OnePlus returns to define the future

OnePlus pioneered, and arguably defined, the idea of ​​the killer flagship smartphone. The idea that you can get very close to the form and function of top-of-the-line smartphones, but at a significant discount, has become more prevalent as pricing becomes more variable and the gap between mid-range and high-end functionality narrows. high level.

However, the OnePlus 13R is a flagship killer from the mother of the genre. Its price ($599 for 12GB RAM / 256GB storage) is in that curious place between the iPhone SE and Pixel 8a smartphones of the world. The specs will provide more than enough power and performance for the average user, and it looks the part with a cutting-edge design

It also has some subtle cuts and picks to hit that target price.

Features of OnePlus 13R

The design of the OnePlus 13R is an impressive mix of flat utilitarian surfaces. The corners are curved to aid grip, but the flat display with minimal bezels helps the screen stand out and gives the phone a sense of purpose. That might not be enough to let you recognize the 13R from a distance, but one element does… the three-way alert slider that gives you a silent/vibrate/on choice, which can be all by touch.

Just a few moments with the OnePlus 13R and I felt like a OnePlus. This intangible moment takes years to create across multiple phones and is easily lost.

The display is the centerpiece of the package and elevates the feel of the handset. It eschews the recent trend for curved screens in favor of a completely flat look — and I’m perfectly happy with that choice. It also has a variable refresh rate from 1Hz to 120Hz, and OnePlus’ Aqua Touch allows touch operations in wet conditions, and a glove mode allows the phone to receive inputs as long as the glove material isn’t too deep.

Like previous R models, the chipset is last year’s premium choice. So, the OnePlus 13R comes with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. The requirements for a smartphone – perhaps with the exception of in-device generative AI – haven’t changed significantly over the past year, so last year’s power still delivers.

If you want more powerful options, then you should check out the OnePlus 13, which offers the latest technology.

OnePlus battery life

Just as the OnePlus 13 offered a class-leading battery that would easily get through two days of regular use, so does the OnePlus 13R, which offers a similarly impressive number in the £700 range. Battery life is slightly longer than last year’s OnePlus 12R, and you’ll get a comfortable day’s use out of the phone. Two days of total use is plenty for the device, so I can see this as a regular ‘charge every night’ device.

The larger battery, along with just 80W on the fast charger, means the time to 100 percent is longer than most, with 45 minutes being the best I’ve seen. This is if you use the SuperVOOC wired charger, which is an additional purchase—OnePlus doesn’t ship the phone with a charger, just the signature red USB-C cable.

Unfortunately, the 13R doesn’t support wireless charging. Given the slim build and larger battery, there may not be enough internal volume to accommodate everything. For a long time, OnePlus delayed the addition of wireless charging, noting that with a fast-charging battery, the need for wireless charging was reduced. I think the internal priority of faster wired connection over wireless is still in effect.

OnePlus 13R camera

I think OnePlus has greatly expanded what it can deliver with the camera. I would argue that the three-lens setup has one lens too many.

The main lens is the only lens with optical and electronic stabilization to help capture crisp, clear shots. This is a big help in low-light environments, so you’ll be relying on the default lens for most of your work.

Thankfully, the macro lens found on the OnePlus 12R has been replaced with a x2 telephoto camera. It’s not a huge amount of zoom, but it’s more welcome and worthwhile than a lens for super close-up work.

While the main and telephoto lenses have 50-megapixel sensors, the wide-angle lens comes with just 8 megapixels. The lack of physical pixels means there’s a lot more post-processing here, and once you start editing yours, the lack of original detail becomes apparent.

Given how close the quality of the prime and telephoto lenses are, I wonder if ditching the third lens and investing the savings in what would have been a dual-lens system would have been a better choice. Smartphone design is about making choices, which is a pretty basic choice at the heart of the system.

OnePlus 13R OS and AI

The OnePlus 13R runs OxygenOS 15, which is OnePlus’ flavor of Android 15. With four years of software support and six years of security updates, the 13R offers a solid support window for the price. OxygenOS remains a clean implementation of Android with few additions from OnePlus to the standard Google package.

It’s also functionally identical to the software running on the OnePlus 13. You get the latest Gemini AI tools from Google, along with OnePlus’ own AI software; its generative editing tools are most apparent when working with your photos.

Final thoughts of the OnePlus 13R

The OnePlus 13R has some clear weak points. The camera doesn’t have the optical zoom or precision of other phones at a similar price, and the lack of wireless charging is disappointing.

However, the OnePlus 13R is more than those choices. It’s a well-rounded device that’s a cut above the mid-range smartphones that garner a lot of attention. It’s closer in price to the iPhone 16 and Galaxy S24 FE, while the specs are closer to their bigger brothers. And the durability you get from the battery is a big selling point.

The OnePlus 13R is not really a mid-range smartphone. When mid-range customers are looking for something “a little more”, they don’t want to open an expensive premium device. They need something that’s close to the specs, offers more potential than the average smartphone, and has a bit of class about it.

There must be a name for this. Oh wait, there is.

OnePlus 13R… the ultimate killer.

Disclaimer: Available OnePlus a OnePlus 13R for review purposes.