OnePlus 13 vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: A tough decision for some

OnePlus and Samsung are some of the most noteworthy players in the smartphone industry. Both companies make excellent high-end flagship devices, focusing on high-quality materials and innovative solutions. The new OnePlus 13 is the latest in OnePlus’ lineup, featuring the new Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset and an impressive camera setup.

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra might be over a year old at this point. However, it still holds its ground as one of the best Samsung flagships to date — and with the Galaxy S25 series right around the corner, it seemed like a great opportunity to see how these two fare against one another.

Price, specs, and availability

The OnePlus 13 can be purchased from Amazon and OnePlus’s online store. The base model features 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage and retails for $900. The 16GB/512GB model retails for $1,000. It’s worth mentioning that the colors are limited based on the configuration you decide to go with. The base model comes in only Black Eclipse, while the higher-end comes in Black Eclipse, Arctic Dawn, and Midnight Ocean colors.

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is available at most shops, carriers, and directly through Samsung. The S24 Ultra is available in three configurations, each having 12GB of RAM and an option of 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB of storage. Each model retails for $1,300, $1,420, and $1,660, respectively. It’s worth pointing out that the Galaxy S25 series is right around the corner, at the time of writing, and the Galaxy S24 Ultra is already seeing steep discounts. It can often be found much cheaper during promotional events.

All models are available in Titanium Violet, Titanium Yellow, Titanium Black, and Titanium Gray. Samsung also offers Titanium Green, Blue, and Orange, which are exclusively available through its online store.

• 	OnePlus 13	Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
  SoC	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy
  Display type	OLED, 120Hz	AMOLED, 120Hz
  Display dimensions	6.82″, 19.8:9	6.8″, 19.3:9
  Display resolution	3168 x 1440	3088 × 1440
  RAM	12GB, 16GB, or 24GB	12GB
  Storage	256GB, 512GB, or 1TB	256GB, 512GB, or 1TB
  Battery	6,000mAh	5,000mAh
  Charge speed	100W	45W
  Charge options	USB-C wired, Qi wireless	USB-C wired, Qi wireless
  Ports	USB-C	USB-C
  SIM support	Dual SIM and Nano SIM	Nano-SIM and eSIM
  Operating System	Android 15 and OxygenOS 15.0	Android 14 and OneUI 6.1
  Front camera	32MP f/2.4	12MP f/2.2
  Rear camera	50MP f/1.6 main, 50MP f/2.6 3x telephoto, 50MP f/2.0 ultrawide	200MP f/1.7 OIS main, 12MP f/2.2 ultrawide, 10MP f/2.4 telephoto, 50MP f/3.4 telephoto
  Cellular connectivity	Sub-6 5G	Sub-6 & mmWave 5G
  Wi-Fi connectivity	Wi-Fi 7	Wi-Fi 7
  Connectivity	NFC	NFC, UWB
  Bluetooth	Bluetooth 5.4	Bluetooth 5.3
  Dimensions	162.9mm x 76.5mm x 8.9mm	162.6 × 79.0 × 8.6mm
  Weight	210g (leather), 213g (glass)	233g
  IP Rating	IP69	IP68
  Colors	Arctic Dawn, Black Eclipse, Midnight Ocean	Titanium Black, Titanium Gray, Titanium Violet, Titanium Yellow
  Stylus	No	Yes, S Pen

Design

Premium build, timeless appeal

Neither Samsung nor OnePlus has changed much in their flagships’ looks over the years. While they made some minor refinements, they largely remain the same. Both lineups borrow design cues from their previous counterparts and build on top of them to make them more comfortable and slightly easier to use with one hand.

Both phones use an aluminum frame and either a glass back or an eco-leather back (on select OnePlus 13 models), making things more refreshing and unique. OnePlus uses a Ceramic Guard glass shield, while Samsung relies on Corning’s Gorilla Glass Armor on both the front and rear panels — and let’s not forget that it also does a great job reducing reflections on the display.

Both devices offer class-leading ingress protection, and the OnePlus 13 finally received not one but two ratings: IP68 and IP69 to take the crown. The Galaxy S24 Ultra also boasts an IP68 industry-standard certificate, making them both reliable against water and dust.

The OnePlus 13 and Galaxy are similar in size, but there are some differences. OnePlus made its device ever so slightly taller, narrower, and 0.1mm thinner than Samsung, measuring 162.9 x 76.5 x 8.5 mm vs the Galaxy’s 162.3 x 79 x 8.6 mm. The weight difference will be quite noticeable, with the OnePlus weighing in at 210 grams compared to Samsung’s 232 grams.

Display

Question is whether you want S Pen or more rounded curves

The OnePlus 13 packs a 6.82-inch LTPO AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate, while the Galaxy S24 Ultra features a just as large, 6.8-inch LTPO AMOLED 2X panel. The OnePlus takes the slight edge regarding peak brightness, topping out at 4,500 nits compared to 2,600 nits on the Samsung.

Of course, this will only be useful when it comes to HDR content, as otherwise, both devices hold up well during daytime use. Both panels are bright, colorful, and accurate, and the Samsung only takes the win here for those who care about the S Pen stylus compatibility. Otherwise, they’re both equally great displays for consuming content.

Both phones have an under-display optical fingerprint sensor and a top-center punch-hole cutout for the selfie camera. The bezels are relatively thin on both devices and look modern, especially when compared to other devices in their price ranges.

Software and performance

Samsung takes the lead with seven years of software support

OnePlus’ OxygenOS has received a lot of criticism in the past, especially as it shifted away from ColorOS. However, as we’ve found during our testing, the company has done a lot of work in the background to fix bugs and make the platform more user-friendly, easier to use, and more polished. We couldn’t find too many nitpicks during our use, and we found it easy and a joy to use throughout our time.

Apps can be enabled, disabled, and deleted, and it feels like OnePlus has finally given users what they asked for, even if some features may be missing. On the other hand, Samsung’s skin might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but thanks to GoodLock, it still offers one of the most customizable interfaces.

The built-in interface features offer enough customization options to personalize your Galaxy experience, and even if you use GoodLock, having too many options can sometimes feel overwhelming. Of course, this is intended only for the most advanced users. Having said that, it’s not without its compromises.

OnePlus promises bi-monthly security patches for six years and four OS upgrades. In contrast, Samsung offers monthly security patches and up to seven years of security and OS upgrades, making it one of the longest-supported flagship devices that customers can buy today.

In terms of performance, the OnePlus clearly takes the lead thanks to the more advanced and efficient Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, while the Galaxy rocks the one year old Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset. However, when it comes to real-life use, we haven’t experienced any lag or any issues, even while gaming, and we’ve been pretty satisfied with both devices. You’re unlikely to face any issues, but if you care about pure benchmark numbers, the OnePlus 13 will take the lead.

Battery life

OnePlus continues to innovate and improve while Samsung lags behind

The OnePlus 13 packs a Silicon Carbon 6,000 mAh battery cell. The new technology enables OnePlus to pack a larger density battery pack, without taking up too much space inside its smartphone. Samsung still uses a Li-Ion 5,000 mAh battery. The size is adequate for the device, but it’s more bulky, especially when compared against the more innovative solutions.

The charging speed is another area where OnePlus takes the lead, even if it uses a proprietary standard. It’s capable of 100W fast wired, and 50W wireless charging. With a wire, the phone can go from 0% to 50% in less than 15 minutes, and a full top up is possible in less than 45 minutes.

Samsung still lags behind the competition with its 45W wired charging method, which is advertised to go from 0% to 65% in 30 minutes. A full charge still requires over an hour, and the most high-end flagship still tops out at 15W wireless charging.

In terms of battery performance, both devices can easily last up to a full day on a single charge, even with heavy usage. However, we found that the OnePlus could last you even longer, thanks to the larger battery and the more efficient chip. This is further helped by the fast charging capability that tops up the device in significantly less time.

The Galaxy S24 FE packs a 4,700 mAh battery, which is plenty enough to help you power through your day. We found it can easily last a day on a single charge, although power users will likely have to top up to make it through the day.

Camera

It’s everything you expect

During our review, we found that both devices can take beautiful photos at day or night. We’ve been mostly impressed with the results, as we failed to discover any major flaws that would’ve ruined the moment.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra packs a quad camera setup, consisting of a 200MP primary, a 12MP ultrawide, 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom, and 50MP periscope telephoto with 5x optical zoom. The selfie camera is a 12MP sensor. The OnePlus 13 boasts a 50MP primary, a 50MP ultrawide, and another 50MP periscope telephoto with 3x optical zoom.

The front-facing camera is a 32MP sensor. In terms of numbers, Samsung boasts a more versatile array of cameras, but both phones have an impressive setup with their own pros and cons.

Both phones offer fun and unique ways to capture your moments, and OnePlus managed to meet expectations with this year’s flagship. Zoomed in shots can often be better on the Galaxy S24 Ultra, as we found that the AI Detail Boost on OnePlus can provide some “nasty results once you’ve zoomed past the 25x mark”. Sure enough, you won’t want to use digital trickery, and your expectations should be lowered, but Google and Samsung’s algorithm simply does a better job.

Which is right for you?

If you’re looking for a solid flagship with a top-tier performance, excellent battery life and great camera setup, then the OnePlus 13 remains a solid contender for the best flagship of 2025. OnePlus has addressed a lot of nitpicks and issues we had with its devices in this year’s model, and while its still far from perfect, it remains the company’s best shot yet.

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra also delivers an amazing performance, even one year in its lifecycle. It remains a solid choice for anyone looking for additional options, an excellent camera experience, a decent battery life, and of course, the added support for the S Pen stylus. It’ll receive even more software and security updates, making the higher price easier to swallow, and a better financial commitment for those wanting to upgrade less frequently.

Let’s also not forget that the Galaxy S25 series is right around the corner. We’ll find out more about Samsung’s next year’s flagship in just a few days and see how it really compares against a fresh new flagship side-by-side.