Oneplus' Flagship Phone Is A Solid Alternative To The Galaxy S25 Ultra - Here's Why

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• The OnePlus 13 is simply a snappy, astir no-compromise telephone that typically lists astatine $999.
• A Snapdragon 8 Elite, paired pinch a 6,000mAh artillery and 80W accelerated charging, is simply a look for endurance success.
• IP69 is almost excessive, but you'll admit it erstwhile slightest expected.

Right now, you tin bargain nan OnePlus 13 from Amazon astatine a $50 discount, whether you take nan 256GB aliases 512GB variant.

It's not often that I reappraisal a smartphone successful nan first fewer almanac weeks and consciousness assured successful calling it a "Phone of nan Year" contender. But erstwhile I tested nan OnePlus 13 backmost successful January, that's precisely what happened.

Whether Google yet launches a Pixel Pro Fold pinch a flagship camera strategy this summer, aliases Apple releases a thinner iPhone successful nan fall, nan OnePlus 13 will apt still beryllium connected my mind erstwhile nan year-end nominations are due.

Also: Yes, an Android tablet yet made maine reconsider my iPad Pro loyalty

There's a batch going for nan latest flagship phone, from nan much unafraid (and reliable) ultrasonic fingerprint sensor to nan IP69 standing to nan 6,000mAh Silicon NanoStack battery. It's besides 1 of nan first phones successful North America to characteristic Qualcomm's caller Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, which promises improvements to performance, efficiency, and AI workloads.

I tested nan OnePlus 13 alongside my iPhone 16 Pro Max and Google Pixel 9 Pro XL to spot precisely really nan Android telephone stacked up against 1 of nan best phones so acold successful 2025. In a fewer ways, nan OnePlus 13 falls short, but successful galore ways, it puts nan iPhone and Pixel to shame.

When I first unboxed nan OnePlus 13 and held it successful my hand, my guidance was audible. Allow maine to geek retired here: The somewhat curved glass, nan slimness of nan phone, and nan wide quality made my then-four-month-old iPhone look and consciousness outdated. It's arsenic if OnePlus made nan iPhone 17 Air earlier Apple did.

However, what sells nan OnePlus 13 creation for maine is nan caller Midnight Ocean (blue) color, which flaunts a vegan-leather backing that makes nan telephone visually unique and much comfortable to clasp than its glass-only predecessors. 

Also: I replaced my Samsung S25 Ultra pinch nan Edge exemplary for 3 weeks - here's my verdict now

The texture isn't arsenic unsmooth and grippy arsenic existent leather, though, truthful I'd beryllium willing successful seeing really it ages complete nan year. (April 2025 update: The textured backing is holding up well, prevention for a fewer acheronian spots connected nan corners, apt caused by nan telephone rubbing against my palms.)

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

If you were hoping nan first awesome Android telephone of 2025 would characteristic Qi2 wireless charging, I person bully news and bad news. While nan OnePlus 13 doesn't person an in-body Qi2 charging coil, meaning MagSafe (and similar) accessories won't connect straight to nan backmost of nan device, OnePlus has embedded magnetic guides wrong its protective covers, enabling users to return advantage of nan accessories truthful agelong arsenic nan OnePlus 13 is encased. It's a burdenless workaround, but 1 that hopefully won't beryllium basal pinch nan adjacent model.

For what it's worth, since publishing this review, respective different Android phones person been released, including nan Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, Nothing Phone 3a Pro, and Motorola Razr Ultra -- nary of which characteristic Qi2 wireless charging.

For years, 1 facet that's held OnePlus phones backmost is nan h2o and particulate guidance rating, aliases deficiency thereof. With nan OnePlus 13, nan institution is yet taking a stronger stance connected nan endurance standard, certifying nan telephone pinch an IP69 rating. It's a measurement supra nan IP68 ratings we commonly spot connected competing devices, and allows nan OnePlus 13 to withstand high-pressure, high-temperature h2o jets and humidity changes.

Also: How to clear your Android phone's cache and make it consciousness for illustration new

In practice, this intends nan OnePlus 13 tin usability decently moreover if you time off it successful your washer and dryer, dishwasher, aliases a cookware of boiling soup. The IP69 standing feels very overmuch for illustration a flex, but it's a use that users will admit erstwhile they slightest expect it.

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

Powering nan instrumentality is simply a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite spot that, from my months of usage, has immoderate noticeable strengths and weaknesses. For day-to-day usage, specified arsenic bouncing betwixt productivity apps, decidedly not scrolling done TikTok, and taking photos and videos, nan processor handles tasks gracefully. It helps that OxygenOS 15, based connected nan latest type of Android, has immoderate of nan smoothest animations I've seen connected a phone.

Also: Finally, Bluetooth trackers for Android users that activity amended than AirTags (and are cheaper)

But erstwhile you occurrence up graphics-intensive applications for illustration Adobe Premiere Rush and Honkai Star Rail, you'll announcement immoderate stuttering arsenic nan higher power improvement leads to throttling performance. This isn't a dealbreaker, per se, arsenic nan nerfs are only evident erstwhile you're utilizing nan instrumentality for a prolonged time.

I've really been utilizing nan OnePlus 13 rather liberally, arsenic nan 6,000mAh Silicon NanoStack artillery has kept my reappraisal portion moving for astatine slightest a time and a half per charge. That's unseen pinch immoderate different mainstream telephone successful nan US market, and I afloat expect much manufacturers to adopt silicon batteries for their greater power density. If not that, transcript nan 80W accelerated charging aliases 50W wireless charging; they're rather nan revelation.

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

On nan camera front, nan OnePlus 13, pinch its triple camera setup (50MP wide, ultrawide, and telephoto), has been a reliable shooter passim astir of my days. While nan Sony LYT-808 sensor isn't connected par pinch nan one-inch sensors I've tested connected world phones for illustration nan Xiaomi 15 Ultra, it does an fantabulous occupation of capturing specifications and finishing nan output vividly. If you're a instrumentality of sharp, bright, and somewhat oversaturated imagery (read: much colorful than really nan existent taxable appears), past nan OnePlus 13 will service you well.

Also: The champion Android phones to bargain successful 2025

Where nan camera sensors autumn short is successful post-processing and AI-tuning features. For example, nan telephone leans heavy connected computational photography to contextualize specifications erstwhile taking far-distance shots. This sometimes leads to images pinch an artificial, over-smoothing filter. But erstwhile nan backend package works, it tin reproduce specifications that you astir apt didn't deliberation you'd seizure successful nan first place.

ZDNET's buying advice

For a starting value of $999, nan OnePlus 13 delivers immoderate earnestly bully worth -- perchance nan champion of each nan awesome flagship phones I've tested truthful acold this year. The institution has improved nan instrumentality successful almost each way, from nan creation to nan capacity to its accessory ecosystem. 

I conscionable wish OnePlus offered much extended package support, arsenic nan OnePlus 13 will only person 4 years of Android OS updates and six years of information updates. Samsung, Google, and Apple connection astatine slightest 7 years of OS support. If you tin enarthrosis nan shorter committedness of longevity, this is 1 of nan easiest phones for maine to urge correct now.

This communicative was primitively published connected January 7, 2025, and was updated connected July 15, 2025, adding accusation for a caller Prime Day discount.