OnePlus 13 Brings Big Upgrades, But It Could Cost More
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On Thursday, OnePlus launched the OnePlus 13 in China. As one of the first devices powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, this flagship smartphone also boasts other notable upgrades, including a larger battery and refreshed design. However, it comes with a higher price tag, hinting that costs may rise similarly in the U.S. and other global markets.
The OnePlus 13 starts at CNY 4,499 (~$632) in China, a slight increase over the OnePlus 12 (review), which debuted at CNY 4,299 in December last year. While this difference is modest, it suggests that global pricing could also rise, potentially by an even larger margin.
For context, the OnePlus 12 costs $799 in the U.S. for the 12/256 GB model, while the 16/512 GB version retails for $899. With the price increase in China, the OnePlus 13 may command an additional $50 to $100 per configuration internationally.
This would still make the OnePlus 13 more affordable than the Samsung Galaxy S24+ (review) and Google Pixel 9 (review), which are priced at $999, though it would place the new OnePlus handset just above the standard Galaxy S24 at $799.
Is the OnePlus 13 Price Hike Justified?
The price increase may be justified by several performance and durability upgrades. The OnePlus 13 is equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, featuring an octa-core Oryon processor and Adreno 830 GPU. This 3 nm chip includes an advanced Hexagon NPU for AI tasks and boosts CPU performance by up to 45% and GPU performance by 40% over the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC.
The OnePlus 13 also introduces a new quad-curved design, reducing the prominence of the curved sides while still maintaining a slight curvature on the glass, resulting in a flatter profile. The device features a 6.8-inch LTPO AMOLED display from BOE, offering a 120 Hz refresh rate and a typical brightness of 800 nits, with peak brightness remaining at 4,500 nits. Moreover, this is integrated with a faster ultrasonic fingerprint sensor.
The display is protected by Crystal Shield super-ceramic glass, replacing the Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front and Gorilla Glass on the back. There’s also an option for an eco-leather back panel. Despite its slimmer, lighter build, the OnePlus 13 is now rated IP69 for dust and water resistance, an upgrade from the IP65 rating of previous models.
Despite the reduced thickness, the flagship packs a larger 6,000 mAh silicon-carbon battery, similar to the Xiaomi 15 Pro, along with a new, more powerful vibration motor. Charging capabilities remain at 100 watts wired and 50 watts wireless.
The OnePlus 13 retains its primary 50 MP camera with OIS but introduces a new 50 MP 3x telephoto lens and a 50 MP ultra-wide lens. The 32 MP front camera and 8K video recording at 60 fps via the rear module remain unchanged.
OnePlus 13 Global Release Date
In China, the OnePlus 13 comes with Android 15, customized with ColorOS 15. For the global variant, it’s expected to launch with OxygenOS 15—that we recently tested. New generative AI features, including real-time translation and an AI Super Pixel camera mode, are also debuting with this model.
Sales have already begun in China, but OnePlus has not yet announced an international release date. However, the company may speed up its global rollout now.
Are these hardware upgrades on the OnePlus 13 enough to justify the price hike? We’d love to hear your thoughts.
Source: OnePlus (China)
