ZDNET’s key takeaways
- OnePlus 13R begins at $599 and encompasses a vibrant present, extremely efficient effectivity, and fast charging.
- It might not have a flagship digital digicam system and wi-fi charging.
- Nevertheless for the money, you’ll not uncover a further balanced handset.
further purchasing for alternatives
The model new OnePlus 13R follows throughout the footsteps of its predecessor, delivering flagship effectivity at a not-so-flagship price. It’s purchased an enormous battery, first fee digital digicam upgrades, a flagship processor (even when it’s from last 12 months), and a further formidable software program program substitute protection. Plus, it has top-of-the-line exhibits I’ve examined throughout the part, with Aqua Contact know-how and a sturdy assemble top quality.
Moreover: I replaced my Google Pixel 9 Pro with the OnePlus 13 – and it set a new standard for me
This all comes with a $100 price hike — bringing the as quickly as $500 model to $600 now — positioning it correctly above the Google Pixel 8a. So, do you need to go for Google’s further cheap offering, spend further on a Samsung phone, or resolve up the OnePlus 13R? I spent weeks with the system, and right here is my verdict.
Giant, daring, and vibrant
The very very first thing I noticed when using the OnePlus 13R was its flatter sides, notably compared with the 12R. Whereas this gives the phone a sharper, bolder look, it isn’t as comfortable to hold as a consequence of its edges no matter being thinner and lighter. Alternatively, the design feels further ergonomic when held in panorama orientation, making it greatest for gaming and watching movement photos.
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The Astral Path (be taught: white) variant I examined stands out with etched glass rings, offering a classy and classy look. I prefer to suggest this model over the Nebula Noir variant, which encompasses a boring, uninspiring black finish. The phone has an affect button and amount rockers on the appropriate side, an Alert Slider on the left, and an IR blaster on excessive for controlling good house gear.
The OnePlus 13R is rated IP65 for mud and water resistance, which isn’t as sturdy as a result of the OnePlus 13‘s IP69 rating. Nonetheless it handles splashes fairly correctly. Merely don’t drop the system into the toilet or washer. Compared with the 13, the OnePlus 13R nonetheless sports activities actions an optical fingerprint scanner, which works fast and exactly. You wouldn’t uncover a distinction within the occasion you hadn’t used an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor sooner than.
On the doorway, you get among the best present in its class — every in the case of specs and worth. It has a 6.78-inch AMOLED panel with assist for Dolby Imaginative and prescient and HDR10+ for media consumption and a dynamic 1Hz-120Hz refresh cost for simple use and effectivity. That’s all protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 7i, which retains the phone further proof towards scratches.
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The present is vibrant, with a peak brightness of 1,600 nits, and will attain 4,500 nits when watching supported HDR content material materials. The colors look pleasing to the eye; they’re vibrant and vivid, even with none present modifications on my end.
I’m considerably a fan of the OnePlus 13R’s Aqua Contact know-how. This allows you to use the phone throughout the rain or bathe with out registering water droplets as taps. The present can also be taught your touches when carrying gloves, which is beneficial by way of the winter.
A effectivity champion for $600
The OnePlus 13R is powered by the equivalent processor as last 12 months’s OnePlus 12 — and that may be a superb issue. With it, you get a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor paired with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.
The OnePlus 13R runs simply in day-to-day use. My utilization involved leaping between social media apps like X and Instagram, work apps like Slack and Teams, and WhatsApp for messaging. I moreover used the digital digicam fairly a bit all through my testing interval. The animations really feel and seem faster than sooner than, too. I confronted no lag or stutter in my utilization.
Gaming on the phone has been very nice whatever the dearth of on-device 120fps assist. In its place, titles like Battlegrounds Mobile can go as a lot as 120fps using physique interpolation. In case you’re ready to settle with 60fps, most video video games will play with little to no jitters. The phone can get warmth to the contact all through extended gaming intervals, nonetheless I on no account obtained any notifications to surrender video video games or apps to stabilize points.
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The OnePlus 13R runs Android 15-based OxygenOS 15 and is promised to get the equivalent number of updates as a result of the OnePlus 13: 4 years of OS updates and 6 years of security updates. I uncover the OnePlus software program program to be fairly clear, with just some pre-installed apps. You get a handful of AI choices, like AI Aspect Enhance, AI Unblur, AI Eraser, and AI Reflection Eraser, to spice up matters or take away distractions in your images. There are moreover Google’s AI fix-ins, like Circle to Search and Gemini.
For my utilization, the phone lasted an entire day with ease. And when it comes time to excessive up the 6,000mAh battery, the OnePlus 13R shall be fast charged at 80W with the in-box charger. Which means you’ll have the ability to go from zero to full in a bit better than half an hour. Sadly, there is no wi-fi charging.
Improved cameras
Remaining 12 months’s OnePlus 12R had an trustworthy main digital digicam with below-average auxiliary sensors. Nevertheless the agency has upgraded the digital digicam system this 12 months. The OnePlus 13R sports activities actions a 50MP Sony LYT-700 sensor for the primary digital digicam, a 50MP telephoto sensor with 2x optical zoom, and an 8MP ultra-wide angle lens. The trio helps taking photos 4K60fps films. Plus, you get a model new reside images toggle to grab the sentiments behind your photos.
The first digital digicam captures good-looking images in broad daylight. You get a great deal of component, good dynamic differ, and first fee white stability. The 2x telephoto isn’t as versatile as a result of the OnePlus 13’s 3x sensor nonetheless presents a much-improved output compared with the OnePlus 12R. The pictures are filled with particulars, and the color is consistent with the primary digital digicam, which is sweet to see at this price degree. The ultrawide digital digicam, nonetheless, delivers a further saturated look.
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For portraits, you get first fee edge detection and good-looking photos most of the time. When you’re in a dimly lit ambiance, nonetheless, the photographs battle with particulars and have a young look to them. Normal, the OnePlus 13R has an improved digital digicam setup and delivers good outcomes for the price. Whereas I may need most popular having a 3x optical zoom, the enhance to a telephoto sensor is a welcome change.
ZDNET’s purchasing for suggestion
At $600 for the OnePlus 13R, you get among the best present in its class with quality-of-life choices, fantastic effectivity, an all-day battery life, and a straightforward software program program experience.
Its closest market competitor, the Google Pixel 8a, sits comfortably underneath the $500 mark ($399 on the time of writing) and is an trustworthy phone for most people. Nevertheless it’s a loads smaller system and is inferior in just about every methodology in the case of {{hardware}}.
In case you study the OnePlus 13R to flagship smartphones, the sheer price of the system truly shines. Wi-fi charging is probably an enormous miss for some of us, nonetheless the longer endurance on a single value could make up for it.
