ZDNET's key takeaways The OnePlus 13 is a snappy, nearly no-compromise phone that typically starts at $899.
A Snapdragon 8 Elite, paired with a 6,000mAh battery and 80W fast charging, is a recipe for endurance success.
IP69 is almost excessive, but you'll appreciate it when least expected. View now at OnePlus View now at Best Buy View now at Amazon more buying choices
For Prime Day, you can buy the OnePlus 13 from Amazon at a $120 discount, no matter if it's the 256GB or 512GB variant.
It's not often that I review a smartphone in the first few calendar weeks and feel confident in calling it a "Phone of the Year" contender. But when I tested the OnePlus 13 back in January, that's precisely what happened.
Whether Google finally launches a Pixel Pro Fold with a flagship camera system this summer, or Apple releases a thinner iPhone in the fall, the OnePlus 13 will likely still be on my mind when the year-end nominations are due.
Also: Yes, an Android tablet finally made me reconsider my iPad Pro loyalty
There's a lot going for the latest flagship phone, from the more secure (and reliable) ultrasonic fingerprint sensor to the IP69 rating to the 6,000mAh Silicon NanoStack battery. It's also one of the first phones in North America to feature Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, which promises improvements to performance, efficiency, and AI workloads.
I tested the OnePlus 13 alongside my iPhone 16 Pro Max and Google Pixel 9 Pro XL to see exactly how the Android phone stacked up against one of the best phones so far in 2025. In a few ways, the OnePlus 13 falls short, but in many ways, it puts the iPhone and Pixel to shame.
When I first unboxed the OnePlus 13 and held it in my hand, my reaction was audible. Allow me to geek out here: The slightly curved glass, the slimness of the phone, and the overall appearance made my then-four-month-old iPhone look and feel outdated. It's as if OnePlus made the iPhone 17 Air before Apple did.
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