OnePlus 13 and OnePlus 13R review: Fast and smooth

I have been using OnePlus 13 and OnePlus 13R for the past month – during the holiday season 2024 and Consumer Electronics Show 2025– which means I subject them to some lighter and busier workloads. There’s not much to complain about these new things Android phoneswho are good at a little bit of everything. The premium OnePlus 13 has all the features you’d expect in a modern-day flagship smartphone.

the OnePlus 13 It starts at $900 for the base 12GB RAM and 256GB storage version, which undercuts competitors a bit, while the base version OnePlus 13R It costs $600 – it has fewer specs than its sibling and is missing some features. Updates for this generation are all about ingenuity. Software is smoother, batteries last longer, screens are brighter, and phones are more water-resistant. If you’re looking to switch phone brands, and battery life is the top priority on your list, these OnePlus phones are worth considering.

Double vision

OnePlus 13 (left) and OnePlus 13R (right)

Photo: Julian Chocato

The OnePlus 13 and 13R look identical but have some slight differences in their dimensions, as the flagship phone has a 6.82-inch screen, while the cheaper phone has a 6.78-inch screen. The most noticeable difference between the pair is the Hasselblad branding on the OnePlus 13, as well as the curved edges around the display. The OnePlus 13R has flat edges, which I prefer because it’s easier to hold.

There’s a fun marble-like pattern on the OnePlus 13 and a polished look on the 13R, but neither is as handsome as last year. OnePlus 12 and 12R-It was emerald and ice blue Chef’s kiss. there He is The Midnight Ocean color is nice this year for the OnePlus 13, which has a premium-looking vegan microfiber leather material, but I haven’t had a chance to try it out.

OnePlus has finally upgraded the water resistance on its high-end devices. Now it gets an IP68 and IP69 rating combined, which means the OnePlus 13 can be submerged under water for 30 minutes up to 1.5 meters and can withstand heavy rain. This finally puts her on equal footing with her peers. The display uses Ceramic Guard, which is OnePlus’ take on Apple’s ceramic glass, and is claimed to be stronger than the Gorilla Glass Victus found in other phones. Glass is still glass, and you should use a screen protector iPhone 16 Plus The screen broke during testing

Speaking of displays, 120Hz OLED displays are sharp, colorful, and smooth. The only difference other than size is sharpness, although the OnePlus 13 defaults to a lower resolution to save battery life. They both look amazing. My only issue was that I had to manually adjust the brightness slider more than most other Android phones—these kept turning the brightness down too much for me.

The OnePlus 13R gets an IP65 rating, which is fine in the rain but may not survive a dip in a pool. It was also among the first to use Corning Gorilla Glass 7iand it’s a budget to mid-range offering from the glass maker, so don’t expect the same level of durability, though it should be comparable, if not slightly better, than other phones at this price. The rest of the hardware is all set, and the OnePlus Alert Slider makes me wish every phone had a slider switch to go from mute, vibration, and sound (ahem, Apple). I don’t mind the obscenely large camera bump.