Knowing when to upgrade your smartphone is usually more complicated than it needs to be. Top companies like Google, Apple, Samsung, and OnePlus always come out with some of the best hardware and software support, which makes these decisions even more difficult. But it’s early 2025, and OnePlus and Samsung have their next flagship lined up. We’ve been anticipating the OnePlus 13 and Samsung Galaxy S25 series since last year.
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As indicated in our review, we loved what OnePlus offers with the OnePlus 13, so we’ve highlighted some of the best reasons why the OnePlus 13 might be the upgrade you need.
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7 The OnePlus 13 has superior water resistance
IP69 is the best protection you can realistically get
Your phone may need to weather a storm (literally). The IP69 protects against high-pressure liquids, steam cleaning, and dust. In theory, the OnePlus 13 can withstand a sudden downpour, and if you accidentally leave it near a steam bath, the phone should be able to handle it. We never recommend submerging your device intentionally, but if an accident occurs, you should be okay. Weather forecasts are constantly changing and can be unpredictable at times, so not worrying about your device’s condition is always a perk. The OnePlus 13 remains adaptable, and we are thankful for that.
6 The OnePlus 13 has Aqua Touch 2.0
The screen sensitivity is impressive
One of my favorite features of the OnePlus 12 series is its use of Aqua Touch technology. Aqua Touch allows OnePlus phones to detect when water droplets are on the screen or if you’ve touched the device with wet hands. After detecting moisture, the touch sensitivity is adjusted. If you have naturally moist fingers like me, you will know how challenging it can be to unlock your phone with fingerprint biometrics.
OnePlus 13 takes it a step further by improving on the formula. The screen gets even more sensitive on liquid contact, even if you’ve accidentally spilled your drink or tried looking for your phone after a shower. It remains operational no matter the conditions, and seeing the OnePlus 13 carry this on in its next generation is great.
Also, did you know that the OnePlus 13 has a Gloves Mode? Turning this mode on lets you use your phone even while wearing gloves — it’s nifty!
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5 The OnePlus 13 has super fast charging
You don’t have to wait too long
Last year, we heard rumors that the OnePlus 13 would offer fast charging of up to 100W. Previously, 100W was supported in the previous year, but only an 80W charger made it out to the US. A wired 80W charger is still coming, but not in Europe. Unfortunately, OnePlus doesn’t ship the faster charger; you’d have to buy one separately from OnePlus to get these perks.
The OnePlus 13 also supports 50W wireless charging. However, the device doesn’t have built-in magnets for Qi2, but it can still use Qi2 and MagSafe accessories with OnePlus’ official magnetic cases.
It took our reviewer only 34 minutes to charge the OnePlus 13 with rapid smart charging enabled.
4 The OnePlus 13’s battery is impressive
It revolutionizes smartphone battery life
The OnePlus 12 had a beefy battery of 5400mAh. OnePlus decided to increase this year’s battery to 6,000mAh. Most smartphones of similar size only have around 5,000mAh. The OnePlus 12 series already had impressive batteries along with efficient CPUs. So, having the company build on this foundation is very exciting and becomes well worth the investment if you’re rocking an aging phone. The OnePlus 13’s giant battery should comfortably get you through an entire day.
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3 The OnePlus 13 uses a Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset
Qualcomm’s new generation of SoC is bonkers
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite is considered one of the best for mobile chipsets. The chip is performance-driven, energy efficient, and can handle demanding tasks like higher-end gaming. Qualcomm says the Snapdragon 8 Elite is 44 percent more power efficient than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. We already know that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 was a powerhouse in previous flagships, as shown in our raving review of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. There’s a lot to love, and if you want your phone to be a mean machine, having Qualcomm’s best chip yet won’t let you down.
2 The OnePlus 13 comes with OxygenOS 15
It comes with great software
OxygenOS is OnePlus’ custom Android software. It’s closer to a stock experience than Samsung’s OneUI. The software always felt clean, simple, and clutter-free. OxygenOS 15 is based on Android 15. It also comes packed with new tools like parallel processing, AI features for photo editing, Circle to Search, and more. OxygenOS 15 is a step up from its predecessor, finally closing the gap with other devices that have AI baked into the software. OxygenOS 15 feels like an absolute treat to use, and we are glad to see it released with the OnePlus 13.
1 The OnePlus 13 has affordable pricing for a flagship
The trade-in offers are fairly decent
The OnePlus 13 costs $899.99 (USD) for the base 12/256GB model. The 16GB of RAM and 512GB version will cost around $999.99 (USD). Compared to the OnePlus 12, it costs $100 more, so it may not be worth it if you’re still hanging onto your OnePlus 12. However, you can trade it any eligible device to knock off a few hundred dollars on that price tag, so it may well be worth it if you’re a few generations behind. Plus, depending on the timeframe and country, you can score discounts and freebies on storage and RAM.
If the OnePlus 13 is still slightly out of your price range, you may want to look into the OnePlus 13R; it carries similar specs (worse camera and processor) but still offers a highly premium experience at a lower price point. We loved the OnePlus 12R so much that it felt like a disservice to call it a midrange phone — it has the “flagship killer” label for a reason. The OnePlus 13R brings that same fire.
Should you upgrade to a OnePlus 13?
The OnePlus 13 is a great phone. It improves the formula but doesn’t change much if you bought the OnePlus 12 from last year. What you look for in a smartphone upgrade is subjective. Still, if you’re already familiar with the OnePlus ecosystem and need a phone upgrade now, the OnePlus 13 might serve you well, especially if the highlighted features appeal to you from this list.
The only downside is that OnePlus still doesn’t have the strongest software support; OnePlus confirmed that the OnePlus 13 and 13R will receive four major Android updates but will have five years of security patches. It’s better than it used to be, but not to the same level as Samsung’s and Google’s seven-year promise.
