I overview smartphones for a dwelling, and here is why I like the OnePlus 13R

The OnePlus 13R jogs my memory why I fell in love with OnePlus within the first place. The corporate has executed a incredible job in 2025 returning to its roots, offering glorious efficiency at a good worth. In my overview, I gave the OnePlus 13R a 9 out of 10, highlighting it as an early chief for the finest midrange cellphone of the 12 months. OnePlus packed the 13R with sufficient efficiency to make you overlook you’re utilizing a $600 machine. Listed here are my 5 favourite OnePlus 13R options that make it such glorious worth.

5

Show

A stunning panel at any worth

Regardless of what number of occasions I choose up the OnePlus 13R, I can’t assist however discover how attractive its show is. The 13R includes a vibrant 6.78-inch LTPO 4.1 AMOLED panel with a decision of 1264×2780 and a 120Hz refresh fee. Though you’ll not often take a look at the cellphone’s 4,500nits max brightness, the OnePlus 13R does present a pleasing out of doors viewing expertise. I like watching films on the OnePlus 13R, and video games look terrific due to the saturated colours.

As well as, I discovered the software program settings for the OnePlus 13R show useful. OnePlus permits us granular management over the show temperature, above and past the quite a few show profiles you may select from. It’s a wonderful technique to fine-tune a panel to your tastes, and it’s a characteristic I want extra Android producers would undertake. I just like the default display screen temperature, because it has a slight heat that jogs my memory of older OnePlus telephones.

4

Efficiency

The OnePlus 13R plows by means of with ease

The primary spotlight of the OnePlus 13R is the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 below the hood. It is probably not the newest and biggest flagship chipset anymore, however it nonetheless screams and offers greater than sufficient horsepower when contemplating the 13R’s modest $600 price ticket. The SD8G3 is a monster, particularly with 12GB of RAM and quick UFS 4.0 storage in help. I’ve no downside taking part in AAA cellular video games with incredible body charges at excessive settings. Genshin Influence runs easily, and also you’ll get pleasure from each second in Pokémon Go.

I like a number of issues concerning the OnePlus 13R, however the energy and efficiency set it other than the competitors and return OnePlus to its roots. The corporate was all the time at its finest when providing high-powered smartphones for lower than you’d anticipate. You might not get the identical fit-and-finish because the dearer OnePlus 13, however you save just a few hundred {dollars}.

3

Battery

Glad to see somebody improve battery sizes in 2025

Not like Samsung, OnePlus felt compelled to extend the battery dimension in its telephones for 2025. Final 12 months’s OnePlus 12R already had a powerful 5,500mAh battery, however OnePlus went a step additional this 12 months, becoming the 13R with a large 6,000mAh cell. Corporations all the time declare two-day battery life from their merchandise, however few ship on that promise — not the case with the OnePlus 13R. I had a number of events after I forgot to cost my cellphone and made it by means of the following day with out breaking a sweat.

In fact, the OnePlus 13R’s spectacular battery dimension and charging speeds are additionally noteworthy. As anticipated, the 13R consists of SuperVOOC wired charging, which gives blistering speeds. OnePlus features a 55W energy adapter within the field, however the 13R helps as much as 100W charging with a further energy brick — larger speeds than every other midrange cellphone obtainable within the US.

2

Digital camera

I can’t complain concerning the images

OnePlus mercifully eliminated the 2MP macro lens on the 12R in favor of a 50MP 2x optical zoom on the 13R. The 50MP telephoto joins a 50MP major sensor and an 8MP ultrawide lens to supply a extra versatile digital camera system than I anticipated from a midrange OnePlus cellphone. In the event you’re a shutterbug, you’ll nonetheless be served finest by a Pixel 8a for much less cash, however as a praise to spherical out an in any other case glorious cellphone, I’m happy with the cameras on the OnePlus 13R.

I used to be shocked by how good night time images is on the cellphone. I anticipated images to be mushy, shedding element and shade because the lighting worsened, however that wasn’t the case. I wouldn’t confuse the pictures with something from Evening Sight in your Pixel, however the element was spectacular in comparison with what I often get from a OnePlus machine. In the event you’ve beforehand held again on attempting out a OnePlus due to shoddy images, that is the 12 months it is best to give the corporate one other look.

1

Software program

OxygenOS took a minute, however it’s lastly working properly

I’ve been a vocal critic of OxygenOS ever since OnePlus determined to combine parts of ColorOS into its software program. The preliminary effort with OxygenOS 12 was a catastrophe, and I really feel OnePlus has been attempting to claw again to even par ever since. With OxygenOS 15, I believe OnePlus regained the bottom it misplaced after which some. It’s a incredible expertise on the OnePlus 13R. Whereas some could criticize the brand new aesthetic, borrowing closely from iOS, I respect that OnePlus permits us to show off most of the adjustments — reverting to what we had earlier than.

I like that OnePlus upped its sport with help software program, no less than getting nearer to the years provided by Google and Samsung with their midrange units. The corporate guarantees 4 main Android upgrades and 6 years of safety updates, which is shut sufficient for me to look favorably on the OnePlus 13R, particularly given its benefits over the Pixel 8a and Galaxy S24 FE.

It’s shaping as much as be a great 12 months for OnePlus

In the event you haven’t thought-about a OnePlus machine earlier than, 2025 is a wonderful time to take a more in-depth look. The corporate made many glorious choices on its current smartphones, and the OnePlus 13R is unbelievable worth for $600. I not often give 9 out of 10 overview scores to units, however the OnePlus 13R made it onerous to not respect its incredible mix of energy, battery life, and worth. You might not get all the flamboyant software program options of one thing like Galaxy AI, however if you happen to want a cellphone to be a cellphone, the OnePlus 13R is the machine you need.