OnePlus 13 and iPhone 16 Pro
The first flagship of 2025, the OnePlus 13, has passed with flying colours. It brings flagship performance, a versatile camera setup, and all-day battery life—all at a more affordable price than premium flagship phones. After using the OnePlus 13 alongside the iPhone 16 Pro, I found two features that Apple’s upcoming $999 flagship should borrow from this $899 Android.
To be clear from the start, I’m not talking about specs that win on paper with bigger numbers – like more RAM or better benchmark scores. Instead, these are experimental features that significantly improve the everyday experience. For anyone switching from an iPhone to the OnePlus 13, these features will make a noticeable difference.
1. Aqua touch screen
OnePlus 13 Aqua touchscreen
Have you ever tried using your iPhone in the rain or in the pool? It’s almost unusable, as water droplets on the screen often register false touches, and then you’re finding a dry cloth to wipe the screen. In light rain or while capturing poolside moments, your iPhone becomes frustratingly unresponsive. Despite the IP rating, it lacks functionality for use when exposed to water.
OnePlus addressed this issue with its Aqua Touch display, first introduced on the OnePlus 12 and further improved on the OnePlus 13. The more affordable OnePlus 1R and OnePlus 13R also have this feature.
Aqua Touch 2.0 screen technology allows you to register precise finger touches on the screen even when it is wet. The feature comes in handy when I need to change the music in the shower—a task that’s tedious on my iPhone. It also works without oily hands, making the display more practical for everyday use.
The Aqua Touch screen on the OnePlus 13 also includes a glove mode, allowing the phone to be used while wearing wool or sheepskin gloves up to 0.5cm thick. This is a great feature for colder climates, and the iPhone 17 Pro could benefit immensely from such functionality.
2. Silicon-carbon battery
OnePlus 13 screen
My iPhone 16 Pro’s battery life has deteriorated over time with software updates. Apple seems to still be fine-tuning battery optimization for its Apple Intelligence features. That said, battery life hasn’t exactly been a strong suit for iPhones in recent years. The last iPhone that consistently lasted me through the day was the iPhone 13 Pro Max. But there is a promising solution that Apple can consider.
All the latest Android flagships I’ve tested so far, including the Vivo X200 Pro, Oppo Find X8 Pro and OnePlus 13, use silicon-carbon battery technology. It’s one of the biggest improvements to 2025’s flagship Android smartphones because the use of a silicon carbide anode allows brands to pack larger batteries into smaller footprints. They also offer greater energy density and improved resilience in extreme weather conditions.
In addition to these advantages, a silicon-carbon battery is likely to offer better durability and less battery degradation over time – both of which could be beneficial for the iPhone 17 Pro.
I first used this technology on the Honor Magic 6 Pro and Magic V3, and I was surprised by the battery life on these smartphones. It was significantly better than the competition. Since then, more phones have adopted silicon-carbon batteries, and it seems like the best thing to happen to phones in recent years.
Will Apple iPhone 17 Pro adopt these features?
iPhone 15 Pro
It is unlikely that the iPhone 17 Pro will incorporate an Aqua Touch-like display or adopt silicon-carbon battery technology. So far, there have been no rumors in this regard.
Given that persistent issues like lens flare and iOS-related bugs remain on the iPhone 16 Pro, I’m not too optimistic about Apple addressing these shortcomings with the iPhone 17 Pro. However, adding these features can be hugely beneficial and pleasing to the iPhone crowd.
