5 missing OnePlus 13 features that may cost it the Phone of the Year title

5

Native Qi2 wireless charging

It pretends to have it, though

OnePlus has evolved as a brand over the last few years, from budget flagships to making inroads in the proper flagship segment. As the company shed the weight of its past image of “flagship killer,” it became more welcoming towards adopting technologies it once refused to add to its phones, such as standard waterproofing certification and wireless charging. OnePlus addressed the previous complaints regarding the waterproofing solution by adding the highest level of protection in the form of IP69, becoming the first premium Android phone in the US market to do so. However, the company is still not liberal enough to properly adopt the latest wireless charging standard.

While the OnePlus 13 has become the second phone after HMD Skyline to support the Qi2 charging standard, the way OnePlus did it is controversial. It has a built-in wireless charging receiver, but the magnets that ensure optimum charging efficiency are missing. Instead of adding them to the handset, OnePlus introduced the magnets in its in-house “Mag” series phone cases that users must buy separately to power the battery with Qi2 chargers. If you plan to get one of those cases, the price shoots up as much as $40. Then there is the issue of the magnets in the OnePlus 13’s case not being as strong as the ones in fully Qi2-compatible setups.

4

UWB

It just does things better, with precision

Ultra-wideband, popularly known as UWB, debuted on the iPhone 11 series in 2019, followed by the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 a year later. Other Android OEMs like Google, Xiaomi, Realme, Honor, and OnePlus’ sibling Oppo joined the bandwagon to launch premium phones with the UWB module in the following years. Despite tangible benefits for users, OnePlus never included UWB in its top-tier phones, and the trend continues with the OnePlus 13.

It’s frustrating, particularly in the case of the OnePlus 13, because the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset that powers the phone has a FastConnect 7900 mobile Connectivity System for Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and UWB connectivity. That means a Snapdragon 8 Elite-powered phone doesn’t require extra effort from the manufacturers to add a separate UWB module for users to reap its benefits. However, despite FastConnect 7900 in Snapdragon 8 Elite, the UWB is an optional feature, and that’s enough reason for OnePlus to opt out.

UWB may not be beneficial to everyone, but it can be a dealbreaker for those who need close-range location tracking with high precision on their phones. While the OnePlus 13 supports handy location tracking capabilities, such as the Find My Device’s Powered Off feature, the location data wouldn’t be as accurate without UWB support. Had the OnePlus 13 been powered by UWB, it would have offered seamless file sharing and robust smart home integration with enhanced security.

3

Bypass charging

Draw power directly from the charger

The mighty Snapdragon 8 Elite and the stunning display on the OnePlus 13 deliver a high-quality gaming experience. However, not all top-quality Android smartphones are the best gaming phones. Battery life and charging are two major reasons behind that. While OnePlus nailed two key components required for delivering a great gaming experience, it fell short on one important feature that might force people, especially gamers, to look elsewhere.

The 6,000 mAh battery in the OnePlus 13 isn’t enough for longer gaming sessions. If not for a bigger battery, the OnePlus could’ve worked harder on reducing battery wear, which’s more pronounced when gaming with the phone connected to the charger. The addition of bypass charging would’ve been useful here, as it ensures that the phone draws power directly from the power adapter, bypassing the battery source. This would’ve resulted in lower heat generation while gaming with the phone plugged into the charger, thus making it comfortable for users to game for a long period on the OnePlus 13 even when it’s connected to the charger.

2

No Snapdragon Sound

No place for subtlety

Codecs like aptX HD and LDAC in the OnePlus 13 may be sufficient for a great music-listening experience for many people. However, if you’re an audiophile who loves the nuances in audio quality that Snapdragon’s aptX lossless codec provides, the OnePlus 13 isn’t the best option. That’s because the handset doesn’t support Snapdragon Sound.

One major benefit of the Snapdragon Sound technology is that OEMs can add support for aptX lossless codec, which delivers CD-quality audio (16-bit, 44.1 kHz) over Bluetooth. While a phone can be Snapdragon Sound-certified without offering aptX lossless codec, the OnePlus 13 offers neither despite being powered by the latest flagship Snapdragon processor.

1

Automation

It’s 2025, and OnePlus flagships still can’t automate tasks

OxygenOS has gone through interesting changes over the last few years. While introducing more bloatware into the OS was heavily criticized, the Shenzhen-based tech firm drew accolades for introducing the iPhone’s Dynamic Island and making it more useful for its premium phones.

However, OnePlus can also take inspiration from elsewhere, particularly Samsung. Worth copying from Samsung is the ability to automate specific actions or behaviors based on certain triggers. This feature is available in Samsung Galaxy phones with One UI 5 or newer in the form of Modes and Routines. If not for all its smartphones, the company’s premium phones, like the OnePlus 13, should have support for it. While you can automate your OnePlus 13 using third-party apps like Tasker, it isn’t a free tool and may consume more battery than a similar solution built into the OxygenOS.

OnePlus 13 could’ve been better, if not the best

It’s difficult to make a one-size-fits-all phone at a particular price, but given the fierce competition, the ideal approach would’ve been to match the number of features competitors are offering if not out-feature them. You’ll find the OnePlus 13’s missing features, like the bypass charging and UWB support, on premium Galaxy and Pixel handsets, including those that are a year old or more, compared to the OnePlus 13.

In OnePlus’ defense, some features, like the Snapdragon Sound, would’ve required the company to provide a licensing fee to Qualcomm to introduce the feature to the OnePlus 13. However, given that the OnePlus 13 is priced $100 higher than its predecessor, customers deserve features that are standard in competing premium handsets. Had these issues been resolved, the OnePlus 13 would’ve had more chances of getting the Phone of the Year title.