I’ll buy it OnePlus 13R Best Buy will receive a free $100 gift card. This transaction applies to both Nebula Noir (black) and Astral Trail (White).
OnePlus 13R Following in the footsteps of its predecessors, it offers flagship performance at a lesser flagship price. It has a large battery, decent camera upgrades, flagship processors (even last year), and a more ambitious software update policy. Plus, it has one of the best displays we’ve tested in this segment, with Aqua Touch technology and durable build quality.
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All of this comes with a $100 increase. This makes a one-time $500 model to $600 now to $600. So, do you need to choose more affordable products from Google, spend more on Samsung phones, or receive the OnePlus 13R? I spent a few weeks on the device and this is my verdict.
Big, bold, bright
The first thing I noticed when using the OnePlus 13R was its flat side, especially compared to the 12R. This gives the phone a sharper and bolder look, but despite being thin and light, it’s not so comfortable to hold because of the edge. On the other hand, this design feels ergonomic when held in landscape orientation, and is ideal for watching games and movies.
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Astral Trail (Read: White) Variant I stand out with the etched glass ring. It provides a stylish and elegant look. This model is better than the Nebula Noir variant, which features a dull and stimulating black finish. The phone has a power button and volume locker on the right, an alert slider on the left, and an IR blaster to control the smart appliance.
The OnePlus 13R is rated as Dust and Water-resistant IP65. This is not as durable as the OnePlus 13’s IP69 rating. Still, it handles splash pretty well. Do not drop the device into the toilet or washing machine. Compared to the 13, the OnePlus 13R still has an optical fingerprint scanner that works quickly and accurately. If you’ve never used an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor before, you won’t notice the difference.
Front, you get the best display in your class, both in specs and usability. It has a 6.78-inch AMOLED panel that supports Dolby Vision, HDR10+ for media consumption, and a dynamic 1Hz-120Hz refresh rate for smooth use and efficiency. All of this is protected by the Corning Gorilla Glass 7i.
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The display is bright, with peak brightness of 1,600 knits, and can reach 4,500 knits when viewing supported HDR content. The colour looks pleasant to the eyes. They are bright and crisp, even if there is no display adjustments on my side.
I’m particularly a fan of the OnePlus 13R Aqua Touch technology. This allows you to use your phone in the rain or in the shower without registering water droplets as a tap. The display also allows you to read touches when wearing gloves. This is useful during the winter.
$600 Performance Champion
The OnePlus 13R is equipped with the same processor as last year’s OnePlus 12. This is a good thing. It combines a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.
The OnePlus 13R runs smoothly in daily use. My use included jumping between social media apps such as X and Instagram, work apps such as Slack and Teams, and messaging WhatsApp. I also used the camera quite a bit during the test period. The animation looks faster than before. I was not late in using it or faced with stud sounds.
The game on the phone was extremely enjoyable despite lack of support at 120FPS. Instead, the title Battlegrounds Mobile You can use frame interpolation to move up to 120FPS. If you can settle down at 60fps, most games will be played with little or no jitter. Your phone can get warmer to touch during extended gaming sessions, but you’ve never received notifications to quit your gaming or app and stabilize things.
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The OnePlus 13R runs an Android 15-based Oxygenos 15 and is promised to get the same number of updates as OnePlus 13: 4 years of OS updates and 6 years of security updates. I think the OnePlus software is pretty clean, with only pre-installed apps. Get a handful of AI features such as AI Detail Boost, AI UNBLUR, AI ERASER, and AI Reflection Eraser to enhance subjects and remove photo distractions. There are also Google’s AI Fixins, such as Circle to Search and Gemini.
For my use, the phone continued slowly throughout the day. Also, when it’s time to refill the 6,000mAh battery, the OnePlus 13R can be charged at 80W with a box-in-box charger. This means you can move from zero to full in more than 30 minutes. Unfortunately, there is no wireless charging.
Improved camera
Last year’s OnePlus 12R had a decent primary camera with a sub-average auxiliary sensor. However, the company upgraded its camera system this year. The OnePlus 13R features a 50mp Sony Lyt-700 sensor for the primary camera, a 50mp telephoto sensor with 2x optical zoom, and an 8MP ultra-width angle lens. The trio supports shooting 4K 60fps video. Plus, you’ll get a new live photo switch to capture the emotions behind the shot.
The main camera captures photos that you can see during the day. It has a good detail, excellent dynamic range and decent white balance. The 2x telephoto is less versatile than the OnePlus 13’s 3X sensor, but it offers a much improved output compared to the OnePlus 12R. The photos are full of details and the colors match the primary camera. This is perfect for viewing at this price range. However, Ultrawide cameras offer a more saturated look.
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For portraits, you’ll get decent edge detection and good looking shots in most cases. But when you are in a dim environment, the photos wrestlew with the details and look at them softly. Overall, the OnePlus 13R has improved camera setup, giving you the best results for the price. I liked to have a 3x optical zoom, but the upgrade to a telephoto sensor is a welcome change.
ZDNET purchase advice
For $600, OnePlus 13R It offers the best display with class, Life quality features, excellent performance, all-day battery life and a smooth software experience. Competitors in the nearest market, Google Pixel 9asits more comfortably than the $500 mark and is a decent phone for most people. But it’s a much smaller device and is inferior in almost every way in terms of hardware.
When comparing the OnePlus 13R to the flagship smartphone, the huge value of the device truly shines. Wireless charging may be a big mistake for some people, but the long durability on a single charge may make up for it.
According to OnePlus, the transaction will end on June 22, 2025.
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Recent US tariffs on imports from countries such as China, Vietnam and India aim to increase domestic production, but are likely to raise prices for home appliances. Products like smartphones, laptops, and televisions can become more expensive as companies rethink their global supply chain and weigh the costs of changing production.
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Smartphones are one of the new US tariffs affected, with devices imported from China and Vietnam facing a sudden job that could raise retail prices by more than 20%. Brands like Apple and Google are heavily dependent on Asian manufacturing, and could either pass these costs to consumers or absorb them at the expense of profit margins.
Tariffs could lead to delays in product launches and changes in the location and method of phones being manufactured, encouraging companies to diversify production in countries with more favorable terms of trade.
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