OnePlus 13R Review: A Deep Dive After Two Weeks
The OnePlus 13R has hit the market as a contender in the premium mid-range smartphone segment. Priced around ₹40,000, it aims to deliver a flagship-like experience without breaking the bank. Having spent two weeks with this device, it’s clear that OnePlus has made significant strides in some areas while missing the mark in others. This review provides an in-depth analysis of the OnePlus 13R, touching on its design, performance, display, camera, and overall value proposition.

Design: A Step Backward?
One of the most noticeable changes in the OnePlus 13R compared to its predecessor, the OnePlus 12R, is its design. OnePlus opted for flat side frames this time, which many users, including myself, found uncomfortable. The previous 12R’s curved design felt more premium and ergonomic. Transitioning to the OnePlus 13’s design immediately underscores this difference—the flagship feels significantly better in hand.
Another letdown is the IP64 rating, a downgrade considering the competition. In 2025, even phones priced at ₹20,000, such as the Motorola Edge 40 Neo, boast an IP68 rating. This lack of robust water and dust resistance makes the OnePlus 13R feel less future-proof.
Additionally, the positioning of the fingerprint scanner has been shifted lower. While the OnePlus 12R had a perfect mid-frame placement, the 13R’s awkward location is harder to reach, adding unnecessary inconvenience.
Display: A Flagship-Level Experience
Despite design setbacks, the OnePlus 13R shines in its display department. The phone features a flagship-grade LTPO 4.0 AMOLED display with:
- Brightness: Exceptional peak brightness, ensuring excellent outdoor visibility.
- Color Depth: 10-bit color depth for vivid and accurate colors.
- HDR Support: Dolby Vision and HDR10+ for enhanced content consumption.
- Touch Response: Superior touch sensitivity, ideal for gamers and heavy users.
The LTPO technology enables seamless transitions between refresh rates, optimizing both performance and battery efficiency. OnePlus has also addressed past concerns about green line issues by offering a lifetime screen warranty. Additionally, buyers can register for a six-month free replacement program for hardware defects, which demonstrates the brand’s commitment to quality.
Performance and Software: Smooth Sailing
Under the hood, the OnePlus 13R is powered by last year’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset. While it’s not the latest, it’s more than capable of handling demanding tasks and remains competitive in 2025. The base variant offers 12GB of RAM and 256GB of UFS 4.0 storage, ensuring fast app installations and smooth multitasking.
Gaming Performance
Gaming enthusiasts will appreciate the phone’s ability to:
- Run PUBG at 120 FPS with zero lags.
- Handle GPU-intensive games like Genshin Impact at 60 FPS with excellent stability.
However, the flagship OnePlus 13 holds a slight edge in cooling efficiency and rendering speeds during heavy gameplay sessions. For pro gamers, this might be noticeable, but casual users won’t find it a deal-breaker.
Software Experience
The OnePlus 13R ships with OxygenOS, which continues to deliver a clean and fluid user experience. The promise of Android updates up to version 19 ensures long-term software support. While there are some pre-installed apps, they’re easy to disable.
Battery Life: Built to Last
Battery endurance is a standout feature of the OnePlus 13R. Equipped with a 6,000mAh silicon-carbon battery, the phone easily delivers 8-9 hours of screen-on time in typical use cases, including:
- Gaming: Approximately an hour daily.
- Streaming: Watching two episodes of Shark Tank on Sony Liv.
- Photography: Snapping dozens of pictures.
Charging is facilitated by an 80W adapter included in the box, a rare offering these days. While it’s a downgrade from the 100W charger provided with the 12R, the inclusion of a charger at all is a welcome gesture.
Camera: A Missed Opportunity
The OnePlus 13R’s camera setup includes:
- Main Sensor: Sony IMX700.
- Ultra-Wide Sensor: 8MP Sony IMX355.
- Telephoto Lens: 2x optical zoom.
Main Camera
The primary sensor delivers inconsistent results. While some shots exhibit excellent detail and sharpness, issues with exposure and dynamic range persist. Without Hasselblad optimization or a larger sensor, the results are more in line with budget phones priced around ₹30,000.
Ultra-Wide Lens
This lens is a major letdown, producing soft images with limited dynamic range. The inability to record 4K video exacerbates the problem, making it feel outdated.
Telephoto Lens
While the 2x zoom is useful for portraits, a 3x zoom lens, like the one on Realme’s mid-range models, would have been more versatile and compelling.
Selfie Camera
The front-facing camera performs well for stills but is limited to 1080p video recording. While the results are decent, 4K support would have been preferable.
Audio and Haptics: Room for Improvement
- Speakers: The stereo setup is loud with decent bass, but treble quality is lacking compared to the OnePlus 13.
- Haptics: The x-axis vibration motor provides average feedback, falling short of the refined experience offered by the flagship.
What Could Have Been Better?
Reflecting on the OnePlus 13R’s strengths and weaknesses, here’s an ideal wishlist for a perfect premium mid-range phone:
- Improved Haptics: A flagship-grade vibration motor for refined feedback.
- Better Camera Hardware: Inclusion of Hasselblad optimization or a larger primary sensor.
- Enhanced Ultra-Wide Lens: A 50MP ultra-wide lens with 4K recording and autofocus.
- 3x Zoom Lens: A more versatile telephoto lens for portraits and distant subjects.
Conclusion: Is the OnePlus 13R Worth It?
The OnePlus 13R excels in key areas such as display, performance, and battery life, making it a strong contender in its price range. However, design missteps and camera limitations prevent it from achieving perfection. While it’s a solid choice for gamers and general users, photography enthusiasts and those seeking premium ergonomics might want to explore alternatives.
In a parallel universe where I’m the head of OnePlus’s product team, the OnePlus 13R could have been the ultimate mid-range smartphone of 2025. Until then, it remains a phone that’s great but not groundbreaking.