OnePlus 13s : OnePlus has always managed the tricky balancing act between performance and price — a combination that, in his early days, earned it the “flagship killer” moniker.
Fast forward another few years to 2025, when the brand is still tweaking this philosophy even further with users who yearn for top-tier specs on the cheap, this time with the new OnePlus 13s.
The counterpart to the main OnePlus 13, this phone is for price-sensitive users looking for no-holds-barred hardware.
In a nutshell, the OnePlus 13s look premium, deliver a beastly performance, and even give you enough finesse to feel like more than just another “lite” edition.
Then again, what sets this phone apart from the rest? Let’s dive in.
Design: Sleek, Subtle, and Quality
The OnePlus 13s doesn’t scream – but that’s what makes it so charming. It adopts the minimalist design of the past, with flat rear, gently curved edges, and the trademark subtle OnePlus branding.
The large circular camera module, now a signature design feature, sits flush against the back, and the phone wears a distinctly OnePlus look.
It has a robust, grippable in-hand feel thanks to the aluminum frame and matte glass finish. It’s slim but not flimsy, measuring under 8.5mm thick.
Find it in Graphite Gray, Misty Blue and Alpine White, and it’s clear this what this phone is made for – users who want style, but no flash.
Display: All Eyes on Fluid AMOLED
OnePlus isn’t cutting the wrong corners — and the display on the 13s is proof. It gets a 6.74-inch 1.5K Fluid AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ support and a peak brightness of 2,500 nits.
Colors pop, blacks are inky, and scrolling is silky smooth. No matter if you’re gaming, binging, or reading, the screen doesn’t miss a thing.
And thanks to LTPO tech, the refresh rate can adjust dynamically too, saving battery when it’s needed.
Performance:
Snapdragon Speaks for Itself The iPhone 8 has an A11 Bionic chip with six cores, and it’s definitely zippy.
The OnePlus 13 series is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC, coupled with as much as 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and up to 512GB of UFS 4.0 storage.
This combination ensures that users are running the most demanding applications and games on a performance-qualified machine.
No lag, no overheating, no hiccups, even after hours of gaming or video processing. Apps open instantly, transitions float, the whole interface feels like everything’s it’s on the snap.
OnePlus’s OxygenOS 14 (built on Android 14) only enhances the experience with clean visuals and minimal bloatware.
Camera: Competent, but Not Top of the Line
The 13s packs a triple rear camera setup: a 50MP Sony IMX890 main sensor, along with 8MP ultra-wide and 2MP macro shooters.
The primary camera produces sharp, detailed photos with natural colors and decent low-light capability with the help of optical image stabilization.
Though not the Hasselblad-tuned cameras of the Pro model, it’s a pretty capable camera setup in its own right. The ultra-wide is fine for landscapes but bad in low light.
The macro lens? Mostly present in force to swell the ranks.
Selfies look good from the 32MP front camera, with accurate skin tones and clean edge detection in portrait mode.
The OnePlus 13s has a 5,100mAh battery which easily get through a full-day and a half of moderate-usage.
And for recharging — when the time comes — its 100W SuperVOOC fast charging will bring it from zero to 100% in about 25 minutes.
This isn’t the home of wireless charging, but most people won’t notice its absence at this end of the price range.
Pros:
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC with powerful processor
AMOLED display with variable refresh rate
Power through your day with all-new PowerShare and get up to 8 hours of battery life with just 15 minutes of charging.
OxygenOS: neat and fast user interface
Premium build and design
Cons:
No wireless charging
Cameras are decent but not flagship.
No IP68 water resistance
Macro lens feels unnecessary
OnePlus 13s: In Conclusion: Smart Power, Without the Pro Price
The OnePlus 13s has everything a power user is looking for, without the bells and whistles that pushes flagship pricing through the roof.
Top-end performance, a stunning display and a premium build quality make it cheap at half the (pro) price.
If you want speed, stability, and sleekness without running after camera gimmicks or fancy frills, the OnePlus 13s finds the sweet spot. It is not here to dazzle — it’s here to deliver. And it does so quite well.
Also read this –