OnePlus 13R Review: The flagship killing genes (and jeans) still fit this OnePlus!

OnePlus made a name for itself by coming out with what it famous called “Flagship Killer” phones – devices that came with high-end hardware and premium features at surprisingly affordable prices. While the brand has moved to higher price points with its own flagships in recent years, it has not forgotten its roots. The R variant of OnePlus’ flagships reflects the brand’s early values, giving flagship killing feels in abundance. The OnePlus 13R, therefore, is not just the junior sibling of the highly acclaimed OnePlus 13 but also the bearer of the OG OnePlus legacy.

OnePlus 13R design and appearance: Different from the OnePlus 13, similar to THAT phone and the Pixel

Recent OnePlus flagships and their R variants have generally looked very similar to each other. The OnePus 13R, however, breaks away from this pattern. While it might have a similarly placed and similarly sized spherical camera unit on its back, it is a very different phone from the OnePlus 13. The reason for this is its totally flat front and back and its straight sides. Unlike the OnePlus 13, the OnePlus 13R makes no attempt to look curved. The result is a phone that gives off very Pixel and iPhone vibes while looking different, thanks to that round camera unit. The phone is available in two shades – a silvery white Astral Trails and a black Nebula Noir.

We got the Astral Trails variant, and it was very eye-catching, with subtle circular patterns on the back that shine in the light. A matte finish means it won’t pick up scratches and smudges easily, and the camera unit has a metal ring around it to add some shine, although there is no Hasselblad branding on or near it. It is a tall phone at 161.7 mm but impressively slim at 8 mm, and its 206 grams weight is light for its size – it is, in fact, shorter and slimmer than the OnePlus 12R, which is quite a feat when you consider that it has a display of the same size and a larger battery. Gorilla Glass 7i protects the front, the frame is aluminum (and has the famous OnePlus alert slider), and the back is glass as well (although without any protection). The phone also comes with IP65 dust and water resistance, so it can survive low-pressure water jets, although it will find the going tough if it ends up immersed in water.

All said and done, the OnePlus 13R is a very good-looking phone. Fans of iPhone and Pixel design might even find it to be better looking than the slightly more curvy and slightly larger OnePlus 13. And that is saying something. This R phone is not a visual second fiddle to its premium bro or even a lower-priced clone.

OnePlus 13R specs: Near-flagship level

The OnePlus 13R comes with a very impressive spec sheet for its price. It boasts a 6.78-inch AMOLED display with 2780 x 1264 resolution, 120 Hz refresh rate, and a peak brightness of 4500 nits. Powering it is the chip that ran most of the flagships in 2024, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, paired with LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 storage options of 12 GB/ 256 GB and 16 GB/ 512 GB. The phone has three cameras on the back – a 50-megapixel Sony LYT-700 sensor with OIS, a 50-megapixel telephoto camera with 2x optical zoom, and an 8-megapixel ultrawide camera. Selfies are handled by a 16-megapixel camera, which seems to be a favorite of OnePlus.

In spite of being thinner than the OnePlus 12R, the OnePlus 13R packs a larger battery – 6000 mAh as compared to 5500 mAh. The charging speed has, however, come down. While the OnePlus 12R supports 100W charging, the OnePlus 13R charges at a still very quick but relatively slow 80W and comes with an 80W charger in the box. You also get 5G, an infrared port, NFC, Bluetooth 5.4, and stereo speakers. The phone runs on OnePlus’ revamped OxygenOS 15 on top of Android 15 and comes with a number of AI features as well, with an assurance of four Android updates and six years of security updates. This is easily one of the best spec sheets you can get for this price. This would have been a proper flagship six months ago, even at a higher price.

OnePlus 13R camera: Stick to the main camera for best results

The OnePlus 13R comes with a triple camera arrangement on its back, but it is really a main camera show. The 50-megapixel Sony LYT-700 sensor has a very impressive performance, with a lot of detail and colors that are a little on the saturated side but are pleasant to look at. What’s more, its performance does not fade (pun intended) in low-light conditions. We got some very good snaps and even impressive videos from it. The colors seemed a little faded initially but have gotten more punchy following an update. There is no Hasselblad element here, and you will not get special shooting modes or even different focal lengths. However, we think most users will love the results that are delivered.

The other cameras on the OnePlus 13R are not in the same class. The 50-megapixel telephoto sensor delivers some very good portraits, but the 2x optical zoom it delivers is of limited use, and its digital zoom gets noisy beyond 4x-5x. The 8-megapixel ultrawide is best used for getting a different perspective, as details tend to get lost. Neither camera is a great low-light performer. The 16-megapixel selfie snapper is good enough for social media selfies and is pretty much similar to what we saw on the OnePlus 12R. In short, the OnePlus 13R is mainly a one-camera phone, but that one camera is superb. Stick to using it, and you won’t be disappointed. While the cameras lack Hasselblad’s special modes and filters, there is plenty of AI goodness here for photographers, including Detail Boost, AI Eraser (which works very well), reflection remover, and Unblur. The results are not as impressive as those of the OnePlus 13, but they are handy enough.

OnePlus 13R performance: A steady daily driver that’s a gamer’s delight

The OnePlus 13R rocks hardware that would have made it a proper premium flagship a few months ago. So it’s hardly surprising that it turns in a flagship-level performance. Its forte is undoubtedly where the combination of a brilliant display, good speakers, and a powerful processor make it sail through titles like Genshin Impact and Call of Duty without breaking a sweat. In fact, it seems to closely match the performance of the OnePlus 13 in this regard (although the OnePlus 13 has better speakers), which tells you just how good it is. It is perhaps the best device a high-end gamer on a tight budget can get.

The sailing is equally smooth when it comes to everyday tasks. The bright display is great for web browsing, social media doomscrolling (that high refresh rate helps), and mail and messaging, and in combination with the speakers, this is a very good device for viewing shows and videos. AI was initially a little sluggish, but a few updates have not only made it smooth but have also added features like Translate, with more expected soon. You also get features like Circle to Search, Magic Compose, and Intelligent Search. Mind you, the difference between the OnePlus 13 and 13R becomes really obvious when you are in AI-land – the OnePlus 13R does work very well, but the OnePlus 13 is much smoother.

All in all, the OnePlus 13R is a super trouper in terms of performance. It did have a few stutters when we got it, but these have been removed by updates, which have been coming regularly, with more expected (we are actually waiting for a minor update even as this is being written). There is nothing to complain about here – call quality is good, the fingerprint scanner works smoothly, and while we do not use the alert slider much, its presence is reassuring.

OnePlus 13R battery life and charging: Good battery life, comparatively slower charging

The OnePlus 13R comes with a 6000 mAh battery, which is larger than the 5500 mAh battery of the OnePlus 12R. And while its performance was initially a bit of a letdown, generally just seeing off a day of normal to heavy use, it has improved significantly after updates. At the time of writing, the OnePlus 13R can easily last a day and a half on a full charge. The phone supports 80W SuperVOOC charging and has an 80W charger in the box, which is a step down from the 100W of the OnePlus 12R.

The combination of a larger battery and a slower charging speed also means that the OnePlus 13R takes significantly longer to fully charge than the OnePlus 12R did – while the OnePlus 12R went from 0 to 100 percent in about half an hour, the OnePlus 13R takes about 50-55 minutes to do so. This is still more than reasonably quick, though, and by no means a deal-breaker – you can get up to 50 percent in about 20 minutes, which is more than enough for most people. There is also no wireless charging on the device, which might disappoint some.

OnePlus 13R Price: Slightly higher, but very competitive

Unlike the OnePlus 12R, which had three RAM and storage variants, the OnePlus 13R is available in two RAM and storage variants, and at these prices:

• 12 GB/ 256 GB: Rs 42,999
• 16 GB/ 512 GB: Rs 49,999

Like the OnePlus 13, the OnePlus 13R also comes with a slightly higher price tag than its predecessor. While the OnePlus 12R had a starting price of Rs 39,999 (8GB/ 128 GB), the OnePlus 13R starts at Rs 42,999, but with more RAM and storage. But even at that slightly higher price, it does not face much competition. Its nearest challenger is perhaps the Xiaomi 14 Civi, which is available at Rs 39,999 and comes with better (and Leica-flavoured) cameras but with a smaller display and battery and also runs on a less powerful processor (Snapdragon 8s Gen 3). Those willing to spend a little more might be tempted by the iQOO 12, which, at Rs 45,999, comes with better cameras and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor and has a similar display but a smaller battery. Those wanting a clean Android experience with good cameras can also consider the Pixel 8a, which is now available for Rs 37,999 but comes with a smaller battery and display.

OnePlus 13R Review Verdict: A terrific flagship killer

The OnePlus 13R is perhaps the best phone one can get at its price of Rs 42,999. It is not perfect. Its secondary cameras are not the greatest and some might have expected wireless charging and IP68/69 dust and water resistance at this price. But at that price, what the OnePlus 13R delivers is far more important than what it misses out on. You get very good gaming, great everyday performance, good battery life, and a good main camera, all in a sleek design, all at a price that the competition cannot match. Reminds you of OnePlus in its flagship killing days, doesn’t it?

Buy OnePlus 13R