The OnePlus 12 is the first OnePlus phone I tried and I instantly fell in love, as noted in my review of that device. While I’m admittedly an Apple ecosystem user, I use Android and Google devices as well for testing and review purposes. The OnePlus 12 quickly became my favourite phone in that camp. But the OnePlus 13, which is now officially available in Canada, blows it out of the water, sort of literally.
What to Know About the OnePlus 13
The OnePlus 13 affords plenty of upgrades over the OnePlus 12. The one feature that has everyone talking since it launched in China late last year is the inclusion of both an IP68 and an IP69 rating. During the OnePlus Offshore event in Miami and on a cruise to The Bahamas back in early December, we learned that not only does this mean the phone can withstand submersion in water but also close-range, high-pressure sprays of water, high temperature water jets, and steam cleaning. More specifically, it can withstand 80°C water jets projected from 0°, 30°, 60°, and 90° for 30 seconds at a time.
The folks at OnePlus shocked everyone when they showed the phone being tossed in the washer and dryer with a load of laundry, placed in the top rack of the dishwasher, even being moved around in bubbling oil in a frying pan on the stove (ok, that one was a little dramatic). Bottom line: this phone is rugged and truly “waterproof.” So, you can take it with you surfing, boating, even hold it during a water gun fight without worry about damage. It’s also ideal for those who work in industrial settings or out in the field.
There’s more to know about the OnePlus 13. It has a 6.82-inch OLED screen that sports an impressive 4,500 nits brightness. Powered by a Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, it comes with up to 24GB RAM and is loaded with the ColorOS 15, which is based on Android 15. Storage is up to 1TB. The battery is 6,000mAh and supports super-fast 100W wired charging and 50W fast wireless charging, with compatible chargers.
A big part of the OnePlus 13 experience is the cameras, which is in large part why members of the media from around the world gathered on the aforementioned cruise to explore various content capture opportunities. What better place to capture compelling photos than in Miami, on a cruise ship, and in The Bahamas? Each day, we were taught about all the cool camera features (and other features of the phone that set it apart) then were encouraged to go out and capture content leveraging them. The cameras include a 50MP main, 50MP ultra-wide with 3x optical zoom, and 32MP front.
The flagship phone comes in Midnight Ocean, Black Eclipse, and Arctic Dawn. The Midnight Ocean option is the first phone to include microfibre vegan leather, making it both elegant as well as scratch and scuff resistant. It will sell in Canada starting at $1,250 for the version with 256GB storage and 12GB RAM. Also available in Canada is the more affordable step-down OnePlus 13R, which you can get for starting at $850. It does not have an IP69 rating (rather, IP65) but has plenty of premium features for those who don’t need the flagship device.
The OnePlus 13 will receive four years of software updates and six years of security updates.
OnePlus 13 Review
I was given a OnePlus 13 with 512GB storage and 16GM RAM (expandable by another 12GB using the RAM expansion option which uses storage space as RAM when needed). Along with using it on the cruise, I continued to test it in the weeks since being back home. To make things simple, my first impressions review is broken down by section, with a particular focus on the cameras with lots of photographic examples to give you an idea of what this phone can do.
Usability
The OnePlus 13 runs like a dream. It’s snappy, responsive, and has a bright and bold screen that makes everything from everyday web surfing and checking messages to gaming and using apps an engaging experience, both indoors and out. This is thanks to the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor and ample RAM, along with OxygenOS 15.
OxygenOS and parallel processing allows for rendering multiple animations quickly, which makes switching among apps seamless. This might not be something you notice right away. But if you tend to multitask often and rapidly go back and forth between apps, you’ll appreciate how responsive the phone is: there’s literally no lag. As I went about my day switching from Gmail to Chrome, photos, to other apps, the process indeed ran smoothly with not a moment of pause between any action. Owners will appreciate that better ROM optimization also means you’ll get up to 20% more storage space from devices with the same total storage as others.
Thanks to the processor, you get a gaming performance boost with efficient cooling. While I’m not a gamer, I enlisted the help of my 13-year-old son who played a variety of games on the phone, including Fortnite, Geometry Dash, and Injustice 2 to test its abilities to keep up with the intense action. His verdict? It’s a pretty awesome device that makes gaming enjoyable. There was no lag or motion blur and he felt the experience matched or exceeded his usual devices, with far greater character and background details. (Admittedly, he did find the size of the phone a bit unwieldly for his smaller hands, however.)
A defining feature of OnePlus devices is the ultra-fast charging, both wired and wireless, and this phone is no different. It comes with a generous 6,000mAh battery so the phone runs all day and then some. With 80W wired fast charging and 50W wireless charging using a compatible OnePlus AIRVOOC charger, you will rarely find this phone in the red. I tried the new OnePlus AIRVOOC 50W magnetic wireless charger, which itself needs to be plugged into a wall (USB-C cable not included) worked wonderfully, though the phone doesn’t sit nicely flat on it. The side fan to keep the phone cool while charging so quickly is a nice touch and something I have never seen in a wireless charger yet (likely since most others charge much more slowly, tapping out at about 15W).
All the AI features work just as well as you’d expect and have experienced with other compatible phones, this one leveraging Google AI and Gemini. If you have used these features on other phones and devices, you’re already familiar with them. OnePlus, however, adds its own in-house AI capabilities to the mix to further enhance these features. I haven’t played around with it long enough to notice how this impacts the experience versus phones with Gemini alone. But if you plan to use AI features like Circle to Search, natural language search, help with composing content, and more, you’ll find them all with this phone.
Another simple yet appreciated feature is the ultrasonic fingerprint scanner, which makes unlocking the phone a cinch. It doesn’t sound like a big deal, but it’s even faster than Face ID, which can make the difference for someone who’s constantly on their phone, or needs to unlock quickly to capture a fleeting photographic moment.
Unique Features
There are a handful of unique features available in the OnePlus 13 that I wanted to try out.
One is the Aqua Touch 2.0 screen that works even if your fingers or the screen itself is wet. I can’t begin to explain how crucial this is for Canadians trying to operate phones in the winter with snowflakes falling from the sky.
OnePlus further ups the ante here with Glove Mode that allows you to use the phone even when wearing wool or sheepskin gloves that are up to 0.5cm thick. I tried this with a few pairs of thin gloves and it works relatively well, though you need to understandably press a bit harder. Note, however, that I tried this on my iPhone 15 Pro with the same pairs of gloves and it works with that phone, too. You may find slightly thicker gloves work, but I didn’t have a wide selection to test with. Given this, it’s likely good enough to check a message or open a window or two but you aren’t going to be composing paragraph-long messages without removing the glove.
Another feature is called BeaconLink, a built-in Walkie-Talkie function that works over Bluetooth. Once you register for a OnePlus account, you’ll get a unique ID you can use to chat with others who have the same phone while you’re out and about on a campsite, for example, or navigating a busy amusement park.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get the chance to try this feature while with others, so I’ll have to wait to try it in future. However, it supposedly has a range of up to 200 metres. There will also soon be a Chat feature so you can send messages and photos via Bluetooth as well. It’s perfect for those who hike or sail in areas with limited network coverage.
Another feature that’s available but I didn’t yet get to try is live translation to compatible earbuds, including the OnePlus Buds Pro 3.
Along with the aforementioned new 50W AIRVOOC Magnetic Charger, there’s also a 5,000mAh power bank for on-the-go charging and magnetic cases for the phone.
Want to have some fun? Open the Calculator app and type “1+=” and see what comes up. It’s a cute little Easter Egg OnePlus has brought back to its phones.
Cameras
With a 5th-gen Hasselblad camera for mobile, the OnePlus 13 really stands out as having one of the best camera sets you’ll find in a premium smartphone today. During the OnePlus Offshore event, I had the opportunity to put the phone through its paces and test the limits of the camera and all its features. Here, you’ll find a selection of images taken with the OnePlus 13 with details about the settings or features I used to ensure they looked as good as possible, both before taking them and in post-capture editing. Note that this only includes a small selection of the many photo features you’ll find in the OnePlus 13.
Final Take
The OnePlus 12 convinced me that the brand is a real contender in smartphones, and the OnePlus 13 has solidified that. It’s the phone I would choose if I were to convert from the Apple ecosystem, and the one I often choose to use for taking photos. I love how fun sparkles appear as the phone’s AI editor works to improve photos, like it’s conducting its own internal magic. It’s great that you can use these features with images you have already taken as well, both with this phone and others.
Beyond its photography prowess, the OnePlus 13 is an ultra-rugged, vibrant device with incredible battery life, impressive processing power, and enhanced performance. Rival like the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra model are more expensive: with half the storage, that model is $1,800. Phones like the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, a fabulous device as well, are about the same price. At $1,400 for the version of the OnePlus 13 with 16GM RAM and 512GB storage, it’s worth every penny if you’re looking to upgrade. It’s a phone you really can take just about anywhere.
Additional Pics
Here are some fun, additional photos snapped with the phone. None of these photos have been edited with any of the AI or other features.
