP68 rating (water resistance for submersion) is not unusual in this price range.

• The 6.78-inch display is big, bright and colorful
• A peak brightness of 4,500 nits makes it great for use in the sun

OnePlus makes a big deal about the display on this phone, and the good news is it lives up to the billing. It is large, vivid, and multicolored.

It’s a massive device at 6.78 inches, slightly larger than the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE (6.7 inches) and much larger than the Pixel 8a’s 6.1-inch screen. It’s also about the same size as the Honor Magic 7 Lite, another big-battery contender.

The thin, consistent bezels around it give it a high-end appearance, and there is enough of space for apps. The circular notch for the 16MP front-facing camera at the top of the screen is the only visual disruption.

The resolution of 1264 x 2780 (1.5K), which provides a pixel density of 450 ppi, is standard. Although OnePlus claims that the 13R can reach a maximum brightness of 4,500 nits, you won’t be able to view that level of brightness in practical applications.

The OnePlus 13R’s screen did a great job in bright light during my time with it, both indoors and out. You can be sure you’ll be able to see what’s on screen in direct sunlight if you’re lucky enough to be in an area with lots of sunshine.

During my experience with the phone, the OnePlus 13R’s screen functioned flawlessly in high light, both indoors and out. If you’re lucky enough to live in an area with lots of sunshine, you can be sure that you’ll be able to see what’s on screen in direct sunlight.

And because of Aqua Touch 2.0, the OnePlus 13R keeps working even when the weather changes and it starts to rain. When the weather did not interfere with my usage of the phone, the screen responded effectively. Rain can cause problems for other phones, causing the screen to become confused by water droplets, which can result in unregistered taps or incorrect inputs.

Glove Mode, which lets you use the screen while wearing woolen or sheepskin gloves that are up to 0.5 cm thick, is another great feature of the OnePlus 13R. You must navigate through the accessibility menus in the Settings apps to activate this mode, which isn’t enabled by default. To discover the mode more quickly, search for “glove” in Settings.

After turning it on, I was amazed at how sensitive the screen was even with woolen gloves on. The change is noticeable because the screen did not respond at all when the mode was turned off and gloves were worn.

It’s not surprising that interactions do demand a bit more force than when not wearing gloves. Glove mode does not support gameplay, according to OnePlus, so if you want to play PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) while on vacation in Lapland, Finland, you might want to wait till you’re indoors and gloveless before launching yourself into combat. But it’s simple to open and close apps, navigate the interface, skim through social media, and tap out messages.

• Display score: 4.5 / 5

OnePlus 13R review: software

Compared to using gloves without them, interactions do require a little more force, but this is to be expected. If you’re intending to play PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) while on vacation in Lapland, Finland, you might want to wait until you’re indoors and gloveless before jumping into combat, as OnePlus notes that glove mode does not support gameplay. However, it is simple to tap out messages, navigate the interface, open and close apps, and browse social media.

• OxygenOS 15.0 offers plenty of customization options
• OnePlus guarantees four years of OS updates, but rivals offer more

The most recent version of Google’s mobile operating system powers the software of the OnePlus 13R, an Android 15 smartphone.

It’s not entirely Android because OnePlus has layered its OxygenOS 15.0 interface over top, giving the phone a familiar appearance and feel for those who have used the company’s earlier models.

This offers the stock Android platform—found on Pixel phones—a slightly distinct appearance and feel. Other apps were pre-installed on my OnePlus 13R in addition to the standard system apps.

Netflix, Amazon Music, Booking.com, LinkedIn, Facebook, Lyft, and AliExpress were among them. Some of these pre-installed apps could be helpful to you, but if not, you can remove them completely from your phone, giving you more space for the apps you desire.

What OnePlus has done isn’t alarming because I’ve seen phone manufacturers pre-install a lot more apps than the OnePlus 13R and also prevent customers from deleting them.

According to OnePlus, OxygenOS 15 has been made 40% smaller overall, providing more capacity for programs, games, pictures, movies, and other media by using less of the 256GB of internal storage.

Additionally, the OnePlus overlay offers a plethora of customization options that let you personalize the OnePlus 13R. There are many options to choose from, including a variety of home screen widgets, the ability to modify the size, shape, and appearance of app icons, and the ability to use the drag-down motion to access the fast settings and notifications bar.

I could have two apps running side by side on the screen thanks to the Open Canvas functionality, which is also available on the OnePlus Open and OnePlus Pad 2. I could resize the two programs by dragging the horizontal bar that separates the screen up and down.

Additionally, I could navigate the rest of the phone’s UI while maintaining the selected app open in a small portion of the screen by choosing to open it in a floating window. helpful for looking up information in other applications while viewing a video or participating in a busy group chat.

To minimize them to a transparent app logo tucked off the side of the screen, I could even drag and “pin” up to two of these floating windows to the edge of the screen. The logo reopened as a floating window with a single tap.

The OnePlus 13R has good multitasking capabilities. While turning on split screen and floating windows (and pinning them) can be a little tricky, it’s amazing when you can get multiple apps to work simultaneously, particularly if you have two apps on split screen and a third in a floating window.

The OnePlus 13R comes future-proofed too, with OnePlus committing to four years of software updates and six years of security updates for the device. While this is a good offering, it’s not industry-leading. Apple has offered five years of updates for some time, while Google and Samsung offer seven years of software and security updates on their latest devices.

And a 2025 smartphone wouldn’t be complete without mentioning artificial intelligence. You may use the AI Editor option, which has four tools, in the Photos app (the OnePlus version, not Google’s Photos app). See the camera section for more details.

Google’s Gemini AI assistant also comes pre-loaded on the OnePlus 13R, giving you access to features such as Circle to Search and Magic Compose (for help writing text messages).

• Software score: 4 / 5

OnePlus 13R review: cameras

The OnePlus 13R also comes pre-installed with Google’s Gemini AI assistant, which provides you with access to tools like Magic Compose (for text message composing assistance) and Circle to Search.

• A capable all-round camera delivers great images in most conditions
• Plenty of modes and settings for avid photographers

The OnePlus 13R packs a trio of cameras in the sizable, circular camera housing, headlined by a 50MPSonyLYT-700 main sensor alongside a 50MP telephoto sensor, providing support for the 2x zoom. An 8MP ultra-wide sensor with a 112-degree field of view completes the sensor array. There’s also an LED flash to help illuminate dark scenes.

There is a 16MP selfie camera on the front, however it lacks a wide-angle lens to accommodate more faces. You’ll have to accept that some people might not be included in the picture or put your cheeks together.

With easy access icons for Google Lens, exposure, retouch (beautification mode), and filters, the OnePlus 13R camera software launches quickly and is jam-packed with features that will have you Instagram-ready in no time.

Swiping horizontally over the shutter button allows you to choose between camera modes. The standard “Photo” mode on smartphones is immediately followed by the “Video” and “Portrait” modes.

In addition to offering more precise options for ISO, shutter speed, exposure, focus, and white balance, the “Pro” mode allows users to shoot in RAW instead of JPG for more editing flexibility in applications like Photoshop.

You can select from additional settings such as night, panorama, slo-mo video, and time-lapse by going to the ‘More’ area.

In summary, the OnePlus 13R camera app offers a wide range of customization choices. However, for those who prefer not to tinker with settings, the good news is that it shoots fantastic pictures in the default configuration. The 13R is a pretty good smartphone camera under most circumstances. Given that it is a tier below the genuine premium flagship offers, it is not on par with the greatest camera phones available, but that is to be anticipated.

• Camera score: 4 / 5

OnePlus 13R review: camera samples

As with its predecessor, the OnePlus 13R’s primary 50MP camera is the best option for users who want to take their smartphone photography seriously. Both optical image stabilization (OIS) and electronic image stabilization (EIS) help to enhance outcomes.

During the day and at night, you can take both inside and outdoor pictures with the phone as a dependable point-and-shoot. During a nocturnal walk through a light trail, the OnePlus 13R camera really impressed me. The default settings handled the changing lighting conditions quite well.

As I traveled the route, I was able to shoot a number of amazing low-light photos with little effort, which is precisely what I want from a smartphone camera. Something that can produce excellent outcomes for group and social talks swiftly and simply.

Additionally, the OnePlus 13R has good editing capabilities that let you make changes to photos long after they’ve been taken. As previously stated in this review, OnePlus has incorporated several AI-powered editing capabilities into its own gallery. The 13R comes with two photo galleries, the OnePlus app by default, and the Google Photos app, which also has its own editing features.

As the name implies, AI Unblur can take your hazy photos and lessen the lack of focus. Although I thought the difference was slight, it may be used to any photograph, not simply those captured with the 13R.

AI Detail Boost was more helpful, in my opinion. Again, you can use this on any image to improve busy images by adding more contrast and clarity to your shots.

AI Eraser and AI Reflection Eraser follow. You’ll probably be familiar with the former as it’s a feature that most smartphones have that lets you take pictures of people, animals, and things out of them. Although it can have trouble with busy scenes and intricate backgrounds, it does well here.

As you might expect, Reflection Eraser goes one step further by trying to eliminate reflections from screens, windows, and glass. I experimented with this on several pictures, with differing degrees of success. Although there were generally improvements, none of the photographs I tested were able to fully eliminate reflections.

Overall, the OnePlus 13R’s AI tools are a good addition, but they don’t offer a particularly unique experience compared to comparable capabilities seen on other phones.

OnePlus 13R review: performance

While the AI features on the OnePlus 13R are a good addition overall, they don’t offer a particularly noteworthy experience compared to comparable tools on other phones.

• Powerful chipset provides flagship-grade performance
• Hyperboost performance settings are great for mobile gamers

Because of its powerful design, the OnePlus 13R can handle almost anything you throw at it.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor is the same flagship chipset used in the OnePlus 12, but it is not Qualcomm’s most recent top-tier Snapdragon 8 Elite offering. This indicates that the 13R still has a lot of power, supported by a strong 12GB of RAM.

Social media scrolling is quick and fluid because to the performance and the 120Hz screens, and the interface works well. Although apps load swiftly, the OnePlus 13R doesn’t feel as snappy as the real flagships on the market when it comes to more demanding games.

That’s not really a problem, and I was more than satisfied with the performance I was getting for the price of this phone, whether I was using it for social media surfing, video streaming, email checking, work (including writing some of this review), or taking a well-earned break to play games.

To truly test the OnePlus 13R’s capabilities, I conducted several benchmark tests from 3DMark, Geekbench, CrossMark, JetStream, and WebXPRT 4. It demonstrated excellent performance with flagship-level (or nearly flagship) results, confirming that this phone has a lot of power.

When you start playing a game, you’ll see that the phone’s Hyperboost performance settings are activated immediately. This allows you to get real-time information on the phone’s health while you’re playing.

Thanks to a temperature sensor built into the display, you can quickly monitor your fps (frames per second), latency, and the OnePlus 13R’s temperature from the drop-down panel.

The default setting is “Balanced,” however there are three modes to select from. When the battery is low, you may also switch to “Low power,” which will prolong your gaming session by decreasing touch response and screen refresh.

There are three different modes to select from, with “Balanced” being the default. As an alternative, you can switch to “Low power,” which will decrease touch responsiveness and screen refresh, extending your gaming session when the battery is low.

Then there is “Pro Gamer,” which directs all of the power toward your game, raising the temperature and draining the battery. You are even cautioned by a pop-up to use this mode only in normal conditions.

The Hyperboost menu offers even more options to experiment with, such as adjusting the GPU settings, turning on and off important features, and controlling screen recording to film epic battles. In summary, the OnePlus 13R has a lot to offer if you enjoy mobile gaming.

Genshin Impact ran smoothly on the OnePlus 13R at 60 frames per second and at its maximum graphics setting of 30 frames per second. Compared to flagship phones, load screens were a bit slower to complete, but this didn’t interfere with gameplay. The phone did warm up, but it never got to a point where it was unpleasant.

During testing, I was also impressed by the biometric scanners’ performance. The fingerprint scanner is strategically positioned near the bottom of the screen, beneath the display, so your thumb will always touch it when unlocking.

Additionally, it works well; I had no read errors when using the phone, and it was very responsive.

Enabling face unlock is an additional option. Even from unusual angles, like surreptitiously glancing at your phone from behind a desk, the OnePlus 13R can quickly recognize your face and unlock it in the sunshine.

• Performance score: 4 / 5

OnePlus 13R review: battery

Another option is to activate face unlock. The OnePlus 13R can quickly recognize your face and unlock your phone in the sun, even if you’re gazing at it from an unusual position like under a desk.

• TA huge 6,000mAh battery delivers two-day use on a single charge
• 80W charging sees 1%-100% in 52 minutes, but no wireless charging

The OnePlus 13R’s massive 6,000mAh battery is one of its best features; it gives the phone exceptional longevity and gives you the assurance that you won’t have to go for a charger while using the phone.

We discovered that on days when we reduced our gaming and video watching, we could simply unplug at 7am and then plug in at 11pm with 50% of the power remaining. On days when we used the device heavily, we would still be going to bed at the end of the day with at least 20% of the battery remained.

With slightly more thoughtful use (i.e. no gaming and videos and limited social media) the OnePlus 13R is capable of delivering two days of battery life from a single charge without the need to switch to a battery-saving mode.

To extend the lifespan of the massive power pack within, the company lowered the SUPERVOOC charging speed from 100W on the OnePlus 12R to 80W on the new OnePlus 13R.

In an effort to extend the lifespan of the massive power pack within, the OnePlus 13R’s SUPERVOOC charging speed has been lowered from 100W on the OnePlus 12R to 80W.

The OnePlus 13R can go from 1% to 100% in as little as 52 minutes with the correct fast-charging plug converter (in the UK, you only receive a USB-C cable in the box), and the 80W charging still provides a respectable amount of power in a short period of time.

The OnePlus 13R refilled from 15% to 31% after 15 minutes using a quick 60W charging block, and the battery returned to 48% after 30 minutes, a 33 percentage point increase in 30 minutes. Fair top-up times, particularly if you have to quickly add charge before leaving the house.

If you have an 80W charging block to utilize the maximum supported charging speed, these charging times will improve.

The OnePlus 13R’s lack of wireless charging is the only drawback to its battery life. You will want a wire to recharge the 13R because this feature is exclusive to its more expensive sister, the OnePlus 13.

• Battery score: 4.5 /5

Should you buy the OnePlus 13R?

You’re looking for an excellent balance between battery performance and power. Even though the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 CPU is a year old, the OnePlus 13R’s 6,000mAh battery and powerful chipset provide flagship-level performance and exceptional battery life.

You want a large screen without going over budget. The OnePlus 13R offers a large screen experience at a lower cost than the Pro Max and Ultra models, and it does it really well. Everything you do on the 6.78-inch display looks fantastic because to its outstanding brightness and color.

You’re looking for a stylish mobile gaming device. The OnePlus 13R has all the makings of an excellent gaming device when you combine its battery life, performance, and display. The cherry on top are the Hyperboost performance settings.

You want the longest-lasting updates possible. Although OnePlus has taken encouraging steps by declaring that its OnePlus 13 series phones will get six years of security upgrades and four years of operating system updates, the company still trails the competition. Apple, Google, and Samsung all offer more years of OS updates.

You’re looking for the largest battery available. The Honor Magic 7 Lite offers a larger battery (6,600mAh) at a lower price, but it’s not as powerful and isn’t available in North America. If battery life is your top priority when purchasing a new phone, the OnePlus 13R and its 6,000mAh power pack definitely makes a solid argument.

Proper water resistance is what you’re pursuing. The OnePlus 13R has an IP65 dust and water resistant classification, meaning it can withstand water droplets and jets (like rain), but it isn’t protected if you put it in the bathtub, sink, or swimming pool by accident.