5 key options are lacking on the OnePlus 13

OnePlus 13 obtained rave critiques for glorious efficiency and nice battery life for underneath $1,000. Nonetheless, it is untimely to crown the handset as the most effective smartphone of 2025 as a result of we have but to see what its rivals have in retailer for the rest of the 12 months. Time will inform whether or not its opponents can set the bar greater than the OnePlus 13, however you do not have to attend for that to seek out out what we miss within the newest OnePlus flagship. Whereas the OnePlus 13 is a robust contender, these 5 lacking options may forestall it from turning into the Cellphone of the Yr.

5

Native Qi2 wi-fi charging

It pretends to have it, although

OnePlus has advanced as a model over the previous couple of years, from funds flagships to creating inroads within the correct flagship section. As the corporate shed the burden of its previous picture of “flagship killer,” it grew to become extra welcoming in the direction of adopting applied sciences it as soon as refused so as to add to its telephones, resembling customary waterproofing certification and wi-fi charging. OnePlus addressed the earlier complaints relating to the waterproofing resolution by including the very best stage of safety within the type of IP69, turning into the primary premium Android telephone within the US market to take action. Nevertheless, the corporate remains to be not liberal sufficient to correctly undertake the most recent wi-fi charging customary.

Whereas the OnePlus 13 has turn into the second telephone after HMD Skyline to help the Qi2 charging customary, the way in which OnePlus did it’s controversial. It has a built-in wi-fi charging receiver, however the magnets that guarantee optimum charging effectivity are lacking. As an alternative of including them to the handset, OnePlus launched the magnets in its in-house “Magazine” sequence telephone instances that customers should purchase individually to energy the battery with Qi2 chargers. Should you plan to get a kind of instances, the worth shoots up as a lot as $40. Then there’s the problem of the magnets within the OnePlus 13’s case not being as sturdy as those in absolutely Qi2-compatible setups.

4

UWB

It simply does issues higher, with precision

Extremely-wideband, popularly often known as UWB, debuted on the iPhone 11 sequence in 2019, adopted by the Samsung Galaxy Be aware 20 a 12 months later. Different Android OEMs like Google, Xiaomi, Realme, Honor, and OnePlus’ sibling Oppo joined the bandwagon to launch premium telephones with the UWB module within the following years. Regardless of tangible advantages for customers, OnePlus by no means included UWB in its top-tier telephones, and the pattern continues with the OnePlus 13.

It is irritating, notably within the case of the OnePlus 13, as a result of the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset that powers the telephone has a FastConnect 7900 cell Connectivity System for Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and UWB connectivity. Which means a Snapdragon 8 Elite-powered telephone would not require further effort from the producers so as to add a separate UWB module for customers to reap its advantages. Nevertheless, regardless of FastConnect 7900 in Snapdragon 8 Elite, the UWB is an non-compulsory function, and that is sufficient cause for OnePlus to decide out.

UWB is probably not helpful to everybody, however it may be a dealbreaker for many who want close-range location monitoring with excessive precision on their telephones. Whereas the OnePlus 13 helps helpful location monitoring capabilities, such because the Discover My System’s Powered Off function, the situation information would not be as correct with out UWB help. Had the OnePlus 13 been powered by UWB, it could have provided seamless file sharing and strong sensible residence integration with enhanced safety.

3

Bypass charging

Draw energy instantly from the charger

The mighty Snapdragon 8 Elite and the beautiful show on the OnePlus 13 ship a high-quality gaming expertise. Nevertheless, not all top-quality Android smartphones are the finest gaming telephones. Battery life and charging are two main causes behind that. Whereas OnePlus nailed two key parts required for delivering an important gaming expertise, it fell quick on one necessary function which may drive individuals, particularly players, to look elsewhere.

The 6,000 mAh battery within the OnePlus 13 is not sufficient for longer gaming classes. If not for an even bigger battery, the OnePlus might’ve labored tougher on lowering battery put on, which’s extra pronounced when gaming with the telephone linked to the charger. The addition of bypass charging would’ve been helpful right here, because it ensures that the telephone attracts energy instantly from the facility adapter, bypassing the battery supply. This could’ve resulted in decrease warmth technology whereas gaming with the telephone plugged into the charger, thus making it comfy for customers to recreation for a protracted interval on the OnePlus 13 even when it is linked to the charger.

2

No Snapdragon Sound

No place for subtlety

Codecs like aptX HD and LDAC within the OnePlus 13 could also be ample for an important music-listening expertise for many individuals. Nevertheless, when you’re an audiophile who loves the nuances in audio high quality that Snapdragon’s aptX lossless codec offers, the OnePlus 13 is not the best choice. That is as a result of the handset would not help Snapdragon Sound.

One main good thing about the Snapdragon Sound know-how is that OEMs can add help for aptX lossless codec, which delivers CD-quality audio (16-bit, 44.1 kHz) over Bluetooth. Whereas a telephone may be Snapdragon Sound-certified with out providing aptX lossless codec, the OnePlus 13 presents neither regardless of being powered by the most recent flagship Snapdragon processor.

1

Automation

It is 2025, and OnePlus flagships nonetheless cannot automate duties

OxygenOS has gone via attention-grabbing modifications over the previous couple of years. Whereas introducing extra bloatware into the OS was closely criticized, the Shenzhen-based tech agency drew accolades for introducing the iPhone’s Dynamic Island and making it extra helpful for its premium telephones.

Nevertheless, OnePlus may take inspiration from elsewhere, notably Samsung. Price copying from Samsung is the flexibility to automate particular actions or behaviors based mostly on sure triggers. This function is obtainable in Samsung Galaxy telephones with One UI 5 or newer within the type of Modes and Routines. If not for all its smartphones, the corporate’s premium telephones, just like the OnePlus 13, ought to have help for it. When you can automate your OnePlus 13 utilizing third-party apps like Tasker, it is not a free instrument and should devour extra battery than an analogous resolution constructed into the OxygenOS.

OnePlus 13 might’ve been higher, if not the most effective

It is tough to make a one-size-fits-all telephone at a selected worth, however given the fierce competitors, the best method would’ve been to match the variety of options opponents are providing if not out-feature them. You may discover the OnePlus 13’s lacking options, just like the bypass charging and UWB help, on premium Galaxy and Pixel handsets, together with these which are a 12 months outdated or extra, in comparison with the OnePlus 13.

In OnePlus’ protection, some options, just like the Snapdragon Sound, would’ve required the corporate to supply a licensing payment to Qualcomm to introduce the function to the OnePlus 13. Nevertheless, provided that the OnePlus 13 is priced $100 greater than its predecessor, prospects deserve options which are customary in competing premium handsets. Had these points been resolved, the OnePlus 13 would’ve had extra possibilities of getting the Cellphone of the Yr title.