On Thursday, OnePlus launched the OnePlus 13 in China. As one of many first units powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, this flagship smartphone additionally boasts different notable upgrades, together with a bigger battery and refreshed design. Nonetheless, it comes with a better price ticket, hinting that prices could rise equally within the U.S. and different world markets.
The OnePlus 13 begins at CNY 4,499 (~$632) in China, a slight improve over the OnePlus 12 (assessment), which debuted at CNY 4,299 in December final yr. Whereas this distinction is modest, it means that world pricing may additionally rise, doubtlessly by a fair bigger margin.
For context, the OnePlus 12 prices $799Â within the U.S. for the 12/256 GB mannequin, whereas the 16/512 GB model retails for $899. With the value improve in China, the OnePlus 13 could command an extra $50 to $100 per configuration internationally.
This may nonetheless make the OnePlus 13 extra inexpensive than the Samsung Galaxy S24+ (assessment) and Google Pixel 9 (assessment), that are priced at $999, although it might place the brand new OnePlus handset simply above the usual Galaxy S24 at $799.
Is the OnePlus 13 Value Hike Justified?
The value improve could also be justified by a number of efficiency and sturdiness upgrades. The OnePlus 13 is supplied with the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, that includes an octa-core Oryon processor and Adreno 830 GPU. This 3 nm chip consists of a sophisticated Hexagon NPU for AI duties and boosts CPU efficiency by as much as 45% and GPU efficiency by 40% over the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC.
The OnePlus 13 additionally introduces a brand new quad-curved design, decreasing the prominence of the curved sides whereas nonetheless sustaining a slight curvature on the glass, leading to a flatter profile. The system contains a 6.8-inch LTPO AMOLED show from BOE, providing a 120 Hz refresh price and a typical brightness of 800 nits, with peak brightness remaining at 4,500 nits. Furthermore, that is built-in with a sooner ultrasonic fingerprint sensor.
The show is protected by Crystal Protect super-ceramic glass, changing the Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the entrance and Gorilla Glass on the again. There’s additionally an choice for an eco-leather again panel. Regardless of its slimmer, lighter construct, the OnePlus 13 is now rated IP69 for mud and water resistance, an improve from the IP65 ranking of earlier fashions.
Regardless of the diminished thickness, the flagship packs a bigger 6,000 mAh silicon-carbon battery, much like the Xiaomi 15 Professional, together with a brand new, extra highly effective vibration motor. Charging capabilities stay at 100 watts wired and 50 watts wi-fi.
The OnePlus 13 retains its main 50 MP digital camera with OIS however introduces a brand new 50 MP 3x telephoto lens and a 50 MP ultra-wide lens. The 32 MP entrance digital camera and 8K video recording at 60 fps through the rear module stay unchanged.
OnePlus 13 International Launch Date
In China, the OnePlus 13 comes with Android 15, custom-made with ColorOS 15. For the worldwide variant, it’s anticipated to launch with OxygenOS 15—that we not too long ago examined. New generative AI options, together with real-time translation and an AI Tremendous Pixel digital camera mode, are additionally debuting with this mannequin.
Gross sales have already begun in China, however OnePlus has not but introduced a global launch date. Nonetheless, the corporate could velocity up its world rollout now.
Are these {hardware} upgrades on the OnePlus 13 sufficient to justify the value hike? We’d love to listen to your ideas.