OnePlus 13R Review - Premium Perks Without the Premium Price
The OnePlus 13R has arrived! This mid-tier device would be considered a Flagship had it been released in early 2024. The OnePlus 13R offers flagship performance without the flagship price. The Chipset used here is the Qualcomm 2024 Champion, sometimes called the 'Titan Of Ai' The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.
It's definitely a compelling alternative to the more expensive OnePlus 13. You still get many of the same premium features, including lots of Ai Tools & of course the iconic alert slider, but due to the lower price point, you could make the case that it potentially delivers more bang for the buck.
Design
The OnePlus 13R design is similar to the Flagship Oneplus 13 but minus the Hasselblad branding. It has a flat aluminium frame that gives it a nice premium feel. The device is protected by Gorilla Glass on both the front and back, enhancing its resistance to scratches and bumps. And this Corning Gorilla Glass 7i used here is a notable upgrade over Gorilla Glass 5 that was used a lot in 2024 in the mid-range smartphone tier.
The OnePlus 13R is sealed up to meet the official IP65 rating. This means that it has water and dust resistance. This means it offers reliable protection against light splashes and dust. However, the OnePlus 13 does have a much higher ingress protection rating of IP69. Which offers protection against more power jet sprays. So if you like to jet ski…maybe the OnePlus 13 would be better suited to you.
A nice addition that we don’t always see on all top-tier devices is an IR Blaster. So you’ll always have a backup to hand if you lose your TV remote.
Under the hood
The 13R is powered by the robust Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset and houses a massive 6,000mAh battery, the top standard we will see more often in 2025. This phone supports 80W wired charging, which is amazingly fast when considering more flagships in 2024 capped out at around 45Watts.
The Software out of the box is Android 15 with OnePlus's Oxygen OS15. It is undoubtedly one of the best Android skins out there and has many customization tweaks to play with. This combination makes it ideal for those seeking performance and practicality in a single device. If you want to see some of Oxygen OS 15's best features. Check out this Oxygen OS15 Tips & Tricks guide here.
Display
The 6.78-inch AMOLED display delivers vibrant visuals with a resolution of 2800 x 1260 and a smooth 120Hz refresh rate, ensuring an immersive viewing experience. It's an excellent display at the price point. The colour range and pixel density (450ppi) are at the flagship level, and the peak brightness reaches up to 4500 nits, which is incredible. There are also lots of very convenient eye protection options available, and you can choose to lock in the 120HZ refresh rate or dial it back to 60HZ to save some power. Not that you’d need to, because the 6000mAh can potentially last up to 2 days without recharging.
Camera
In the camera department, the OnePlus 13R has a 50 MP primary sensor, a 50 MP telephoto lens, and an 8 MP ultra-wide lens, providing versatility for various photography needs. For selfies, it features a 16 MP front-facing camera. If you want to see how the OnePlus 13R cameras handle against the Flagship OnePlus & the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Check out our official OnePlus 13 vs Onecamera comparison here.
The device has two memory configurations: 12GB RAM with 256GB storage and 16GB RAM with 512GB storage, catering to different user preferences.
Overall, the OnePlus 13R presents a balanced package of performance, design, and features at a more accessible price point, making it a strong contender in the mid-range smartphone market. If you want to check out the most up-to-date prices on the OnePlus 13R. Here's a link to OnePlus 13R the deals on Amazon.
