Phones
OnePlus 13 review: The critics' clear verdict
"It's big, fast and has tons of battery life," says Engadget.
No single aggregate score — here's what the reviewers agree on, below.
The short version
Critics agree that the OnePlus 13 delivers flagship-level speed, a bright QHD OLED display and unusually fast charging for a starting price around $900. WIRED, Engadget and TechRadar also praise its battery life, although CNET recorded weaker results in its rundown test. The cameras can produce strong images, but reviewers do not place them consistently alongside the very best camera phones. It is a strong hardware-first Android flagship, provided you can accept six years of support and the lack of built-in Qi2 magnets.
What reviewers loved
- Snapdragon 8 Elite performance that reviewers describe as exceptionally fast, with smooth everyday operation and benchmark results that challenge more expensive flagships.
- A sharp 6.82-inch QHD OLED display that critics praise for its brightness, smooth adaptive refresh rate and flagship-grade presentation.
- A 6,000mAh battery that WIRED, Engadget and TechRadar found excellent or class-leading, backed by rapid wired charging when power runs low.
- IP68/IP69 water and dust resistance gives the phone stronger durability credentials than earlier OnePlus flagships.
- The $899.99 starting price includes 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, and Engadget notes that it undercuts the base Galaxy S25+ by $100.
What held it back
- Camera quality is the main uncertainty: Engadget calls the system solid and TechRadar says it is close to the best, but CNET found it disappointing against competing flagships.
- There are no built-in Qi2 magnets, and TechRadar says a case is needed to take advantage of MagSafe-style compatibility.
- Four Android version upgrades and six years of security updates are reasonable, but CNET and Engadget note that some rivals offer longer support.
- Battery testing was not unanimous: CNET's rundown result fell short of expectations despite the large 6,000mAh capacity.
Buy it if you want top-tier Android performance, a bright large screen, fast charging and strong battery potential without paying more for AI-focused extras.
Skip it if camera consistency, built-in magnetic accessories or the longest available software-support period matter more than raw speed and charging.
What the reviewers say
Performance is the clearest point of agreement. WIRED reports smooth operation without unreasonable heat, stutter or battery drain. TechRadar calls it the fastest phone its reviewer had used, while Tom's Guide found that it outpaced Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and Tensor G4 phones in most of its cited benchmarks. Engadget also praises the combination of speed, design and price.
Battery and camera conclusions are less uniform. WIRED, Engadget and TechRadar report excellent or class-leading endurance, while CNET's demanding rundown test produced a weaker result, though its reviewer still expected a full day of mixed use. Engadget considers the triple 50MP camera package nearly top tier, but TechRadar says it remains behind the absolute best and CNET regards photography as the phone's biggest weakness.
The competition
Samsung Galaxy S25+
Engadget identifies it as a close competitor and says the base model costs $100 more than the OnePlus 13.
iPhone 16 Pro Max
TechRadar reports that the OnePlus 13 won in multicore processing and most graphics tests, while Tom's Guide says the iPhone remained ahead in single-core performance and video transcoding.
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
Tom's Guide reports that the Snapdragon 8 Elite-powered OnePlus 13 beat the Tensor G4 phone across its cited performance comparisons except the Adobe Premiere Rush transcoding test.
Should you buy it?
The OnePlus 13 is a sensible buy for shoppers who prioritize speed, display quality, charging and battery capacity over camera leadership or AI features. Most critics see it as a strong-value premium handset, although CNET is less convinced by its battery testing and overall differentiation. The camera system is capable, but the reviews do not support choosing it primarily for photography. RightWei summarizes independent reviewers' hands-on tests and does not test review units itself.
Sources
RightWei aggregates and summarizes independent reviews — we link to the original hands-on tests so you can go deeper. We don't test units ourselves.