It’s like they took everything good about the 12R and cranked it up to eleven. You’re getting flagship-level stuff without the flagship-level robbery. The OnePlus 13R is priced starting at ₹42,999 with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage and we also get a 16GB RAM variant with 512GB storage which is exclusive to India.
OnePlus 13R Review: OnePlus is back after they went from crushing it with 21% of the market in 2023 to barely scraping by with 6% in 2024. Last year was especially unfavourable for OnePlus even though it made some strides in the ultra-premium foldable segment with its first foldable, the OnePlus Open. In 2025, OnePlus wants to win back all those fans it lost in 2024 and is trying to claw its way back starting the OnePlus 13 series launch.
I have been testing the OnePlus 13R for the last two weeks and I’m ready to tell you everything about this device. And trust me, there’s a lot to unpack here.
Design: Premium Feel, Practical Choices
The OnePlus 13R looks and feels quite different from the 12R. While the latter gave us curved edges, an aluminium frame and Gorilla Glass Victus 2, the 13R gets Gorilla Glass 7i on both front and back. Now, it’s not as durable as the top-end Victus 2, but that doesn’t mean you should worry one bit about daily wear and tear. This isn’t just marketing speak. In my two weeks of using the 13R without a case, my review unit is still scratch-free, which is impressive.
The phone comes in two finishes: Astral Trail and Nebula Noir. I feel OnePlus could have gone with a more vibrant shade here as it did with the 12R, but they decided to keep it simple. I’ve got the Astral Trail variant, and the concentric rings catching light give it a star trail effect with silky-smooth texture.
While I personally think the design is a bit of a letdown considering how well-built the 12R looks and feels, even now! But it’s not just always about looks, the matte finish does a fantastic job hiding fingerprints, something the 12R struggled with.
So, if you’re a fan of how the 13R looks, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, it’s well built, and has a lot of symmetry going around with a flat frame and display, but if you ask me, I feel the character of the 12R is missing from the 13R. Oh, and the 13R gets a minute bump in the IP rating. It is now IP65 rated while the 12R is IP64 certified.
Display: Pixels That Pop
The OnePlus 13R gets a 6.7-inch ProXDR display, and while its specs might sound similar to the 12R, the improvements here are substantial. The screen is capable of producing vivid and sharp visuals with accurate colours. So, if you watch a lot of videos or movies on your phone, the 13R’s display takes it to the next level with Dolby Vision and HDR Vivid Support.
In our display tests, the 13R gives a Delta E of 0.8 in the DCI-P3 colour space while the 12R has a Delta E of 1.1. Anything under 1 is essentially perfect for the human eye and this means that both phones are capable of producing accurate colours, at all times.
Our testing also revealed that the 13R’s display covers 99% of the DCI-P3 colour gamut while the 12R covers 98% of the gamut. These are pretty good numbers and prove that both phones have great displays for daily use.
In our brightness test, the 13R was able to touch 1700 nits of peak brightness in Vivid mode with adaptive brightness enabled. Meanwhile, the 12R’s display was also able to go up to 1800 nits of peak brightness.
I also tested the 13R against the 12R under direct sunlight, and the 13R intelligently adjusts brightness based on content, not just ambient light.
The Aqua Touch 2.0 feature deserves special mention as the screen remains responsive even when wet. The Glove Mode is equally impressive – I could use the phone perfectly while wearing winter gloves up to 0.5 cm thick.
Performance: Speed That Speaks For Itself
Under the hood, we’ve got the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, and while it is not the latest, it is a tried and tested chip that does the job quite well. The base variant starts with 12GB LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB UFS 4.0 storage, while Indian users get an additional 16GB+512GB option.
Be it scrolling past your Instagram feed, watching videos on YouTube or gaming on the go, the OnePlus 13R does it all without any lags or frame drops. My experience with the 13R has remained fluid and in daily use, I could keep over 40 apps in memory without any reloads. Now, I know that’s not how most people use their phones, but it just goes on to show the kind of performance you can expect from the 13R.
In multiple runs of CPU throttling tests, the 13R was able to run upto 73 to 79% of its peak potential which indicates that it can sustain performance without compromising on thermals.
Let’s talk gaming – the 13R supports 120fps in BGMI without quality compromises. I played a couple of rounds of BGMI, Genshin Impact and COD Mobile but I did not notice any frame drops, and with features like Frame rate interpolation and touch optimisation, the gaming experience on the 13R remains as immersive as ever.
OxygenOS 15 brings several meaningful improvements which include New AI tools for imaging such as Detail Boost, unblur and Reflection Eraser, and productivity tools including Intelligent Search using Gemini, and Magic Compose to help you proofread text. There’s also a Share with iPhone feature for seamless file transfers between Android and iOS.
OnePlus has committed to 4 years of major Android updates and 6 years of security patches, putting the 13R on par with other mid-premium smartphones.
Battery Life: The Marathon Runner
The 6,000mAh battery is only 500mAh more than the 12R, but it shows. My daily use included over 2 hours of gaming, 3 hours of video streaming, constantly being active on social media platforms, multiple camera sessions and always on display enabled. Even with this heavy use, I consistently ended days with 30-35% battery remaining.
In the PC Mark Battery Life test, the OnePlus 13R was able to go on for over 22 hours and 52 minutes before powering down and this is a very good result that’s backed by a beefy battery which will last you 5-6 hours more than the 12R.
The charging speed of the 13R is solid, taking 50-52 minutes for a full charge with the 80W adapter.
Cameras: Finally, Cameras That Deliver
The triple camera setup is where OnePlus has made significant strides. The primary 50-megapixel camera uses a Sony LYT-700 sensor which is a massive upgrade from the IMX890 on the 12R. It is better at capturing light, and it shows in low-light photography. The 13R’s camera system produces good-looking, colourful images without any hassle.
The OnePlus 13R gets the much-needed telephoto lens. It’s a 50-megapixel Samsung ISOCELL JN5 sensor and is a great addition as it allows you to capture some really good-looking portraits at 2X optical zoom and I feel it’s a much better use of space than putting a macro lens there like on the 12R.
The new Dual Exposure Algorithm is particularly impressive in action shots. It captures a short and a long exposure image every time so that you don’t miss out on those quick shots.
The portrait mode has seen significant improvements, especially in edge detection. The 2x optical zoom might seem modest, but the quality is maintained up to 4x thanks to the new algorithms. There’s an 8-megapixel ultrawide lens that has been carried forward from the 12R.
Addressing Green Line Issue with Project Starlight
Let’s now address the elephant in the room – the green line issue that’s affected previous OnePlus devices. OnePlus 13 lineup has a new PVX Enhanced Edge Bonding layer which is specifically designed to prevent this problem. OnePlus is so confident in this solution that they’re offering free display replacements if any green line issues occur, ever. More about it here.
Verdict: Worth Every Rupee?
The OnePlus 13R is a significant evolution in the R-series. It’s no longer just a ‘budget flagship’ – it’s a proper flagship in the mid-premium segment that happens to be priced competitively. The improvements in display technology, battery life, and camera performance make it a compelling upgrade even for 12R users.
The OnePlus 13R is priced starting at ₹42,999 with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage and we also get a 16GB RAM variant with 512GB storage which is exclusive to India. In comparison with the 12R which started at ₹39,999, OnePlus hasn’t technically increased the price of its R-series this year which is great to see.
Would I recommend it? Yes absolutely, especially if you’re coming from a phone that’s two or more years old. The value proposition here is simply unmatched in this price segment. But if you don’t like the design of the 13R, stick around as prices of the 12R are expected to fall in the coming weeks.
Also Read: OnePlus 13 Review: Back in form?
OnePlus 13R Key Specs, Price and Launch Date
| Release Date: | |
| Market Status: | Launched |
Key Specifications
Storage
256 GB
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Battery capacity (mAh)
6000
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Rear Camera Megapixel
50 + 50 + 8
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Screen size (in inches)
6.78
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Siddharth Chauhan
Siddharth reports on gadgets, technology and you will occasionally find him testing the latest smartphones at Digit. However, his love affair with tech and futurism extends way beyond, at the intersection of technology and culture. View Full Profile
