OnePlus 13R Review: Features, Price, and Performance

OnePlus 13R:

Network and Connectivity

• Technology: GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE / 5G
• SIM: Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time)
• Waterproof & Dustproof: IP65
• Wi-Fi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7, dual-band (6e is market specific)
• Bluetooth: 5.4, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, LHDC 5
• Positioning: GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (G1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5)
• NFC: Yes
• Infrared Port: Yes
• Radio: No
• USB: USB Type-C 2.0

Launch

• Announced: January 7, 2025
• Status: Released on January 14, 2025

Body

• Dimensions: 161.7 x 75.8 x 8 mm (6.37 x 2.98 x 0.31 in)
• Weight: 206 g (7.27 oz)
• Build: Glass front (Gorilla Glass 7i), aluminum frame, glass back
• SIM: Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM
• Waterproof & Dustproof: IP65

Display

• Type: LTPO 4.1 AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, HDR Vivid
• Size: 6.78 inches (~91.2% screen-to-body ratio)
• Resolution: 1264 x 2780 pixels (~450 ppi density)
• Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass 7i
• Peak Brightness: 4500 nits
• Ultra HDR Image Support: Yes

Platform

• OS: Android 15, OxygenOS 15, up to 4 major Android upgrades
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM8650-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4 nm)
• CPU: Octa-core (1x3.3 GHz Cortex-X4, 3x3.2 GHz Cortex-A720, 2x3.0 GHz Cortex-A720, 2x2.3 GHz Cortex-A520)
• GPU: Adreno 750

Memory

• Internal Storage: 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM
• Card Slot: No
• Storage Type: UFS 4.0

Camera

• Main Camera: Triple

  • 50 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS
  • 50 MP, f/2.0, 47mm (telephoto), 1/2.75", 0.64µm, PDAF, 2x optical zoom
  • 8 MP, f/2.2, 16mm, 112˚ (ultrawide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm
  • Features: Color spectrum sensor, LED flash, HDR, panorama
  • Video: 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, gyro-EIS, OIS

• Selfie Camera:

  • 16 MP, f/2.4, 26mm (wide), 1/3.1", 1.0µm
  • Features: HDR, panorama
  • Video: 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS

Sound

• Loudspeakers: Yes, with stereo speakers
• 3.5mm Jack: No

Battery

• Type: Si/C 6000 mAh
• Charging:
  • 80W wired
  • 50% in 20 minutes
  • 100% in 52/54 minutes

Miscellaneous

• Colors: Astral Trail, Nebula Noir
• Models: CPH2645, CPH2691, CPH2647
• SAR: 1.19 W/kg (head), 0.90 W/kg (body)
• Price: ₹42,998 / $726.11

Performance (Benchmark Scores)

• AnTuTu: 2,109,299 (v10)
• GeekBench: 6,803 (v6)
• 3DMark (Wild Life Extreme): 4,979

Display Test

• Max Brightness: 1223 nits (measured)

Loudspeaker Test

• Volume: -23.4 LUFS (Very good)

Battery (New)

• Active Use Score: 15 hours 9 minutes

The OnePlus 13R is one of the latest models in OnePlus' ever-expanding smartphone portfolio, combining flagship features with an affordable price point. Launching in the second half of 2023, the OnePlus 13R is aimed at users looking for a premium experience at a slightly lower price point than higher-end models like the OnePlus 13 and OnePlus 13 Pro. With this balance, OnePlus aims to offer high performance, cutting-edge features, and elegant design to a wider range of consumers.

Design and Construction :

The OnePlus 13R features a modern and elegant design typical of new phones from the brand. The device features a 6.74-inch AMOLED display with slightly curved edges, lending a premium feel to the phone's overall aesthetic. The bezels around the display have been minimized, allowing for a more immersive viewing experience. The screen has a 120Hz refresh rate, ensuring smooth scrolling and animations, making it ideal for gaming, media viewing, and general use.

The back of the phone is made from matte frosted glass, which not only looks high-quality but also repels fingerprints and smudges. A subtle OnePlus logo in the center of the back gives it a sleek and clean look. The device also features an aluminum frame that adds durability and gives it a solid feel in the hand without being too heavy. Weighing in at around 200 grams and just 8.5 millimeters thick, the OnePlus 13R strikes a balance between slim and sturdy, providing a comfortable grip for most users.

The phone is also IP68 water- and dust-resistant, an important feature at this price point. This allows the device to withstand dust and splashes, making it more durable for everyday use.

Screen :

The OnePlus 13R's 6.74-inch AMOLED display is one of the standout features of the device. With an FHD+ resolution (2772 x 1240), the screen offers vibrant colors, deep blacks, and high contrast levels, making it perfect for watching videos, playing games, and browsing content. The 120Hz refresh rate ensures smooth scrolling, while the 480Hz touch sampling rate improves responsiveness, especially in fast-paced tasks like gaming.

OnePlus also supports HDR10+, allowing users to enjoy HDR content on compatible apps like Netflix and YouTube with enhanced brightness and color. Overall, the display is one of the best in its class, providing an impressive and premium visual experience.

Performance :

Under the hood of the OnePlus 13R is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset, a high-performance processor that can handle demanding applications, multitasking, and gaming with ease. The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 is known for its efficiency and performance, making it the perfect choice for users who want the best performance without upgrading to a more expensive flagship model. The device comes standard with 12GB of RAM, ensuring seamless multitasking and smooth switching between apps. Whether you're playing games, editing photos, or browsing multiple apps simultaneously, the OnePlus 13R can handle it all without any noticeable slowdowns or lags. In addition to this, it also comes with 256GB of internal storage, which provides enough space to store apps, media, and documents. However, there is no microSD card slot for expandable storage, which may be a limitation for some users.

In terms of everyday performance, the OnePlus 13R stands out. Apps load instantly and perform tasks without any lag. Games run smoothly on the device with minimal stuttering or frame drops even when running demanding titles like PUBG Mobile, Call of Duty, and Genshin Impact at high settings, making it a great choice for users looking for a device that is great for both productivity and entertainment.

Camera System :

The OnePlus 13R has a triple camera setup on the back, featuring a 50MP main sensor with optical image stabilization (OIS), an 8MP ultra-wide sensor, and a 2MP macro sensor. The 50MP main camera takes clear, detailed photos in a variety of lighting conditions, capturing rich colors and balanced exposure. The OIS feature helps in low light by reducing blur and maintaining image clarity.

The 8MP ultra-wide lens lets you capture expansive shots that are perfect for landscapes, group photos, and wide-angle scenes. Wide-angle capture quality is consistent and crisp from edge to edge, but colors don't always perfectly match those of the main lens. The 2MP macro sensor has limited use, but it can take close-up shots with a fair amount of detail, though not as high quality as macro cameras on other devices.

The OnePlus 13R has a 16MP selfie camera on the front. The front camera takes detailed, natural-looking selfies. It offers accurate skin tones and vibrant colors, making it perfect for video calls and capturing moments with friends. The front camera can also record 1080p video at 30 frames per second, making it a good choice for most casual video content creation.

Software and Features :

The OnePlus 13R runs on OxygenOS, OnePlus' custom skin based on Android 13. OxygenOS has long been praised for its clean, close-to-the-original Android experience with additional customization options and optimizations. The interface is intuitive and comes with handy features like dark mode, app cloning, and Zen mode to help users disconnect from the internet.

OxygenOS delivers an overall smooth and fulfilling experience with a focus on speed and ease of use. The software is designed to improve performance while maintaining the phone's ease of use and allowing it to be customized to your personal preferences. OnePlus also promises two years of major software updates and three years of security patches, which is a solid promise in the industry. This will ensure that the OnePlus 13R remains relevant and secure over time, keeping the phone up to date with the latest features and security improvements.

Battery and Charging :

The OnePlus 13R has a 5,000mAh battery, which is enough for a full day of use. With moderate usage, such as web browsing, social media, video streaming, and gaming, the phone will last for 10-12 hours of screen time. Heavy use and gaming may require charging the device at the end of the day. The phone supports 80W SuperVOOC fast charging, which is extremely fast, allowing users to charge the device from 0% to 50% in about 15 minutes and fully in about 30 minutes. This is a big advantage for users who need a quick charge before heading out, making the OnePlus 13R a solid choice for those who are always on the go.

Conclusion :

The OnePlus 13R is an attractive choice in the premium mid-range segment, offering flagship-level performance at a more affordable price, great display quality, and solid camera performance. Powered by the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, it offers smooth multitasking and gaming performance, and the 120Hz AMOLED display makes for an immersive experience in media and games. With fast charging, a powerful camera system, and OxygenOS, the OnePlus 13R offers an overall better user experience.