OnePlus 13 5G Review: Flagship Killer with high-end features

March 13, 2025, 09:24 AM
by Farhana Afrose Rini

UNB News
Publish- March 13, 2025, 09:24 AM
Farhana Afrose Rini
Update- March 13, 2025, 09:41 AM

OnePlus 13 5G

Released on November 01, 2024, the OnePlus 13 (international version) aims to compete with top-tier Android smartphones. Let’s take a look into the key specs, pros, cons, and pricing of the OnePlus 13 5G in Bangladesh.

Key Features of the OnePlus 13 5G

Design and Build Quality

The OnePlus 13 offers a refined design, balancing aesthetics and durability. It comes with a glass front protected by Ceramic Guard, a glass or silicone polymer back, and an aluminum frame. The dimensions of 162.9 by 76.5 by 8.5 mm make it slightly more compact than the OnePlus 12, which had a thicker profile at 9.2 mm.

The weight of the OnePlus 13 varies between 210g and 213g, making it lighter than the ancestor OnePlus 12 (220g) and the ZTE nubia Z60 Ultra Leading (246g). Compared to the Huawei Mate 70, which is the lightest at 203g, the OnePlus 13 strikes a good balance between sturdiness and portability. Additionally, the device boasts an IP68/IP69 rating, an upgrade over the OnePlus 12's IP65, ensuring better water and dust resistance.

Display Quality

OnePlus has consistently delivered high-quality displays, and the OnePlus 13 is no exception. Featuring a 6.82-inch LTPO 4.1 AMOLED display with a resolution of 1440 by 3168 pixels, it offers a sharp and immersive viewing experience. The 120Hz adaptive refresh rate ensures smooth scrolling and responsiveness.

Like the OnePlus 12, the latest 13’s peak brightness of 4500 nits makes it one of the brightest displays available, surpassing the Huawei Mate 70’s 2500 nits. The ZTE nubia Z60 Ultra Leading falls behind with its peak brightness of only 1500 nits. The Always-on display and Ultra HDR image support add further enhancements to the visual experience.

Camera Performance

The OnePlus 13 features a triple 50MP camera setup, improving upon the OnePlus 12's 64MP periscope telephoto sensor by offering better image processing and more natural colors. The OnePlus 13’s primary 50MP sensor has a wide f/1.6 aperture, ensuring excellent low-light performance. It is paired with a 50MP (f/2.6) periscope telephoto lens offering 3x optical zoom and a 50MP (f/2.0) ultrawide sensor with a 120-degree field of view.

In comparison, the Huawei Mate 70 features a 50MP main sensor with a variable aperture but offers a stronger 5x optical zoom. Meanwhile, the ZTE nubia Z60 Ultra Leading has a 64MP periscope lens but a smaller main sensor at 50MP. The OnePlus 13’s Hasselblad Color Calibration ensures vibrant and true-to-life colors.

The OnePlus 13’s front-facing 32MP (f/2.4) camera ensures sharp and detailed selfies, similar to the OnePlus 12. It outsmarts the front sensors of the rivals like ZTE nubia Z60 Ultra Leading (12 MP) and Huawei Mate 70 (13MP).

The maximum video recording capabilities of OnePlus 13 is 8K at 30fps for rear sensors and 4K at 30/60fps for the selfie shooter, making it on par with its competitors. It outperforms Mate 70’s 4k utmost footage capturing feature. On the other hand, Z60 Ultra Leading falls behind in the competition with 1080 p video recording capacity by the selfie camera.

Processor Performance

Equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite 3nm chipset, the OnePlus 13 offers exceptional processing power. This is a significant improvement over the OnePlus 12, which used the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4nm) chipset. The octa-core CPU features two high-performance Oryon V2 Phoenix L cores clocked at 4.32 GHz, delivering superior multitasking and AI-driven performance enhancements.

The Adreno 830 GPU ensures excellent graphics processing, making the device ideal for demanding applications.

While the ZTE nubia Z60 Ultra Leading also uses the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, the OnePlus 13 surpasses it with better efficiency and AI integration. The Huawei Mate 70, powered by the Kirin 9020 chipset, lags behind in raw performance, though it has been optimized for Huawei’s HarmonyOS.

Gaming Performance

Gaming enthusiasts will appreciate the OnePlus 13’s robust performance. The combination of the Snapdragon 8 Elite and Adreno 830 GPU ensures high frame rates and smooth gameplay in graphically intensive titles. The 120Hz refresh rate display enhances the gaming experience, offering fluid animations and reduced input lag.

The cooling system in the OnePlus 13 is more efficient than that of the OnePlus 12, reducing thermal throttling. Compared to the ZTE nubia Z60 Ultra Leading, which also offers strong gaming capabilities, the OnePlus 13 excels in sustained performance and heat management. The Huawei Mate 70, while optimized for software efficiency, is not as powerful for gaming due to its less capable GPU.

Battery Life

One of the standout features of the OnePlus 13 is its massive 6000mAh battery, a significant upgrade from the OnePlus 12’s 5400mAh. The larger capacity allows for extended usage, with some users reporting up to two days of battery life on moderate use.

The 100W wired charging ensures a 50% charge in just 13 minutes and a full charge in 36 minutes, matching the OnePlus 12’s impressive fast-charging speeds. The 50W wireless charging feature remains a welcome addition, comparable to both the OnePlus 12 and the Huawei Mate 70. In contrast, the ZTE nubia Z60 Ultra Leading offers only 80W wired charging, making the OnePlus 13 the superior choice for fast charging and long-lasting battery life.

Thanks to the manufacturer for the 5W reverse wired and 10W reverse wireless charging option, which makes the OnePlus 13 a more user-friendly device.

Software and User Interface

Running on Android 15 with OxygenOS 15 (or ColorOS 15 in China), the OnePlus 13 provides a fluid and customizable user experience. OnePlus has committed to four major Android upgrades, ensuring long-term software support. The user interface remains clean and fast, with minimal bloatware.

Compared to the OnePlus 12, the new software includes improved AI-driven optimizations for performance and battery efficiency. The Huawei Mate 70 runs on HarmonyOS 4.3, which is known for its ecosystem integration but lacks Google services, making it less appealing to international users. The ZTE nubia Z60 Ultra Leading uses MyOS 14, which offers a unique interface but lacks the polish and software updates of OxygenOS.

Storage Options

The OnePlus 13 offers multiple storage configurations, starting from 256GB with 12GB of RAM and going up to an impressive 1TB with 24GB of RAM. This flexibility ensures users can choose a model that fits their needs. The OnePlus 12 had a similar range but did not include the 512GB with 12GB RAM variant available in the OnePlus 13.

The ZTE nubia Z60 Ultra Leading provides comparable storage options, with a maximum of 1TB and 24GB RAM. Meanwhile, the Huawei Mate 70 offers a more limited selection, maxing out at 1TB with 12GB RAM. Notably, none of these devices support expandable storage, making internal storage capacity an important consideration for buyers.

Pros and Cons of OnePlus 13 5G

Pros

- IP68/IP69 rating with an aluminum frame for durability.
- 6.82-inch LTPO AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate.
- Snapdragon 8 Elite processor with 12GB/16GB RAM options.
- 50MP triple rear camera and 32MP selfie camera.
- 6000mAh battery with 100W fast charging.
- 50W wireless and 10W reverse wireless charging support.
- Bright 4500 nits display for excellent outdoor visibility.
- Android 15 with OxygenOS 15 for a smooth user experience.
- Under-display fingerprint scanner for quick unlocking.
- 5G connectivity for fast internet speeds.
- NFC, OTG, and infrared port support.
- 8K video recording with gyro-EIS stabilization.
- Stereo speakers for enhanced audio quality.
- Available in up to 24GB RAM and 1TB storage variants.

Cons

- No 3.5mm audio jack for wired headphones.
- No FM radio support.
- No secondary card slot for expandable storage.
- Lacks Emergency SOS feature.

Price of the OnePlus 13 5G

The OnePlus 13 unofficial is available in two configurations. The base model, featuring 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, is priced at BDT 95,000. For those needing more power, the higher-end variant with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage costs BDT 1,08,000. However, the price may vary depending on the sellers.

Final Words

The OnePlus 13 5G excels in performance, display, and battery life, making it ideal for gamers and power users. However, the lack of a headphone jack and expandable storage may deter some. Buy it for speed and longevity; skip it if you need wired audio or extra storage options.