I’ve used the OnePlus 13 for a month; here are 4 things I love and 1 thing I hate

What I love about the OnePlus 13

It’s easy to come up with a list of things I love about the OnePlus 13, as impressive features aren’t in short supply. I’ll start with the build quality and design. I didn’t hate the look of the OnePlus 12, but I felt it desperately needed a refresh. OnePlus engineers went to work, focusing on device balance and feel. The result is spectacular and purposeful, with a delightful 50/50 weight distribution and comfortable 2.5D glass on the display. The display is the best of both worlds, as we get all the benefits of a flat panel, but the curve at the sides means swipes on the screen feel better against our fingertips.

I’m glad to see OnePlus get its software act together.

I also enjoy that the OnePlus 13’s aluminum frame is slightly thinner than the rest of the device, making it feel thinner overall compared to the flat edge of the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Of course, that’s not the only advantage the OnePlus 13 has over the Galaxy S25 Ultra, especially regarding battery.

OnePlus routinely offers significantly faster charging speeds than Samsung phones, and the OnePlus 13 is no exception. It supports 80W wired charging speeds and 100W are available with an additional adapter. However, this year, OnePlus went further, fitting the phone with a 6,000mAh silicon-carbon dual-cell battery, which gives it more reliable performance and higher energy density. A dual-cell battery improves battery health and alleviates some users’ concerns over the potential damage high-speed charging does to batteries over time. Unless you’re a power user, you’ll get two days of battery life from your OnePlus 13 without breaking a sweat, and when it is time to top off, the OnePlus 13 does it faster than most of the competition.

Of course, excellent battery life is useless unless there’s flagship performance to match. Thankfully, the Snapdragon 8 Elite powering the OnePlus 13 has lived up to the hype, chewing through everything I throw at it. AAA mobile games are no issue, and more intensive Android apps run without a hitch. Paired with either 12 or 16GB of RAM (wonderful to have the option of more RAM), the OnePlus 13 is a productivity monster, and I’ve been pleased with its power efficiency so far.

I’m looking forward to more desktop-quality apps and games that use raytracing to see the full potential of the OnePlus 13. Having used it for a month, I’m confident the phone is more than up to the challenge.

I’m glad to see OnePlus get its software act together. OxygenOS used to enrage me, and I’ll never forgive OnePlus for ruining my OnePlus 9 experience with its awful OxygenOS 12 release. However, OxygenOS 15 is solid, and I haven’t experienced the same glitches and drawbacks of earlier OnePlus software efforts. I don’t love all the company’s design choices for OxygenOS 15, but at least we can revert most of them to a more familiar look and feel. Open Canvas is also the best multitasking experience on a traditional slab phone, and it’s fantastic how OxygenOS allows me to flip between three apps as needed.

OnePlus also did the right thing by extending software support for the OnePlus 13. The device now receives four major Android upgrades and six years of security updates, adding value to the phone and making it less of a drawback for people considering switching from a Samsung or Google device. It’s good business, and I like seeing OnePlus listen to users.

What I don’t love about the OnePlus 13

I remember how excited I was when periscope zooms started appearing on smartphones. Unlike other camera enhancements, I found them legitimately fascinating, and I loved some of the shots I could produce. Unfortunately, there is a trend towards lower optical zooms in favor of AI enhancing and filling out the details needed at higher zooms. I don’t like this process even when it works well, but it’s not a strong suit of the OnePlus 13. Images at higher than 5x zoom look just OK, but they lag behind photos coming from the Galaxy S25 Ultra and Pixel 9 Pro XL at similar ranges.

I’m not asking OnePlus to make its software and photo processing AI-heavy. The company’s more measured approach to AI is the way to go, with enough tools to keep us happy without making it the device’s primary focus. However, I would like to see OnePlus keep innovating and build upon the success of this year’s camera system by integrating better optical zoom in its phones moving forward. OnePlus cameras are on the right track; I hope it stays that way.

It’s hard not to appreciate the OnePlus 13

The OnePlus 13 is a marvelous phone that provides sorely needed competition in the US. Once you use it for a few days, you’ll have a much longer list of things you love than mine. It feels like a phone designed for 2025, which is more than I can say for some of its competitors. If you’ve been stuck in a rut with your smartphone choices for the last few years and want to try something more exciting, the OnePlus 13 is calling your name.