OnePlus 13 to launch on January 7: Here’s what you can expect

OnePlus has announced the launch date for its new flagship smartphone. The new OnePlus 13 will be launched globally on January 7. The tech giant will also launch the OnePlus 13R and OnePlus Buds 3 Pro alongside the flagship smartphone. OnePlus has had some duds over the years, but with the launch of 2024’s OnePlus 12, the company returned to being a favourite among enthusiasts. So, let’s take a look at what OnePlus 13 has in store for you,

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OnePlus 13: Design, Display, Chipset, and more

The global variant of the OnePlus 13 will mimic its China sibling in many facets, but will also carry some distinguishing features. After sticking with curved screen displays for their flagship smartphones, OnePlus is expected to introduce a flat-screen panel on the upcoming device. The 6.82-inch LTPO AMOLED display will have a 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 4,500 nits.

The glass back and aluminium frame of the smartphone are also set to receive some design tweaks. The new OnePlus smartphone will lose the metal panel around its camera cutout. The camera panel will now be a free-standing circular unit along the top right side of the glass back. Additionally, the edges of the smartphone will be completely back. OnePlus will also introduce a vegan leather, ‘Midnight Ocean’ colour variant for the smartphone as well. The device will have IP68 and IP69 ratings.

Under the hood, the OnePlus 13 will rock the newest Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC. This chipset is built on a 3nm process and towers over its predecessor in terms of performance. We’ve already tested this chipset on the iQOO 13, so make sure you read our review to get a detailed look at its performance. The OnePlus 13 will run Android 15-based OxygenOS 15 out of the box. The software will be refreshed with new AI features.

Let’s talk about OnePlus 13’s camera specs. The China-spec version of the smartphone has a 50MP triple rear-camera setup tuned by Hasselblad. This year’s OnePlus 12 rocked a 50MP primary shooter, a 64MP periscope telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom, and a 48MP ultrawide lens. The primary shooter is set to remain the same on the smartphone’s successor. Up front, OnePlus will stick with the 32MP selfie shooter.

Expect significant upgrades on the battery front as well, although those who have been holding their breath for Qi2 wireless charging will have to wait a little longer. The OnePlus 13 will pack a 6,000mAh battery with support for 100W wired, 80W (QC) wireless charging in the USA, and 50W wireless charging globally.

This year’s OnePlus 12 was launched in India at a starting price of Rs 64,999 for the 12GB RAM + 256GB Storage variant, going up to Rs 69,999 for the 16GB RAM + 512GB Storage model. The OnePlus 13 was launched at CNY 4,499 for the 12GB + 256GB base model, which is approximately Rs 53,000. We don’t expect the new OnePlus model to demand a premium over its predecessor.

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Final Thoughts

If an asking price of ~Rs 65,000 is too much for you to splurge on a smartphone, you might want to keep an eye on the OnePlus launch event for the 13R smartphone. Typically, launched alongside the flagship device, the R series carries all the flagship specs from the previous year at a much more affordable price.