Building on the successful formula of its predecessor, the OnePlus 12R, the OnePlus 13R offers a long battery life, a stunning display, and a lot of power in a stylish, high-end package. The OnePlus 13R offers a lot of features at a price that is not as competitive as the brand’s original “flagship killers,” but if you are looking for a flagship phone without the incredibly high price tags that accompany them, this phone is a great choice.
OnePlus 13R
$599Three key areas are where the OnePlus 13R excels. First of all, the large 6.78-inch screen is vivid and bright, making for an excellent viewing experience. The enormous 6,000mAh battery, which lasts for two days between charges, comes next. Last but not least, the 13R has the performance to tackle the most demanding games. Although not the best on the market, the cameras are good. Some people may find OxygenOS a bit too picky, and the two major flaws in an otherwise excellent “cheap” flagship are the absence of wireless charging and submersible water resistance.
The first “R” branded phones (of series 9, 10, and 11) did not make it to the coasts of Europe or North America, making this the second time an R-Series cellphone has been released abroad.
The OnePlus 13R is a less advanced, and therefore more cost-effective, variant of the flagship OnePlus 13, which was released concurrently. Consider this phone to be similar to Google’s “A” range of Pixel phones and Samsung’s “FE” versions of its high-end S series.
Even in direct sunshine, the 6.78-inch display is easy to use due to its color and brightness. The phone’s flat screen makes for a pleasant viewing experience because it is flush with the aluminum chassis.
Even heavy users will get more than a day’s use out of the OnePlus 13R before reaching for the charging wire, thanks to its large 6,000mAh battery, which lasted me two days on a single charge. However, as there is not wireless charging, grab the cable.
With 12GB of RAM skillfully supporting the previous flagship generation Snapdragon CPU at its heart, there is a ton of power beneath the hood. It implies that the 13R is capable of handling almost everything.
The three cameras on the back may not have the newest capabilities seen in flagships of the current generation, but they are still excellent point-and-shoot cameras that perform well in the majority of situations.
However, because the 13R is a large phone, it might be a little difficult for people with little hands to hold. Furthermore, as this phone is not waterproof, you should exercise caution when near water. It will be fine in the rain because it is only splash-proof.
While it retains many of the features of the brand’s previous flagship phone, the OnePlus 13R is a capable smartphone that is just out of reach of some of the newest technology that has been saved for its non-R, numbered twin.
Pricing & Availability
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 those living in India, which would make some Western markets jealous of Asia.
The pricing of the OnePlus 13R is $599/£679, which is the same as the OnePlus 12R’s debut price in the US but £30 higher in the UK.
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 is not a less expensive model with 8GB or 128GB of RAM and storage.
This means that it costs more than Google’s own version of a cheap flagship, the smaller, more portable Pixel 8a, but it is around the same as the AI-enabled 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 is not accessible in North America and has a larger battery (6,600mAh), it is significantly less expensive.
| Storage / RAM | US Price | UK Price | India price |
| 256GB / 12GB | $599 | £679 | Rs TBC |
| 512GB / 16GB | N/A | N/A | Rs TBC |
OnePlus 13R 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 flagship from the previous generation.
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.
| Dimensions: | 161.72 x 75.77 x 8.02mm |
| Weight: | 206g |
| Display: | 6.78-inch, 19.8:9 ProXDR Display with LTPO 4.1, Support 100% Display P3, 10-bit Color Depth |
| Resolution: | 1264 x 2780, 450 ppi |
| Peak brightness: | 4,500 nits |
| Chipset: | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 |
| RAM: | 12GB LPDDR5X |
| Storage: | 256GB |
| OS: | Android 15 w/ OxygenOS 15 |
| Main camera: | 50MP Sony LYT-700, 1/1.56”, f/1.8, 84-degree field of view, OIS, EIS |
| Telephoto camera: | 50MP S5KJN5 with 2X optical zoom, 1/275”, f/2.0, EIS |
| Ultra-wide camera: | 8MP, 1/4″, f/2,2, 112-degree field of view, EIS |
| Selfie Camera: | 16MP, 1/3.09”, f/2.4, 82-degree field of view, EIS |
| Battery: | 6,000mAh |
| Charging: | 80W wired |
| Colors: | Astral Trail, Nebular Noir |
OnePlus 13R
The OnePlus 13R builds on the winning formula of its predecessor, the OnePlus 12R, by delivering prolonged battery life, a dazzling display, and plenty of power in a slick, premium package.
Design and build
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 “particularly created to answer the demand for increased drop protection and scratch resistance.” This implies that the 13R should be resilient to the occasional drop and knock, but I did not actually 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 is not 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 is positioned a bit too high up on the left side of the phone for my taste.
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.
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.
Display
The good news is that the display on this phone, which OnePlus makes a huge deal out of, lives up to the hype. It is large, vivid, and multicolored. It is 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 is also about the same size as the Honor Magic 7 Lite, another big-battery contender.
The resolution of 1264 x 2780 (1.5K), which provides a pixel density of 450 ppi, is standard. While OnePlus claims that the 13R can reach a maximum brightness of 4,500 nits, you will not 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 will be able to see what is on screen in direct sunlight if you are lucky enough to be in an area with lots of sunshine.
It is not surprising that interactions do take 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 until you are indoors and gloveless before launching yourself into combat. But it is simple to open and close apps, navigate the interface, skim through social media, and tap out messages.
Software
The software you see on the screen of the OnePlus 13R is powered by the most recent version of Google’s mobile operating system, which is Android 15. It is 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.
According to OnePlus, OxygenOS 15 has been made 40% smaller overall, providing more capacity for apps, games, pictures, movies, and other media by using less of the 256GB of internal storage.
With OnePlus promising to provide the smartphone with six years of security upgrades and four years of software updates, the OnePlus 13R is also future-proof. Although this product is decent, it is not the best in its field.
While Google and Samsung provide seven years of software and security updates on their most recent devices, Apple has long provided five years. And a 2025 smartphone would not 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.
The OnePlus 13R also has Google’s Gemini AI assistant pre-installed, which allows you to use tools like Magic Compose (which helps you write text messages) and Circle to Search.
Camera
The large, circular camera housing of the OnePlus 13R houses three cameras, the most prominent of which are a 50MP Sony LYT-700 primary sensor and a 50MP telephoto sensor that supports 2x zoom. An 8MP ultra-wide sensor with a 112-degree field of view completes the sensor array. An LED flash is also included to assist light up dim areas.
There is a 16MP selfie camera on the front, however it lacks a wide-angle lens to accommodate more faces. You will have to accept that some people might not be included in the picture or put your cheeks together.
With easy access buttons 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.
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.
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.
Performance
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. What this means is the 13R still packs a punch, backed up by a capable 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 does not feel as snappy as the real flagships on the market when it comes to more demanding games.
That is 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 browsing, video streaming, email checking, work (including writing some of this review), or taking a well-earned break to play games.
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 did not interfere with gameplay. The phone did warm up, but it never got to a point where it was unpleasant.
Moreover, it works well; we 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.
Battery
One of the greatest selling points for the OnePlus 13R is its massive 6,000mAh battery, offering the handset with excellent longevity and giving you the piece of mind of true all-day battery life without the need to even contemplate reaching for a charger.
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.
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.
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 charged 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.
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.
OnePlus 13R
The OnePlus 13R builds on the winning formula of its predecessor, the OnePlus 12R, by delivering prolonged battery life, a dazzling display, and plenty of power in a slick, premium package.
