OnePlus 13 is officially going global on January 7 — here's why you should be excited

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One of the best phones of next year could be less than a month away

OnePlus 13 colors
(Image credit: OnePlus)

We finally have official word that the OnePlus 13 is launching early next year, and will be bringing several interesting upgrades along with it that ought to have your attention.

On what happens to be the company's 11th birthday, OnePlus has confirmed a Winter Launch Event for the OnePlus 13 series on January 7, starting at 10:30am Eastern time, or 3:30pm in the U.K.

The event details of OnePlus' Winter Launch Event for the OnePlus 13 series

(Image credit: OnePlus)

According to OnePlus' press release, the OnePlus 13 is due to "combine cutting-edge innovation with a refined focus on user-centric technology, setting the stage for a next-level flagship experience." Hopefully, that translates to another high-performing flagship phone from the company that still sticks at an aggressive price point to steal users away from Samsung, Google and other rivals.

Since OnePlus later mentions that the OnePlus 13 is "the first phone to be revealed from the OnePlus 13 series," this likely means we're getting a sequel to the OnePlus 12R as part of the launch. This entry-level model tones down the camera, performance and display specs of the OnePlus 12, but still offers excellent value for money as well as one of the best battery life test results we've ever measured.

The OnePlus 13's specs aren't much of a secret because the phone has already launched in China. But there could still be spec differences that will only be apparent when we see the global version of the phone, so we'll avoid drawing too many comparisons.

What OnePlus has confirmed is that the 13 will feature a 2K resolution display with a 1-120Hz refresh rate and an impressive-sounding 4,500 nits peak brightness. The OnePlus 13's body will not only be IP68 rated like many other flagship phones, but IP69 rated on top, meaning the phone can shrug off both being immersed in water and being sprayed with high-pressure hot water jets.

Running things is a Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, the current top player for Android phone chips. On the software side, the 13 gets OnePlus' latest OxygenOS 15, based on Android 15. This offers various refinements including new AI features like Intelligent Search for getting answers from files saved on your phone and a greater variety of photo editing tools.

Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, the 13 will come in Black Eclipse, Arctic Dawn or vegan leather-clad Midnight Ocean colors. The Arctic Dawn version is also special as it uses an "industry-first surface-based glass coating" for a smooth but fingerprint-resistant design.

At the same time, OnePlus is also announcing a small upgrade for the OnePlus Buds Pro 3. You'll soon be able to get these in Sapphire Blue and try a new AI translation feature that works with the OnePlus 13.

So mark your calendars — it's only three weeks until the OnePlus 13 arrives. While big rival phones like the Samsung Galaxy S25 series likely won't have launched by that point, the OnePlus 13 could nevertheless stamp its mark on our best Android phone guide for the rest of 2025.

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Richard Priday
Richard Priday
Assistant Phones Editor

Richard is based in London, covering news, reviews and how-tos for phones, tablets, gaming, and whatever else people need advice on. Following on from his MA in Magazine Journalism at the University of Sheffield, he's also written for WIRED U.K., The Register and Creative Bloq. When not at work, he's likely thinking about how to brew the perfect cup of specialty coffee.