Release Date and Availability

OnePlus has been consistently moving up its release schedule in recent years. Following this trend, we can expect:

• China release: December 2024
• Global release: Q1 2025 (likely January)

This earlier release window allows OnePlus to compete more directly with other major flagship launches from Samsung. And given the popularity of its OnePlus 12, this move makes a lot of sense.

By competing aggressively, not just on specs and performance, but also on price, OnePlus is starting to make real inroads into the hearts and minds of consumers in the US and UK.

In the US, choice is pretty bad with Android phones. You basically have Google, Samsung, and Motorola. OnePlus is now offering a very compelling alternative to Google’s Pixel phones and, thanks to its pricing, Samsung’s as well.

Rumored Specifications

Pin

OnePlus’ focus has ALWAYS been on delivering as much hardware and performance as possible. It made a few missteps with its pricing a few years back, but the brand is now very much back in flagship-killer territory with its focus on high-end specs and less-than-ultra-pricing. 

Keeping the price in and around the $799 mark is of the utmost importance because this places the phone inline with handsets like the iPhone 16, Pixel 9, and Samsung Galaxy S25 – only in the case of the iPhone and Samsung, the OnePlus 13 has much better specs.  

Here’s a quick look at the expected specs:

Processing Power

The inclusion of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chip should ensure top-tier performance, keeping the OnePlus 13 competitive with other flagship devices throughout 2025.

Display Technology

The rumored “micro-curved” screen could offer a unique viewing experience, potentially setting the OnePlus 13 apart from its flat-screened competitors.

Camera Capabilities

The OnePlus 12’s camera was very, very good, so OnePlus doesn’t need to do too much in this regard. If it can extract a bit more performance from Sony’s new sensors, that’ll be all it takes to ensure the OnePlus 13’s legacy as one of the top camera modules for 2024/25. 

While the camera setup seems similar to the OnePlus 12, the potential upgrade to new Sony sensors for the ultrawide and telephoto lenses could significantly improve image quality and versatility.

Design Changes

Pin

• Ceramic body (real ceramic, not ceramic-like glass)
• New rear camera design and arrangement
• Possible centrally-located camera housing
• “Micro quad-curved panel” or flat display with curved glass on all four sides

Over the years, OnePlus’ design language has been all over the place – in a good way. The brand has tried and tested multiple designs and form factors from novel and engaging camera modules to curved screens and different build materials for its handsets’ chassis and frames. 

With the OnePlus 13, word on the street suggests it is going to be trying something new once again. We’ve heard talk about new materials, changes to the camera module design and placement, and a new type of curved glass for its display. 

These changes could give the OnePlus 13 a fresh, premium look while maintaining the brand’s distinctive style.

New Features and AI Integration

Pin

Google’s Gemini AI

It’s 2024, so you cannot release anything – be it a phone or a toaster – without slapping some AI capabilities inside it.

Earlier this year, OnePlus and OPPO confirmed all of their new phones would come with Google’s most potent version of Gemini – Gemini 1.0 Ultra – which usually costs $20 a month for a subscription. 

With Gemini 1.0 Ultra, which OnePlus and OPPO users presumably won’t have to pay for, you’ll get access to the following stuff: 

Advanced Reasoning

• Demonstrates superior performance in complex reasoning tasks
• Outperforms previous models in analytical and problem-solving scenarios

Multimodal Understanding

Processes and analyzes multiple input types:

• Text
• Images
• Audio
• Video

Increased Context Length

• Handles up to 1 million tokens per request
• Enables more detailed and context-rich interactions

Coding Proficiency

• Generates, evaluates, and fixes code
• Supports at least 20 programming languages

Wireless Charging Conundrum

Interestingly, there are conflicting reports about wireless charging:

• Some sources suggest the OnePlus 13 will skip wireless charging
• This would be a step back from the OnePlus 12
• The trade-off appears to be a larger 6,000mAh battery

OnePlus – like other BBK phone brands – has always been big on fast charging, both wired and wireless. But with the OnePlus 13, OnePlus is rumored to be ditching wireless charging in favor of a larger, 6000mAh battery. 

You’ll still get 100W wired charging, so charging and top-ups will be rapid but the removal of its wireless charging abilities would almost certainly irritate plenty of potential users – we love having stuff to moan about! 

Is wireless charging a deal breaker? For me, no – I have wireless charging and I very rarely use it. Wired charging is faster and, given the size of most cell phone batteries these days, alongside the power management of modern SoCs, you can usually get through a full day of use, even with heavy usage. 

If the removal of wireless charging is happening, the sole reason for it will be to keep the price down: a larger battery cell is always going to be cheaper to implement than a similarly sized battery alongside wireless charging tech. 

What We’d Like to See

While the rumored specs and features are impressive, there are a few areas where we hope OnePlus will make improvements:

1. Water Resistance: A proper IP67 or IP68 rating across all variants would be welcome.
2. Extended Software Support: Matching Samsung and Google’s seven-year update promise would be a significant selling point.

Pricing and Market Position

While exact pricing hasn’t been leaked, we can make some educated guesses:

• The OnePlus 12 launched at $799.99
• Given the potential upgrades, a slight price increase wouldn’t be surprising
• However, OnePlus may aim to undercut competitors like Samsung to maintain its value proposition