The OnePlus 13 is one of my favorite Android phones released this year. OnePlus handsets have been among the better Android options for some time now, but the OnePlus 13 strikes a particularly special balance in its design, performance, cameras, and software.
Because of that, you might think that I’m eagerly looking forward to OnePlus’s next flagship Android phone, the OnePlus 15. We’ve had tons of news about the OnePlus 15 over the last few days, and a lot of what we’ve heard sounds quite promising. But despite all of that, I still have this concern that the OnePlus 15 will lack what makes its predecessor so special. And if you love the OnePlus 13 like I do, I think you’ll find yourself in a similar boat.
How are you feeling about the OnePlus 15? 49 votes I'm looking forward to it. Everything we've heard so far sounds great. 35 % Not great — I'm worried about no more Hasselblad. 33 % I'm undecided and waiting until we learn more. 33 % Other (let us know in the comments). 0 %
The Hasselblad elephant in the room
Joe Maring / Android Authority
That concern largely stems from OnePlus’s decision to end its longstanding partnership with Hasselblad, starting with the OnePlus 15.
Since the OnePlus 9 series, every flagship OnePlus handset has featured cameras tuned and co-developed by the legendary camera brand Hasselblad. Bringing in Hasselblad’s expertise was immediately noticeable in the transition from the OnePlus 8 to the OnePlus 9, and it was the clear tipping point where OnePlus cameras went from just OK to legitimately great.
While the frequency at which OnePlus flaunted that partnership quieted over the years, the significance has never gone away. If anything, it’s only gotten better with age and subsequent smartphone releases.
The OnePlus 13 is an outstanding all-around phone, but for my personal use, the camera is a huge reason why the OnePlus 13 stayed in my pocket for so long earlier this year. The camera sensors are high-quality and take sharp, focused photos, but the real magic lies in OnePlus and Hasselblad’s image processing.
Pictures from the OnePlus 13 consistently feature an unmistakable visual style, one that favors deep contrast and bold, distinct colors (as you can see in the gallery above). Photos taken by the OnePlus 13 aren’t true-to-life, but they evoke a feeling of character that’s absent from any Samsung Galaxy or Google Pixel camera.
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