Out of the blue, the OnePlus 15T has launched in China, and I’m excited for all the right reasons. It takes nearly everything great about the OnePlus 15 and packs it into a much more compact body.

To me, this feels more like a mini version of the OnePlus 15. It’s sporting the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, a massive 7,300 mAh silicon-carbon battery, and 100W wired charging. While I’ve loved using the OnePlus 15 as my daily driver over the last few months, the OnePlus 15T is a more practical device for me — but it's launching at a much higher price point than its predecessors.

It’s currently retailing for about $624 in China, a steep jump from the OnePlus 13T’s launch price of roughly $465. While this hike is likely due to the ongoing RAM crisis, it doesn’t change the fact that this is the compact powerhouse I’ve been craving. Here’s why.

OnePlus 15T: Specifications

Smaller size, incredible power

First off, it’s rocking a much more hand-friendly 6.32-inch AMOLED (2640 x 1216) display — with the same 165Hz refresh rate found on the standard OnePlus 15. This screen size pits it squarely against the Galaxy S26, making it a compact flagship that’s way easier to handle in one hand.

If that’s not enough, it’s also powered by the same Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip with up to 16GB of RAM. Since this is the exact combo powering the current OnePlus 15, I’m confident that the 15T will be a beast for gaming or anything else you throw at it.

More importantly, it steals the feature I love most about the larger OnePlus 15: that massive 7,300 mAh silicon-carbon battery. That propelled the OnePlus 15 to levels unseen before in Tom’s Guide’s battery drain test, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the 15T actually surpasses it, given the smaller screen.

Dual camera setup with telephoto abilities

Naturally, I pay close attention to camera performance, and the OnePlus 15T features a capable dual-camera system. It houses a 50MP main sensor paired with a 50MP telephoto lens capable of 3.5x optical zoom.

These specs are nearly identical to those on the standard OnePlus 15, save for the omission of an ultrawide lens. If these sensors are indeed the same as those in the OnePlus 15, you can expect outstanding shots worthy of the best camera phones on the market. On the video front, I’m impressed that it retains 8K recording and slow-motion capabilities of up to 240 fps.

While it would’ve been nice to have that third ultrawide sensor, this main-and-telephoto combo should suffice for most users. Around the front, you’ll find a 16MP selfie shooter, which is a slight step down from the 32MP sensor found in the OnePlus 15.

Likely to have limited release

Currently, the company sells the OnePlus 15 and OnePlus 15R at $899 and $699, respectively. The OnePlus 15T slots in at around $624, which remains an attractive price for anyone yearning for a compact phone that doesn't sacrifice power.

However, don’t hold your breath for a stateside release. While it is currently launching in China, I don’t anticipate a wider rollout for this phone — which is a genuine shame. OnePlus hasn’t confirmed whether it will be sold in India, though the chances are high given that the OnePlus 13T launched there previously.

Regardless, I really hope OnePlus reconsiders with future models because a compact flagship like this would be a much-needed addition to the lineup.

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It feels like just about everything is getting more expensive at the moment, and that's probably because most things are — especially phones and other gadgets. Sadly, it seems like another phone brand could fall victim to the ever-increasing cost of entry, with a leaker claiming the OnePlus 16 could be getting a price hike.

This comes from Digital Chat Station (DCS) over on Weibo, with what they openly admit is a "bold prediction." According to the leaker, the next flagship phones from OnePlus, iQOO and Redmi will all start at 5,000 CNY when they arrive later this year.

That price works out to about $725 if you convert directly. This doesn't seem too bad at first glance, but you have to bear in mind that Chinese phones typically cost more in international markets. For reference, the OnePlus 15 starts at 4,000 CNY in China, so an increase to 5,000 CNY means a 20% price hike.

Since the OnePlus 15 starts at $899 / £899, applying the same price increase could mean the phone might cost somewhere in the region of $1,078. While I suspect OnePlus would pick a slightly more sensible and rounded price tag than this, such as $999 or $1,099, a price hike is still a price hike. None of us wants this, but we shouldn't be all that surprised either.

A sign of things to come

The cost of phone production has been on the rise for the past few years already, and the AI-induced RAM shortages are only making that worse. Samsung has already revealed that Apple has agreed to a 100% price increase on its future RAM purchases, and few companies have the same buying and pricing power that Apple does.

RAM prices are going to have a much bigger impact on other tech companies, to the point where some analysts believe RAMageddon could kill the budget Android phone market. The problem won't be going away until next year at the earliest, and I wouldn't be surprised if problems continued through 2027 and beyond.

Which means the majority of phones will be getting these troublesome price hikes in the coming years. We probably shouldn't expect prices to come down if RAMagesdon ever ends either, because when has that ever happened?

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After testing more than a dozen phones last yer, the OnePlus 15 ended up being my favorite — beating out thin phones like the iPhone Air and impressive foldables like the Galaxy Z Fold 7 in the process. While the new OnePlus flagship has set records in many areas, like how it has the best phone battery life of any device out there, I’m actually more impressed by all the other software features that accompany this phone.

I’m specifically referring to all of the stuff OnePlus has incorporated into its OxygenOS 16 experience, which runs on top of Android 16. As much as I continue to be astounded by how the new software reimagines multitasking on a slate device, there are way more hidden features and tools on the OnePlus 15 that continue to prove to me that it’s one of the best phones out there.

These tools are so seamlessly integrated and practical that they shouldn't just be tied down to this flagship — other Android phones need to copy them.

Share with iPhone or PC

Nothing annoys me more to this day than the hassle of transferring files from one phone to another. While it’s made somewhat easier when it’s an Android-to-Android transfer, the process is entirely different with Android-to-iPhone. Yet, the OnePlus 15 fixes this with its baked-in share with iPhone feature.

Through the quick settings menu, you can enable this feature to transfer files between the OnePlus 15 and iPhone. Now in order to do this, you’ll need to install the O+ Connect app on your iPhone. Once that's running, you just select the files you want to transfer — and it’s all done wirelessly.

Bypass Charging

If you play as many games on your phone as I do, then you know how your phone gets toasty when you’re playing and charging it at the same time. OnePlus addresses this exact issue with a feature it calls Bypass Charging, which is an option accessible under the OP Gaming Core menu.

When enabled, it stops charging the battery when it’s plugged into a power adapter — choosing instead to divert the power supply to the active game. This ensures that the game I’m playing is running at its most optimal performance, resulting in a more stable gameplay experience.

Dual Wi-Fi acceleration

Now this one’s a feature I want to see all phones offer because slow data speeds are annoying no matter what device you're using. At my home, I easily have between 30 to 50 devices connected simultaneously to my router, causing inconsistent speeds on my laptop and phones.

Under the Wi-Fi Assistant settings, I can have my OnePlus 15 tap into two Wi-Fi networks at the same time. To be fair though, not all apps support this feature, but the ones I frequently use the most on any given day — YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram — all take advantage of it. As a result, there’s less buffering whenever I’m watching videos with these apps.

Pixelate photo editing tool

I get annoyed whenever I've captured a screen shot and need to mask out something in it, like my email address or other personal information. With the OnePlus 15’s native photo editing app, there’s an option called Pixelate that makes it a breeze to mask out details I want to keep hidden. I can just select the tool and wipe away the areas I don’t want shown.

Not only are there different styles to choose from, but I especially like how the Auto function automatically scans the photo or image to see what personal information it can block out. It’s smart enough to detect names, email addresses, phone numbers, and more. And in the event the feature pixelates something it shouldn’t, a quick tap reveals it.

Tripod Mode

Even though the OnePlus 15’s camera performance is a struggle under low light conditions when compared to other best camera phones I’ve tested, there’s one setting you need to know about to improve the quality of those images. It’s called Tripod Mode and it’s only accessible under Night Mode. To use it, just tap on the tripod-looking icon in the Camera app.

Once enabled, Tripod Mode allows the OnePlus 15 to capture photos in low light condition at longer exposures. Instead of the usual 3-second exposures the camera phone normally takes, the exposure lasts 10 seconds to draw up as much light as possible from the scene — but it requires the phone to remain still, as if it’s on a tripod. The results come out a bit brighter, with noticeably sharper results than trying to capture them handheld. This is excellent for astrophotography if you don’t want to deal with customizing settings in Master mode.

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If you’ve ruled out something Apple-branded, Samsung and OnePlus make some of the best Android phones you can buy.

But while the OnePlus 15 is out now to buy worldwide, we still have a bit longer to wait for the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra’s expected arrival, which could happen in just a few weeks.

So, should you hang on or buy now? Here’s how the fully realized specs of the OnePlus 15 stack up against what we’re expecting from the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs OnePlus 15: Specifications

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs. OnePlus 15: Release date and price

After launching in China back in October 2025, the OnePlus 15 is now available to buy in the United States and Europe. Comparatively speaking, it’s competitively priced for a high-end flagship phone, starting at $899 / £849 for the model with 12GB RAM and 256GB of storage, rising to $999 / £979 for 16GB RAM and 512GB of onboard capacity.

While the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra’s launch price is yet to be confirmed, we can be extremely confident that it’ll cost significantly more than the OnePlus 15. The Galaxy S25 Ultra started at $1,299 for the 256GB model, rising to $1,659 for a version with a colossal 1TB of storage. Some think it’ll get a price hike in 2026, with rumors that Samsung is having a hard time settling on a price. You'd imagine that Samsung won't want to extend the already $100 gap between its premium model and the $1,199 price of the iPhone 17 Pro Max.

As for when we'll see a Galaxy S26 Ultra, that's up in the air, too. Samsung has been announcing new flagships in January for the last two years, and one report claims that will happen. However, most of the rumors and leaks all agree that Samsung's next Galaxy Unpacked will instead occur on February 25, meaning we likely won't see the phones hit the shelves until early March.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs. OnePlus 15: Design and display

It’s safe to say that neither the OnePlus 15 nor the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra will be a good choice for those who prefer smaller phones. The OnePlus 15 features a 6.78-inch screen and tips the scales at a weighty 211 grams.

The OLED screen on the OnePlus 15 is unusual in the world of smartphones in that its refresh rate can reach as high as 165Hz, allowing super-smooth 165fps gameplay in supported apps. However, this has come at a price, with the 2,772 x 1,272 1.5K resolution actually a downgrade from the 3,168 x 1,440 panel on the 2K display for the OnePlus 13.

In terms of design, the latest OnePlus flagship has lost a little personality, too. Gone is the distinct, circular camera hump, and in its place is a square housing that makes the OnePlus 15 look more like an iPhone Pro copycat.

For the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, we’re expecting more of the same from Samsung's established design: a 6.9-inch handset with four camera lenses staring out from the back. It will also have room for the S Pen within, letting you take notes and doodle on the go.

There will be subtle changes, according to leakers. Ice Universe believes that the handset will be between 7mm and 8mm thick, with “slightly increased width and height”. Given the current model is 8.1mm thick, that could either be a big difference or a small one, depending on how close to 7mm the final measurement lands.

Leaked S26 Ultra mockups also show a handset with slightly more curved corners than the past two generations of Samsung Galaxy S Ultra handsets.

Privacy fans will also be interested to hear that Samsung will reportedly introduce a new feature that makes the phone harder to read from the side.

We expect the Galaxy S26 Ultra to once again offer IP68 water resistance. That's actually not as stringent as what OnePlus claims for the OnePlus 15, as that phone's IP69K rating means it can withstand high-pressure water jets and higher temperatures.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs. OnePlus 15: Cameras

With its four flexible rear lenses, there’s a reason that the Samsung Galaxy S Ultra series has been a staple in our list of the best camera phones for years.

But it doesn’t sound like Samsung will be making too many changes this year, despite early talk of a variable rate aperture. Instead, the upgrades sound relatively minor: a f/1.4 aperture on the main lens, which should see 47% more light entering the camera, according to Ice Universe, and we might see the megapixel count on the 3x telephoto lens going from 10 MP to 12MP.

However, that’s still one more lens than the OnePlus 15 offers, with its three 50MP rear sensors (main, ultrawide and 3.5x optical telephoto).

That said, the OnePlus 15 camera performance is actually rather impressive, despite the lower megapixel count. The 50MP camera onboard the OnePlus 15 proved to be a strong match for the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s 200MP shooter in our OnePlus 15 review. It was, however, more disappointing in low-light conditions, which might be a red flag to avid photographers.

Speaking of low-light images, a recent leak indicated that Samsung could improve the base shooting quality of the Galaxy S26 Ultra's 200MP main camera from 12MP to 24MP. Not only is this the sweet spot in terms of compressed quality, but it also offers vastly improved images in low light, while also lowering the overall file size of said images.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs OnePlus 15: Performance and battery life

While there are differences in the anticipated internal specs of the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra and those of the OnePlus 15, in practice, there’s likely to be little difference in terms of raw performance.

The OnePlus 15 uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, and Samsung is set to follow with the Galaxy S26 Ultra, also featuring that silicon. (At least, that's the expectation in the U.S — the S26 Ultra chipset may turn out to be the Exynos 2600 in other markets).

That would suggest a score draw when it's time to benchmark the two phones, though in recent years, Samsung has used a special “for Galaxy” version of Qualcomm’s chipset, which gives a slight boost to clock speed. If that’s repeated, that would give Samsung a small advantage.

Countering that, however, is the fact that you can buy a OnePlus 15 with 16GB RAM. While Samsung may match that, if it continues with 12GB RAM, that would be another point for OnePlus.

Recently, we saw leaked benchmarks for the Galaxy S26 Ultra that, at least at an initial glance, aren't fantastic in comparison. First and foremost, the actual scores are noticeably higher than the Galaxy S25 Ultra in both single and multicore scores. However, when compared to the OnePlus 15, it is slightly behind. However, it is worth noting that Samsung may still be tweaking the chip's performance, so this isn't set in stone.

Still, each phone can claim one distinct advantage of its own. For Samsung, that’s the bundled S Pen for doodling and note-taking. While this may be less versatile if the stylus loses the digitizer, as rumored, it’s still a very useful extra to have and a real selling point for the Ultra.

One area that the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is very unlikely to be competitive on, however, is battery life. While the new model is expected to increase battery capacity by 400 mAh to 5,400 mAh, that’s still a long way off the colossal 7,300mAh cell that powers the OnePlus 15.

In our battery test, the OnePlus went 25 hours and 13 minutes before needing a charge. For reference, the 5,000mAh cell on the Galaxy S25 Ultra gave up at just shy of 14.5 hours on our updated battery test. (The S25 Ultra fared better on an earlier version of the test that we ran after the phone's early 2025 release — on that test, the phone held out for more than 17 hours.)

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs. OnePlus 15: Software and AI

While Samsung has set a high bar with its Galaxy AI features, the OnePlus 15 proved that OnePlus is getting serious about AI in its own way. A lot of the features you find on other Android phones are present and accounted for on the OnePlus 15, including an AI Writer tool for fine-tuning your writing and a voice recorder that transcribes and summarizes recordings. You'll find AI-powered photo editing features on the OnePlus 15, too.

But we'd expect AI to continue to be a major focus of Samsung's upcoming phone release. In fact, one rumor even suggests that the Galaxy S26 Ultra is getting exclusive features that won't be on other models.

One area where Samsung should continue to dominate is software support. You get four years of Android updates plus two more years of security support with the OnePlus 15. Recent Samsung flagships get seven years of support, a trend that will likely continue with the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs. OnePlus 15: Outlook

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is shaping up to be a mighty impressive smartphone. With a larger battery, a faster processor, possibly more RAM, and better low-light photography performance on the cards, this will undoubtedly be one of the strongest handsets of 2026.

But it’s likely to be at least $300 more than the OnePlus 15, which has very similar internals to what we’re expecting from Samsung. True, the OnePlus 15 doesn’t have an S Pen equivalent, but it has its own advantages too, including a 165Hz screen for gamers and a massive 7,300mAh battery that produces the best battery life we've ever recorded.

If you’re on the fence, it’s worth waiting a few more weeks to see if Samsung has any unexpected surprises as yet unknown to leakers. Worst case scenario, the OnePlus 15 will have had a few more months to dip in price…

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Smartphone makers have asked users to make the same trade-off when it comes to battery life: if you want a handset that genuinely lasts the day, you usually have to accept a bigger body, more weight, and the nightly charging routine.

But that changes with the OnePlus 15, which is now on sale in the U.S. as well as other parts of the world. The latest OnePlus flagship has a lot going for it, but a key distinction is that it’s one of the first mainstream phones to make that trade-off feel less inevitable. The OnePlus 15 pairs a huge 7,300mAh pack with battery life that’s hard to ignore – more than 25 hours on the Tom’s Guide battery test, which is more than double what a smartphone usually lasts.

The twist is that this isn’t just “more mAh”, as some other smartphone makers have done. OnePlus is leaning on a new silicon–carbon battery design, which the phone maker says increases energy density by using an anode with 15% silicon content.

If that sounds a bit complicated, in plain terms, it’s a way of cramming more usable battery into the same kind of space – the sort of leap that can quietly reshuffle what we value in the best Android phones, alongside cameras, screens, and increasingly AI features.

It’s also worth noting how rare genuine battery leaps have felt in the past.

Most year-on-year gains have come from phones getting a little more efficient – better chips, smarter power management, and brighter but less intensive screens – rather than from a sudden jump in the size of the fuel tank.

That’s why the OnePlus 15 feels big: it’s a reminder that battery life can still be pushed forward by hardware changes, not just clever optimization.

What is a silicon–carbon battery?

So how did OnePlus pull off this feat of longevity? The silicon-carbon battery inside the OnePlus 15 plays a leading role.

A silicon–carbon battery is essentially a modernized lithium-ion battery. Instead of relying almost entirely on a graphite anode (the part that stores lithium during charging), it uses an anode made with silicon blended or structured with carbon.

Why use this method? Silicon can hold more lithium than graphite, so you can get more capacity from a similarly sized smartphone battery.

The easiest way to think about it is this: silicon–carbon is not a totally new battery type in the way “solid-state” implies a clean break.

It’s still the familiar lithium-ion approach used across modern phones, laptops, wearables, and pretty much every other device, but with an upgraded anode material that aims to store more energy in the same footprint.

“Silicon carbon batteries offer significantly higher energy density in the same size package — in other words, bigger batteries in the same size phones, or the same size batteries in smaller devices,” said Avi Greengart, an analyst with Techsponential.

How silicon–carbon actually works

In a conventional lithium-ion battery, the anode is mostly graphite, which is popular because it’s stable, well understood, and good at repeatedly soaking up and releasing lithium ions without falling apart.

Silicon changes the equation because it can hold far more lithium than graphite. In simple terms, that means an anode that uses silicon can, in theory, store more energy for the same amount of material.

The catch – and there is almost always a catch in physics – is that silicon tends to expand and contract a lot as it charges and discharges.

This is where the “carbon” part earns its keep. Carbon-based structures, coatings, and blends can help support the silicon, improve electrical conductivity, and generally keep the anode behaving more predictably across tens or hundreds of charge cycles.

The OnePlus 15’s silicon–carbon battery

While “silicon–carbon” can feel a bit abstract and confusing, especially for those who care more about pure battery life numbers (which, let’s face it, is most of us), the OnePlus 15 turns it into something more real.

OnePlus pairs the tech with a 7,300mAh “Silicon NanoStack” battery, and that sheer capacity is a big part of why the phone posted such an eye-catching 25 hours of life when we set the phone to surf the web continuously over cellular until it ran out of power.

The next closest device on our best phone battery life list also happens to be from OnePlus: the OnePlus 15R also uses a silicon-carbon battery to approach 22 hours on our test. The ROG Phone 9 Pro is the only phone to top 20 hours on our test using a more conventional battery.

Just as important to its power pack’s longevity, OnePlus is trying to make sure that bigger battery doesn’t mean slower top-ups. OnePlus also knows people will worry about long-term wear, so it’s putting some clear promises on the table, including that it should retain 80% health after four years.

Backing all of this up is OnePlus 15’s genuinely impressive specs: a 6.78-inch OLED display, an adaptive refresh rate up to 165Hz, Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, and up to 512GB of storage, easily enough to rival its top Android rivals.

The pros and cons of silicon–carbon batteries

The headline benefit of silicon–carbon is simple: it helps phone makers fit more battery capacity into roughly the same space. Feel free to stop reading after that sentence.

In day-to-day use, that extra headroom can change how a phone feels. Instead of living on 20%n to 30% by late afternoon, you’re more likely to end the day with enough charge to stop thinking about it.

But it’s not magic, and it certainly isn’t “free”.

Silicon is attractive because it can store far more lithium than graphite, yet it also swells significantly as it charges and discharges, which is one of the main reasons it has been challenging to use at high proportions without hurting long-term battery life.

The “carbon” part of silicon–carbon batteries exists largely to help tame that behavior, but the real-world results are still likely to vary depending on how each company designs the cell, manages heat, and tunes charging.

Will more smartphones follow the OnePlus 15?

OnePlus may have been the first phone maker to offer a handset with a silicon-carbon battery in the U.S., but the tech has made it to other devices. In fact, multiple other Chinese smartphone brands, including Honor, have been testing similar battery tech since at least 2023.

Right now, silicon–carbon is rolling out in a very “Android-first” way: a handful of ambitious brands are using it as a headline differentiator, because battery life is one of the easiest upgrades for users to feel day to day.

By contrast, the two biggest names in the “mainstream flagship” space — Apple and Samsung — still look cautious, at least publicly, with their focus mostly going on battery improvements via software, rather than big hardware and mAh jumps.

“We have seen companies try both approaches, but most have been Chinese OEMs,” Greengart said. “For now, the big companies supplying the U.S. carrier market – Apple, Samsung, Lenovo’s Motorola, and Google – are sticking with older battery chemistry.”

Part of that is due to what Greengart describes as “risk aversion” — “Apple and Samsung both have extremely rigorous safety processes around batteries and chargers” – with concerns about battery longevity also coming into play.

“However, the bigger problem is supply chain logistics,” Greengart added. “Apple and Samsung collectively manufacture nearly a half billion phones a year, and there just isn’t enough capacity to supply that amount of volume.”

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OnePlus announced it's entering the gaming smartphone space with its new Turbo series. This week, OnePlus unveiled a teaser trailer for the Turbo 6 and Turbo 6V models, confirmed to launch in China in January. One major selling point is clear: Each handset packs a massive 9,000mAh battery, the largest of all OnePlus phones to date and nearly double that of the Galaxy S25 Ultra or iPhone 16 Pro Max.

In a teaser video posted on Weibo, OnePlus gave us our first official look at the Turbo 6 series. According to a battery test conducted by New Review Technology (translated from Chinese) that OnePlus cited, the standard Turbo 6 can last up to 10 hours and 37 minutes of usage on a single charge. For context, our pick for the best gaming phone, the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro, packs a 5,800 mAh battery that lasted over 20 hours in our tests, beating out both the iPhone 16 Pro Max (17:17) and Galaxy S24 Ultra (16:45).

OnePlus seems to be sticking close to the design of the OnePlus 15 with the Turbo 6. Just look at that triple camera setup on the back. Other confirmed specs include a 165Hz display, a Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 SoC chip in at least one of the devices, and water/dust proofing. As for color options, the Turbo 6 comes in silver, black, and green, while the Turbo 6V comes in blue, black, and white.

Speaking of the Turbo 6V, it's shaping up to be the no-frills, more affordable option of the two. OnePlus confirmed it'll pack a 6.8-inch 1.5K OLED screen with a 144Hz refresh rate.

The Turbo 6 and Turbo 6V will launch on January 8, OnePlus said, though whether it'll be a global debut or limited to China remains unclear. We've seen OnePlus bring its China-exclusive phones to other markets before, often rebranded under a different name, so it could still be in the running for our best phone battery life ranking.

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The OnePlus 15R is finally here, and it's a genuinely interesting device from OnePlus. The 15R is the world's first smartphone powered by Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset. While it's a slight step down from the top-tier Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, it still carries several similarities with the flagship OnePlus 15, including a great display, the same software features, and a massive battery.

One of the most intriguing things about the OnePlus 15R is its water and dust resistance ratings. OnePlus claims that the 15R carries a total of four IP ratings, including IP66, IP68, IP69, and IP69K, which is quite uncommon, especially at this price point.

The company made similar claims for the flagship OnePlus 15, but this time, we decided to put it to the test. We went all out and put the OnePlus 15R inside a working dishwasher to see how it handles jets of hot water. Here's how it went.

What IP69K rating actually means and why a dishwasher made sense

Before we go ahead and tell you how we tested the OnePlus 15R's durability in a dishwasher, it's important to understand what an IP69K rating on a smartphone actually means.

In ratings like IP68 or IP69, the numbers indicate the level of protection you're getting. The first digit refers to dust resistance, and the highest possible rating here is 6, which remains the same across all these certifications for the OnePlus 15R.

The second digit refers to water resistance. IP68 is the rating given to most flagship smartphones, including the iPhone 17 Pro, Google Pixel 10 Pro, and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. It typically covers full dust resistance and protection against immersion in water for a limited period. This has to be at a depth of at least 1 metre (about 3 feet 3 inches) but some manufacturers choose to test at a greater depth.

IP69 and IP69K take things a step further. These ratings mean the product, or the OnePlus 15R in this case, is tested against far more extreme conditions. This includes high-pressure water jets and, for IP69K specifically, high-temperature water sprayed at close range. It's not something you'd encounter in daily life, but it's still a strong indicator of a device's overall durability.

And this is exactly where the dishwasher idea came from. A dishwasher creates an environment that closely mirrors IP69K testing conditions: hot water and strong directional sprays that too in a confined space.

It's (absolutely) not a controlled lab test, and it's certainly not something OnePlus recommends doing, but as a stress scenario, it felt like a fair way to push the phone beyond basic splash and dunk tests.

How I put the OnePlus 15R through a real dishwasher test

Before I tell you about the results of the test, there are a few things you need to know about the condition of the device I tested.

The OnePlus 15R I used was in regular working condition. The phone had been in daily use for about two weeks, had no prior exposure to water, no case or accessories attached, and showed no signs of physical damage. Before going into the dishwasher, everything on the phone was working perfectly fine. This included the display, speakers, cameras, battery, and charging port, with no issues or inconsistencies.

As for the test itself, I placed the phone inside a standard domestic dishwasher and ran a normal wash cycle for around 15 minutes. The phone had no protective covering and was positioned in a way that ensured it would be directly exposed to water sprays throughout the cycle.

Just to be clear again, putting a phone inside a dishwasher goes far beyond anything most users would ever do, and it's absolutely not something we recommend trying yourself!

What actually happened to the phone after the wash

Once the dishwasher cycle ended, the first thing I checked was the obvious stuff. There was no visible damage to the phone's body or build, and the display turned on immediately after I took the OnePlus 15R out. There were no touch issues, flickering, or signs that any water had made its way under the panel.

The next thing I checked was the rear cameras, and those seemed to work normally too. There were no issues like fogging on the lenses (which would indicate water within the camera) or any visible wear. The only noticeable impact, however, was on the speakers.

I played a video to check the speakers since they were the most exposed to the water during the test, and it was clear there was some water trapped inside. The sound from the speakers was a bit muffled. Thankfully, the sound returned to normal within a few minutes as the water drained out on its own.

One area where I was expecting to face issues, especially after the test, was charging. Usually, whenever smartphones are exposed to water, charging can be disabled by the phone since it can detect foreign material trapped in the port.

However, I plugged the phone in about five or six minutes after taking it out. I shook it well to remove excess water and blew air into the port, and the OnePlus 15R started charging without any warnings or interruptions. It showed the SuperVOOC 80W charging screen and charged at full speed for around 10 minutes straight without any issues, which genuinely surprised me.

Why this test should (and should not) matter to most users

All things considered, what does this dishwasher test actually tell us about the OnePlus 15R's durability and its IP69K rating? For most of you out there, this kind of test isn't something you'll ever need to think about, let alone replicate.

You should never buy a smartphone to see if it can survive a dishwasher cycle, and durability ratings slapped on by brands should never be treated as challenges to test in real life.

That said, what this test does show is a level of confidence in how the OnePlus 15R is sealed and built. This isn't a flagship smartphone from OnePlus, and yet it appears noticeably more durable than many phones that sit around the same price point.

The fact that the phone continued to work normally after being exposed to high-pressure water sprays is a solid testament to its build quality. It should be reassuring for every OnePlus 15 and OnePlus 15R user out there, especially when you consider that most everyday scenarios are far less extreme than this.

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This is the time of year when people in my line of work start thinking about the biggest hits and misses of the past 12 months. When it comes to my area of interest, I have plenty of candidates to consider for the best phones of the past year. But there's no debate over which phone has disappointed me the most — the OnePlus 15R.

That may be a surprising choice, as the OnePlus 15R is seems like a very solid phone. In his OnePlus 15R review, my colleague Richard Priday praised the phone overall, citing how closely it mirrors flagship phones like the OnePlus 15. And certainly, the OnePlus 15R's battery life — it's the runner-up on our best phone battery life list after lasting nearly 22 hours on our custom battery test — makes it a phone that commands your attention.

But one of Richard's arguments in favor of the OnePlus 15R exposes its greatest weakness. Yes, this midrange phone shares a lot in common with the flagship OnePlus 15. And unfortunately, that includes the price.

OnePlus 15R: The price isn't right

The OnePlus 15R starts at $699. That's just $100 less than entry-level flagships like the Galaxy S25, Pixel 10 and iPhone 17 — three phones that you'd have to concede are more fully featured than OnePlus' midrange offering.

Even if you factor in a $50 trade-in rebate that OnePlus is offering, the 15R's discounted $649 price remains well ahead of what you'd pay for similar midrange models like the Pixel 9a ($499) and iPhone 16e ($599). And while those phones have their limitations, you can argue that they offer more than the OnePlus 15R is areas ranging from photography to AI features.

The OnePlus 15R suffers from neither fish-nor-fowl pricing. If cost is important to you, there are cheaper phones with similar-to-better features. And if you want a more premium handset, you don't have to stretch your budget too far to afford a true flagship.

Even worse, the price of OnePlus' R series phones is moving in the wrong direction. Two years ago, the OnePlus 12R debuted in the U.S. with a $499 version that offered 128GB of storage and enough features in common with the OnePlus 12 to make the less-expensive model a real bargain. The OnePlus 13R dropped that 128GB option, raising its starting price to $599, but at least you could say you were getting double the storage in return. And now we've got another $100 price hike for the OnePlus 15R.

Striking the wrong balance

OnePlus would contend the improved features in the OnePlus 15R help justify the higher price. Past R series phones ran on a year-old Snapdragon chipset compared to the latest Qualcomm silicon inside the regular OnePlus flagship. This time around, the OnePlus 15R is turning to a Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 system-on-chip, a less-powerful version of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 running the OnePlus 15, but still plenty powerful nonetheless.

Besides a more impressive chip, this year's R series model offers a fast-refreshing display — not the usual 120Hz refresh rate, but one that can go all the way up to 165Hz if you're playing certain games. The phone's design offers the same level of water resistance as the OnePlus 15, wired charging speeds top rival phones and OnePlus' greater array of AI tools are on board this phone, too.

Still, there are trade-offs. The zoom lens found on the OnePlus 13R is gone despite the new phone's higher price tag. You still don't get wireless charging on board the OnePlus 15R. And OnePlus' software support lags behind what you receive for comparable devices from Samsung and Google.

These omission are easier to excuse when you're paying around $500 for a phone. When price hikes take the cost just shy of a flagship device, they become a lot more glaring.

My biggest OnePlus 15R complaint

I've been a big fan of previous OnePlus R offerings. Usually, the device ranks among my favorite phones of the year, given how much value you get while paying hundreds of dollars less than a premium device. And, of course, a phone that lasts as long as the OnePlus 12R and OnePlus 13R did in our testing is always going to be worth a look when you're mulling over a new device.

As for the OnePlus 15R? Well, at least that battery life still impresses, even if very little else about the phone makes it stand out.

And that's probably the most disappointing thing about the OnePlus 15R. In OnePlus' rush to make a flagship lite, it sacrificed too much of what made the phone unique and appealing to a wider audience.

That's not to say that the OnePlus 15R is a bad phone. I think it's earned its 4-star rating, and the things that standout about this device — the performance, the display and especially the battery life — will make it an appealing choice for gamers in particular.

But the OnePlus 15R seems to mark the end of that model's run as a lower-cost alternative to some of the pricier flagships out there. And that's going to take some getting over.

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The OnePlus 15R charts an unusual path. Previous phones in OnePlus' R-series have been simply more accessibly-priced versions of its main numbered flagship phones. But rather than be a cheaper version of the excellent OnePlus 15, the 15R has a whole new focus instead.

The 15R is still less expensive than the 15, but not by as much. And while it's still meant to be a rival for the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE, Google Pixel 9a and iPhone 16e, OnePlus has elected to concentrate the 15R on performance rather than broad appeal. So while there's plenty to appreciate in this phone, it's less likely to be a good fit for the general phone buyer.

The OnePlus 15R's new approach has introduced a number of changes, some of which I wouldn't want in a phone for myself. If you can look past the price increase, and don't mind the lack of a dedicated zoom lens, the OnePlus 15R could still deserve to be your pocket powerhouse.

OnePlus 15R: Specs

OnePlus 15R review: Price and availability

Perhaps because it's launching just before Christmas, OnePlus is keeping 15R pre-orders open until January 15th. That gives you plenty of time to weigh up a potential buying decision.

You have to pay $699/£649 for the regular 12GB RAM and 256GB storage edition of the phone. There's also the option to pay $799/£729 for 16GB RAM and 512GB storage, but this locks you to the black colorway.

With a pre-order, OnePlus will offer you $50 guaranteed trade-in credit and $50 cashback with your order, plus the choice of either a free case or a pair of OnePlus Buds 4 earbuds. If you buy the more expensive version, you don't have to pick — you get both gifts included. And that's just as well, since the 15R starts at $100 more than the $599 OnePlus 13R it replaced.

As a result, the OnePlus 15R is more expensive than the $499 Google Pixel 9a or $599 iPhone 16e, and the same or slightly more expensive than the $649 Galaxy S25 FE, depending on the market. And considering that phones like the Galaxy S25, Pixel 10 or iPhone 17 only cost a little extra, the OnePlus 15R is stuck in a precarious pricing position. Even the OnePlus 15 is only $200/£200 more expensive.

OnePlus 15R review: Design

The OnePlus 15R turns to a new design compared to the OnePlus 13R, with a look that's similar to the OnePlus 15. The new square-ish form with a similarly square camera block is fine on its face, but doesn't carry as much personality as a Pixel's camera bar, the iPhone 17 Pro's camera plateau, or the individually-mounted lenses of a Samsung Galaxy S25 model.

Fortunately, the OnePlus 15R feels just as premium as its rivals, with its aluminum sides and glass back providing a satisfying weight and texture. Only the slim camera block — since there are only two sensors here instead of the 15's three lenses — gives any hint that this isn't a complete flagship product.

My review unit was OnePlus’ "Mint Breeze" green option, which is suitably fresh-looking without being particularly shouty. If that's still too funky a color for your tastes, then the Charcoal Black option is on hand for a classic and classy look. As always, I simply wish OnePlus offered another color or two to the available selection. And it would be nice if choosing different memory variants didn't lock you to a specific color.

Resilience against water and dust is a big selling point of the OnePlus 15R, as the company asserts it has IP66, IP68, IP69 and IP69K certifications. While some of those ratings overlap, the bottom line is that this is a fully dust-resistant phone that should survive being immersed 1.5m deep in water, or being sprayed by 80°C (176°F) water jets. This is a trend we're seeing with several Chinese-made phones at the moment, and one it's hard to object to, assuming the increased durability pays off in a watery or dusty emergency when you need it.

Sadly, the display material is one of the places where OnePlus has cut costs compared to the OnePlus 15. The OnePlus 15R's screen is clad in Gorilla Glass 7i, Corning's latest option designed for cheaper phones; in contrast, the 15 uses the tougher Gorilla Glass Victus 2. While a bad drop onto a hard surface is going to crack a phone's display no matter what, the Victus vs. 7i difference may be visible in how these two phones last against small scrapes and potential scratches. That, in turn, could affect the look of images and video on the 15R's screen or the performance of the under-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensor.

OnePlus 15R review: Display

You'd be forgiven for assuming that the 0.05-inch difference between the 6.83-inch display of the OnePlus 15R and the smaller the OnePlus 15 means that the screens are not that different. However, there is a key difference under the skin.

The 15R's screen is an LTPS model rather than an LTPO one, meaning that it has a baseline refresh rate of 60Hz, rather than the 1Hz that the OnePlus 15 can manage. That means worse power efficiency for the 15R during everyday screen-on use.

At least the OnePlus 15R does share the 15's peak refresh rate of 165Hz, beating the usual 120Hz that modern smartphones hit. But it's important to note that you'll still be running at 120Hz for most tasks, with only games specifically built to run at 144Hz or the full 165Hz taking the screen to its limit.. You're not going to see a difference through the whole phone and all your apps — only a few that have explicit support for such high frame rates.

Display test results below paint a far rosier picture than I was expecting for the OnePlus 15R's screen. The panel achieved identical brightness and color accuracy to the OnePlus 15, with slightly higher color gamut coverage, too. The Pixel 10 Pro XL still dominates when it comes to brightness and color coverage, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max has the best color accuracy, but the OnePlus 15R still runs with the big dogs in the display stakes.

Beyond looking nice, OnePlus wants the 15R to keep users' eyes healthy with its Eye Comfort Mode. This encompasses several features, such as allowing the screen to go as dim as 1 nit of brightness to make the display easier to read at night. You also get a 3,840Hz PWM dimming rate to reduce potentially headache-causing screen flickering, a MotionCue mode to add tracking dots while travelling in a car to avoid potential motion sickness, and reminders to blink.

To ensure you can keep using your phone even in bad weather, OnePlus has brought back its Aqua Touch and Glove Mode options to keep the screen usable if it's wet or you're using gloves. I don't recommend using these modes for extended periods — they’re not as precise as using a dry display or your own bare digits. But it's enough to let you check notifications or your map as you navigate to somewhere warmer and drier.

OnePlus 15R review: Cameras

Photography duties on the OnePlus 15R are handled by the phone’s 50MP main and 8MP ultrawide rear cameras, plus a 32MP selfie cam up front.

There's no telephoto sensor, like you'd get from a more expensive flagship such as the OnePlus 15 — or even the OnePlus 13R. But the 15R still gets the same DetailMax engine, OnePlus' replacement for Hasselblad tuning, to process the raw images into theoretically beautiful pictures. I put that software-hardware combination to the test, using the Pixel 9a as a point of comparison with the OnePlus 15R.

Pointing the phones' main cameras down this quiet road to a local park, it doesn't take more than a glance to see that the OnePlus 15R has the stronger colors, helping the houses look their best, though that came at the expense of the grass and rocks, which look quite artificial. Meanwhile, the Pixel 9a has Google's trademark balance of color and brightness, giving us details in the metal fencing or the bark of the trees that isn't so visible in the OnePlus' shot.

Using the main cameras' built-in 2x zoom mode, the Pixel 9a produced a brighter image, which livens up the white paint of this old stair rail and stops the concrete in the background from looking quite so dull. But the OnePlus 15R's darker shadows make the rustier parts of the image come across clearer.

In this night shot across a garden, the image from the OnePlus 15R is warmer overall, bringing out the color in the shadows on the leaf-littered lawn and the fences in the background. While I'd normally prefer the shot taken by the Pixel 9a for its less extreme coloration, the fact that the light in the scene came from warm outdoor security lights behind me makes the 15R image the more accurate.

The ultrawide comparison of Beckenham Place Mansion we have here is again brighter through the OnePlus 15R's lens. But the OnePlus' smaller lens means it's not quite as sharp in the details, especially in the darker areas like the tops of the columns.

We finish with the selfie portraits, and just like the rear cameras, the OnePlus' image is brighter. That helps with the look of my jacket, scarf and hair, but washes out my face — which is a bit of a problem for a selfie. The Pixel 9a captures a much better image of me, highlighting some details like the present on my festive jumper. The portrait effect on both photos is decent, but the Pixel fails the glasses cutout test while the OnePlus does not.

OnePlus 15R review: Performance

OnePlus has promised a big leap in performance as the 15R has moved from the 13R's Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, already a year old at the time of the phone’s release, to a brand new Snapdragon 8 Gen 5. That silicon is not quite as advanced as the 8 Elite Gen 5 we see in the OnePlus 15 and likely many more Android flagship phones in 2026, but it's still a big step forward.

Our benchmark testing shows a performance gap between the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and standard 8 Gen 5, but that the OnePlus 15R is still capable of competing with the top flagship phones. If you use the phone for gaming as OnePlus recommends, you'll have a blast, as I did while playing Destiny Rising.

You can pick between 12GB or 16GB of LPDDR5X Ultra RAM on the OnePlus 15R, and 256GB or 512GB UFS4.1 storage accordingly. But picking the 16GB/512GB model locks you into the black colorway, which is a shame if you like the green version.

I need to lavish praise on the OnePlus 15R's cooling system. The CryoVelocity Cooling System features aerogel to insulate the display, a large vapor chamber and a graphite layer to help spread the heat around to avoid hot spots. It's certainly effective, making sure the whole phone warms evenly without being uncomfortable to hold, even after long periods.

OnePlus 15R review: Battery and charging

The OnePlus 15R breaks company records with its 7,400 mAh battery — the largest cell in a OnePlus phone yet. That size also beats the OnePlus 15's already spacious battery capacity by 100mAh. This silicon-carbon battery with 15% silicon content gives you more capacity in a smaller space, which OnePlus promises will hold out as it ages, with a claim of the phone retaining 80% of its original capacity after four years of use.

Given that the OnePlus 15 is our new phone battery life champion, we had high hopes for the OnePlus 15R and its even more spacious battery. It doesn't last quite as long as the OnePlus 15, which held out for 25 hours of continuous surfing on our battery test, the 15R is still impressive, with a time of 21 hours and 54 minutes.

That’s especially impressive compared to some of the OnePlus 15R’s nominal competitors. The iPhone 16e achieved 12 hours and 41 minutes, and the Pixel 9a topped 13 hours.

In typical OnePlus fashion, you get rapid 80W wired charging to refuel the OnePlus 15R. It fills the battery to 34% in 15 minutes and 55% in half an hour with the phone's Smart Rapid Charging setting enabled — not close to filling the phone, but as the above results show, that's still a day's use even if you're not taking special care. Sadly, there's no wireless charging, as with previous OnePlus R-series phones. While I didn't expect OnePlus to add it, it would have been good to see wireless charging capabilities given the price increase.

OnePlus 15R review: Software

The OxygenOS 16 interface of the OnePlus 15R does not differ from that of the OnePlus 15. You still have access to Plus Key shortcuts (in lieu of OnePlus' traditional alert slider), the Plus Mind repository for screenshots and recordings that you can refer to manually or via Gemini, and all the other powers that Gemini offers, including interactions with OnePlus' own apps if you prefer to use them instead of the default Google ones.

The fun doesn't end with just the 15R — the OnePlus Connect app allows easy file transfers between the phone and Windows, Mac or iPhone devices. It can even be used to remote control a Mac to grab photos or edit your documents while away from your desk.

Things do get bumpy when we check OnePlus' update schedule for the 15R: four years of Android updates and six years of security updates. That's the same as the OnePlus 15 gets, but Google and Samsung's full seven-year update guarantees are still the benchmark in this area. Perhaps you know that you'll update your phone before OnePlus stops updating the 15R, but it would still be nice not to have that time pressure to consider when deciding if it's time to move on or not.

OnePlus 15R review: Verdict

A price hike is often all it takes to sour what is otherwise an easy-to-recommend phone. And the OnePlus 15R shuffles right up to the line with a $100 price increase, rebates and pre-order offers aside.

The refocus of the OnePlus 15R from a generalist flagship to a gaming-focused one has made the phone a more niche device as a result.That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though, and with its big chip upgrade and more responsive display, the OnePlus 15R certainly fits in with the gaming phone crowd while also standing out from phones in the same general price bracket. While other brands may tout their phones' performance, I can't imagine Apple, Google or Samsung launching a gaming-specific handset in the current tech climate.

I know I'd never buy a OnePlus 15R for myself. I'd either save up for the OnePlus 15 or turn to a cheaper Pixel 9a. But perhaps you'll gravitate toward the OnePlus 15R if you value this precise blend of power, battery life and pricing, or want a gaming-first phone that doesn't go the whole hog with RGB lighting and gaming flourishes.

If I'm Samsung and I'm getting my new Galaxy S26 models ready to launch in a month or two, the arrival of the OnePlus 15 would be making me very nervous. Because the latest flagship phone from OnePlus, now available for pre-order in the U.S., serves to underscore an area where Samsung is at risk of falling behind.

The OnePlus 15 offers the best phone battery life of any device we've ever tested. When Tom's Guide reviews a phone, we set it up to surf the web continuously until it runs out of power, timing how long that takes. In the OnePlus 15's case, that's more than 25 hours — nearly 5 hours better than the next longest-lasting handset.

Certainly, the OnePlus 15 sets a very high bar on battery life, but it's not like it's the only flagship to lengthen the amount of time it can stay charged up. Apple's iPhone 17 series, led by the long-lasting iPhone 17 Pro Max, set records of its own. And while Google's Pixel phones have struggled to keep up with other flagships since switching to Tensor chipsets, the Pixel 10 series did log some notable improvements over the comparable Pixel 9 models when it arrived in August.

That's not to suggest Samsung flagships don't last a long-time on a charge. When they debuted at the start of the year, all three Galaxy S25 models landed on our list of the longest-lasting phones, though subsequent releases in 2025 have knocked some of those Samsung devices out of the top rankings. Get any Galaxy S25, and you're going to get a phone that lasts all day on a charge.

It's rumors about the upcoming Galaxy S26 releases that have me concerned. At a time when other phone makers seem to be taking improved battery life very seriously, rumored enhancements to the next Galaxy S models have me wondering if you can say the same thing about Samsung.

Galaxy S25 battery life

We first tested the Galaxy S25 series shortly after the three phones launched at the end of January 2025. As you might expect of the model with the biggest battery, the Galaxy S25 Ultra set the pace, posting an average of 17 hours and 14 minutes. But the Galaxy S25 Plus (16:55) and Galaxy S25 (15:22) put up great times, too. (We're ignoring the Galaxy S25 Edge, which came out later and has a much smaller battery due to its thinner design.)

The Galaxy S25's battery test result looked especially impressive at the time, as that was the most compact phone in that initial release of S25 models. Even with a 4,000 mAh battery — the Plus and Ultra models have much larger power packs — the standard S25 managed to deliver more than 15 hours of continuous surfing on one charge. That's very impressive.

In the ensuing months, we've updated our battery test, and while we didn't retest every Galaxy model, we did run the new version on the S25 Ultra in order to compare that phone to Apple's iPhone 17 releases. Under the new test, the S25 Ultra fell shy of the 15-hour mark.

My takeaway is that Samsung's current flagships still last a long time on a charge, but they don't quite measure up to devices from Apple and OnePlus that have come out since Samsung's last flagship release.

Galaxy S26 battery rumors

The Galaxy S26 launch — which could happen as soon as January, though some rumors expect a later release in early 2026 — gives Samsung the opportunity to show that it's just as serious about boosting battery life as its rivals. But current Galaxy S26 rumors don't paint a particularly encouraging picture.

A specs post from a fairly reliable leaker at the start of December has the standard Galaxy S26 model seeing a modest boost in battery size, from 4,000 mAh in the S25 to a 4,300 mAh power pack. However, that same post has the Galaxy S26 Plus and Galaxy S26 Ultra with the same 4,900 mAh and 5,000 mAh capacities as their respective predecessors.

There's not universal agreement about the potential battery size for the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Some rumors suggest Samsung will go with a 5,200 mAh cell — an increase, though not much of one, from the Galaxy S25 Ultra.

We should point out that there's more to battery life than just the size of the power pack. The Galaxy S26 series is in line to feature Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 silicon, and that system-on-chip promises more efficient power management as part of its feature set.

Even if some S26 models use the Exynos 2600 chipset instead as has been rumored, the latest Exynos silicon is built on a 2-nanometer process, so the transistors will be more densely packed than the 3nm Exynos 2500. That usually translates to better power efficiency.

Nevertheless, the leaked Galaxy S26 specs would seem to suggest that rumors from earlier this year that Samsung would turn to a silicon-carbon battery for its upcoming flagships aren't going to happen. Silicon-carbon batteries are denser than the current batteries in use by smartphones, so they can pack more capacity without increasing in size.

It's this technology that allows the OnePlus 15 to feature a 7,300 mAh battery while still maintaining a reasonable 6.4 x 3 x 0.32-inch frame in a 7.4-ounce handset. And it sounds like something the Galaxy phones — especially the Galaxy S6 Ultra — are going to miss out on.

Galaxy S26 battery outlook

I would definitely expect some boost in battery life for Samsung's next phones — a new chipset and even a modest increase in battery size will see to that. But you can't help but look at what OnePlus achieved in boosting the battery life of its flagship phone and feel like Samsung is potentially missing out.

But rumored specs are exactly that, and we won't know how long Samsung's next phones can last until we get a chance to test them next year. It's one of the many improvements we'll be keeping an eye on as we get closer to the rumored Galaxy S26 launch./

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It's no secret I can't wait until the OnePlus 15R arrives. I've been a big fan of the last two R series devices released by OnePlus, and with the phone maker confirming that a OnePlus 15R will follow the release of the OnePlus 15, I'm about to learn if lightning can strike a third time. And that also means it's time to consider a OnePlus 15 vs. OnePlus 15R comparison.

The OnePlus 15 is OnePlus' latest flagship phone, and it's a winner, with my colleague John Velasco calling it the best Android phone out there right now. We'll see if that contention holds up after next year's Galaxy S26 release, but the epic battery life, pace-setting performance and improved AI and camera features on the OnePlus 15 will make it tough to beat.

Of course, the OnePlus 15 could face competition closer to home when the OnePlus 15R shows up. OnePlus' R models scale back on a few features like the chipset, screen size and camera specs in exchange for a lower price. But a few early announcements from OnePlus suggest that the gap in features may not be as big as you'd imagine.

We don't know everything about the OnePlus 15R just yet. But we have enough details plus our own time with the OnePlus 15 to do a preliminary OnePlus 15 vs. OnePlus 15R comparison in advance of the latter phone's release.

OnePlus 15 vs. OnePlus 15R: Price and availability

The OnePlus 15 debuted last month, though its global rollout is ongoing. U.S. pre-orders for the OnePlus 15 started just last week.

As for the OnePlus 15R, the OnePlus website is teasing an announcement on December 17. We expect to get more details then, including how much the 15R costs.

You can buy the OnePlus 15 for $899 / £899, which matches the starting price of its predecessor. That would seem to suggest the price of the OnePlus 15R would match what OnePlus charged for the OnePlus 13R when that phone debuted at the start of 2025. If true, we're talking about a phone in the $599 / £679 price range.

Some R series models have cost less, like the OnePlus 12R, which was available in the U.S. for $499. Of course, that model offered just 128GB in storage, while the OnePlus 13R featured 256GB. You'd expect that trend to continue with the OnePlus 15R.

OnePlus 15 vs. OnePlus 15R: Design and display

OnePlus hasn't had much to say about the design of the OnePlus 15R, though the images it's posted of the upcoming phone show a less wide camera array than the one that adorns the back of the OnePlus 15.

In the past, the R model has been slightly smaller than the flagship, but with the OnePlus 15 offering a 6.78-inch display to the OnePlus 13's 6.82-inch panel, it's possible the 15R's screen could be smaller, too. OnePlus has confirmed that the 15R will share a 165Hz refresh rate with its latest flagship.

Another thing in common with the OnePlus 15 figures to be durability. The new OnePlus flagship boasts IP66, IP68, IP69 and IP69K ratings for water resistance, with the last two designations indicating that the OnePlus 15 can withstand high-pressure water jets at 176-degree Fahrenheit temperatures. The OnePlus 15R website lists those same durability ratings.

Images of the OnePlus 15R show off the phone in black and mint colors. You can grab a OnePlus 15 in black, violet and Sand Storm colors.

OnePlus 15 vs. OnePlus 15R: Cameras

OnePlus has also been mum about the camera setup for the OnePlus 15R, though the OnePlus Ace 6 — the phone the 15R most closely resembles — features a main camera and ultrawide lens in its rear camera array. If that crosses over to the 15R, that would mean no telephoto lens like there is on the OnePlus 15 — and also notably on the OnePlus 13R.

The OnePlus website does point to 4K 120fps video capture for the OnePlus 15R. That would match a OnePlus 15 feature and improve upon the 4K 60fps support offered by the OnePlus 13R.

While camera specs remain unconfirmed, we do have a sense of what kind of output the OnePlus 15R cameras are capable of. My colleague John Velasco got a chance to shoot some preliminary images with the OnePlus 15R alongside the Pixel 9a and iPhone 16e.

OnePlus 15 vs. OnePlus 15R: Performance

In the past, OnePlus has equipped its flagship with the latest high-end silicon from Qualcomm while using the previous year's top chipset for its R series model. The OnePlus 15 holds up its end of that equation, with the top-of-the-line Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 running the show. When we benchmarked the OnePlus 15, we saw the new phone post better CPU and graphics numbers than Snapdragon 8 Elite-powered devices like the Galaxy S25 Ultra.

You would think that Snapdragon 8 Elite silicon would be slated for the OnePlus 15R since it's now a year old, but OnePlus has confirmed other plans. It's going to use a newer Qualcomm chip, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 — a variant of the Elite chipset inside the OnePlus 15.

The CPU on board the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 isn't as fast as the Elite version of the chip, and the GPU and NPU take a step back as well. Still, the performance gap between the OnePlus 15 and 15R doesn't figure to be as notable as with past OnePlus models, given we're talking about the same family of silicon.

OnePlus 15 vs. OnePlus 15R: Battery life and charging

The OnePlus 15 sets the standard for battery life, blowing away all other phones we've tested with a 25-hour-plus time on our custom battery test. The next closest device with the best phone battery life topped out at 20.5 hours.

Part of the credit for that strong performance belongs to the OnePlus 15's massive battery — a silicon-carbon power pack that's able to squeeze in more capacity in the same amount of space. As a result, the OnePlus 15 is drawing on a 7,300 mAh battery to stay charged for multiple days at a time.

Here's the interesting part: the OnePlus 15R battery is set to be slightly larger. OnePlus confirms that the 15R will have a 7,400 mAh power pack — presumably because it's using the same silicon carbon technology to feature increased capacity.

OnePlus 15 vs. OnePlus 15R: Software and AI

Like the OnePlus 15, the OnePlus 15R is set to debut with Android 16 already installed. In addition, OnePlus is advertising the same Plus Mind feature for the 15R that appears on the OnePlus 15. With Plus Mind, you can grab a screenshot and use AI to retrieve the details later on.

I'd imagine any AI feature the OnePlus 15 offers will also be available on the OnePlus 15R. That was the case when we ran a OnePlus 13 vs. OnePlus 13R comparison earlier this year.

OnePlus 15 vs. OnePlus 15R: Outlook

The reason I'm so bullish on the OnePlus R phones is that they closely resemble the OnePlus flagships without costing so much. Things like battery life and AI capabilities have tended to be comparable on past R models, and areas where there are trade-offs, like performance and camera,s don't see too great a drop-off.

We'll see if that holds when our OnePlus 15 vs. OnePlus 15R face-off becomes a reality. But the early features confirmed by OnePlus offer an encouraging look.

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There's one thing I’ve learned from testing the best phones: it’s not just flagship models that get the best cameras. In fact, many budget phones out there can deliver just as good results — and the OnePlus 15R could very well be included in the conversation.

Although it’s yet to be officially announced, I’ve gotten my hand on the OnePlus 15R and decided to take snapshots against rivals like the Pixel 9a and iPhone 16e. I can’t specifically mention its camera specs, but I’ll briefly show you side-by-side comparison photos I’ve captured with it.

I've also tested the camera performance for the OnePlus 15, the flagship phone that the more midrange 15R is based on. And that makes me optimistic that the OnePlus 15R will follow the lead of its sibling by delivering impressive output from its cameras. Let me know in the comments which one you prefer.

Bryant Park Buildings

There’s one thing I find consistent in the shots from Bryant Park above: the OnePlus 15R, iPhone 16e and Pixel 9a all handle dynamic range very well. One of the biggest challenges here is how the sun behind the building is casting a shadow, but all three phones do an excellent job of keeping the exposure even.

Zooming into the shot more, that’s where I begin to see how the Pixel 9a captures more definition — like the individual bricks in some of the buildings and the textures all around the light pole.

Colorful Produce

On its own, the OnePlus 15R appears to capture very good color tones — but against the iPhone 16e and Pixel 9a — it looks sort of muted. My eyes instantly gravitate toward the warmer color tones of the iPhone 16e, which also has a much nicer contrast.

The Pixel 9a and OnePlus 15R are very similar in how they reproduce colors, but I can tell that the yellow colors of the OnePlus 15R appear much duller.

Selfies

I captured the selfies of myself indoors in the office and all three phones seem to handle the artificial lighting well. I would say that the OnePlus 15R has a much cooler color temperature than the other two phones, but it seems to capture the best details — which I can see with my facial features.

Surprisingly, the iPhone 16e fares the worst with its much softer looking capture. Meanwhile, the Pixel 9a better captures the textures of my shirt and hoodie.

Perched Statue

All of the shots of the stature were captured at 8x zoom since that’s where the Pixel 9a tops out. Looking at the overall picture, I can instantly tell that the Pixel 9a looks the softest. Both the iPhone 16e and OnePlus 15R look pretty sharp, including when I take a look at the textures.

When I zoom into the shots and inspect the details a bit more, the iPhone 16e manages to retain the texture a smidge better. I’m not sure if the OnePlus 15R is being too aggressive with its processing, but it clearly is smoothening out the textures more.

Call of Duty

With the Call of Duty Black Ops 7 billboard by Times Square in New York City, I really like the strong contrast of the iPhone 16e’s shot. As a result, the photo comes across as way more dramatic than the other two shots.

The Pixel 9a has the lowest contrast of the bunch, resulting in an even exposure across the entire scene, but at the expense of looking the dullest. Meanwhile, the OnePlus 15R lies in the middle with its just right contrast.

Christmas Tree

Apple comes out on top in my opinion with these shots of the Bryant Park Christmas tree. Again, I much prefer how the iPhone perfectly balances out the contrast so that the tree has a more commanding presence in the shot.

The Pixel 9a has the same habit of trying to keep the exposure even, which I’ll say does nicely to draw out details hidden in the shadows around the tree, but the shot just looks flat. OnePlus delivers some nice qualities, but compared to the iPhone, the details look softer.

A Wider Christmas Tree

Only the OnePlus 15R and Pixel 9a have ultrawide cameras to capture more of the scene, which gives them an advantage over the single-lens iPhone 16e.

From the same exact position, the Pixel 9a has a wider field of view, but I really like how the OnePlus 15R makes the tree pop out from the scene.

Sky's the limit

When the lighting is good, I can affirm that all three photos deliver outstanding results. Case in point, the shots looking up to the sky with the skyscrapers all around. Even as the sun casts a shadow on the building in the foreground, the OnePlus 15R, iPhone 16e and Pixel 9a all work to prevent any areas from being too under or over exposed.

Details are pretty resounding from all three, but upon closer inspection, the iPhone 16e has the edge as the brickwork all around the building is better defined.

Chicken Guy

I convinced myself to try out Guy Fieri’s chicken sandwich joint, so I ended up getting a quick snapshot of the inside. Clearly the Pixel 9a looks the dullest to me, with the OnePlus 15R adding some much-needed contrast to the shot.

I think the iPhone 16e has the best results here partly because of how the colors pop and its more aggressive contrast.

Majestic Grogu

I’m really interested in the OnePlus 15 R's low-light performance, because that’s what separates the good camera phones from the greats. Based on the shots in almost pitch darkness of Grogu, I like how the OnePlus 15R brightens up the scene with its dedicated night mode. However, the other two phones do exceptionally well.

The iPhone 16e really accentuates the shot with its contrast yet again, but it also manages to capture the best details from what I can see.

Winner: iPhone 16e

Plant in the dark

With my second low-light shot, I captured this fake plant in a more secluded area where there was even less light. This time, the OnePlus 15R has the weakest performance of the bunch — largely because of how dark it looks. In contrast, the iPhone 16e and Pixel 9a do a much better job of exposing the plant.

Outlook

The iPhone 16e seems to take the majority of categories, even though it had to sit out the ultrawide camera comparison. Still, the main point of this exercise was to see how the OnePlus 15R fared against similar camera phones, and based on the early results, it looks promising.

The OnePlus 15R had its advantages in a couple categories outright, and turned in strong performances in situations where photos benefitted from good contrast. I may not reach for the OnePlus 15R in low-light settings, but from what we've seen here, this midrange phone should be able to more than hold its own when it comes to capturing quality photos.

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Now that I’ve spent more than a month with the OnePlus 15, I have a better understanding of what this flagship phone brings to the table. It recently became available via pre-order, and with the help of a $100 trade in credit for any device in any condition, it will cost you $899 plus tax at checkout.

In my OnePlus 15 review, I said how I couldn’t believe that the best phone to come out this year waited until now to be released. I still stand behind that claim now that I’ve kept the OnePlus 15 as one of my daily drivers, replacing the Galaxy Z Flip 7 in the process.

Not only does the latest OnePlus phone have a big advantage in price over other flagship rivals like the iPhone 17 Pro Max, Pixel 10 Pro XL, and Galaxy S25 Ultra, but it continues to impress me in more ways than one. Here’s everything I like and don’t like about the OnePlus 15.

OnePlus 15: What I Like

Battery life is a cut above anything else

Above all, the OnePlus 15 sets a record for having the best phone battery life Tom’s Guide has ever tested with its average time of 25 hours and 13 minutes. This continues to be the stellar standout with the phone, even more than a month of using it. By comparison, the OnePlus 15 handily beats the times of the iPhone 17 Pro Max and Galaxy S25 Ultra.

When I first put it to the test, I found the OnePlus 15 at 68% capacity by the end of the first day. More than a month later, I’m still seeing it at roughly above 60% on most nights — which says a lot because it can still last me a full two days of usage. Other phones would typically be under 25%, so it says a lot about the new carbon-silicone battery tech it’s leveraging.

Much improved AI features

Last year's OnePlus 13 saw OnePlus finally entering the AI wars — but I thought the features were forgettable. This time, though, the company has invested heavily around OnePlus AI and the results show it.

The OnePlus AI features that come with the OnePlus 15 are more or less clones of AI features found on other phones, but I’m still really impressed with the AI-assisted photo editing tools offered by OnePlus. Honestly, it’s a night-and-day difference because these AI features work well.

For example, I really enjoy how generative AI is being used to give me options to change frowns into smiles with the AI Perfect Shot feature. Meanwhile, AI Portrait Glow realistically adds better lighting to my portrait shots.

Really sharp macro photography

The OnePlus 15 is a force with its triple 50MP rear camera array, but it’s particularly confident at capturing macro photos. In my own testing, I love how the OnePlus 15 beats the iPhone 17 Pro, delivering sharper images with more detail like in the shots above.

My colleague Richard Priday can also attest to the OnePlus 15's strong macro photography performance with his OnePlus 15 vs Pixel 10 Pro XL photo shootout. Not convinced it’s good? He’s even put the OnePlus 15 vs iPhone 17 Pro Max cameras to the test with a 10-round shootout.

Fast charging

As much as I’m still astounded by the long-lasting battery life of the OnePlus 15, I can’t overlook the fact that it’s one of the fastest charging phones on the market. The U.S. variant tops out at 80W wired speeds, while the overseas model can get up to 100W.

Even though it has a much larger 7,300 mAh battery cell, the OnePlus 15 still charges way faster than the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s 5,000 mAh battery. In fact, the OnePlus device gets up to 81% with 30 minutes of charging — whereas the Galaxy S25 Ultra gets to 71%.

Since I’m able to get more than two full days of battery on the OnePlus 15, I’ve had times when I’m at work when it finally reaches a critically low level. But thanks to its fast charging, I don’t have to keep the phone charging for that long.

Crazy fast refresh rate for some games

I put in a lot of time playing games on the OnePlus 15, but only certain games can unlock the display's faster 165Hz display refresh rate. Once you experience this, it’s tough to go back to anything else because of the insane amount of responsiveness it offers.

Games that support this faster refresh rate include PUBG Mobile and Call of Duty Mobile. Don’t get me wrong, they look exceptionally fluid on other flagships, but this 165Hz refresh rate mode dials up the response — which makes targeting enemies with those games way better with the OnePlus 15 than any other phone I’ve tested.

Best multitasking in a slate

Finally, I can’t forget about how the OnePlus 15 makes multitasking easier on a slate phone with its updated experience.

What makes the OnePlus 15 multitasking way better than anything else I’ve previously used is how it can dynamically change the frame of each app. Rather than getting split-screen versions of two apps running simultaneously, it dynamically changes the frame so that I can still access both apps in full-screen mode.

OnePlus 15: What I Don't Like

Low light camera performance could be better

If there’s one area of opportunity that I’d like to see improved with the next OnePlus phone, it has to be the 50MP main camera’s performance under low light. It’s still better than what it was like with OnePlus flagships years ago, but if OnePlus wants to be considered a serious best camera phone contender, it can’t afford to come up short in the low light department.

After shooting the same set of photos with the OnePlus 15 and iPhone 17 Pro, it’s pretty obvious that the OnePlus 15 can’t brighten dark scenes as well as the iPhone can.

In my experience, the OnePlus 15 can still pull up good results when there’s a little bit of ambient light around. But in pitch black conditions, it clearly underperforms.

Display is sensitive to the touch

I can overlook the fact that the OnePlus 15 has a lower resolution 6.78-inch OLED display compared to the previous OnePlus 13, but the thing that annoys me is that the display can feel too sensitive at times. It’s hard to say if the phone's 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate is to blame, but I often come across situations when a slight touch or tap causes it to react — like opening an app when I’m trying to scroll with my thumb.

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OnePlus is finally ready to sell its flagship OnePlus 15 smartphone in the United States, more than a month after it was revealed in China. Due to the longest U.S. government shutdown in history, the OnePlus 15 wasn’t able to receive Federal Communications Commission (FCC) clearance until now.

The flagship phone launched in China at the end of October, and normally, a U.S. version would have launched a month later. However, the government shutdown started on October 1, 2025, and lasted until November 12, 2025.

Most of the FCC’s functions were suspended during the 43-day funding lapse, including the ability to certify new wireless devices. Without the approval, OnePlus couldn’t sell the 15 here. Thus, the phone didn’t have a firm release date even as the US version was announced in early November.

Price and release date

Eventually, you’ll be able to purchase the OnePlus 15 at Amazon or Best Buy, but the first pre-orders are only available at the OnePlus website right now. The base model starts at $900 and features 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. That configuration only comes in black.

Similarly, you’ll need to upgrade to get more colors and storage. The Ultraviolet or Sand Storm colorways cost $1,000 but feature 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage.

According to the OnePlus website, the phone will ship in 10 days if you pre-order it now, with an arrival date of Tuesday, December 23. It’s not clear when the phone will show up in stores.

If you preorder now you can choose one free accessory while supplies last: OnePlus Buds Pro 3 in white or black, an AIRVOOC 50W wireless charger, select phone cases, or, in some cases, the OnePlus Watch 3. These are available as long as supplies last. The earbuds usually cost $180, making them the highest value option.

What the OnePlus 15 brings to the table

The OnePlus 15 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, one of the first phones to feature the new processor. It’s paired with 6.78” 1.5K OLED display that offers a 120Hz refresh rate, though that can go as high as 165Hz when gaming. For photographers, the OnePlus 15 has a 50MP main camera, 50MP ultra wide, 50MP telephoto, and a 32MP front camera.

The U.S. OnePlus 15 also features a massive 7,300mAh battery, though it does have a slower charging speed compared to the Chinese version. Instead, it features 50W wireless charging and 80W wired charging, a still impressive standard.

Tom’s Guide was able to review the U.S. version of the phone in November. My colleague John Velasco said in his OnePlus 15 review that the device is a substantial upgrade that’s “more satisfying than anything else it’s released.”

In our battery testing, we managed to get an astounding 25 hours and 13 minutes before recharging. That’s a staggering feat compared to the iPhone 17 Pro Max and Galaxy S25 Ultra. It's more than 10 hours compared to the S25 Ultra, and an 8-hour workday longer than the iPhone 17.

“I just can’t believe that the best phone to come out this year waited until now to be released,” wrote Velasco in our review. “But it’s worth the wait.”

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Striding atop the best Android phone rankings for most of the year, the Galaxy S25 Ultra has proven its worth against many would-be challengers. But now that I've spent more than two weeks with the OnePlus 15, I’m inclined to say that it’s now my new favorite Android phone.

That’s especially true when I kept on circling back to the phone’s expected cost in my OnePlus 15 review. Paired with the class leading Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip under the hood, formidable 50MP triple camera system, and a brand new battery tech that sets a record for the best phone battery life, it’s no wonder I’ve been so enthralled by this new phone.

Samsung’s flagship phone is nearing the end of its time at the head of Samsung's lineup, as the Galaxy S26 Ultra is tipped for a reveal early next year. But until that new phone arrives, OnePlus is battling with Samsung for Android supremacy. Here’s all the ways the OnePlus 15 beats the Galaxy S25 Ultra.

A battery that lasts for days

Above all, the biggest advantage going for the OnePlus 15 is its class-leading battery life performance. I haven’t seen this kind of endurance since my flip phone days, so you can imagine how weird it feels to find a phone that lasts as long as the OnePlus 15 can.

While the Galaxy S25 Ultra delivered excellent results in our battery drain test with its time of 14 hours and 27 minutes, the OnePlus 15’s 7,300 mAh silicon-carbon battery posts an even more unbelievable time of 25 hours and 13 minutes.

But that pales in comparison to my own real world experience, where the battery lasted me two days, 11 hours, and 5 minutes before it was completely tapped out. I never got this kind of longevity out of the Galaxy S25 Ultra, which had about 20% juice left in the tank most nights after a full day of use. After the first night of using the OnePlus 15, it still showed 68%.

Smarter multitasking

When it comes to getting work done, the Galaxy S25 Ultra doesn’t disappoint with its multitasking capabilities. Not only does it offer side-by-side multitasking, but I like how you can add a third app into the mix by using the Edge Panel to run it as a floating app.

I thought Samsung had the best implementation of multitasking among standard phones, but I was mistaken once I finally started using the OnePlus 15. That’s because of the intuitive experience OnePlus offers with the Smart Sidebar, which dynamically reframes the layout of an app.

Just look at the video above to see how easily I'm able still access the full-screen app experiences of Instagram and Chrome. Honestly, all phones should copy this because it makes multitasking easier on a slate.

165Hz gaming mode

Gaming on the Galaxy S25 Ultra is great, but it’s on a new level with the OnePlus 15 and its ridiculously fast 165Hz refresh rate. From the moment I got into action with PUBG Mobile, I could tell there was something different about the OnePlus 15’s performance. It’s one of the few games that supports this 165Hz refresh rate.

Naturally, the on-screen action is intense and ferocious, large in part to how silky smooth it runs — but the other aspect that distinguishes it over the S25 Ultra are the tight controls with the help of the OnePlus 15’s Touch Response Chip. I certainly understand how latency could make the biggest difference while gaming, so it’s nice to have controls that feel super sensitive.

IR blaster to control TVs

OnePlus’ flagships have always had one ace up their sleeve, and the OnePlus 15 is no exception. That’s because it continues to come with a built-in IR blaster that lets me control my TVs, set top boxes, streaming devices, and much more. It’s like having a universal remote on my phone, which can be programmed to control multiple devices.

Now, I don’t ever have to worry if I can’t find my remote — I just use my OnePlus 15. Unfortunately I can’t do the same with the Galaxy S25 Ultra.

Way better lock screen with Flux Themes

I’ll admit that OnePlus has really polished its OxygenOS 16 software to the point where it beats Samsung’s One UI 8 on the Galaxy S25 Ultra in many areas. Most notably it’s with the home and lock screens, where OnePlus’ new Flux Themes inject style and flavor to the way everything looks.

Not only are the wallpaper options dramatic in nature, but small details like the depth effect that overlay parts of the clock over my wallpaper and vice versa really adds to the look. Plus, I can customize just about everything with the UI — down to the system colors and icons.

Easily send files to iPhone

I always carry an iPhone and Android on me at all times. One of the most frustrating things about the opposing platforms is that you can’t easily send files from one to the other. Even though there’s no easy way to send files from my Galaxy S25 Ultra to an iPhone, I can do it with my OnePlus 15.

That’s because the OnePlus 15 has a convenient file transfer system that works with iPhone — and a PC as well. This is all made possible through the O+ Connect app on my iPhone 16 Pro Max, where I can send and receive files from my OnePlus 15. The best part about it is that I can send other files besides photos and videos, like audio recordings, PDFs, and more.

Support for multiple users

If there’s one thing I wish Samsung could bring back, it has to be support for multiple users. Even though it’s a native feature of Android, Samsung has been reluctant to enable it for a long time now — which is exactly what makes the OnePlus 15 better for offering it.

Not everyone may use this feature, but it does have its merits. For example, I can set up a Guest account to let others have access to the phone.

Alternatively, you could set an account up for your kids, complete with their own apps and content. And if you’re like me, you can set up separate accounts for your work and personal profiles.

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The OnePlus 15 is an impressive new entry to the smartphone market, showing off the power of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset that figures to power many of the best Android phones shipping in the coming year. And that's before we even get to the OnePlus 15's epic battery life, which sets a new standard for longevity.

And yet, that's not the OnePlus device that I'm keen to get my hands on. Instead, I'm hoping to see what the lower-cost OnePlus 15R brings to the table — assuming it enjoys as wide a launch as its predecessors.

For two years running, OnePlus has released an R series phone alongside its main flagship — first the OnePlus 12R, more recently the OnePlus 13R — and they've quickly emerged as great options for anyone who doesn't want to pay top dollar for a phone.

I had the chance to review both devices, and in each instance, I found a phone that offered a powerful processor, long-lasting battery and decent cameras for a couple hundred less than the regular OnePlus flagship. More significantly, the few compromises you have to make for the lower-priced R series phone aren't dealbreakers in my opinion.

The OnePlus 15R figures to continue that tradition, scaling back some of the OnePlus 15's features, but otherwise delivering a very capable device. It's just a matter of finding out where this less expensive model will be available.

OnePlus 15R: What we know so far

It's very clear that the OnePlus 15R will be shipping in some parts of the world. The phone maker has posted OnePlus 15 teasers on localized versions of its website in some markets, including the U.K.

In fact, U.K. customers who register to learn more about the OnePlus 15R can secure themselves a £200 credit when they buy the phone. Assuming the new model matches the OnePlus 13R's $599 / £679 starting price, that's some pretty significant savings.

OnePlus has been less forthcoming with details about the OnePlus 15R, but it's sort of tipped its hand with a version of the phone already announced in China. The OnePlus Ace 6 came out last month, and it's widely assumed this will be the 15R in countries, just under a different name.

Assuming that's true, you'd expect the OnePlus 15R to run on a Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset. While not as advanced as the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 powering the OnePlus 15, this older Qualcomm silicon still delivers strong CPU and GPU performance while also helping maximize battery life — this is the same chip powering top phones like the Galaxy S25 and OnePlus 13, after all.

Just as significant, the OnePlus Ace 6 lists a 7,800 mAh battery, bigger than even the super-sized 7,300 mAh power pack in the OnePlus 15. It's unclear if that bigger battery uses the silicon-carbon technology that lets the OnePlus 15 pack a denser battery into a smaller space, but it seems like the OnePlus 15R will be well-positioned to improve on its predecessor's impressive battery life.

Other noteworthy Ace 6 specs expected to find their way to the OnePlus 15R include a 6.83-inch display with a 165Hz refresh rate, a 50MP main camera paired with an 8MP ultrawide shooter and OnePlus' ColorOS 16 software built on top of Android 16.

OnePlus 15R: Why it matters

Comparing those likely OnePlus 15R specs to what the OnePlus 15 actually delivers, you'll notice a few trade-offs, though they aren't all that major. The display refresh rate is the same, and the 15R would actually offer a larger battery. (However, if OnePlus follows its game plan from past R series phones, you won't get wireless charging support as you do with the main flagship.)

The OnePlus 15R wouldn't have as powerful a chipset as the OnePlus 15, but the Snapdragon 8 Elite is still a high-end system-on-chip. Forget about a dedicated telephoto lens, too, but that's another compromise some users would be willing to make for a lower price.

And the OnePlus 15R figures to cost less than its flagship counterpart. This year's OnePlus 13R came in at a $300 discount from the OnePlus 13. If that gap holds, you could pay as little as $599 for a phone that offers a number of premium capabilities.

OnePlus 15R: Is it coming to the U.S.?

Of course, that assumes a U.S. release for the OnePlus 15R, and at present, that could be a big assumption. Unlike the U.K. version for the OnePlus website, there's no OnePlus 15R teaser here — only the OnePlus 15 merits a mention at this point.

I'm hopeful that changes, especially since there's no confirmed U.S. launch date for the OnePlus 15 yet. If OnePlus sticks to its usual pattern, that's unlikely to happen before the new year — the OnePlus 13 came out this past January, for example. And the OnePlus 13R, announced when the OnePlus 13 launched, arrived later that month. So at least there's historical precedent.

There's no arguing with the appeal of flagship phones, and we've seen firsthand what the OnePlus 15 has to offer. But not everyone wants to pay flagship prices, which is why having capable midrange alternatives is so important. OnePlus has recognized that with its recent R series phones — here's hoping the OnePlus 15R can continue that trend.

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Multitasking is still one of those things that’s never easy to do, even on the best phones out there running the fastest processors and with more RAM than ever before. What’s crazier is that it took until now for it to be perfected, by none other than the OnePlus 15.

All phones, including iPhones, let you switch between apps with ease — but this is technically app switching rather than real multi-tasking. While some of the best Android phones have better implementation with their split-screen modes, the OnePlus 15 takes it to another level that actually makes the most sense on a smartphone.

That’s because it copies a feature first introduced with the OnePlus Open, called Open Canvas multitasking, but adapts it for the slab form factor of the OnePlus 15. Here’s why it’s the best implementation I’ve experienced to date.

Intuitive multitasking with Smart Sidebar

The OnePlus 15's intuitive way of multitasking is achieved through the Smart Sidebar feature of OxygenOS 16, which functions very similar to Samsung’s Edge Panel. It’s an accessible tray that expands to show all of the quick access apps that I’ve chosen, which I like referring to as a glorified apps panel that overlays over everything — allowing me to run two apps simultaneously.

If I select an app from there, it opens it up in a separate floating window. The three dots at the top of this window lets me change the view to full screen, minimize, or split view. With the latter, it dynamically resizes the window of the app I’m using to see more of it. You can see it in action above when I have Chrome running, but then proceed to use the Smart Sidebar to open Instagram.

But the beauty of this implementation is how the windows dynamically resize depending on which app I’m using. While keeping both apps running at the same time, you can see how it reframes the interface so that each app can run in essentially their full size. When I tap on the window for Chrome, it switches the frame to let me see more of it — and vice versa when I do the same for Instagram.

This is exactly what made Open Canvas so unique when I first tried it with the OnePlus Open. For a slate phone, however, the OnePlus 15 perfects the art of multitasking.

Games can be resized and remain playable

Of course, multitasking is handled much easier with some of the best foldable phones. Models like the Galaxy Z Fold 7 let you run upwards to four apps simultaneously, but it’s a much different story with flip-style phones like the Motorola Razr Ultra (2025) and Galaxy Z Flip 7. They have problems resizing many of the games I play, but the OnePlus 15 doesn’t.

That’s because it’s able to keep the same full-screen experience playing those games thanks to its dynamic resizing. For example, I’m able to run Ages of Origins alongside another app — without any resizing issues. That’s important because oftentimes these games end up looking funky when they’re rescaled, but the OnePlus 15 keeps the full-screen experience.

Another nagging problem I have multitasking with games is that they sometimes have to refresh when I switch to another app for a brief moment. Not only does my OnePlus 15 have 16GB of RAM to keep my games active in memory, but the performance of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 keeps the performance smooth even when I’m going back and forth.

Floating apps squeeze in one more app

Finally, the Smart Sidebar feature of the OnePlus 15 lets me run a third app. I know that might be overkill on a phone, but there are times when I need to access an app without closing the stuff I’m already using. With the minimize function of the Smart Sidebar, I can ‘minimize’ a third app and set it aside.

You can see above how I can minimize TikTok, which is then shown as an icon that I can access at any time. Small details like this show how OnePlus takes multitasking much more seriously than other phone makers.

Clearly it’s a cut above what Apple’s doing with its latest phones, the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max, which are still using the old apps switching paradigm. For as much as I love them, it’s still a pain having to switch between apps all the time. Apple could just adapt the multitasking model it already has in place with the best iPads, but it could compromise its performance.

In contrast, Samsung’s been offering one of the best multitasking experiences with its flagship models, but it lacks the dynamic resizing of OnePlus’ way of doing it. Google’s long offered split-style multitasking, but just like Samsung, its Pixel phones could benefit from an overhaul to match OnePlus.

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For as long as I can remember testing the best phones — 17-plus years at this point — there hasn’t been a time when a flagship model lasted me more than a day of battery life. But that all changes with the OnePlus 15, and fundamentally speaking, it opens up a new era for all phones going forward.

This is a big deal, so much so that I haven’t seen battery life this good since the pre-smartphone days when I was still rocking a flip phone. Back then, it wasn’t unheard of to get several days of use from your handset.

While smartphones kept on getting big and more powerful, the battery tech didn’t keep up. That’s why most flagships to this day still require nightly charging.

Part of the reason why the OnePlus 15 is such a big deal is because it isn’t using a lithium-ion battery like most phones. Instead, the company has turned to a silicon-carbon battery that crams in more density without adding any unnecessary weight or thickness to the phone. Here’s the result from our OnePlus 15 battery test.

OnePlus 15 battery test: What you need to know

By now, I’m sure you’re well aware about battery capacities. Higher ones tend to mean longer battery life, but the downside is that they often increase the overall size of the phone. That’s why bigger phones like the iPhone 17 Pro Max and Galaxy S25 Ultra last much longer than their smaller counterparts. That’s the limitation of lithium-ion batteries.

The OnePlus 15 leverages a totally new battery — a 7,300 mAh carbon silicone dual cell battery, which on paper seems like a massive increase in capacity over the 5,000 mAh power packs found in many of the models in our best phone battery life list. This is made possible through OnePlus’ advanced Silicon NanoStack technology, which achieves greater energy density due to the 15% silicone content that’s incorporated into the anode.

What does this all mean? Quite simply, it’s a much more energy dense capacity that doesn’t require any additional size increase. Now just imagine how thin phones like the iPhone Air and Galaxy S25 Edge could’ve benefited from using this new battery tech.

OnePlus 15 battery test: Tom's Guide battery drain test

Just like all the phones that go through the Tom’s Guide testing lab, battery life is determined by manually setting a device's display to 150 nits and running a script that simulates normal web surfing over cellular connectivity until the phone runs out of power. These times are recorded and then averaged to give us the result.

The OnePlus 15 sets a new record on our test because of its 25 hours and 13 minutes result. That’s a staggering feat to achieve when I look at the gap against its closest flagship rivals, the iPhone 17 Pro Max and Galaxy S25 Ultra. Running the same exact battery drain test on them, the Galaxy S25 Ultra manages a time of 14 hours and 27 minutes — while the iPhone 17 Pro Max lasts longer at 17 hours and 54 minutes.

Although the previous OnePlus 13 shows a remarkable battery life time at 19 hours and 45 minutes, it was achieved using an older version of the test. I suspect that it would be more in line with the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s time if we retested that year-old phone. Either way, it proves that the efficiency of the OnePlus 15's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 silicon combined with this new battery tech results in a big boost to battery life performance.

OnePlus 15 battery test: real world results

Now, I’m not one to solely judge a phone’s battery life performance from a synthetic test. I put more value into the real world results I get from using a phone with my daily routine, which is why I’m utterly blown away by the OnePlus 15.

After a full day of using the phone, I found its battery capacity down to 68% right when my head was about to hit the pillow on my bed. This is an anomaly like no other because even the best phones I’ve tested rarely ever get more than 30% — so to find the OnePlus 15 at 68% after a day felt odd.

I convinced myself not to charge the OnePlus 15 overnight, choosing instead to gamble on another day’s use. By the time I finished up at work the next day, I thought the battery would be closer to being depleted — but it proved me wrong. This time, the OnePlus 15 was showing a battery level of 24% by the time my night was over. Again, I thought about charging it at this point, but I wanted to see exactly how much longer I could get out of it.

Once it got to 20%, that’s when the battery indicator finally turned to red. I kept on using the OnePlus 15 normally for several more hours until it finally got to 2%, where I finally decided to throw in the towel and recharge. What’s really crazy is the runtime: 2 days, 11 hours, and 5 minutes. That’s almost 2.5 days on a full charge, which could’ve been more considering that the phone didn’t go into any power saving mode — and how I had the screen resolution and refresh rate set to high.

OnePlus 15 battery test: Bottom line

Obviously, usage varies by person to person. I would classify myself as a power user because I enjoy putting in some time playing some of my favorite games, watching reels on TikTok and Instagram, recording videos of the many best electric cars I get to test, and all of the apps I use.

The OnePlus 15 doesn’t just have the best phone battery life, but it’s also quite speedy at recharging courtesy of its 80W SUPERVOOC wired charging. Even though my own testing showed it peaking at 65W, the phone was still able to get the battery to 81% with 30 minutes of charging. All of this changes my perception that I can count on a phone to give me more than a couple days of use with a single charge.

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OnePlus doesn’t want to wait until the upcoming new year to launch its flagship like in previous years. Instead, the company wants to see 2025 out with a bang before the year’s over with the launch of the OnePlus 15.

For the last two generations, OnePlus has managed to narrow the divide between its flagship model and all the best phones out there by undercutting its rivals on price. Both the Pixel 10 Pro XL and iPhone 17 Pro Max still cost over $1,000, so there's a huge opportunity here.

The OnePlus 15 continues that philosophy, but more importantly, it feels like a completely different phone from everything else I’ve tested this year. That’s because this Android phone doesn’t just move the needle by a little - it shatters records. I’ve been testing out the OnePlus 15 for over a week now and it really is the new phone to beat. Here’s why.

OnePlus 15 review: Specifications

OnePlus 15 review: Price and release

Despite all the tariffs on imports, I’m happy to see that we’re getting another year of no price hikes with the latest OnePlus model. Just like its predecessor, the OnePlus 15 has a starting cost of $899.99 — but that’s for only the Infinite Black color with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.

The other two colors, Sand Storm and Ultra Violet, command a price of $999.99 and come with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. For the additional cost, I think they’re the better value because they still beat all their competitors. Needless to say, I’m happy about these prices, but OnePlus warns that the “price is subject to change due to current market conditions,” which could mean the cost increases down the line.

Regardless, these prices still beat the $1,000+ prices of other flagship models. Even though it’s launched overseas in China already, there’s still no confirmed launch date for the OnePlus 15 in the U.S.

OnePlus 15 review: Design

The OnePlus 15 is a completely different looking phone, flaunting more iPhone aesthetics than ever before. Gone is the circular camera hump on the back that made it distinctly a OnePlus. That’s ditched for a square housing that looks awfully like the iPhone 16 Pro Max — before Apple stretched it out with the iPhone 17 Pro Max.

Likewise, it borrows the same flat-edge design and rounded corners found on the iPhone. While it does seem like a direct copy, I really do like the minimalism that OnePlus is going after. With my Sand Storm colorway, it’s proven to be way more resistant to scratching because of how it uses MAO (Micro-Arc Oxidation) technology on the frame to create a ceramic-grade coating over the metal surface.

All of this makes it look smooth, almost matte-like to the touch. At the same time, it’s pretty manageable to hold in the hand being shorter and narrower than the iPhone 17 Pro Max — while tipping the scales at 7.44 ounces. I’ve dropped it several times onto carpeted flooring and even threw it into my backpack against other phones, but I’ve yet to see any major blemishes around the back and its Gorilla Glass Victus 2 front.

Also a first for phones, the OnePlus 15 sets a standard for smartphone durability with its IP66, IP68, IP69 and IP69K ratings. The latter two ensures protection from high pressure water jets at temperatures up to 176 degrees Fahrenheit (80 degrees Celsius).

OnePlus 15 review: Display

Usually it’s rare for a phone’s display to scale back its resolution, but that’s what’s going on with the OnePlus 15’s 6.78-inch LTPO panel. Rather than the 2K resolution (3,168 x 1,440 pixels) from the previous OnePlus 13, it goes down to 1.5K resolution (2,772 x 1,272 pixels).

That’s a big jump in terms of the amount of pixels it’s sacrificing with the display, but I’m not worried because 1.5K is still crisp and detailed to me with its 450-ppi pixel density. I played the same 4K HDR video I run on all phones I test and it looks no different with its strong details, rich colors, and wide viewing angles.

However, I’m a little disappointed that it still doesn’t come close to matching the brightness of other phones. Tom’s Guide’s testing reveals a peak brightness of 1,222 nits — which is an improvement over the OnePlus 13’s reach of 1,104 nits — but still trails the iPhone 17 Pro Max by a wide margin. Due to this, I’m constantly finding myself having to shield it during the daytime when the sun’s out.

Another interesting characteristic that I immediately notice is the sensitivity of the display. It seems like the slightest touch triggers the display, but this is attributed to its lightning fast refresh rate. While its adaptive 120Hz refresh rate makes scrolling and making through the software look so effortless, it was even more astounding when I loaded up a round in PUBG Mobile and Call of Duty Mobile, which unlocked its 165Hz refresh rate.

Paired with OnePlus’ Dedicated Touch Response Chip, I never experienced gaming this intense and responsive. If you thought gaming at 120Hz was blistering fast, you’re in for a treat with 165Hz gaming because of the tight controls I found playing those games.

OnePlus 15 review: Cameras

OnePlus has made great strides the last couple of generations around its camera performance — and the OnePlus 15 is no exception. This year’s arrangement consists of a 50MP main shooter, 50MP ultrawide, and a 50MP telephoto with 3.5x optical zoom. There’s a 32MP selfie camera around the front that finishes the package.

This all might look familiar, as the OnePlus 13 also features a 50MP triple camera system, but there are differences. For example, the main camera now uses a Sony IMX906 sensor, while the telephoto uses a JN5 sensor in a W-style periscope design. Paired with OnePlus’ DetailMax Engine that effectively enhances the performance of the cameras, it gives many of the best camera phones a good run for their money.

Besides the hardware, there’s a lot I love about the camera app. Not only does it have all the shooting modes I crave as an enthusiast, like dual-view video for side-by-side simultaneous video recording using two cameras and a pro video mode, but there’s also the ability to shoot 8K video and 4K 120 fps natively.

I have to admit the 50MP main camera puts out outstanding results, like how it delivers the brighter picture, sharper details, and more definition in the shots I captured above from Bryant Park. The Galaxy S25 Ultra’s main 200MP camera is no slouch, but the OnePlus 15 shows it’s more capable.

Against the iPhone 17 Pro, I’m again amazed by the OnePlus 15’s ultrawide camera’s performance. That’s because it delivers a brighter picture overall, along with better detail when I zoom into different parts of the shot — like the trees to the left and the building in the far background.

I don't have issues with the way the OnePlus 15 reproduces colors, but it definitely overexposes the highlights more so than the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Just check out the blue flower arrangement and some of the other red flowers.

The selfies I shot above prove why you shouldn’t ever judge a camera for the amount of megapixels it offers. Compared to the iPhone 17 Pro’s 18MP Center Stage camera, the OnePlus 15’s 32MP selfie shooter suffers from a softer look and washed out skin tones.

Macro mode is automatically enabled when it senses it’s close to a subject, just like the chrysanthemums above. With the OnePlus 15, it leans on the ultrawide for all macro shots and I think it does a better job of capturing them than the iPhone 17 Pro. When I zoom into the middle flower, it’s noticeably sharper and results in a more dramatic shot.

The OnePlus 15 handles panorama well, with options to capture them with the ultrawide, main, or telephoto cameras. I stuck with the main camera when I took the panorama of the New York Public Library on the other side of Bryant Park, which I think does better against the iPhone 17 Pro with how it manages to capture the same details — like the stonework around the building — and how it doesn’t suffer from the overexposure I see with the buildings on the right.

OnePlus phones have come far based on my experience, but despite all the advancements, it still underperforms under low light against its rivals. Most notably, you can see how the shot of the tree in my backyard above looks really underexposed compared to the iPhone 17 Pro. At the same time, it captures less definition.

To test out its telephoto performance, I pitted it against the Pixel 10 Pro XL, which, on paper, has an advantage because of how its 48MP telephoto camera has 5x optical zoom. The OnePlus 15 has a 3.5x optical zoom. That certainly has the upper hand with the 3.5x zoom shots I captured of the building above. While it’s underexposed compared to the Pixel, zooming in reveals more detail and definition.

Next up, I moved to 10x and locked onto one side of the building. At this zoom level, both phones are leaning on a bit of sensor zooming and digital zoom to get to 10x — and as a result, look much softer. However, I still prefer the OnePlus 15 for its stronger, more contrasted look.

The Pixel 10 Pro XL was my favorite zoom phone because of how Pro Res Zoom enhances all zoom photos captured at 30x or higher. This one’s tough because while the OnePlus 15 also gets help from AI, I think it’s way too aggressive. For example, the bricks lose their textures and look more like a painting than an actual photo. The only reason I think the Pixel 10 Pro XL does better here is that it retains some of that detail.

OnePlus 15: Video recording

As much as I love it as a photographer’s camera, the OnePlus 15 has the stuff I crave as a videographer. It’s one of the few phones that offer native 8K 30fps and 4K 120fps recording out of the box, along with a Pro Video mode and LOG recording to round out its video-centric features.

Against the Galaxy S25 Ultra, the OnePlus 15 produces crisp 4K 30fps videos that have plenty of detail and sharpness. You can see how it matches the S25 Ultra in those two areas, including the way it adapts the exposure accordingly when there’s a sudden shift in the shot. I’m also pleased by its stabilization.

Apple’s flagship phones aren’t the only ones that can shoot 4K 120fps natively, which is why I really dig the OnePlus 15 as a video camera. I can tell it delivers that silky smooth look that this high frame rate is supposed to offer, but I actually prefer how the OnePlus 15’s footage looks brighter in most of the scenes, along with how skin tones look more vibrant.

Lastly, I want to illustrate how its 8K 30fps video recording compares to the Galaxy S25 Ultra with the clips above from Bryant Park. The first thing I can instantly tell is how the OnePlus 15’s footage looks cleaner and with more definition. There’s definitely less contrast which also makes it look more cinematic in a way, whereas the S25 Ultra’s heavy color saturation is a distraction.

OnePlus 15 review: Performance

Despite being one of the last major phone releases of the year, the OnePlus 15 has the distinction of being the first to showcase the power of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset. Not surprisingly, synthetic benchmark tests prove it’s a beast with Geekbench 6 single and multi-core scores of 3,618 and 11,116, respectively.

Those scores easily eclipse the phones powered by Qualcomm’s previous Snapdragon 8 Elite, like the OnePlus 13 and Galaxy S25 Ultra. And while the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s A19 Pro chip delivers a better single core score, the OnePlus 15 sets itself apart from the entire pack with its multi-core score.

Meanwhile, its GPU performance equally deserves recognition because it trounces the iPhone 17 Pro Max and Galaxy S25 Ultra. In 3DMark’s Wild Life Unlimited test, it manages to sustain an average frame rate of 173.83 fps — which is still way smoother than its closest rivals. Like I said earlier, there are some games that support its 165Hz refresh rate. The difference is immediate as games like PUBG Mobile and Call of Duty Mobile look incredibly fluid, which combined with its 360 Cryo-Velocity Cooling system, sustains peak gaming performance while remaining cool.

That sense of responsiveness is seen in everything I do with the phone. From scrolling through the interface to running multiple apps simultaneously, it never lets up with its performance. I’m also astounded by its responsiveness even after I’ve set the screen resolution and refresh rate to their highest setting.

OnePlus 15 review: Battery and charging

This is, without question, the most satisfying part of the OnePlus 15 because it’s the only flagship phone I’ve used that lasts me more than two days. U.S. consumers are in for a treat because it’s the first major release stateside to come with a silicon-carbon battery. Quite frankly, it reshapes how I think about phones going forward.

That’s because there’s a dense 7,300 mAh battery cell that uses advanced Silicon Nanostack technology to cram in more energy without making the battery any larger. As a result, it’s not any thicker or heavier than any other flagship, while also setting a new record for battery life.

Tom’s Guide’s battery drain test results in a time of 25 hours and 13 minutes, which propels it to the top of our list with the best phone battery life. It smokes everything before it, including the iPhone 17 Pro Max. I still should point out that the OnePlus 13 reached a time of 19 hours and 45 minutes — but that was on an older version of the test. If it were to run the new one, I suspect it’d get a similar time as the iPhone 17 Pro Max.

Regardless of that, what matters more to me is how much battery life I can get with my day-to-day use. I was already blown away when it got down to 68% after my first day of using it, but I was in for a shock when it was at 24% by the second full day. All told, the battery lasted me a whopping 2 days, 11 hours, and 5 minutes when it was at 2% capacity. This isn’t just a record - it ushers in a new age for smartphones.

Not to be outdone, the OnePlus 15 also features 80W SUPERVOOC wired charging, which got it to 45% with 15 minutes of charging and then to 81% in 30 minutes. In my own testing, I saw its wired charging peak at 65W with the included SUPERVOOC charger. However, it can still charge faster when using the optional OnePlus SUPERVOOC 100W GaN charger. Finally, it also continues to set itself apart with its 50W AIRVOOC wireless charging speed.

OnePlus 15 review: Software and AI

When the OnePlus 13 launched, it felt underwhelming largely because of the lack of AI features. In a time when its rivals are proving how advantageous they are, OnePlus missed this opportunity — but it redeems itself here with OxygenOS 16.

There are some new aesthetic changes to the interface, which runs on top of Android 16. From a productivity standpoint, it rivals Samsung’s One UI because of how it executes multitasking. It’s all done with the help of the smart sidebar, a hidden tab overlaid on top of the interface that’s a repository for quick access to apps. In fact, it operates much like Open Canvas that I love with the OnePlus Open — whereby it dynamically changes the layout when two apps are running on top of one another.

Other OxygenOS staple features continue to make an appearance in this latest version, like the Shelf, along with more personalization options to the home and lock screens. Really, it’s a good upgrade in terms of the visuals, but I still like Apple’s approach with Liquid Glass.

However, the biggest boost to OxygenOS 16 are all the new OnePlus AI features that make the experience even more satisfying. Compared to last year’s offering, it’s a night-and-day difference. OnePlus has its own versions of the many AI features I find in other phones, like an AI Writer tool that gives me options to convert my writing so that it’s social media friendly, as well as an AI recorder app that transcribes voice recordings and summarizes them.

But it goes beyond that with even more tools for photo editing. For example, I’ve used its version of Google’s Magic Eraser called AI Eraser, which accurately removes people from a shot with ease. It functions much like Apple’s Photo Clean Up, but the results are way better.

Another Google AI feature that the OnePlus 15 copies is the ability to create new faces in group shots so they’re smiling, called AI Perfect Shot, which works incredibly well. It analyzes the photo for faces and then produces a number of options I can choose from — with convincing results, as a matter of fact.

There’s also AI Portrait Glow, which I haven’t seen before in other phones. Basically, it helps boost the lighting conditions so that it corrects areas that are underexposed or overexposed. I think of it more as an HDR auto-correction because I was able to boost the exposure of my face to better stand out from the background.

If you're still not convinced by its AI, then check out the before and after results with the AI Unblur feature I applied to the out of focus shot of the Fiat 500e above. It was clearly blurred with the original, but one quick tap puts it all into focus.

And finally, there’s OnePlus’ version of Pixel Screenshots, called Plus Mind, which can recall information after storing screengrabs via a press of the dedicated Plus Key on the left side of the phone. While it doesn’t technically save a screenshot, it’s basically doing that — which I can then revisit in the Mind Space app.

It’s great for remembering event times, locations, and other important information I want to recall later, but my issue is that this requires proactive participation on my part. I would love this feature more if it could do it all on its own without me having to always tell it to remember these details.

Beyond that, the OnePlus 15 carries many of my favorite Google AI features, like multimodal Gemini Live and Circle to Search. And now that the Google Photos app has access to the Ask Photos feature, it really has a lot of stuff I use with Pixel phones.

OnePlus pledges 4 years of Android updates and 6 years of security updates. The former’s a little short compared to the 7 years Samsung and Google offer with their flagships, so I wish it were longer for the OnePlus 15.

OnePlus 15 review: Verdict

In years past, OnePlus’s flagship has always finished behind Apple, Samsung, and Google — but that changes in a big way with the OnePlus 15. It’s not just an iterative update, it’s a substantial one that’s more satisfying than anything else it’s released.

One thing’s for sure: its new battery tech proves that phones can last longer than just a single day. Considering how we’ve all become complacent with one-day battery life, it’s unbelievable that I can get more than two days out of a phone again, which is something I haven’t seen since the old flip phone days of the early 2000s.

But of course, it all falls back on that “Never Settle” philosophy — and OnePlus certainly continues that here. Not only does it undercut its rivals on price, which I hope it remains at $899, but it’s backed with a new software experience complete with AI features that boost the experience. I just can’t believe that the best phone to come out this year waited until now to be released, but it’s worth the wait.

We wouldn't blame you for not paying attention to Chinese phone launches, but the OnePlus 15 just debuted in its home territory, and the announcement has us excited for the upcoming global launch.

As we've seen in previous years, OnePlus has announced its latest flagship phone with a China-only initial reveal. While you wouldn't want to buy this particular phone yet (import fees and a China-specific OS are two big reasons), a worldwide release should happen soon, perhaps in November as some rumors are suggesting.

OnePlus 15: Price and key specs

Pricing information with phones launching in China is often a little muddy. OnePlus is asking for RMB 3,999 for the basic Chinese edition of the 15, which converts to about $560 USD.

That sounds incredibly cheap, but direct price comparisons between countries with different methods of taxing tech, especially when that tech is built domestically versus in a nation you're currently in a trade war with, aren't always helpful.

A better guideline will be last year's OnePlus 13's launch price in China, which at RMB 4,799, makes the latest model about 17% cheaper than before. It's also cheaper than the older OnePlus 12, which started at RMB 4,299, perhaps suggesting that OnePlus wants to go back to its roots of beating flagship phones from a lower price point rather than competing directly.

It takes only a glance to see that the OnePlus 15 has a fresh look, with a square rear camera block, rather than the company's usual circular one. This does have precedent though, as it's the design we first saw on the OnePlus 13T, the miniaturized version of the OnePlus 13 that sadly isn't sold outside China and India.

The Plus Key is something else inherited from the OnePlus 13T. This replaces the OnePlus Alert Slider, which will be basically blasphemy for OnePlus' longest-serving fans. In return for removing the slider, you instead get a rebindable button that can still mute the phone but can do many more things, such as activate the phone's Plus Mind AI features.

OnePlus' color offering for this model consists of Absolute Black, Sand Dunes (which is cream/gold) and Mist Purple. It's a pleasantly wide-ranging set of options, even if it misses out a classic OnePlus green.

We often see flagship phones rated IP68 against water and dust intrusion, but OnePlus has decided to get the 15 four different ratings: IP66, IP68, IP69 and IP69K. That means the phone should definitely keep dust away from the key components, and won't be beaten by water either, whether you're submerging the phone or attacking it with hot water jets.

An enormous 7,300 mAh battery lives within the OnePlus 15, which is a way higher capacity than any other flagship smartphone you can buy right now. To help fill up all that space, OnePlus has kept its usual fast charging promise by equipping the 15 with 120W wired and 50W wireless charging capabilities.

The battery goes toward powering both the phone's 6.78-inch AMOLED display. It features an impressive 165Hz peak refresh rate, higher than the usual 120Hz that modern Android phones offer.

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It seems as though OnePlus is pushing to make its phones more like an iPhone than any Android phone has a right to be — and that includes adding limited Apple Watch support. Yes, you heard that right, OnePlus's upcoming Android 16 update will add support for Apple's wearables (via 9to5Google).

It's fair to say that none of us actually saw that coming. And I'd like to be there with the popcorn when Apple realizes.

OnePlus has just revealed our first look at its OxygenOS 16 update, which should arrive alongside OnePlus 15. It comes with a new "breath" design language, which looks almost the same as iOS. There's no beating around the bush here; it's another example of a rival phone maker copying Apple's homework.

Admittedly, though, OnePlus hasn't made the mistake of copying Liquid Glass. As much as I dislike Android phone makers copying iOS, I can be happy that OnePlus hasn't mimicked what is easily one of the most controversial aspects of iOS 26.

Other Apple-like features in OxygenOS 16 include a Control Center-looking Quick Settings menu, lock screen widgets with what seems to be a Live Activities clone, and an App Drawer settings that groups all your software into categories — just like Apple.

I can't comment fully, since I haven't actually used OxygenOS 16, but I definitely don't like where this is going. Part of the reason why I don't typically use iPhones is the software — so I don't like the idea of Android morphing into something indistinguishable from iOS. Not to mention the fact that we shouldn't want all our phones to look the same.

Apple is Apple, and trying to emulate it probably isn't going to change many minds. Adding the Apple Watch into the mix is just the icing on the cake.

Apple Watch support? How is that going to work?

If you go out and buy an Apple Watch right now, your only option is to pair it with an iPhone. There's been no getting around that requirement, even if you own other Apple products like an iPad. The Apple Watch is completely iPhone-based, and that's clearly how Apple likes it.

But OnePlus claims that it will allow users to pair their Apple Watch to a OnePlus phone through the OHealth app. Apparently, this will enable notifications, messaging, phone call support, and sync your exercise records.

So it's not the full Apple Watch experience, and arguably less than you'd get with an Android-friendly smartwatch. But it's still something you will be able to do, assuming you have the dying need to pair an Apple wearable with a OnePlus phone.

It is not entirely clear whether you can set up the Apple Watch with a OnePlus, or if you'll need an iPhone to get the watch up and running — which would render this feature almost completely pointless. We'll also have to wait and see what Apple does in the meantime, and whether OnePlus is exploiting a loophole that can be closed up.

As we saw when developers used loopholes to bring iMessage support to Android phones, Apple does not like it when you try and force open cracks in the walled garden. So don't expect this particular feature to stay around forever.

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In late September, OnePlus teased its next phone, the OnePlus 15, at a Qualcomm event confirming that the new handset will be among the first to use the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset. Additionally, OnePlus announced that its flagship device will get a global launch.

However, neither the Chinese launch date nor the global window was actually released. It's widely believed that the OnePlus could debut in China on October 27.

Thanks to a new leak from the Indian version of 91Mobiles (spotted by Pocket-lint), the global version could launch just two weeks later on November 13. That's months earlier than usual.

Typically, OnePlus likes to launch its flagship phone in China in October. The global release usually doesn't come until January of the following year. As an example, last year's OnePlus 13 initially released on Halloween, while the US version wasn't available until January 7 of this year.

Intriguing specs

The Snapdragon 8 Elite already powers some of the best Android phones, but this new Qualcomm chip is packing some serious performance. The OnePlus 15 could eclipse the Galaxy S25 Ultra and iPhone 17 Pro Max and provide serious competition for next year's Galaxy S26 Ultra.

Outside of a powerful chipset, the 15 is coming in black and a new colorway dubbed "sand storm." It also features a square camera layout, a notable departure from the circular frames used in the previous iterations. That camera will also be the first after OnePlus ended its partnership with Hasselblad.

Additionally, the phone should have a display with a 165Hz refresh rate with ultra-thin 1.15mm bezels. We don't know much more than that, but if these timelines are true, we'll know more about the OnePlus 15 in three short weeks.

Price?

91Mobiles reported that the OnePlus 15 could cost between ₹65,000 and ₹70,000, which translates to between $732 and $788.

In the U.S., the OnePlus 13 is available starting at $899. Assuming tariffs don't drastically raise prices, we're expecting a similar cost for the OnePlus 15.

More from Tom's Guide

• The iPhone 17 got a lot of big updates from Apple — but there's one thing missing
• I just switched from iPhone 16 Pro Max to iPhone Air — what I like and what I don't
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The OnePlus 15 is right around the corner, and the company has been hard at work posting promotional shots of the new Android flagship on Chinese social media. The latest images show the phone in its upcoming "Sand Dune" color which looks like a softly muted golden hue.

And if you're thinking it bears something of a resemblance to the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max's Desert Titanium shade, I won't disagree with you.

A separate image shows the phone's display and also gives us a pretty obvious clue about when it'll receive its official launch. The phone's display shows October 27, which lines up perfectly with OnePlus' previous launch — the OnePlus 13 arrived in China on October 31 last year.

It then arrived in the US a few months later, in January. While we would normally expect the OnePlus 15 to do the same and land in North America in January 2026, there has been some speculation that the international launch could happen as soon as November.

According to reports, the OnePlus 15 will feature a body constructed from aerospace-grade nano-ceramic metal. OnePlus says it’s 134% harder than titanium, 223% harder than stainless steel, and 344% tougher than anodized aluminum. Whether or not that proves accurate is going to be hard to fact-check but we'll certainly be testing this phone for durability as and when we're able to secure a review unit.

OnePlus has also already confirmed the phone will be powered by Qualcomm’s next-generation Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Mobile Platform. The current Snapdragon 8 Elite powers many of the best Android phones, so the OnePlus 15 could blow past them when it drops.

Rounding out some of the rumors, the phone will likely sport a 6.78-inch 1.5K display with a 165Hz refresh rate and bezels that are just 1.15mm thick. Alongside the Sand Dune color, it's also expected to come in "Absolute Black" and "Mist Purple".

Pricing is unknown at this point, but the OnePlus 13 arrived with a starting price of $899/£899 for a 12GB/256GB spec. Our review called it the best Android phone for the money, and hopefully, OnePlus is preparing to repeat that feat for 2026.

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In the last couple of years, OnePlus has kept a routine of launching its flagship phone in China first before the end of the year — saving its global launch for after the beginning of the new year. With the OnePlus 15, however, it could be coming way sooner than you think.

In fact, OnePlus announced today that the OnePlus 15 is going to be powered by Qualcomm’s next-generation chipset: the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Mobile Platform. Apple’s A19 Pro chip has already flexed its muscle power over the current Snapdragon 8 Elite that powers many of the best Android phones around, like the OnePlus 13 and Galaxy S25 Ultra, but the OnePlus 15 could eclipse them all.

There's still no indication on when the launch will actually, but it could happen way earlier. First of all, it might end up being the only new phone released between now and the end of the year with the new Snapdragon 8 Elite chip — so its performance might end up being untouchable, making it the most powerful phone ever.

“Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 redefines flagship performance,” explains Chris Patrick, senior vice president and general manager of mobile handsets, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “As the world’s fastest mobile CPU, paired with our most advanced GPU and NPU, Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 delivers breakthrough speed, sustained gaming power, intelligent photography and all-day efficiency—exactly what OnePlus users need.”

If it's to launch soon, it does give the company a bit of room to launch its next foldable phone. It’s been nearly two years now since the OnePlus Open was released, which impressively remains one of the best foldable phones around, but its successor is rumored to launch next year in 2026.

By launching the OnePlus 15 sooner, it could give OnePlus extra breathing room to make way for its new foldable phone. Given the immense success of the Galaxy Z Fold 7, OnePlus can’t afford to come up short with the OnePlus Open 2. And of course, launching its flagship handset will give other best phone contenders, like the just released iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max, a run for their money.

No other details have emerged about the OnePlus 15, but you’re probably wondering why it’s skipping the OnePlus 14. Well, the answer to that might actually be surprising. The number 14 is widely considered unlucky in China, so skipping it and moving on to 15 makes a lot of sense for the company. That’s also why we never got a OnePlus 4, seeing that the number 4 is also regarded as unlucky.

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When it comes to affordable phones, there's a tendency to expect the worst. However, many of the best cheap phones manage to exceed that expectation in several ways that might surprise the more cynical. I've been testing the latest affordable phone from OnePlus, the Nord 5, to see if it's worth your time or better left alone.

When it comes to cheaper phones, I believe that the aim isn't to find something that's just worse to save money. Instead, you should want something that offers a balanced experience, but could have some of the bells and whistles you see on many of the best phones on the market.

That means that the phone should have a decent amount of power, cameras that do what they need to and features that are usable, if not exemplary. OnePlus has certainly delivered on this in the past with the OnePlus Nord 4, so the hope is that it can do it again with this new offering.

With that said, let's look at what we're working with and what I liked about the OnePlus Nord 5, as well as what I didn't.

OnePlus Nord 5 review: Specifications

OnePlus Nord 5 review: Design and display

One of the first things that I noticed about the OnePlus Nord 5 was just how bright the screen is. You're getting a 6.8-inch display with a 144Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 1,800 nits. The images on the display look bright and colorful and there's no noticeable delay between input and execution when scrolling. However, it's sad to see that the 2,100 nit brightness offered by its predecessor has been downgraded, so the phone isn't the best in bright sunshine.

Speaking of its predecessor, it seems that OnePlus didn't want to keep the aluminum sides seen on the OnePlus Nord 4. Instead, the company switches to plastic, which doesn't have quite the same feel to it.

I'm also really not a fan of the new pill-shaped camera block. It simply doesn't have the same presence as the shiny glass section shown in the prior model. On top of that, the phone also only has an IP65 rating, which is okay for phone in 2025.

There's also some bad news for any OnePlus fans who were used to the slider that allowed you to easily switch between silent, vibrate and regular modes. This has been replaced by the new Plus key, which works somewhat like Apple's Action Button.

However, the OnePlus version lacks the utility of Apple's Action Button. You can set it to perform certain tasks, like put the phone in silent or activate OnePlus' Mind Space, but it only works on a long press with no option to add functions for double-tapping or short-pressing the button.

OnePlus Nord 5 review: Performance

Usually, we'd expect a cheaper phone to be less powerful than many of the best phones on the market. The OnePlus Nord 5 certainly won't match devices like the iPhone 16 or Galaxy S25, but the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 is still a relatively decent chip. I used the phone to play Warhammer 40,000: Tacticus, and didn't see any slowdown or animation issues.

Meanwhile, when I compare it to phones at a similar price point, I see that the OnePlus Nord 5 vastly outperforms a lot of the competition. In terms of both single-core performance and multicore, the Nord 5 outperforms both the Galaxy A56 and the Pixel 9a. However, it falls behind when compared to the iPhone 16e, which isn't all that surprising.

When it comes to 3DMark's Wildlife Extreme test, however, I can see where the strength of the OnePlus Nord 5 comes in. Its average FPS and score exceed even Apple's iPhone 16e. So, if you're looking for a cheap phone that can handle playing the majority of the games on the Play Store with no difficulty, then this is certainly one for you.

As you can see, the OnePlus Nord 5 has a lot of power under the hood, which makes it all the more strange that OnePlus has made it so that the AI tools it has access to are entirely cloud-based. In concept, the phone should be able to handle on-device processes without too many issues. This means that many of the editing features might be a bit slower than phones with on-device processes.

OnePlus Nord 5 review: Software and AI

Speaking of AI, the OnePlus Nord 5 comes with Google Gemini, meaning you also get access to Hey Google. While this isn't a massive surprise, it's certainly a big win for users as Google Gemini remains one of the best AIs you can have on phones. On top of that, you also have access to Circle to Search and AI privacy.

It's great that you have access to these features, as I find OnePlus AI struggles to find its place as an assistant. The camera features work fine, despite being cloud-based, but the other additions don't really appeal to me.

For instance, things like AI search are easily forgettable. In concept, it's part of OnePlus' broader AI mind suite, and allows you to find information on your device and the internet using more conversational language. For instance, if you ask the phone what time your bus leaves, it will sift through your calendar, notes and files to help provide an answer.

It certainly has its place, but AI search isn't the flashiest feature in the world, and if you're like me, you might end up forgetting it more often than not. The same is also true for the aforementioned OnePlus Mind Space, which is set to the Plus Key. This feature will save and summarize screenshots that you take on your phone and present the information to you. Honestly, I've been trying it out for the last few days and I've yet to really understand what the point of it is.

The problem is that you can only score screenshots, so if you wanted to summarize a whole article, you'd need to take several, then combine the summaries yourself. So, for instance, if I take a screenshot of a Reddit post, I'll get a summary of the question, but none of the answers. I can see what they were trying to do, but I think it misses the mark a bit.

OnePlus Nord 5 review: Cameras

The OnePlus Nord 5 comes with three cameras: a 50MP main camera, 8MP ultrawide, and a 50MP selfie camera. It's odd that we're only seeing an 8MP Ultrawide, but it's arguably the least used camera so it makes sense that it's where the cuts were made.

I took the phone out with the Pixel 9a, which features a 48MP main camera, a 13MP ultrawide and a 13MP selfie camera to see how the two compare.

As you can see, the main camera on the Nord 5 offers a better depth of color than the Pixel 9a, but to my eye the definition is roughly equal between the two phones.

When it comes to the ultrawide cameras, the Pixel 9a offers slightly better definition. However, the Nord 5's image is slightly darker, and doesn't allow as much bloom as the Pixel 9a produces. This allows you to actually see the building on the left, rather than just blinding light.

Finally, you have the selfie cameras, where the Nord 5 again shows a much warmer color palette. However, the definition doesn't show quite as big a difference as I would expect, but the lighting in the background is certainly much better.

Overall, the cameras on the OnePlus Nord 5 are fine. They're not the best I've ever seen, but they'll do more than enough for the average person.

OnePlus Nord 5 review: Battery and charging

One thing I always look for in a cheaper phone is a longer battery life, and the OnePlus Nord 5 certainly features an impressive battery. The phone comes with a 5,200 mAh battery, which is bigger than the 5,000 mAh battery seen in the Galaxy A56 and the Pixel 9a's 5,100 mAh one. However, it's still smaller than the 5,500 mAh battery seen in the Nord 4. Interestingly, the OnePlus Nord 5 in India actually features a 6,800 mAh cell, but the European market missed out on that.

The battery isn't just smaller, it won't last quite as long either, although it will still manage to last the day with little issue. To see what the battery drain was like, I ran a 1080p YouTube video for three hours at full brightness, with the phone's charge dropping by 17%. Don't get me wrong, that's by no means bad, but it's less than the Nord 4, which only lost 11%. It's also worse than the Galaxy A56, which only lost 14% battery when we put it through the same test.

The OnePlus Nord 5 does offer 80W wired charging, although there's no option for wireless charging, but that's still less than the 100W charging that was offered with the Nord 4. In concept, that means that you could reach 80% battery in around 30 minutes while using a powerful enough charger.

OnePlus Nord 5 review: Verdict

The OnePlus Nord 5 is an interesting phone at a glance, with a lot to offer someone looking for something that offers a lot of power in an affordable package. However, it seemingly falls short compared to its predecessor in a lot of ways that make it hard to recommend.

While the inclusion of the AI features is nice, many of them fail to stand out or make their actual function all that clear. However, with access to Gemini and its suite of features, you likely won't mind all that much. The cameras, meanwhile, are serviceable but hardly the best on the market. With that said, the screen is gorgeous and the power exceeds what we'd expect from a phone at this price point.

So, is the OnePlus Nord 5 worth buying? Well, firstly, there's some bad news: the phone isn't available in the U.S. at the time of writing. If you happen to live outside of the U.S. and are looking for a cheap but powerful phone, then you could certainly do worse.

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A new leak could have just tipped us off that OnePlus' upcoming OnePlus 15 phone might match the best gaming phones in one key area: refresh rate. Although there may also be an unfortunate catch.

While OnePlus might not be the most well-known brand out there, the OnePlus 13 still ranks among our picks for one of the best phones you can currently buy. As such, we’ve been keeping an eye out for any new updates on its follow-up, the alleged OnePlus 15. And yes, OnePlus appears to be skipping the OnePlus 14 entirely and going straight to 15.

In a recent post on Weibo, well-known source, Digital Chat Station (DCS) — via Phone Arena— revealed that OnePlus is testing a 165Hz refresh rate for the phone.

On top of the improved refresh rate, it is also stated that OnePlus is developing a new performance engine, which would allow the phone to run games at 165FPS natively.

However, all of this comes at the cost of the display's resolution, which is stated to be dropping down to 1.5K. For reference, the OnePlus 13 released with a 2K display, so this would be a noticeable drop in fidelity if accurate.

It isn't just the display that's mentioned, as DCS also states the OnePlus 15 could launch with what's described as a super black color option called Moon Rock Black. The phone is also stated to be coming with the same Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 that's tipped for Samsung's Galaxy S26 series.

165Hz looks impressive on paper, but would it make a difference?

As it stands, very few phones tend to aim for 165Hz, with both the Galaxy S25 Ultra and iPhone 16 Pro peaking at 120Hz. There are a couple of reasons for this, with the main being that most apps available on phones struggle to utilize the rate.

The other issue has to do with power consumption, as a higher refresh rate will drain more of the battery when in use. While DCS doesn't specify if the new display features an adaptive refresh rate to counter this, the OnePlus 13 does, so I'd assume it's a given.

What else do we know about the OnePlus 15?

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OnePlus is launching a host of devices next Tuesday (July 8), including two phones, a tablet, a smartwatch and a pair of earbuds. While we've heard some details about the mid-priced Nord 5 (via TechRadar), OnePlus’s budget Nord CE5 model and its new Buds 4 wireless earbuds remain a mystery.

Luckily for us, we’ve received some exclusive insider info for these two devices courtesy of Celina Shi, OnePlus' chief marketing officer for OnePlus Europe. And we're happy to report that OnePlus still knows how to impress with big specs.

If OnePlus keeps the price for this phone and this pair of 'buds on the low side, as it has in the past, then this could spell big things for the Android phone and wireless earbuds space.

Here's what we know about the OnePlus Nord CE5 and OnePlus Buds 4.

OnePlus Nord CE5

The Nord CE5 is shown in its Black Infinity colorway, an "elegant and simple" option as Shi describes it. The other option is Marble Mist, described by Shi as a "kind of off-white, almost sandy design with marble highlights once the light hits it. It's really something else."

The big hardware news for the Nord CE5 is its MediaTek Dimensity 8350 Apex chipset. This will apparently offer "significant [performance] improvements compared to other chipsets that sit in the same price category," Shi said.

"The MediaTek Dimensity 8350 Apex is not just near the top of the category, it is a massive upgrade compared to the previous generation - offering a 79% increase in overall performance and over 50% improvement in graphics performance," Shi added.

"We know from speaking to our community that performance is a key element, and our philosophy for the OnePlus Nord CE series has always been to make the OnePlus Fast & Smooth experience accessible to more people."

OnePlus' usual focus on battery is easy to see here. There's a 5,200 mAh battery inside the Nord CE5, capable of 80W wired SuperVOOC charging. The battery can go from drained to fully charged in 52 minutes according to OnePlus' testing, though hopefully with such a large capacity, you won't need to test the speedy charging that often.

The Nord CE5 also offers bypass charging. In case you're unfamiliar with this feature, Shi explains it as a charging option that "powers the phone directly from the mains if it is plugged in and fully charged while gaming. This helps extend the lifespan of the battery, and reduces heat generation if the phone is used while plugged in."

Despite being a cheaper-than-average phone, the Nord CE5 still packs OnePlus AI features like its more expensive siblings. "I can't quite reveal all of [the features] yet, but it is a package that puts it on parity with our flagship devices," Shi said. This would suggest that we'll get staple features like text summaries, audio transcription, image editing tools and more, just like OnePlus' other recent devices.

Shi also revealed that the phone's main camera will be a 50MP shooter, using a Sony LYT-600 sensor with Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) and the ability to capture 4K HDR video at 60fps. Shi promises this camera will deliver "consistently sharp, blur-free shots," using HDR algorithms and color science borrowed from the flagship OnePlus 13.

OnePlus Buds 4

Let's also talk about the OnePlus Buds 4, available in Zen Green and Storm Grey. While the design is familiar, there's a big change under the surface — swipe volume controls to add more versatility to the usual capacitive ones.

Shi also revealed that the Buds 4 will get a major ANC upgrade, capable of canceling up to 55dB of unwanted noise, compared to 49dB for the OnePlus Buds 3, and a 200% improvement in speech filtering. The effective range has also been increased from 4,000Hz to 5,500Hz, to capture more external sound and cancel it out. The new ear buds should also be more responsive, with the Buds 4 able to make up to 800 adjustments per second to account for whatever's beyond your ears causing a racket.

The ANC is also highly adaptive to sound around you, altering its cancellation level as needed. "The noise cancellation automatically lets in more noise if you are, for example, moving through traffic," Shi said. "It will be turned back to full efficiency if you get on a train, making the experience more seamless, and improving your safety."

Like previous OnePlus Buds, the Buds 4 feature two drivers per earbud — a 6mm tweeter and an 11mm woofer. But interestingly, each driver uses an individual DAC (digital-to-analog converter) to turn audio info from a device into sound. What's the benefit of this? "Unlike other setups, where the two drivers share a DAC, this can cut down on cross-interference between the two elements," Shi said.

OnePlus makes big promises for the Buds 4's battery life. There is apparently 11 hours' worth of capacity in the buds themselves, and 45 hours total including the case. When the tank's empty, you can get 11 hours of playback again after only 10 minutes of charging.

Not even the OnePlus Buds 4 are exempt from the AI feature boom. New to this model is AI translation, available when paired to a OnePlus device.

Outlook

While we have plenty of details to chew over here, Shi still kept the prices of these two products a secret.:"I can't reveal the exact pricing yet, but our core philosophies are clear.

"For the OnePlus Nord CE series, our goal is to offer the core, OnePlus trusted Fast & Smooth experience at a more accessible price point. In other words, flagship features shouldn't necessarily require flagship prices.

"For the OnePlus Buds 4, these are aimed at bringing many of the features from our flagship OnePlus Buds Pro series into a more accessible price range."

We will wait until after our full testing is finished before we judge if the Nord CE5 is worthy of a spot on our best cheap phones list, or if the Buds 4 deserve to reside among the best earbuds. But these specs have whetted our appetite for the launch event next week, and once we have the full details along with pricing info, hopefully we'll be all the more excited to get our hands on OnePlus' latest gear.

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The OnePlus 13s is the first device to feature a lockscreen feature for Gemini that not even the best Android phones have access to.

When the OnePlus 13s released in India, it was noticed that the phone features a new lock screen shortcut option that allows users to directly access Google Gemini. The 13s' Settings refers to this shortcut as “Digital Assistant from Google,” but a shared screenshot from Android Authority shows a logo that is clearly Gemini’s star icon.

You can still access Gemini on many recent Android phones' lockscreen by using your voice, so there’s an argument that the shortcut isn’t entirely necessary. But this shortcut opens up the full app, letting you access your existing chats rather than starting a new query.

This isn’t the only AI feature coming with the OnePlus 13s, as it is the first device to feature new OnePlus AI features like OnePlus AI Mind, a space to collect screenshots, memos and more for easy future access, and Gemini integration with OnePlus apps.

In terms of other hardware, the OnePlus 13s also comes with a 6.32-inch display, a 50MP main camera, a 50MP 2x telephoto lens and a 32MP selfie camera, making it an impressively specced, yet compact, flagship phone compared to other Android phones launched this year. All of this is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset and 12GB of RAM, alongside a surprisingly large 5,850 mAh battery.

Will Google introduce something similar on Pixel phones?

The fact that we haven’t seen a similar lock screen shortcut for Gemini on Google's own Pixel phones already is interesting, as current Pixels only offer the usual shortcut options, such as the flashlight or camera.

Google added a Gemini lock screen button in the Android 15 beta, as spotted by Android Authority, but it wasn’t present in the final Android 15 release. We could see this change return as part of the ongoing Android 16 rollout, but so far, the only change noticed in the current beta is in the overall look of the UI, thanks to Google's new Material 3 Expressive design language.

Unfortunately, the OnePlus 13s is currently only available in India and there’s no indication that it will launch globally. However, while we might not see the device on store shelves over here, we would hope that Google still takes some ideas from it and incorporates them into its Pixel series, and that OnePlus introduces this option on its other phones soon.

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OnePlus is one of my favorite phone makers, and I was very excited when the OnePlus 13T was announced earlier this month. But that excitement soon got crushed when the company confirmed that this phone is not coming to Europe or the U.S., a tragic decision.

For one, the OnePlus 13T has a unique feature set that I know I'd at least like to try. The OnePlus 13T is a small body, 6.3-inch phone with one fewer camera than a typical flagship phone. But it still contains a top-tier Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset and a battery that's larger than many full-sized Android flagship phones.

The 13T also shakes up a staple OnePlus feature by swapping the alert slider for a rebindable shortcut key, something we saw on the related Oppo Find X8 series but not on a OnePlus phone before now.

The full-size OnePlus 13 is still a strong pick for anyone looking for one of the best Android phones, and is widely available. But small phones are getting less and less common, especially in the Android half of the smartphone world, so having another option that isn't an expensive foldable phone would be excellent for buyer choice.

Yet for whatever reason, OnePlus has decided to keep the OnePlus 13T for China and India only, albeit while acknowledging the interest from other regions.

Two annoying announcements in three months

This is the second of two unfortunate announcements from OnePlus this year, after it confirmed that there is no OnePlus Open 2 coming in 2025. My colleague Philip Michaels has already lamented this decision, but I've got to do so as well.

Again, the current OnePlus Open is fantastic, and still the top of our best foldable phones guide almost two years after it first launched.

But without upgraded hardware, or even just a reset on the timer for OnePlus' promised Android updates, OnePlus can't stay at the top of the pile when Samsung, Motorola and Google continue to launch yearly upgrades for their foldables.

We need this, OnePlus!

OnePlus sits in a strange spot in the smartphone ecosystem here in the west. It makes products on par with Samsung, Google and Motorola, and is one of the only remaining Chinese phone brands willing or able to do business in the U.S. This makes it a key competitor to these more established brands, especially with its tendency to undercut them on price while matching or beating them on specs.

But OnePlus still prioritizes its larger markets — China and India — with more and more varied devices. There's also OnePlus' relationship with Oppo, which complicates things.

Oppo, while not active in North America, is trying to crack the European market with near-identical products. The two companies don't want to cannibalize each other's possible market share, which could be a reason why we're not seeing the full breadth of OnePlus's offerings even here in the U.K.

I can only hope OnePlus sticks to its word and looks carefully at public demand for the OnePlus 13T. And that it doesn't plan on waiting too much longer to bring us the Open 2.

Competition in the smartphone world is as vital as ever to have, as increasing prices and limited hardware upgrades mean users deserve the best value possible. So if you agree, make sure to let OnePlus know how you feel and hit us up in the comments below.

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With the prevalence of giant phones being the norm, I'm sure some of you were looking forward to the "tiny" OnePlus 13T and its 6.3-inch display making its way to our shores soon. Yes, we know 6.3 inches isn't tiny, but it's also what counts as "compact" these days.

Unfortunately, as The Verge reports, that won't be the case. OnePlus told them that the 13T will not be sold in either Europe or North America, which currently leaves your OnePlus choices as the OnePlus 13 or the OnePlus 13R, both excellent phones, but with equally large 6.8-inch displays.

"Currently, we have no plans to launch the OnePlus 13s in Europe. That being said, we have noted the interest in the product from our European users, and we will keep it in mind as we make product launch decisions going forward," OnePlus Europe's chief marketing officer, Celina Shi, told The Verge. The North American head of marketing gave them a similar statement.

It's too bad because the 13T is an intriguing phone. Despite the slightly smaller size, OnePlus managed to shove a higher capacity battery than the 13 and 13R into the phone, largely thanks to its silicon-carbon battery.

OnePlus phones top our picks for the best phone battery life, only losing out to the insane Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro. No doubt the 13T would make that list alongside its larger brethren.

For fans of OnePlus phones, 2025 has been a bit disappointing. Earlier this year, the company announced that we would not be getting a OnePlus Open 2 foldable phone this year.

"We have made the decision not to release a foldable this year," a spokesperson said.

It was presumed that the Oppo Find N5, the OnePlus sister brand, would be rebranded as the Open 2. That device will also not be exported out of China.

OnePlus did not mention tariffs in any of its communications, but we wonder if President Trump's trade war with China is causing OnePlus to pull back, though that doesn't explain why Europe won't get the 13T.

Still, it's a shame that we won't see the affordable, smaller phone with presumably massive battery life.

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We’ve been hearing various rumors about the OnePlus 13T over the past several weeks, but without any real indication on when the phone would actually be released. Now we finally know, with OnePlus confirming an April 24 launch event.

It’s worth noting that this is likely a China-only launch for now. The teaser video was posted on Weibo, and only features Chinese text. The event itself is at 2.30 p.m. China Standard Time, which is 2.30 a.m. on the EST. Needless to say, many likely won't be tuning into the event live.

Presumably a global launch will be happening in the near future, but for now it’s unclear when that might be.

OnePlus 13T: What the announcement reveals

The teaser doesn’t leave much to the imagination. While OnePlus hasn’t revealed a full spec sheet, we can see that there are some serious design changes compared to OnePlus 13 and OnePlus 13R.

The big one is that the alert slider is gone, replaced by a new “shortcut key" — similar to the iPhone 16's Action Button. The idea is that this button will be able to switch between different sound profiles, while also offering users the option to customize what the button can do.

The camera bump is also notably different, with a square camera design that looks similar to the one on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Quite the difference from the circular shape on OnePlus 13. There’s also only two camera lenses, plus a smaller third sensor that hasn’t been identified. Colors appear to include black, silver and pink.

OnePlus 13T: Everything else we know

OnePlus is usually quite fond of teasing upcoming phones ahead of the official launch, but that hasn’t really been the case with the OnePlus 13T so far. Aside from confirming the phone would ditch the alert slider, we’ve had to rely on rumors and speculation about what the phone could have to offer.

The first is the smaller screen size, with rumors claiming that we’ll see a 6.3-inch display. While not much smaller than the 6.82-inch OnePlus 13, it’s still small enough that the rumor mill initially dubbed this phone the “OnePlus 13 mini.”

It’s also speculated that the phone will have a larger 6,200 mAh battery. Combine that with OnePlus’s recent battery life gains, and the smaller screen, this should keep the phone powered on for a long time. But whether it will defeat the OnePlus 13’s 19 hours and 45 minutes is another matter.

While there’s always room for differences between the Chinese and Global models, we should find out almost everything about the OnePlus 13T on April 24.

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OnePlus users can now download the first public beta for Android 16 for the OnePlus 13. However, this is one update the average user will probably want to miss.

The company announced the release of the Android 16 Beta 2 in a forum post but only users with a OnePlus 13 will be able to take advantage. Also, the update won't work if you have a carrier device purchased from Verizon or T-Mobile.

However, the average user should really avoid trying to flash the provided ROM for access due to several reasons. Firstly, this is still a very early build meant primarily for developers and, as such, there are more than a few reported bugs.

Secondly, while OnePlus does provide instructions to flash the ROM, it is a complicated process. If you don't have much experience, then there is a chance of bricking your phone.

Finally, this version of the beta is a stock build of Android 16, so it lacks many of the usual enhancements seen in OnePlus' OxygenOS. As such, the experience will be very different from what many might expect.

What should I be aware of before downloading

If you're still invested in testing out this version of Android 16, then be aware that the beta installation will vary somewhat depending on the region. However, regardless of location, your phone will need to be running OxygenOS version v15.0.0.703 or below.

Downloading and flashing the ROM onto your device will also wipe all data from your phone, and many apps may cease to function properly. As such, make sure you keep backups that you can revert to quickly.

What are the known faults?

As with any early beta, OnePlus has reported several different bugs in the build, which we have compiled below.

• Unable to close the version update pop-up after upgrading to the DPP version.
• Font weight settings cannot be adjusted.
• The device may restart when answering a call using Bluetooth headsets.
• Lag and display errors in the camera viewfinder and thumbnail in certain scenarios.
• Blurry or unclear camera viewfinder in some cases.
• The camera crashes when switching to Macro mode with the rear camera.
• Crashes and lag after enabling Ultra Steady mode.
• Display error in the camera viewfinder during video recording in specific scenarios.
• The screen may freeze when tapping the accessibility shortcut button on the home screen.
• Lag is observed when locking the screen.

Considering the complexity of installation, issues and risk to devices, most people will be better off waiting for the stable official release.

Which is currently expected to arrive at some point in late Q2, indicating that it will likely release in either May or June.

There is a lot to be excited about when it does arrive, as we have heard of several new features coming for Android phones. For instance, improved security features, seemingly copied from Apple and Auracast that allow for a more seamless connection with Bluetooth devices.

For more information about the update we will likely have to wait until Google I/O, which has been confirmed for May 20.

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We already know that OnePlus will be replacing its trademark Alert Slider with a button akin to Apple’s Action Button. Now we know just how soon that switchover will take place, with OnePlus confirming that the upcoming OnePlus 13T will be the first device to feature the new hardware.

The news comes directly from OnePlus China president Li Jie Louis over on Weibo. Li confirmed that the new “shortcut key” is coming to the OnePlus 13T, and posted a teaser image of the new button in action.

Funnily enough it looks like a button, with a similar size to the iPhone 16’s Action Button and a much smaller footprint than the alert slider.

Apparently the shortcut key will allow users to switch between sound profiles just like the alert slider — with silent, vibration and ringing options on offer. As we’ve heard before, the button will also offer some level of customization — just like the Action Button.

According to Li’s post (via machine translation) this feature has been added “to facilitate everyone to easily switch between options in a series of operations, which is very practical.”

He also promised that “a very interesting function” has been added to the button, which will be revealed later this year. However Li didn’t elaborate on what this might be.

No more curved displays?

Li also confirmed that the 13T will be coming with a "straight screen," meaning we’re not going to see the curved display that has been common on OnePlus flagships for many years. Apparently OnePlus surveyed users with smaller phone screens, and found that they prefer the curve-free design.

They’re certainly not the only ones. The fact that Chinese brands are the only phone makers that still offer curved phone screens should be proof enough of that. Hopefully this means we’ll start to see more flat phone screens from OnePlus in the future.

Though calling the OnePlus 13T a small screen phone is a bit disingenuous. While rumors promise a smaller screen than the 6.82-inch OnePlus 13, it’s still expected to be 6.3-inches in size.

That’s hardly on the same level as the likes of the iPhone 13 mini, which was almost an inch smaller at 5.4 inches. Good thing the OnePlus 13T wasn’t called the 13 mini, as was originally rumored.

We’ll just have to find out later this year, when the OnePlus 13T goes on sale.

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A lot of good things have happened to smartphones in 2025, from the arrival of some powerful new Galaxy AI features with Samsung's Galaxy S25 lineup to the emergence of an iPhone SE successor in the form of the iPhone 16e.

And while we can argue about which is the more positive development, there's no mystery as to the biggest blow to the smartphone world has been so far. It's the fact that we're going to go another year without a OnePlus Open successor.

Earlier this month, OnePlus made it clear not to expect the OnePlus Open 2 at any point in 2025, with the phone maker framing the decision as a "recalibration" of its foldable phone plans.

"We’ve carefully considered the timing and our next steps in foldable devices, and we have made the decision not to release a foldable this year," a product manager wrote in a community note posted on the OnePlus website, adding that "this is not a step back."

It's hard not to see it that way, not just for OnePlus, but for foldable phones as a whole. Debuting in 2023, the OnePlus Open set a new standard for the foldable market, pushing other device makers to step up their game.

Without a follow-up, there's a risk that the pace of innovation for foldable devices could taper off.

What made the OnePlus Open great

Though it debuted a while ago, the OnePlus Open remains the best foldable phone in our rankings. It delivered a thin, light design that similar phones quickly tried to mimic. A Flexion Hinge design minimized the crease that marred other foldables' appearance, and it lasted a long time on a charge — a challenge for other foldables up until that point.

But what really made the OnePlus Open stand out was its approach to multitasking. Most foldables let you run multiple apps at once, but the Open Canvas system used by OnePlus let you easily shift which apps appeared in full-screen mode as you moved to a different task. Presets also let you group together frequently used combinations of apps for boosted productivity.

Things looked even more promising for the OnePlus Open 2, provided you bought into the widely accepted ideal that the Oppo Find N5 was OnePlus' template for its follow-up foldable. (Oppo and OnePlus are part of the same conglomerate.)

My colleague Richard Priday got to spend some hands-on time with the Oppo Find N5 and came away impressed by how thin the device was and how that made any crease where the display folds less noticeable than ever.

There look to be other changes with the Oppo Find N5 that would have benefited the OnePlus Open 2. Camera performance turned out to be one of the weaker areas on the OnePlus foldable.

But the presence of Hasselblad-tuned lenses on the Oppo Find N5 coupled with our first-hand experience seeing how the OnePlus/Hasselblad partnership has dramatically improved camera performance for recent OnePlus models like the OnePlus 13 suggested that a new phone would address that problem.

Where's Samsung's competition?

No OnePlus Open 2 release in 2025 means we're missing out on a potentially great entry into the foldable phone world, at least if the Oppo Find N5 lives up to its positive first impression.

And it doesn't help me feel better about the prospects for premium foldables when the leaks about Samsung's latest offering have been — in my opinion anyway — pretty underwhelming.

I'm referring to the Galaxy Z Fold 7, which figures to debut later this year if Samsung sticks to its usual schedule of foldable phone updates. Thus far, leaks surrounding the next version of the Fold suggest that it will be thinner and lighter while sporting a larger interior display.

Those are all welcome changes, of course, but they're pretty iterative, largely because they're said to be aping the improvements Samsung made last year with the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition that it released in Korea.

Other potential changes — Samsung using an Exynos 2500 chipset rather than the proven Snapdragon 8 Elite — are less encouraging. And it's hard to see how Samsung can deliver a less expensive version of the phone after hiking up the price of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 by $100 — or even if that's much of a priority for the device maker.

Because leaks tend to focus on hardware changes, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 could still surprise us. Samsung might have new Galaxy AI features to show off just as the new AI capabilities introduced alongside the S25 models have proven to be the big selling points for those phones.

And it's also possible that Samsung could take its cue from OnePlus and improve multitasking on the Fold, just like it's been making thinner foldables ever since the OnePlus Open debuted.

But if there's any pressure on Samsung to innovate, it's going to have to come from inside the company, as there's no OnePlus Open 2 on the horizon to keep Samsung on its toes.

Foldable phones outlook

It's not completely grim on the foldable phone front. Rumors are picking up about a Galaxy G Fold that would have a triple-folding display, and that would be a new design at least that teases the prospect of an even more portable big-screen device.

Meanwhile, between Samsung and Motorola, we're seeing promising changes to flip phone-style foldables, including the potential arrival of a cheaper model in the Galaxy Z Flip FE to take on the Motorola Razr.

Still, it's a much exciting scene with a OnePlus Open 2 in it. It gives the rest of us another option if we're in the market for a foldable phone, and it forces other device makers to keep looking for ways to set their own devices apart.

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If you've followed OnePlus, you know that the Chinese smartphone maker loves its batteries and optimizing battery life.

Its phones already feature massive batteries, and the recently released OnePlus 13 sports a huge 6,000mAh battery.

The batteries of the OnePlus phone are so good that they take four of the top ten slots in our picks for the smartphones with the best battery life, only losing to the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro.

However, that's just the first step. A leaked roadmap and a report from regular tipster Digital Chat Station (via Phone Arena) claim that OnePlus is developing 7,000mAh — and, eventually, 8,000mAh batteries.

The roadmap indicates that the next flagship OnePlus phones could feature impressive 7,000 mAh batteries. However, that may not be enough for OnePlus, as DCS claims that OnePlus is developing a ridiculous 8,000 mAh battery.

More powerful batteries in the works

In their post, DCS wrote, "Ouga Lab tested 8000mAh ± 80W, 15% silicon content."

Ouga Lab is a research and development center for Oppo and OnePlus. Based on DCS' claim it appeared the lab produced a battery significantly bigger than the glacier battery introduced with last year's China-exclusive OnePlus Ace 3 Pro. This new battery increases "silicon content" from 15% to 6%, more than the Ace 3 Pro.

According to reports, silicon can store more lithium ions than graphite, making the power cells made with it more powerful than traditional batteries.

It's also supposed to support 80W SuperVOOC fast charging speeds.

It will be interesting to see if these larger batteries make OnePlus phones bigger. Part of the reason for introducing the Glacier battery was that the manufacturer could pack 6,000mAh worth of capacity into the same space as a 5,000mAh battery.

Blows current phones out of the water

If OnePlus is able to launch 7,000 or 8,000mAh smartphones, that high capacity would likely blow the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra or iPhone 16 Pro Max out of the water, despite their current excellent battery life.

As you can see from the above table, it would even best current offerings from OnePlus. The additional 1,000 or 2,000mAh of a new battery would presumably at least two hours, possibly more to its capabilities.

Though, as you can see with Google's Pixel 9 Pro XL, it's not all about battery capacity. Optimized chips like Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite or Apple's new A18 processor also do a lot for making phones operate more efficiently. Google's current Tensor chips aren't as good at that aspect of maintaining stronger batteries.

OnePlus currently uses Qualcomm's chips which combined with the bigger batteries could lead to impressive results down the line.

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If you're a fan of the OnePlus Open foldable phone, our pick for the best foldable phones, we have some bad news for you. OnePlus has announced there will not be a OnePlus Open 2 launch in the United States this year.

It's a surprising admission just as OnePlus' sister brand, Oppo, is launching the incredibly thin Oppo Find N5 in other parts of the globe. It was assumed the the Find N5 would be the basis for the North American version of the Open sequel device. Perhaps a needed upgrade since the original Open came out in 2023.

Today, in a community note, OnePlus Open product manager Vale G. wrote that the company "carefully considered the timing and our next steps in foldable devices, and we have made the decision not to release a foldable this year."

It's unfortunate news for fans of foldable devices as the United States' ongoing trade war with China includes banning handsets from Chinese phone makers like Huawei, Xiaomi and OnePlus.

According to Vale's post, OnePlus isn't totally done with foldables though. "This is not a step back, it’s a recalibration. Our commitment to innovation is stronger than ever, and we’re excited to bring you fresh, unique experiences that truly Never Settle," they wrote.

For now, that means that owners of the OnePlus Open in the United States will still get regular software and security updates.

Despite that, fans in the comments under the post are not happy. The most liked comment reads, "Oneplus (sic) let down those in the US who want this device."

Other comments followed suit calling this the "dumbest decision" and that "OnePlus DID take a step back."

For now, unless you can procure an unlocked international version, Americans are stuck with two bookstyle foldable phones; Samsung's Z Fold 6 and the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold.

Especially disappointing with the price hike the Z Fold 6 got and a perceived lack of precision or slacking off from Samsung on a category it basically created with the original Galaxy Fold.

Otherwise, we can keep dreaming about the fabled iPhone Flip or whatever Apple calls its own long-rumored foldable device.

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The OnePlus "Mini" is reportedly going to launch sometime in April, according to a leaked company roadmap posted on Weibo (via GSMArena). But I'm here to tell you to check any hopes of an iPhone 13 mini-style small phone at the door.

That's because the device seems likely to actually be the "OnePlus 13T" and arrive with a 6.3-inch screen, backed by a 50MP primary camera and a 50MP telephoto. While 6.3-inches is smaller than the 6.82-inch panel on the OnePlus 13, I don't think you can call it small.

OnePlus hasn't released a T device since the 2022 launch of the OnePlus 10T.

Alongside the OnePlus 13T in April, the leaker also claims OnePlus' roadmap will see phone launches in May, October and November. The May and November releases are believed to be for the brand's Ace devices (the Ace 5s and 5v in May and Ace 6 in November) whilst October is reserved for the next flagship.

There's one very obvious omission in this timetable, though: the OnePlus Open 2. The current model is our pick for the best foldable phone and the Weibo leak is curiously quiet on when we'll see the successor.

However, OnePlus' sister brand Oppo is readying the Oppo Find N5 foldable for global release right now so I'd be willing to bet we'll see the Open 2 sooner rather than later.

No more small phones

As someone who reluctantly gave up on small phones after the iPhone 13 mini and Asus Zenfone 10 a couple of years ago, I was hopeful the rumored OnePlus Mini would be a new contender for the best small phone you can buy.

Unfortunately, my dream of a sub-6-inch phone with a decent chipset, screen and camera doesn't look like coming true this year.

Thanks to the rise of flip foldable phones like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6, I'm doubtful we'll ever see a regular compact phone with flagship specs launch again. Although I enjoy the pocketability of a small device, not enough people are willing to take the hit on battery life you have to accept.

With increasingly power-hungry AI features and bright screens, phones require better battery tech than ever before. OnePlus' Silicon NanoStack battery technology is what helps give the OnePlus 13 one of the best battery lives we've ever seen.

The tech puts silicon nanoparticles into the battery's anode (instead of graphite) to store more lithium without adding any bulk. I had hoped this could pave the way for an effective battery solution for a small phone — and it still might.

But at least according to this leak, I can't see the OnePlus Mini becoming my next small phone upgrade.

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One glance at our best phone battery life list should tell you that the latest phones from OnePlus last a very long time on a charge. Sticking to just the top three slots, you'll see that the OnePlus 13 and OnePlus 13R occupy two of them. And you don't have to scan very far down the last to find their predecessors, either.

That's impressive. And I got a first-hand glimpse of just how impressive it can be when I picked up the OnePlus 13R the other day.

How long the OnePlus 13R lasts

It's fair to say I spent a lot of time earlier this month with the new midrange phone from OnePlus, testing things out for my OnePlus 13R review. But my time with the phone didn't stop there, as I continued OnePlus 13R vs. Pixel 8a head-to-head testing, including a 200-photo shootout with both phones.

And then, a little more than a week ago, I set down the OnePlus 13R in my pile of test phones to concentrate on other things — the Galaxy S25 launch mostly, but I wrote about a few other devices in that time.

Just the other day, my colleague John Velasco asked me about a OnePlus 13R feature and rather than rely on my shaky memory, I went to retrieve the OnePlus 13R eight days or so after tossing it onto Mount Phone-more and leaving it be. I figured I'd have to recharge the phone to double-check on the answer to John's question. I figured wrong.

The OnePlus 13R still had charge. Eight, maybe nine days after I used it last, and it still had enough battery life to check the thing I needed to.

Now, that's impressive battery life.

I will grant you that the average person is unlikely to repeat this experiment in daily phone usage. Even if you are looking to cut back on your screen time, you are probably not about to walk away from your phone for a week. But isn't nice to know that if you did, it would still be ready to go?

Looking at it from another perspective, my experiment in benign neglect with the OnePlus 13R provides a nice complement to the battery test that Tom's Guide runs on the phones we review. That test takes things to the other extreme, forcing phones to surf the web continuously over cellular until they run out of power. For the record, the OnePlus 13R will last just shy of 19 hours on a charge when you put it through that kind of use.

Why battery life matters

Of course, you probably would be just as unlikely to use your phone without pause for 18-plus hours as you would be to leave it alone for days at a time. Instead, your usage pattern is going to wind up somewhere in the middle — a burst of activity followed by periods where you leave your phone unused. In that scenario, I think it'd be safe to include that you can probably go a day or so without having to worry about recharging your OnePlus 13. (And with the OnePlus 13 lasting even longer on our test, you'd be safe making that claim for either new OnePlus device.)

We all place different ranks on what's important to us in a smartphone, but I think having a long lasting device is near the top of most people's list. If that's the case, 2025 is off to a great start on the battery front, as a lot of the phones we've been testing — chiefly, the OnePlus devices, but also the Galaxy S25 Ultra battery now that Samsung has announced that phone — have been posting better battery life times compared to their immediate predecessors.

That's because chips are getting better at running more efficiently. Both the OnePlus 13 and Galaxy S25 Ultra use a Snapdragon 8 Elite system-on-chip, and not coincidentally beat the battery test results of the phones they're replacing. But even a phone like the OnePlus 13R, which relies on last year's top silicon, is reaping the benefits of power management improvements.

We've got a lot of time left in 2025 and more phones to test. Some will surely produce impressive battery test results of their own. But it's pretty clear right now that if you want a long-lasting phone, OnePlus is establishing itself as the phone maker to turn to. I can tell you that from first-hand experience.

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We’ve already heard rumors that the Oppo Find N5, and its western counterpart the OnePlus Open 2, may be the thinnest foldable phone ever released. But judging from a new teaser posted on Chinese social network Weibo, this phone may be as thin as any phone can actually physically be.

The teaser images were posted by Oppo’s Find series product manager, Zhou Yibao. While we don’t get to see the entirety of the Oppo Find N5, we do get an idea of just how thin it actually is. We see it compared to an iPhone of some sort, two silver coins that appear to be Chinese Yuan, and four credit cards stacked together. Most notably we can see that it’s so thin that there’s barely any extra space around the phone’s USB-C port.

Which means there isn’t much more thickness Oppo could remove without ditching that port entirely. Maybe someone could come along and shave off those final fractions of millimeters, but they’re probably not going to gain much while USB-C sticks around in its current form.

Yibao claims that he’s not allowed to say how thick the phone will be, but noted that it might be mentioned in the comments. Rumors have suggested the phone will be thinner than the Honor Magic V3, which is 9.3mm when folded, so if you take what Yibao says at face value he may be suggesting such rumors are correct. Considering a USB-C port is only around 4mm across, my guess is that the phone could be somewhere between 8 and 9mm.

But we won’t know for sure until the phone is actually announced next month. Yibao did confirm that the Find N5 will be getting revealed at some point in February.

Considering this is the Chinese version of the phone, it’s likely that the international model will not be arriving until much later. How much later isn’t clear, but we had a two and a half month gap between the OnePlus 13’s Chinese and global reveals. We could be waiting until around late April or early May if that trend continues — though there’s nothing stopping the phone from arriving much earlier.

Be sure to check out our OnePlus Open 2 hub for all the latest news and rumors about the upcoming device — and how it might compare to the best foldable phones already on sale.

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For years now, I’ve known how incredible today’s best phones are at taking portrait photography. Yet, I’ve neglected to really put them to the test by taking professional headshots. At least, I did until now because I want to see for myself if my OnePlus 13 can produce results that could make me ditch my mirrorless camera altogether.

So far, I’ve been impressed by what the new OnePlus flagship can do. For example, I’ve shot and created a cinematic video using the OnePlus 13’s video cameras. On top of that, I really like capturing stunning astrophotography of the night sky that reveals details I can’t see with my own eyes. It’s no wonder that the OnePlus 13 is one of the best camera phones around.

This time, though, I’m putting its portrait mode to the test to see what kind of headshots it can produce. Here’s what I found.

OnePlus 13 portrait photography: what you need to know

Let me detail the hardware first because it’s important to know what I’m working with here. The OnePlus 13 packs a triple 50MP camera system, so that boils down to a 50MP main (f/1.6), 50MP ultrawide (f/2.05), and 50MP 3x telephoto (f/2.65).

While portrait mode on the OnePlus 13 gives me the choice of three zoom options (1x, 2x, and 3x), I kept most of my shooting at 3x because of its 73mm equivalent focal length — which is almost what I like to use for portraits. Furthermore, the aperture can be set before the photo’s taken from f/1.4 all the way up to f/16. However, you can change this after the fact to get the right amount of bokeh (background blur) through the Photos app.

My test subject for this professional headshot session with the OnePlus 13 is my colleague, Ryan Epps, who covers TVs, projectors, and the occasional gaming stuff for Tom’s Guide. There are also additional headshots of my colleague, Kate Kozuch, just to show more of how the OnePlus 13 handles portrait mode.

I also shot both indoors and outdoors to give you an idea of its quality. And finally, I took three of my favorite headshots and edited them on my computer with CyberLink’s PhotoDirector software to give them that proper editor’s touch.

OnePlus 13 portrait photography: performance

First and foremost, I want to say how much I was surprised by the results. OnePlus says its 5th Gen Hasselblad Camera for Mobile can achieve “studio-grade portraits.” At 3x zoom, there’s a lot I love about the details with portrait mode on the OnePlus 13.

Most notably, you get that creamy, out-of-focus look with the background. In all of the headshots I captured outdoors with the OnePlus 13, the camera casts nearly circular bokeh balls with the stronger light sources in the background — all while giving Ryan and Kate command of the scene.

Another reason why I prefer shooting portraits at 3x zoom as opposed to 1x zoom is how there’s a lot more separation between my subjects and the background, which inevitably makes it a lot easier to detect edges. That’s why Ryan and Kate are in sharp focus in all the shots.

There’s also a lot of detail in all of the outdoor shots. From Ryan's beard to Kate's flowing hair, I like the amount of sharpness they receive for not being retouched in any way. Indoors, however, I do notice that the details become slightly softer. They’re usable, but clearly a well-lit area will snag the best results for portraits.

OnePlus 13 portrait photography: final headshots

Editing my favorite headshots is another story because it shows what details I’m able to further extract from the photos. Using PhotoDirector, I'm able to apply additional sharpness to allow the finer details to come out even more. In fact, I think the headshots have enough detail for up to 1.5x cropping.

Out of all the portrait photos I took of Ryan with the OnePlus 13, my absolute favorite is the first one in the gallery above. It highlights all the best qualities about capturing portraits with the OnePlus 13 — like the perfect background-subject separation and the amount of detail around his face.

The second shot could pass for a Netflix poster, with the cooler color temperature of the shot paired with Ryan’s gaze looking above. I’m distracted a bit by the nearby table on the left, but a quick crop would eliminate it entirely — and without lessening its detail.

And finally, I took an indoor shot of Ryan indoors in our office, but I wasn’t a fan of the messy background. That’s why I replaced it with something a bit more pleasing to the eye. However, I will say that the quality is softened tremendously due to the lighting conditions.

Meanwhile, the first edited shot of Kate in the gallery above shows the tight separation between the background and Kate. The out-of-focus background allows Kate to also command the scene, while the amount of detail allows me a little wiggle room to crop if I need it.

The indoor shot is actually quite nice, mainly because I had Kate sitting underneath a strong light source. As a result, the details are better preserved than Ryan's indoor shot.

And lastly, I love Kate's pose outside again, but I took it at a slight angle so that the OnePlus 13 was pointing upward a little. There's no shortage of detail in this shot either, as the zipper on her coat is finely detailed.

OnePlus 13 portrait photography: Verdict

After taking countless headshots, I’m convinced that I could ditch my mirrorless camera and rely on the OnePlus 13 instead. Just as long as there’s ample lighting, you’ll get the best results from portrait mode. And since the OnePlus 13 captures a fair amount of detail, I like the flexibility of being able to crop just a little without much quality loss.

If these are the kinds of headshots that the OnePlus 13 can take, then I’m eager to see what other phones released this year have in store for all of us.

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The OnePlus 13 has only just arrived, but it’s already picked up its first major software update — with a bunch of new enhancements and features coming to the phone. The biggest of those upgrades is support for Google’s on-device Gemini Nano AI.

Typically early software updates are focused on making smaller and subtler improvements to a new phone. That’s also true of the OnePlus 13, with fixes offering improvements to things like the camera, connectivity, system stability and so on. But it’s also coming with a bunch of big features, including Gemini Nano. Alongside the AI boost, users can expect to see improved 4K 60fps recording and the December 2024 security patch.

AI is, of course, the biggest addition — and I’m wondering why OnePlus just didn’t include support on the release model. In fact, OnePlus hasn’t even confirmed that fact, and this news has instead come from Android sleuth Mishaal Rahman at Android Authority. Rahman discovered that the new update added Google’s AICore app to OnePlus 13.

AICore is what powers AI models across the Android ecosystem, and is necessary to actually get them installed in the first place. No AICore means no Gemini, it’s that simple. Rahman notes that after updating AICore in Google Play, the Gemini Nano model began downloading to his OnePlus 13.

Sadly it seems the model is only capable of using Nano for the Magic Compose feature in Google Messages. This isn’t a Pixel phone, which takes a lot better advantage of Gemini Nano’s on-device processing, giving Google’s phones more features as a result. Rahman points out that this limitation also applies to phones like the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Xiaomi 14T Pro, rather than being exclusive to the OnePlus 13.

Magic Compose is currently still an experimental feature that offers suggestions on how to reply to messages — by both utilizing generative AI and recognizing the context of your conversations. For most phones this feature works in the cloud, but with Gemini Nano everything happens on-device. That includes the OnePlus 13.

It’s not the greatest piece of news for prospective OnePlus 13 owners, but it is still a good thing to happen. Gemini Nano support could well expand on non-Pixel devices in the near future, which means more locally-processed AI features. Especially since OnePlus has already said the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset powering the OnePlus 13 will support Gemini Nano’s new multimodal capabilities.

But we’ll have to wait and see what happens. In the meantime check out our full OnePlus 13 review and OnePlus 13R review for a rundown on everything the new phones have to offer.

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• I put OnePlus 13R vs Google Pixel 8a through a 7-round face-off — here's the winner

We’ve been hearing plenty of rumors about the OnePlus Open 2, which could be arriving very soon if that online speculation is to be believed. The latest rumors to pop up online claim OnePlus could offer two key upgrades: A titanium frame, and the thinnest foldable design that we’ve seen so far.

This information comes from leakers Digital Chat Station and Smart Pikachu. Both mention the Oppo Find N5, which is expected to be sold outside China as the OnePlus Open 2 — much like how the original OnePlus Open was essentially a rebranded Oppo Find N3. So it’s safe to say that, if these details are accurate, it’ll be happening to OnePlus Open 2 as well.

Nobody mentions just how thin the OnePlus Open 2 might be, only that they mention it being “the thinnest in the world” — or so says Google Translate. Currently the thinnest foldable is the Honor Magic V3, which is 9.2mm thick in its folded state. This suggests that the OnePlus Open 2 could be at least 9.1mm thick, or possibly even more.

It’s not the first time this rumor has hit the web, and there are still key details we don’t know right now. But if you’re a fan of phones that are as wafer thin as physically possible, then this may be the foldable for you. The extra hardware and software flourishes will just be a bonus.

Smart Pikachu mentioned the phone will have a "new industrial design focusing on durability”, with Digital Chat Station elaborating that titanium may be employed. Combined with the rumored thin design, this should make the OnePlus Open 2 exceptionally light — while maintaining a solid level of durability in the process.

Other hardware mentioned includes a triple-lens Hasselblad camera, with periscope telephoto lens, satellite communication, the Snapdragon 8 “Extreme Edition” (presumably the 8 Elite), a 6,000 mAh battery and wireless charging. Crucially, Smart Pikachu claims that this phone will have “a monopoly on the market for half a year” — and could arrive next month. Though that presumably means the Chinese launch, which should be slightly ahead of the international release.

Hopefully it still means the OnePlus Open 2 is arriving within the next couple of months, to give it some sort of head start over the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 — which is expected in the summer. While we wait, though, be sure to check out out official OnePlus Open 2 hub for all the latest news and rumors.

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• I tried OnePlus' new wireless charger on the OnePlus 13 and iPhone 16 Pro Max — here's the results
• I shot over 200 photos with the OnePlus 13 vs iPhone 16 Pro Max — here’s the winner
• OnePlus 13 comes with magnetic wireless charging – but its not the kind I want

I have not been quiet about the fact that I want to see Qi2 wireless charging appear on Android phones. Partly for the extra charging benefits coming with the new standard, but also because of the magnetic ring. Perfect charging alignment, and the opportunity to use magnetic accessories, like the best iPhones have been able to enjoy thanks to MagSafe.

Now in comes the OnePlus 13, which offers magnetic wireless charging… of sorts. Rather than offering Qi2, or building regular magnets into the phone, OnePlus has taken a different approach. It’s offering an official magnetic case, and a new AirVOCC magnetic wireless charger. It’s clearly trying to be like Qi2 without actually being Qi2 — and it doesn’t work.

OnePlus had the opportunity to make up for its past wireless charging transgressions with OnePlus 13. But instead it botched things in the most OnePlus way imaginable.

OnePlus and wireless charging don’t have a good history

When it comes to wireless charging, OnePlus was always something of an outlier. And by outlier, I mean it stubbornly insisted that wireless charging wasn’t worth having in the years after it became ubiquitous on every other premium smartphone. Excuses I heard from OnePlus reps included claims that users weren’t asking for it, or that the wireless charging speeds had to be as good as wired charging before it would be included. Which are both very strange excuses.

The first OnePlus phone to actually feature wireless charging was the OnePlus 8 Pro, which launched in April 2020. But despite the fact OnePlus released two additional flagship phones that year, the Pro was the only one to feature wireless charging. The following year both the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro offered wireless charging capabilities, which stuck around for 2022’s OnePlus 10 Pro. Then 2023 rolled around and the OnePlus 11 arrived with wired-only charging — much to my own chagrin.

So far wireless charging seems to be sticking around, with both OnePlus 12 and OnePlus 13 offering Qi wireless charging and 50W speeds. Really all the company needed to do to keep fans content was not have a repeat of the OnePlus 11, and leave wireless charging as it was for a year or two. People might have hoped for Qi2 to arrive at some point, though given OnePlus’s history I doubt many of them expected it.

Qi2 was the chance for OnePlus to change its relationship with wireless charging

In theory there would be nothing stopping OnePlus from adding Qi2 to the OnePlus 13. HMD already utilized it in the HMD Skyline, and Samsung is widely expected to offer Qi2 in the Galaxy S25 series. Officially, though, OnePlus says heat management issues stand in the way of happening, which I guess is a reasonably good reason to be cautious.

As much as I have complained about Google not offering Qi2 on Pixel 9, and then making up weird excuses, I wouldn’t have had a problem with OnePlus ignoring the technology. It’s pretty clear OnePlus as a whole isn’t that keen on wireless charging, and I wouldn’t expect it to change its tune anytime soon. So I figured Qi2 on a OnePlus flagship wouldn’t happen for another couple of years. Or at least, not until after all the other major Android phonemakers got onboard.

But imagine if OnePlus had included Qi2? Considering there’s only one Qi2 smartphone sale right now (MagSafe iPhones don’t count), it would have sent a message that the company is fully on board with wireless charging now — despite its past transgressions. OnePlus thinks wireless charging is cool now, and it’s proving that by upgrading everything before all the major players.

Of course that didn’t actually happen. Instead we got this weird half-measure, with magnets in the back of an official case while Qi2 is still just out of reach.

I’m fine with magnetic cases, but they shouldn’t have to exist

I have no issue with accessory companies making magnetic cases to facilitate some level of fake Qi2 and MagSafe compatibility. In fact I'm very grateful that they are available. Utilizing magnets instead of alternatives like adhesive or grips is really convenient, seeing as how everything snaps into place immediately. Not to mention the fact that you can remove and replace those accessories with minimal effort.

But those cases are a stop gap, a solution to the fact that a lot of phones still don’t have their own integrated magnets. This allows users to reap the benefits, without having to necessarily purchase an iPhone. All while phone makers are (hopefully) working to construct phones with that technology built in on the assembly line.

There is a reason why these cases previously only came from third parties. It looks incredibly weird that a phone maker would launch official magnetic cases of their own. They’re the ones in charge of building the phones, so if magnets are on the agenda they should be part of the phone – even if it’s not a true Qi2 experience. It’s extremely odd that OnePlus would offer its own official magnetic case, when it is the one with all the power to make that case totally obsolete.

It’s not as though magnetic cases for existing OnePlus phones are hard to come by. In my days of owning a OnePlus phone I did find it challenging to find accessories and cases that I liked, because there wasn’t as much choice available compared to iPhones or Samsung Galaxys. There were still a lot of options, and a quick search on Amazon reveals that there are magnetic cases available dating as far back as the OnePlus 7. So it’s not like OnePlus needed to step in and offer something its users wouldn’t otherwise be able to enjoy.

As much as I can appreciate the existence of a magnetic Qi2 or MagSafe-compatible phone case, they really shouldn’t exist. If we’re going to have magnetic phones then the phones themselves should be magnetic. Assuming that phone makers are willing to get off their butts and make it happen.

But by jumping on the magnetic case bandwagon, it almost feels as though OnePlus is championing the status quo. Which is so typical of OnePlus and its attitudes to wireless charging.

Bottom line

I wasn’t expecting OnePlus to add Qi2 to the OnePlus 13. Experience tells me that there’s no point in expecting the company to adopt major wireless charging innovations quickly. The company could easily have carried on as normal and nobody would have thought too much of it, because that’s just what OnePlus does — regardless of the opportunity early Qi2 adoption could have offered.

Frankly, if OnePlus wasn’t going to go all the way, then it should have stayed exactly where it was. It’s just extremely weird that it would start offering what are essentially bootleg Qi2 and MagSafe accessories in the interim. It’s a market that will exist as long as it’s required, with third party accessory makers seemingly having everything under control without needing official versions to try and make their presence known.

OnePlus can and should do better. But until then, bring on the actual Qi2 phones. Hopefully starting with the Galaxy S25.

More from Tom's Guide

• I tried the new OnePlus 13 AI Editor on my photos — is it any good?
• I tried astrophotography on my OnePlus 13 to shoot nebulas, star clusters, and planets — these were my best captures
• OnePlus 13 vs. OnePlus 13R: All the differences

Smartphone accessories can sometimes be just as interesting as the phones they're designed to serve. The newly launched OnePlus 13 is a good example of this, for as good as the phone is (and it's really very good), the new AIRVOOC 50W Magnetic Charger launching alongside it could have an impact on phones beyond the brand it's designed for.

This new AIRVOOC charger is a new wireless charging puck, replacing the charging stand that OnePlus introduced with the OnePlus 8 Pro in 2020 that was recently discontinued. Taking the form of a round pad rather than a rectangular stand, the new charger's two main changes are its magnetic attachment method, and its larger, more prominent cooling system. The magnets mean it's super simple to attach to compatible phones, including iPhones with MagSafe, while the fan, vents and fins transfer the heat from the magnetic induction process away from the phone to keep the charging process stable and as fast as possible.

It does however cost $79/£69, which is quite a lot for a single wireless charger. And that's not even accounting for the potential cost of a compatible charger (OnePlus' cheapest charger has an 80W output and costs £50). And if you want to use it properly, you need to buy a magnetic case, as the phone doesn't have magnets within. And that's another $25 if you buy the cheapest option from OnePlus for the OnePlus 13.

That's quite a few hoops to jump through for the optimal wireless charging experience for your new OnePlus. And considering the recent news about Qi2 ready status being conferred on phones without built-in magnets, this could be an approach other Android phone makers start to adopt. So giving it a test was a must.

Trying it out

For my first test, I decided to try the charger's ideal set-up. So, I installed a OnePlus-made Sandstone Magnetic Case on my OnePlus 13 review unit, let the phone's battery drain to empty and then attached the Wireless Charger. I also opted to charge the phone propped up with the charger on its side, and plugged the cable into a voltage meter to read how much power it was using.

Despite being rated for 50W, the charger initially pulled 70W, before chilling out gradually to a stable 36W after 10 mins. As the phone filled up, the wattage dropped further to 28W, and then 13W by the time the phone was completely full.

And how long did that take? The 0 - 100% time was 70 minutes, with the charging percentage reaching 33% at the 15-minute mark, 56% at half an hour and 96% at an hour. While that's of course slower than a wired charge, it's actually five minutes ahead of the 75 minutes that OnePlus promises on the charger's store page.

Like I mentioned before, I had the phone positioned on its side, leaning on the charger, for this test as it seemed the optimal way to charge it. I never like putting phones face-down to avoid scratching the screen, and laying the phone on its back with the charger beneath it isn't ideal in this instance.

That's because the OnePlus charging puck doesn't sit flat, due to the rounded red dot that sits on top of the fan opening. This is likely necessary to stop you from accidentally blocking the air intake, as when I tried to charge the phone like this, the charger switched off after 28 minutes. The phone charged up 30% in that time without the case, showing that the benefit that using the magnet has beyond avoiding having the device rocking and spinning around like an oddly-shaped Weeble.

AIRVOOC with an iPhone

Despite being built especially for the latest OnePlus flagship, the new AIRVOOC charger is compatible with the widely-used Qi charging standard. So you can use it to charge a huge variety of recent smartphones, including iPhones.

I tried the OnePlus charger with my iPhone 16 Pro Max, again propping the phone up with the help of the puck and with my power meter providing measurements. Despite only drawing a peak of 17W, the charger's fan still spins up, but it's still not that fast to fill the phone. It managed to charge the phone up 50% after two hours, charging at about 8% every 15 minutes initially before slowing to 5-6% as the battery filled. But with the iPhone propped up and the necessary settings enabled, I was able to use Standby Mode.

Perhaps the biggest surprise was when the charging was done. The cooling fan had done such a good job, the whole phone was cold to the touch. This wasn't something I noticed with the OnePlus due to the case. Even though the charging speed wasn't that good, keeping the phone this cold was, as iPhones are notorious for heating up during charging. That could prove handy if you wanted to charge the iPhone wirelessly and want to use it at the same time, especially if you're using the phone for gaming or another processing-intensive activity.

Verdict

OnePlus' new charger is an expensive accessory for the OnePlus 13, but one that does deliver the speeds it promises when used properly. And can provide a small refuel to other phones and devices you have around, along with a free cooling-off.

That said, the particular implementation OnePlus has gone for is quite odd. Aside from the fact this is a charging pad not designed to hold a phone face-up, adding magnets that only come into play by adding another accessory means you have to pay extra to get the full experience. Good news for OnePlus, but not necessarily for the user who ends up feeling pressured into additional purchases.

I, like my colleague Tom Pritchard, want to see the open, magnetic Qi2 take off to make Android phones as capable as iPhones have been for the past five generations. It'll mean it's much easier to find compatible chargers for Android phones, and much easier to use any brand of charger with any brand of phone, rather than relying on proprietary tech. But while we wait for that day to come, anyone considering buying a OnePlus 13 should consider buying the AIRVOOC 50W Magnetic Charger, especially if you buy it directly from OnePlus as part of the discounted Wireless Charging Bundle. As an expensive but effective pairing, getting a discount makes it easier to enjoy the benefits.

More from Tom's Guide

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• Google Gemini’s new lock screen features make the AI even more useful — here’s what it can do
• I tried astrophotography on my OnePlus 13 to shoot nebulas, star clusters, and planets — these were my best captures

The OnePlus 13R has a big challenge ahead of it, and it only has its predecessor to blame. Last year's OnePlus 12R was a magnificent phone, delivering big performance and pace-setting battery life in a device that cost less than $500, at least in the U.S., where a cheaper model was made available.

That would be a tough act to follow under any circumstances, but then OnePlus dropped the low-cost option from this year's lineup. Now you've got only one OnePlus 13R model to choose from, and good luck getting it for less than $500.

Fortunately, for OnePlus, its latest midrange phone manages to overcome that disappointing first impression with some big improvements over last year's model. Like other R series phones from OnePlus, the 13R takes the best premium features from a just-released flagship — the OnePlus 13 in this case — and offers them in a lower-cost version.

As a result, the OnePlus 13R has a faster processor, better battery life and much more powerful cameras when compared to last year's well-regarded OnePlus 12R. Throw in more AI capabilities, and it's easy to see why the OnePlus 13R impresses, even if it's been priced out of the range of the best cheap phones. Our OnePlus 13R review looks at what you give up by opting for the OnePlus 13R instead of the OnePlus 13 and why that may be worth the $300 you save from the flagship's starting price.

OnePlus 13R review: Specs

OnePlus 13R review: Price and availability

Call it Schrödinger's price hike, as in the U.S., you will pay the exact same price for the 256GB version of the OnePlus 13R as you did for the OnePlus 12R — $599. But OnePlus also sold a 128GB OnePlus 12R for $499, and that configuration is no longer available with the OnePlus 13R. To put it another way, you may not be paying more for this year's version of the phone, but you don't have the option of paying less.

In the U.K., there is no such ambiguity. The OnePlus 13R costs £679, a £40 increase over what the OnePlus 12R cost.

The $599 starting price for the OnePlus 13R lands it nearly perfectly between the $499 Pixel 8a and the $649 Galaxy S24 FE. The regular OnePlus 13 flagship starts at $899, so you're saving significant cash by turning to the midrange model instead.

The OnePlus 13R is now on sale, both directly from the phone maker and at Best Buy in the U.S. Amazon will also start selling the OnePlus 13R at a later date.

OnePlus 13R review: Design

The OnePlus 13R shares its look with the OnePlus 13, though you won't find the Hasselblad branding near the circular camera array on the back of the midrange phone. That's one of the areas where OnePlus has scaled back on the OnePlus 13R's features, but we'll see more as this review progresses.

The phone features an aluminum frame with Corning's Gorilla Glass 7i providing protection against scratches and other damage. An IP64 water resistance rating provides protection from splashes, but you can't dunk the phone in water or blast it with high-pressure water jets like you can with the OnePlus 13. I can't speak to how durable all this makes the 13R given my relatively limited time with the phone, but the design does have a premium feel that disguises just how little you have to pay for this phone.

Because of its 6.78-inch screen, the 6.4 x 3 x 0.32-inch OnePlus 13R towers over the 6.1-inch Pixel 8a. Instead, the OnePlus 13R is closer in size to the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE, another phone that copies many of the features of its flagship siblings and repackages them in a lower-cost device. Anyone with small hands will struggle to use the OnePlus 13R one-handed, but at 7.3 ounces, the phone is easy to tote around.

OnePlus offers a choice of two colors — the silver Astral Trail or the black Nebula Noir. My review unit came in the former color option, and while the silver hue lacks a colorful punch that I prefer in my phones, I did find the faint concentric circles etched into the back of the phone to be a clever design flourish.

An optical under-display fingerprint sensor is the 13R's main unlocking method, though OnePlus also includes a Face Unlock feature. I found the fingerprint sensor responsive and accurate enough to make it my primary way of operating the phone, even if it's a downgrade from the ultrasonic sensor used on the OnePlus 13.

OnePlus 13R review: Display

The 6.78-inch ProXDR display on the OnePlus 13R shares much in common with the OnePlus 12R's panel, right down to the 2780 x 1264 resolution, the adaptive refresh rate that scales from 1Hz to 120Hz and the listed peak brightness of 4,500 nits. You'll never achieve that kind of brightness in a real world setting, but I had no problem watching an old episode of "The Muppet Show" streaming on Disney Plus in direct sunlight, with the phone's brightness setting only three-quarters of the way to maxing out.

That said, the test numbers we got when using a light meter in our lab are far short of what OnePlus promises. With HDR enabled, the OnePlus 13R's screen got as bright as 746 nits. Under similar circumstances, the Pixel 8a reached 1,329. The Galaxy S24 FE has more accurate colors than either the OnePlus or Google models.

This may be an instance where the numbers don't tell the story. Using both phones side by side in the sunlight, I moved the brightness slider to about 25% on both the OnePlus 13R and Pixel 8a. I was better able to make out details on the OnePlus 13R screen. So I wouldn't dismiss its display as too dim, even with the low light-meter reading.

Watching the trailer for Thunderbolts on the OnePlus 13R, I was impressed by how the display handled colors, clearly differentiating between the magenta of the stretch sedan Red Guardian was driving and the deeper crimson of his uniform. Indeed, lab results confirmed that OnePlus 13R can show off a lot of color — 171.6% of the sRGB spectrum in its default Vivid mode and 121.6% of the more demanding DCI-P3 color gamut. For context, the Pixel 8 has respective sRGB and DCI-P3 scores of 126.5% and 80.6% in its default adaptive mode.

Color accuracy varies wildly depending on what display setting you use. The OnePlus 13R's Delta-E score of 0.3 in Vivid isn't as accurate as the Pixel 8a's 0.24 result. But switch to Natural mode on both phones, and the colors get more accurate on the OnePlus 13R — 0.21 vs. 0.29. (the closer to zero, the more accurate the colors.)

OnePlus 13R review: Cameras

The $599 starting price for the OnePlus 13R can partially be explained by a decision OnePlus made to upgrade the rear cameras on the new phone — specifically the lens that accompanies the main and ultrawide cameras.

The OnePlus 12R offered a dedicated macro lens, but OnePlus swaps that out for a 50MP telephoto camera. That lens seems to specialize in portrait shots, with the camera defaulting to a 2x zoom when you switch to Portrait mode in the Camera app. But you can also zoom in on any subject with a 2x optical zoom and algorithms cleaning up any shots up to 4x to remove the noise that can creep in as you zoom closer.

Otherwise, the general camera specs remain unchanged from the OnePlus 12R. The main camera uses a 50MP sensor, though OnePlus says it's now incorporating a Sony LYT-700 that captures more light than the sensor inside the OnePlus 12 could. An 8MP ultrawide shooter rounds out the rear camera setup.

Do these changes make a difference? I put the OnePlus 13R's cameras up against the Google Pixel 8a, our pick for the best camera phone among midrange devices.

This photo of an elaborately decorated bench illustrates the different approaches the camera phones take. The OnePlus 13R tends to favorite brighter colors, to the point where the processed image is more colorful than the actual scene its captured. The Pixel 8a favors a more balanced approach that yields more natural-looking shots.

In this case, however, the emphasis on color elevates the OnePlus photo. I prefer how it makes the dark blue of the building stand out more; in the Pixel 8a, that color fades into the background. The lighter blue of the bench in the 13R shot may not be as accurate as in the Pixel 8a photo, but it makes the text easier to read.

A candelabra aloe plant photo also benefits from the OnePlus 13R's emphasis on color, as those reddish-orange blossoms really pop against the green background. The Pixel 8a has opted to focus on the green fronds of the aloe plant and as a result, the orange bloom looks a little out of focus. The overall tone is darker, too, especially compared to the bright scene that the OnePlus 13R has produced.

So what happens when the light isn't as abundant? My daughter and I hiked into the redwoods near dusk when not a lot of light was peaking through the treetops. The resulting shot of her posing next to a downed redwood looks fine when captured by either phone, but I think the Pixel 8a does the better overall job here, as you can make out more details like the rings of the tree.

The OnePlus 13R has a richer tone, and my daughter's skin isn't as washed out as it is in the Pixel 8a photo. But the tree is the focus here, and the OnePlus 13R doesn't highlight as many details as the Pixel 8a manages to.

Turning to the zoom lens, a 2x zoom in on a monument in the redwood park shows how the OnePlus 13R's color emphasis doesn't always serve it well. The moss growing on the rock and the fern off to the right certainly look brighter and more colorful in the OnePlus 13R. But that's once again at the expense of detail — zooming in, you can actually read the text on the plaque in the Pixel 8a shot. It's harder to make out in the OnePlus 13R photo.

That said, whatever algorithms OnePlus is using to help with zooms beyond 2x are clearly on point in this 4x zoom on an elaborate dragon carving. The image is sharp and focused when captured by the OnePlus 13R — you can even see the scales on the dragon's neck and colors are well-balanced, too. While it lacks a dedicated zoom lens, the Pixel 8a does keep things in focus, but it struggles with the sunlight and produces a somewhat washed-out image.

Cats don't always make the best subjects for a portrait shot, but mine managed to sit in place long enough to snap a pair of dueling portraits with the OnePlus 13R and Pixel 8a. The OnePlus 13R's effort isn't bad here, though its background blur catches both the cat's back and some of the whiskers on the right. It also had a hard time getting all the details of my cat's right eye. The Pixel 8a's effort is much better balanced, though it does lose some of the cat's eyelashes in the background blur on the right. Otherwise, the entirety of the cat's body stays in focus.

Don't overlook the ultrawide lens on the OnePlus 13R, which performed admirably when I captured a photo of this bridge going across the Russian River. Once again, we get a more colorful image from OnePlus, which really helps call out details in the sky itself, as well as the fence lining the right side of the bridge. The Pixel 8a turns to a warmer tone, that some people will prefer, though I think it makes the overall image look a little flat.

The Pixel 8a has been my default choice for night photos, but the OnePlus 13R may force me to rethink that stance. The latest OnePlus phone did a much better job capturing these holiday decorations, keeping the lights in check, and even leting you see background details that get lost to shadows in the Pixel 8a image. I especially like how the individual purple lights appear as visible pinpoints in the OnePlus 13R photo.

Up front, the 16MP selfie cam on the OnePlus 13R turns in a credible shot with portraint mode turned on, though some parts of the background are blurred better than others. The right side of my beard also gets caught up in the blur in some places. The Pixel 8a shot, while smoothing over some details in my face, has a better composed shot here.

I've put the Pixel 8a through a lot of photo face-offs, and most of the time, Google's phone smokes the competition. That isn't the case here, as the OnePlus 13R holds its own against this top camera phone, even beating out Google with some images thanks to the way it emphasizes color. I still think the cameras on the Pixel 8a are better performers overall, but if you like images with bright colors, the OnePlus 13 has you covered.

OnePlus 13R review: Performance

Opting for the OnePlus 13R instead of a more premium device such as the OnePlus 13 means you're not getting the latest silicon to power your phone. That's not really the trade-off it sounds like, though, as OnePlus has a habit of using year-old chipsets in its R Series devices. That means you won't get leading-edge performance from OnePlus' midrange phone, but it'll be close enough not to really matter.

So it is with the OnePlus 13 and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 that provides this phone with its processing muscle. If the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 sounds familiar, that's because it powered many of 2024's Android flagships, including the OnePlus 12. Yes, you're going to see better performance from Snapdragon 8 Elite-based phones like the OnePlus 13, but the OnePlus 13R is at least going to be in the ballpark.

In Geekbench 6 results measuring CPU performance, the OnePlus 13R trails the single- and multicore results posted by the OnePlus 13 by a noticeable margin. But the more relevant comparison is with the OnePlus 12, which produces scores that are slightly better than the 13R but only by 4% on the single core test and 5% on multicore. There's a similar gap with the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE, whose Exynos 2400e chipset is similar to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.

To put it another way, the processor on the OnePlus 13R performs in line with what you would have seen from 2024's best Android phones. And in the case of the Tensor G3-powered Pixel 8a, the OnePlus 13R posts much better Geekbench numbers.

To see how the OnePlus 13R handles graphics, we ran 3DMark's Wild Life Unlimited test, where the new phone posted a score of 115.3 frames per second. That's virtually identical to the 116.4 fps result turned in by the OnePlus 12 and well ahead of the Galaxy S24 FE (86.6 fps) and Pixel 8a (50.9 fps).

It's not all good news from our performance testing. When we had the OnePlus 13R transcode a video with Adobe Premiere Rush, it took the phone 1 minute and 23 seconds to finish the task. That's worse than a lot of other comparable phones, with only the Galaxy S24 FE's 1:19 time approaching the OnePlus 13R. This could be an instance where OnePlus hasn't optimized its phone to run a particular program, as the OnePlus 13 produced a disappointing result on the same test.

The OnePlus 13R is clearly being positioned as a low-cost alternative to the best gaming phones, as OnePlus is talking up the phone's larger Dual-Cryo Velocity Vapor Chamber, aluminum frame and under-display temperature sensor. All of these features work together to detect rising heat and cool the phone down before performance falters.

I did notice the outside of the phone getting warmer when I tested out a bunch of AI features before immediately leaping into a lengthy gaming session with PUBG Mobile. But the performance never lagged when I found myself locked in firefights, so I believe the OnePlus 13R can handle whatever you want to throw at it.

OnePlus 13R review: Battery life and charging

OnePlus increased the battery on this year's R series phone to 6,000 mAh, which is a nice uptick from the 5,500 mAh cell in the OnePlus 12R. That didn't translate to a huge gain in battery life, but given the OnePlus 12R's 18-hour time on our battery test, the 13R had a pretty high bar to clear.

And yet, clear it the OnePlus 13R did. When we had the phone surf the web continuously over cellular, it lasted for 18 hours and 49 minutes before running out of power. That's 37 minutes better than the OnePlus 12R's average, though about an hour short of what the OnePlus 13 did on our test. Nevertheless, both of the latest OnePlus phones have landed at the top of our best phone battery life list. Had we disabled the default adaptive refresh rate setting and locked the screen at a 60Hz rate, we could have pushed the result past the 19.5 hour mark.

Even with the display refresh rate fluctuating, the OnePlus 13R will easily outlast other midrange phones, based on their battery test performance. The Pixel 8a lasted 11 hours and 21 minutes while the Galaxy S24 FE held out for 11 hours and 38 minutes. Neither of those times are within shouting distance of what the OnePlus 13R can do.

OnePlus says the OnePlus 13R can support up to 80W wired charging speeds in the U.S.. (You can't wireless charge the phone — another trade-off for that lower price.) However, the charger that ships with the phone in the U.S. is a 55W SuperVooc Power Adapter. As a result, a drained OnePlus 13R got to an average charge of 60% in our testing after 30 minutes of charging. Had we kept the phone plugged in, OnePlus says we should have gotten a fully charged phone after 54 minutes.

OnePlus 13R review: Software and AI

After treating AI features as an afterthought in 2024, OnePlus has increased the number of tools powered by artificial intelligence with its latest phones. That includes the OnePlus 13R, which offers the same AI capabilities you'll find on the OnePlus 13. In that sense, it's a lot like what Samsung has done with the Galaxy S24 FE and the rest of its Galaxy S24 models, where a lower-cost model doesn't skimp on the AI capabilities found on more premium phones.

I just wish the AI features on the OnePlus 13 series had some more polish. It's not that the current tools are bad, but they lack the refinement you get from AI features on Samsung, Google and Apple devices.

AI Notes is a perfect example of my frustrations with OnePlus' approach to AI. On the phone's built-in Notes app, you can turn to AI to format notes, expand on the ideas you've jotted down and more. I tried using the formatting tool to a list I had started on the pros and cons of rooting for various baseball teams, and the AI dutifully added headings and subheads as you might expect. But it also started to rewrite my note, using a tone that sounded nothing like my own voice.

In fact, many of the AI Notes tools end up rewriting what you've jotted down, and not always for the better. Hitting the Polish command on a list of ideas on where to visit during a trip to Southern California produced text that read like it had been lifted from a tourism brochure. It's a very blunt approach to AI when more exact tools are called for.

Other AI offerings on the OnePlus 13R work better. Circle to Search is here, and it's as effective as it is on any Android phone. OnePlus Intelligent Search feature helped me quickly track down a document I had stored on the OnePlus 13R, though it probably would have been just as easy to launch the My Files app to track it down. (I'm guessing the value of Intelligent Search will become more apparent the longer you have your OnePlus 13R and the more things you stash on it.) And a suite of AI-powered photo editing tools in the built-in Photos app can clean up your images, too, though some are more effective than others.

I turned to AI Reflection Eraser to reduce — but not totally eliminate — glare off a helicopter window when I took an aerial photo of Kauai many moons ago. And AI Eraser successfully removed a photo-bomber peaking into the corner of a shot I had taken of the Marine Corps Marathon, with no lingering artifacts suggesting he had ever been there. (The Remove People and Paint Over tools in AI Eraser proved more effective for me, as I found the Smart Lasso feature more difficult to control.) I had less success with the detail-boosting and blur-removal tools, but I'd wager those work best in very specific situations.

A compare button shows you before and after versions of your edited images so you can see what the AI tools have done — an addition that I found pretty helpful. I wish OnePlus made it easier to tell which of the photos in my library were the AI-edited versions and which were the originals, though. I had to dig into the photos' metadata to confirm, as there doesn't appear to be any visual cue.

Like the OnePlus 13, the OnePlus 13R can count on four years of Android updates, plus another two years of security support. That's more generous than what OnePlus offered the 12R last year, but it's still short of the seven years that Pixel 8a users get. The Galaxy S24 FE receives seven years of updates, too.

OnePlus 13R review: Verdict

The OnePlus 13R sticks to the gameplan of delivering many, though not all, of the OnePlus flagship's top features, but in a pirce that's much lower. About the biggest thing you could ding this year's model for is not having a price that's as low as last year's offering.

But look at the changes OnePlus made with the 13R. The OnePlus 12R lacked a telephoto lens so OnePlus added one to the new phone. That, along with some additional improvements to photo processing, creates a camera phone that's better able to compete with the Pixel 8a. The OnePlus 13R also retains the top-level performance and long-lasting battery that made the OnePlus 12R such a great value.

The beefed-up AI features on board the OnePlus 13R could use some work, and if you're more invested in AI's potential in mobile, you'll want to consider the Pixel 8a or Galaxy S24 FE instead, as those phones offer more evolved tools. But if the traditional metrics of camera, performance and display are what you base your buying decisions on, the OnePlus 13R delivers it all, at a still-significant discount from what you'd pay for flagship versions of those features.

When it comes to snapping up photos, the OnePlus 13 confidently captures them with ease. In our OnePlus 13 review, my colleague Richard Priday says “it's the improved cameras that are the OnePlus 13's crowning achievement,” which is why it's a best camera phone contender. Taking photos is one thing, recording video is another.

That’s why I put the OnePlus 13’s video recording performance to the test, so that I could find out how versatile the new phone is for all sorts of video content. With social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram proving how video is being the most widely consumed piece of content, you’ll want to have a video camera phone that’s reliable.

I’ve spent the last couple of weeks with the OnePlus 13 recording all sorts of videos, which I’ve stitched together in the short cinematic video I’ve edited below. It gives you a good idea of what to expect out of the OnePlus 13. But there’s a lot of reasons why I think it’s a capable video camera.

OnePlus 13 video recording specifications

Before I get down into all the juicy details about what I like and don’t like about shooting video with the OnePlus 13, it’s worth spending the time to dial into its camera specs and video recording features. I break down all the resolutions the OnePlus 13 shoots at with each respective video recording mode.

When it comes to the specs, the biggest omission in my opinion is that the OnePlus 13 doesn’t have the option to natively record in 4K at 120 fps. While I find value in the phone's ability to record in 8K, I wish it had the option for 4K at 120 fps to bolster its recording capabilities. Recording natively at a faster frame rate would allow me to shoot video normally, then worry later on which parts I want to slow down.

Cinematic video is usually shot at the frame rate of 24 fps, so I'm bummed that you don't get that option with the native shooting mode. Instead, you'd have to switch over to Movie Mode, which I have a problem with as I'll explain shortly.

OnePlus 13 video recording modes

Aside from that, the OnePlus 13 has the specs in any other modern day flagship. What I do like about this particular model over other phones is how OnePlus packages a slew of video recording modes. Some of my favorites include the following:

• 8K video recording: Get the most flexibility shooting in this mode because it leaves more room for editing in post.
• Movie Mode: It’s the closest thing to full manual controls with video, allowing you to set the shutter speed, ISO, focus, and more. However, it’s locked to a 21:9 aspect ratio in 4K at 30fps and you can’t switch between zoom levels once the recording starts.
• Slo-mo Video: You have the option to shoot slow motion clips in either 1080p at 240 fps or 720p at 480 fps/240 fps. The entire clip is recorded as a slow motion clip without any audio.
• Dual-View Video: This is perfect for when you want to show yourself while recording video with the rear camera. It’s locked into 1080p, but you have the ability to select three focal modes (there’s no option for the ultrawide). I just wish there was an option for these clips to be saved separately, rather than remain stitched into one.
• Aperture Mode: There isn’t a separate portrait video mode much like you’d find on the Galaxy S24 Ultra or iPhone 16 Pro Max, but there’s an icon in standard recording mode that lets you set the aperture for that ‘cinematic’ look.

OnePlus 13 video recording performance

In the video I recorded and shared farther above, I kept the recordings at their respective default settings — even though there is the option to shoot in HDR and there are various color filters to use. For more professional shoots, I’m inclined to switch over to the OnePlus 13's dedicated Movie Mode for better control of its shutter speed and focus, but it locks you into a wider 21:9 aspect ratio. For this reason alone, I refrained from using it.

Starting off the cinematic video with the OnePlus 13 are snippets of its slow motion capabilities between 1080p at 240 fps and 720p at 480 fps. The 1080p footage looks smooth and maintains enough crisp details when I rendered the final video in 4K resolution. Meanwhile, the 720p at 480 fps clip of the car’s headlight while it’s raining outside looks a tad bit soft. I’m more inclined to shoot slow motion in 1080p because you need a lot of light in the scene for 720p at 480 fps recording. If you don’t, you’ll end up seeing a lot of flickering and extremely soft details.

For the next sequence at a book store, I tested out the OnePlus 13’s 8K video recording mode — which you can see with the closeups of the books from 0:17 to 0:23 and again from 0:29 to 0:31. They’re super sharp and filled with plenty of rich detail, so this resolution gives me the ability to crop them in post without much detail loss. However, they do take up a lot of storage as a 5-second clip comes in at approximately 43 MB.

I also tested out the OnePlus 13’s aperture mode from 0:23 to 0:29, where I dialed the aperture down to its widest at f/1.4 to get that cinematic look of the subject in focus and the background blurred out. It’s not perfect, but you’re less inclined to notice the imperfections when watching the clip on a smaller screen. I like how the foreground elements, like the bookshelf closest to the camera, have been softened — as well as the father book shelves in the background.

Furthermore, I need to mention that I recorded all the clips handheld from 0:31 to 0:48 to give you an idea of how well the OnePlus 13’s video stabilization works — except for the slow motion clip I added there. At 0:40 to 0:43 specifically, I enabled the phone's Ultra Steady mode to help mitigate the shake while I was walking briskly. It does okay, but I can still see a slight bobble up and down.

The last sequence illustrates the OnePlus 13’s ability to handle low light situations. I shot them in the default 4K at 30 fps setting, but there’s a substantial amount of softening to the details.

While it’s a dramatic shift in quality from the daytime recordings I made at the same locations, I still think that it’s usable enough under low light — just as long as there’s some ambient light in the scene. In complete darkness, however, the video comes out noisier and softer.

OnePlus 13 video camera: Bottom line

For a video camera that fits in my pocket, the OnePlus 13 is as versatile as they come. Not only does it check off most of the boxes in what I look for a video camera, but I’m also delighted by the robust set of video-specific features that OnePlus packages. The 8K and 4K native shooting modes give me all the detail I need for post production edits, but I also found its slow motion modes equally as enjoyable.

I didn’t touch on the telephoto zooming abilities of the OnePlus 13, but it’s effective when you need it. Of course, I would try to limit to 6x zoom at the most. Besides that, I can see the wider appeal of the OnePlus 13 as a video camera. All of its extra shooting modes certainly cater to today’s content creators, like how dual-view mode makes it easy to shoot simultaneous video.

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Now that the OnePlus 13 is official and I’ve got my hands on the flagship phone, it’s time to see what its new triple camera system can produce when it comes to shooting astrophotography. I’ve seen stellar results with my previous OnePlus 12 astrophotography shootout, so it only makes sense to see if the latest model can improve upon that.

As much as I’m eager to find out how the OnePlus 13 cameras compare to the competition in low light situations, astrophotography is a totally different beast. Even though it’s a form of long exposure photography, there’s a lot happening behind the scenes with the OnePlus 13’s new image processing algorithms to draw out as much detail in the shot — plus, there’s more AI-enhancements being applied to them than ever before.

So far in the last few months, I’ve put the iPhone 16 Pro Max, Galaxy S24 Ultra, and Pixel 9 Pro XL through their own astrophotography shootouts, and now I get to share all of my favorite astrophotography shots with the OnePlus 13.

OnePlus 13 astrophotography: what you need to know

The gear you use and the weather conditions impact how astrophotography turns out with the OnePlus 13, much like any phone for that matter. Although the OnePlus 13 employs a new dual exposure algorithm to reduce motion blurring in photos, you will still need to attach the phone to a phone holder and tripod combination to eliminate all unwanted shakes.

Furthermore, I recommend activating the OnePlus 13’s timer function so that you don’t introduce any shaking when you press on the shutter button to take the shot. Taking it one step further than your normal night mode shot, there’s a tripod icon that appears in the Camera app that pushes the camera’s shutter speed to its longest — which I find to be around 9 seconds. You’ll want to have the OnePlus 13 shoot in tripod mode to gather in as much light as possible.

And finally, I captured my favorite nebulas, star clusters, and planets with both the 50MP main and 50MP telephoto cameras on the OnePlus 13 to get different compositions. Due to the movement of the Earth, it’s really not practical to shoot astrophotography with the phone's maximum 120x zoom because of how objects taken at this zoom level move quickly, which results in a lot of blurring and streaking.

Nebula: M42 The Great Orion Nebula

Out of all the astrophotography shots I captured with the OnePlus 13, my imaging of M42 the Great Orion Nebula is my favorite. It’s one of the most iconic deep space targets in the night sky during the winter months in the northeast, so it’s always my go-to for anything involving astrophotography.

Compared to the images I captured with the OnePlus 12, it’s clear to me that the OnePlus 13 is boosting the exposure more than what it’s done in the past. My colleague Richard Priday confirms this too about low light shots in his OnePlus 13 review.

Nevertheless, the OnePlus 13 captures the entire Orion constellation with good enough detail to the point that I can make out the faint look of the nebula near the middle of the photo. There are some odd artifacting elements when I zoom to parts of the image, like the wispy trails I see in many of the fainter stars. It could be due to the wind that night, which is why I can’t stress enough about keeping it still as possible.

I also tried capturing the M42 with the OnePlus 13's telephoto camera, but without much luck. The first zoom shot in the gallery above gets me closer to the nebula, but the nebula itself doesn’t show the expanding gas that it’s known for — and it doesn’t get any better when I try to zoom in more.

Star cluster: M45 The Pleiades

Since it’s usually near the apex in the nighttime sky during this time of the year, M45 The Pleiades is an easy deep space object to image with any phone. My eyes can barely make out the seven major stars that form this famous star cluster, also known as the Seven Sisters, but the OnePlus 13’s image is a striking one of it.

I very much prefer the OnePlus 13’s shot over the one I previously took with the OnePlus 12, mainly because of how much more it’s exposed. What looks like a smudge in the night sky with my own eyes, the individual stars in the cluster are crystal clear with the OnePlus 13’s shot. Another reason why I love it over the OnePlus 12 is how the nearby tree is also better exposed, whereas the shot I took with the OnePlus 12 is much more underexposed.

Both the 3x and 6x zoom shots of M45 with the OnePlus 13 look good, with those individual stars in plain view, but it doesn’t come close to the detail I got with the Galaxy S24 Ultra.

Planet: Jupiter

Jupiter’s unmistakable in the night sky because of how bright it is compared to nearly everything else, which is why people often mistake it for a star. Not too far from the Great Orion Nebula during this time of the year, Jupiter is an easy astrophotography shot for the OnePlus 13.

Its bright blow is overpowering in the first shot in the gallery above, but again I love how the night mode of the OnePlus 13 also exposes the nearby tree — which you can see has some noticeable motion blur to the branches due to the gusty wind conditions that night.

With all the subsequent zooms I captured of Jupiter, like at 3x and 6x zoom, these tiny light streaks seem to be coming from the planet — making it look more like the sun than a planet. I’m not all that surprised by how it looks like a bright star, but it simply proves how phones still can’t match the level of detail I get with smart telescopes like the SeeStar S50.

More nighttime scenes

Unfortunately I’m unable to capture the Andromeda Galaxy, which is by far the easiest galaxy to capture with any device. That’s because of its position relative to where I shoot most of my astrophotography in my backyard. Instead, I decided to capture additional astrophotography images in more natural settings.

Take a look at the first shot in the gallery above, which not only captures the twinkling skies with minimal noise in the shot, but also how the nearby tree branches are sharp looking.

The second photo also balances out the exposure between the volleyball court on the beach with the night sky, while the third image shows how well the OnePlus 13 captures astrophotography handheld. Just like the shot with my tripod, I like how the entire constellation is captured — with the nebula visible, unlike what I can’t see with my eyes.

And lastly, there’s the scenic shot of the night sky at the beach boardwalk. I thought this would be troublesome for the OnePlus 13 due to the strong light sources from the street lamps, but I think the OnePlus 13’s image processing balances out the exposure perfectly to draw out the stars.

Bottom Line

I can already tell there’s an improvement with the OnePlus 13 when it comes to astrophotography. Overall, the images I captured were much more exposed than the darker images I got with the OnePlus 12. Just as long as the OnePlus 13 remains as still as possible during its long exposure, you’ll be able to capture breathtaking views of the night sky.

However, OnePlus' flagship phone still comes up short to the better performance I get out of the Pixel 9 Pro XL. By no means is that a bad thing, but I didn’t see as much improvement when I switched over to the OnePlus 13's telephoto camera. From what I can deduce in my testing so far, the astrophotography shots I caught with the OnePlus 13 don’t get treated the same as other telephoto shots I’ve captured under brighter conditions. It could be that the algorithms are more effective in those other situations. Nevertheless, I still like how it can take good shots handheld.

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OnePlus has rung in the new year with a pair of new phones, and knowing the OnePlus 13 vs. OnePlus 13R differences could help you decide if either device deserves a place in your pocket.

This is the second consecutive year OnePlus has gone with a two-phone approach, releasing both a flagship device and a scaled-back R series phone that retains some of the premium features of its counterpart while offering a lower price. In a year where OnePlus raised the price of its flagship phone, the OnePlus 13R could be a compelling alternative — it it doesn't sacrifice too many features.

Even with the higher starting price, the OnePlus 13 is a compelling option for anyone who wants the best Android phone available. In his OnePlus 13 review, my colleague Richard Priday praises the new flagship's stellar battery life and performance and marvels at how much the cameras have improved over last year's OnePlus flagship.

We're still testing the OnePlus 13R, but a quick glance at the phone's spec sheet tells us whether the $300 difference between the price of these two OnePlus devices is as big as it seems.

Here's how a OnePlus 13 vs. OnePlus 13R comparison shakes out.

OnePlus 13 vs. OnePlus 13R: Specs

OnePlus 13 vs. OnePlus 13R: Price and availability

The OnePlus 13 starts at $899/£899; in the U.S., that's a $100 hike from what the OnePlus 12 cost when that phone debuted last year. Trade-in offers through OnePlus can lower the cost of the OnePlus 13, but you're still paying more than you would have a year ago.

The OnePlus 13R didn't see a price increase in the U.S., as the 256GB version of the phone matches the $599 price of the same OnePlus 12R model. (In the U.K., prices rose slightly year-over-year from £649 to £679.) However, the OnePlus 12R also came in a $499 128GB version, which is absent from the OnePlus lineup this year. In other words, you no longer have the option of getting OnePlus' R series model for less than $500.

Still, the bottom line is that the OnePlus 13R costs $300 less than the OnePlus 13, a price difference that OnePlus makes up by scaling back on some of the features in it includes in the R Series model. You can buy the OnePlus 13 right now, while the OnePlus 13R doesn't go on sale until January 14.

OnePlus 13 vs. OnePlus 13R: Design and display

The OnePlus 13 and OnePlus 13R offer matching looks, with a circular camera area positioned in the left-hand corner of the phones' respective backs. There's no Hasselblad branding on the 13R — a hint of some potential camera performance differences between the two phones, but otherwise, you'd have a hard time distinguishing between the two models.

It seems like the OnePlus 13 is more durable than its counterpart, with a Ceramic Guard material to prevent scratches and damage to the back and display of the phone. In contrast, the OnePlus 13R turns to Gorilla Glass 7i for protection. While the IP68 and IP69 water resistance ratings on the OnePlus 13 mean it can withstand both a dunk in water and high-pressure jets of water, the OnePlus 13R's IP64 status means it can survive water spray, but that's the extent of it.

The OnePlus 13 is marginally taller, wider and thicker than the OnePlus 13R, mostly to accommodate a larger screen. You get a 6.82-inch panel on the flagship phone, compared to a 6.78-inch screen on the OnePlus 13R. Resolution is sharper on the OnePlus 13, too, though both phones can adjust their refresh rate between 1Hz and 120Hz as on-screen activity demands.

With the OnePlus 13, you can choose between white-ish silver, black and blue colors. There are just two options for the OnePlus 13R — silver and black.

OnePlus 13 vs. OnePlus 13R: Cameras

As noted above, the OnePlus 13R doesn't benefit from the partnership with Hasselblad that has helped OnePlus dramatically improve the camera performance of its flagship phones. In our OnePlus 13 testing, for example, the new flagship produced photos that held up well against some of the best camera phones, particularly when it came to portrait shots and low-light settings.

We'll need to test the OnePlus 13R against phones in its price range to see whether its cameras are up to snuff and if the lack of Hasselblad involvement makes a big difference in the final output.

On paper at least, the OnePlus 13 offers the more powerful hardware. The phone features three 50MP cameras — a main shooter plus ultrawide and telephoto lenses. That latter camera can support a 3x optical zoom, while a 32MP front camera completes the OnePlus 13 setup.

The cameras on the OnePlus 13R are nothing to dismiss out of hand, though. It features a 50MP main camera and 8MP ultrawide on back, and unlike the OnePlus 12R which offered a macro lens, the 13R's third camera is a 50MP telephoto one — albeit one that seems to specialize in portrait shots. At any rate, the zoom lens on the OnePlus 13R is limited to 2x optical zooms. The OnePlus 13R features a 16MP camera up front.

OnePlus 13 vs. OnePlus 13R: Performance

One of the most significant OnePlus 13 vs. OnePlus 13R features hinges on the chipset each phone uses. For its flagship model, OnePlus turns to the latest Qualcomm silicon in the form of the Snapdragon 8 Elite. The OnePlus 13R uses an older chipset, though it's not that much older, as you'll find a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 system-on-chip inside that handset.

We haven't had the chance to benchmark the OnePlus 13R, but we can compare the numbers from the Snapdragon 8 Elite-powered OnePlus 13 to last year's OnePlus 12, since the older phone also used a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset. The OnePlus 13 improves upon the OnePlus 12's Geekbench scores by 32% in the single-core test and 39% in the multi-core test. That suggests a significant boost in CPU power enjoyed by OnePlus' flagship over the 13R.

Graphics gains proved to be a little bit more modest, with the OnePlus 13 churning out 13% more frames per second in the Wild Life Unlimited Extreme test compared to the OnePlus 12. Gamers may be able to turn to the OnePlus 13R for a lower-cost device that still handles graphics well.

You get greater configuration flexibility with the OnePlus 13, which is available in a 16GB/512GB version to go with the base model and its 12GB of RAM alongside 256GB of on-board storage. The OnePlus 13R comes in a single 12GB/256GB configuration.

OnePlus 13 vs. OnePlus 13R: Battery life and charging

Last year, battery life proved to be one area where having a OnePlus flagship phone didn't matter, as the OnePlus 12R actually posted the superior time on our battery test. Of course, with both phones lasting more than 17 hours on that test, either the OnePlus 12 or 12R would have been a fine choice if you value going a long time between charges.

The OnePlus 13 sets a new standard for battery life among OnePlus phones, after it posted a time of 19 hours and 45 minutes on our test, in which a phone surfs the web continuously over cellular until it runs out of power. While an impressive time — the OnePlus 13 is currently No. 2 on our best phone battery life list — the OnePlus 13R is well-positioned to match that. Not only are the power management features on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 well regarded, the OnePlus 13R also has the same-szed battery as the OnePlus 13, with a 6,000 mAh power pack inside of both phones.

On those occasions where you do need to charge the phone, both the OnePlus 13 and OnePlus 13R support up to 80W charging in the U.S. and 100W charging in other parts of the world. Note that the OnePlus 13R ships with a 55W charger, so if you want the faster speeds, you'll need to buy a separate charing accessory. As for wireless charging, the OnePlus 13 supports that feature and the OnePlus 13R does not.

OnePlus 13 vs. OnePlus 13R: Software and special features

Both new OnePlus phones run the OxygenOS 15 software built on Android 15. As a result, the same AI features available on the OnePlus 13 also appear on the OnePlus 13R. That means you'll be able to take advantage of the same AI photo editing tools that OnePlus 13 users enjoy even if you opt for the cheaper phone. Other AI capabilities include Intelligent Search for tracking down content stored on your phone with relative ease, plus mainstays like Circle to Search and tools that can tidy up your notes.

Last year, we praised Samsung's Galaxy S24 FE for delivering Samsung's Galaxy AI features at a lower cost than the rest of the Galaxy S24 flagships. It's nice to see OnePlus do the same with the OnePlus 13R and the OnePlus 13's feature set. BeaconLink, a walkie-talkie-esque tool debuting on the OnePlus 13 also appears on the OnePlus 13R.

There's no difference in software support, either. Both OnePlus 13 models will receive four years of Android software updates plus two extra year of security support. That's not as generous as what Samsung and Google provide top phones, but at least it's not an either/or situation among OnePlus devices.

OnePlus 13 vs. OnePlus 13R: Outlook

We've already seen what the OnePlus 13 can do — it sets a standard for other Android flagship phones coming out this year, particularly with how long it can last on a charge and how well its cameras perform. Is it worth giving that up to save $300 on your next phone?

We'll be able to answer that question more thoroughly after completing our OnePlus 13R tests. Right now, it seems like the biggest potential sacrifices you'll make for a lower price tag involve overall performance and photo quality, though it's hard to say how big the drop-off will be in that latter category until we get a chance to use the OnePlus 13R cameras. The OnePlus 13 also sounds like it's more durable, and it offers a slightly bigger and better display.

Unless those factors are deal-breakers, though, the OnePlus 13R could be a compelling lower-cost option. We'll have the final word on a OnePlus 13 vs. OnePlus 13R comparison once we finish reviewing OnePlus' midrange phone.

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Despite teasing us with a couple of AI features last year, the OnePlus 12 fell way short of other phones in a year that saw artificial intelligence being a major focus of the best phones. Thankfully the story’s different for this year's version, the OnePlus 13, which offers a much more robust package of AI-assisted features.

Chief among those OnePlus 13 AI additions are the suite of features that are a part of the AI Editor tools in the native Photos app, which consists of AI Detail Boost, AI Eraser, AI Unblur, and AI Reflection Eraser. Since I’m big on capturing photos and video, I’m more inclined to use these AI features than, say, the writing style tools with Notes AI.

These new photo editing tools elevate the OnePlus 13 as a best camera phone contender because I can improve the quality of my photos, all without having to do the gritty work of downloading other apps and taking the time to edit them myself.

It’s a solid start for OnePlus 13 in this area, but it's also convincing enough for me say that these OnePlus additions are nearly as good as the photo editing tools on board the Pixel 9 Pro XL.

AI Detail Boost

Capturing details certainly isn’t a problem for the triple 50MP cameras on the back of the OnePlus 13, but if you’re looking to try and get a little more detail, AI Detail Boost is an option that, in OnePlus' words, will let you “enhance image clarity and sharpen details with AI.”

I’ve applied this OnePlus AI photo editing tool on all the photos above that I captured with the OnePlus 13, but I’m not convinced it makes a dramatic difference. One way I test this is by capturing the black cat ornament on my Christmas tree above with the 50MP telephoto camera, then applying the AI Detail Boost. I’ve also captured the same framing of the shot with the 50MP main camera of the OnePlus 13, just to see if the telephoto shot with AI Detail Boost can improve it.

In the second and third set of images — one of a closeup purple flower and bar top — the so-called improvements with AI Detail Boost are negligible. Side-by-side against the original shots, the enhanced ones barely look any different.

AI Eraser

Out of all the AI Editor tools with the OnePlus 13, I’m most satisfied with the results from its AI Eraser tool. In fact, I’m convinced it’s just as good as Magic Eraser on the Pixel 9 — mainly because of how it intelligently knows what I’m trying to select and then proceeds to remove it.

I first tried AI Eraser on a difficult shot I captured inside of a Barnes and Noble store. The book cases littered around the middle of the store made it look messy, but AI Eraser makes it a breeze to remove them. For the most part, it had an easy time identifying my selections, but I had to go back and remove the shadows underneath each one of them. The end result looks like it was professionally removed.

Moving onto the same shot at the bar, the OnePlus 13 automatically suggests removing the people in the shot. Once I selected the option to remove them, it did the rest and cleaned up the shot in a matter of seconds. The same quick and easy removal process applies to the last shot of the sign I removed from the dunes by the beach.

AI Unblur

Just based on the name alone, I thought that the AI Unblur would take out-of-focus photos I’ve captured and unblur them — but that’s not exactly how it works. Instead, it takes photos that have motion blur in them and removes that. So essentially, it’s not effective on photos that are completely out of focus.

I tested AI Blur out on a couple of shots with the first set in the gallery above showing where it’s most effective. The ornament hanging from a doorway I shot while jiggling the OnePlus 13 a bit in my hand is adversely affected by this, which results in heavy motion blur that causes it to look streaky in some parts of the image. After applying the AI Blur tool, it magically removes the motion blur completely out of the photos — leaving me with a much more usable shot.

I took the same photo of the ornament in pro mode and manually adjusted the focus to make it look a lot more out of focus. I tried using the AI Blur tool again, but this time, it wasn’t effective at all. Additionally, I did the same thing with my napping cat on the sofa in the second set of images in the gallery above, but the tool didn't add much of an improvement.

Ultimately, AI Blur is only effective on subjects that are negatively affected by motion blur. I juggled the OnePlus 13 again while taking the third photo of the ornament on my Christmas tree, and as you can see with the AI Blur enhanced image, it smooths out some of that motion blur.

AI Reflection Eraser

And finally there’s AI Reflection Eraser, which just like AI Blur, is most effective under specific conditions. This OnePlus AI feature works best when you’re capturing a photo through a window or glass.

In the first set of photos in the gallery above, I captured the remnants of a New Jersey mall in the process of being demolished through the passenger seat — so the original photo clearly shows the reflections of the dashboard in the windshield. Once I selected the AI Reflection Eraser, the OnePlus 13 automatically sniffed out all the reflections in the shot and removed them. It’s like magic, with a simple tap of a button to remove them. The end result looks like I captured the photo from outside of the car.

Meanwhile, the other two photos in the gallery were taken with previous phones — but I want to illustrate how the AI Reflection tool works on any image and not just those shot by the OnePlus 13. You can see how AI Reflection Eraser does an okay job in the second set of images, which could benefit more if more contrast were applied to it. However, the third and final set does a much better job of removing the light reflections from inside of the train I was riding while shooting the setting sun.

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We’ve seen some incredible advances in phone battery life the past few years, with iPhone 16 Pro Max exceeding 17 hours on a single charge in our custom battery test while the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro almost hit 21 hours. OnePlus phones have also proven to be pretty long-lasting in recent years, and it looks like the just-announced, OnePlus 13 is carrying on with that trend.

A bit of background, first: we put every phone we review through a battery test in which we set the screen to 150 nits and run a script that forces the phone to surf the web continuously over cellular until it runs out of power. The average phone lasts a little longer than 10 hours on this test. The devices with the best phone battery life can go 14 hours or more.

Last yea,r the OnePlus 12 wowed us by lasting more than 17 hours on that battery test, while the mid-range OnePlus 12R went even further by exceeding 18 hours. Those are some pretty impressive results you'd think would be hard for newer phones to top.

Well, the OnePlus 13 topped both of last year's OnePlus 12 models. As part of our OnePlus 13 review, we ran our usual battery test, and the new flagship kept going and going, finally running out of steam after 19 hours and 45 minutes. It’s not enough to claim the top spot on our longest-lasting phones list, but it’s a well-deserved silver medal.

But this still means that OnePlus managed to outdo its biggest rivals and even its own top-performing handsets — exactly how we want things to progress when a new generation of phone is announced. Plus, as our OnePlus 13 review makes clear, the OnePlus 13 offers great performance in other areas too, including some of the best camera quality of any OnePlus phone. (See our look at the best camera phones to find out how the OnePlus 13's shots compare to the top models.)

The Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro still beats the OnePlus 13 by almost an hour, but that’s to be expected considering how solid the brand’s battery performance has been in recent years. As a gaming device, the ROG Phone 9 Pro is designed to last a long time on a charge, so that you don't have to cut a gaming session short because of a depleted battery.

The OnePlus 13 still outpaces the 2023 Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro (18 hours, 48 minutes) by almost an hour, and knocks the OnePlus 12R (18 hours 8 minutes) out of the top 3 in the process.

Out of the major flagships currently on sale, iPhone 16 Pro Max comes closest. But the 17 hour and 17 minute battery life can't really compete to the OnePlus 13. Even the 17 hour 5 minute result from the OnePlus 12 seems pretty paltry in comparison.

That’s not the only thing the OnePlus 13 does well, either. We haven’t been able to test the phone’s recharge speed at the full 100W charging speed available in other parts of the world, but using an 80W charging brick at our U.S. lab meant the phone was able to hit 56% battery in just 15 minutes. By the 30-minute mark that number was sitting at 92%. That's pretty spectacular, and very useful if you’re short of power and time.

It’s not quite as fast as the OnePlus 12 managed at 80W speeds, hitting 60% after 15 minutes and a full 100% after half an hour. Of course the OnePlus 12 has a smaller battery, and will likely be beaten by OnePlus’s 100W charging brick — assuming you have one. It makes the iPhone 16 Pro Max recharge time look positively glacial, with that phone hitting 29% and 55% after the respective 15- and 30-minute marks.

Meanwhile the Pixel 9 Pro XL did a little better with 35% after 15 minutes and 63% after half an hour. Then comes the Galaxy S24 Ultra, which hit 39% and 71% after the same amount of time. Obviously, all three of those phones have significantly slower recharging speeds, particularly the iPhone. So they’re obviously going to lag behind in this area.

The OnePlus 13 is a phone that offers a battery that should last you through just about any day in your life. But on the off-chance that you do need to recharge in a pinch, you’ll be able to recoup a lot of that missing power extremely quickly.

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