MobileManDan
Intro
The OnePlus 13R is a smartphone that is not the companies flagship, this is reserved for the OnePlus 13 which comes with a slightly different design and comes with the Hasselblad camera branding and tuning which is why it costs more, however the OnePlus 13R is a flagship phone on paper with highly impressive specifications at a price that will shock and impress you.
This is a review on the OnePlus 13R device which is a very decent smartphone with very impressive specs that come from a top high end device, but priced at a mid-range phone, at time of writing this review you can pick one up for £459, down from the normal £679, but prices will often change so if you are looking to order one the deal may be different.
My review was based on the OnePlus 13R which I had hands-on for around 9 weeks before posting the review. This allowed me to get a decent amount of hands on time to check out the camera as well as all the other specifications and AI features that the company have put in their latest devices, some of which I found very useful but also meant I had a decent amount of time to check out real life day to day performance over a long time instead of over a short time which might have given different results.
All opinions are solely based on my experience with the device and no one has seen any of the content before it’s gone live. Everyone gets to see at the same time as it is purely my opinion and my thoughts on my time with the phone without any influence.
Design
The screen boasts a very respectable 6.78-inch size and utilizes OLED technology for deep blacks and vibrant colors. It also features a 120Hz refresh rate, ideal for those interested in high-frame-rate gaming or who appreciate smooth, silky animations.
The large screen takes up all the front with no physical buttons to be seen, just the large screen which looks great for watching content back on.
You also get the front facing selfie camera which is a large one at 16 megapixels and this will be covered in more detail later on in the review.
Because of the technology used in the display, you also get the ‘Always On’ option for the screen so when you are not using it the clock stays on and you also get any notifications without the screen draining a lot of battery, this is a feature normally reserved for the flagship model so was really nice to see on the 13R.
On the left side you get the traditional slider switch up top which OnePlus are well known for having on all their phones and is something that sets them apart from the competition, I really found this switch handy for quickly moving between normal and silent modes without having to go into the settings and play around with things.
On the right-hand side, there is a volume rocker for adjusting the volume up and down, as well as a power button in the center that offers quick access to Google Gemini assistant, this is the new and up to date AI assistant which has replaced the older Google Assistant found on older phones.
At the top, there is one of the dual microphones designed for noise cancellation and stereo recording. Additionally, the inclusion of an IR blaster is appreciated, allowing the phone to act as a remote control for a wide range of devices from your TV to air conditioner units which is still quite rare on phones yet is a really handy feature to have.
At the bottom, there is an additional microphone that complements the dual setup. Additionally, there is a USB-C port available for data transfer or fast charging at 80W if you use an official OnePlus charger brick which is called SUPERVOOC but unfortunately not included in the box and will set you back an additional £50.
One big feature lacking is Wireless Charging which unfortunately you do not get with this device, however with fast charging this should be more than enough to get you back running again with a few minutes plugged in even on a normal charger, but if you do get the 80W charger then a few minutes plugged in will top you right back up again so is worth the additional cost.
The OnePlus 13R features a SIM Nano slot for your preferred network SIM, along with Dual SIM support, allowing you to use two different networks simultaneously and also has eSIM support, should your network provide this option bit is becoming more popular, especially for people who like to travel or have one phone for personal use and one for work.
Turning over to the back you have a full glass panel with the OnePlus logo in the middle, the back is glass but has a nice texture to it when you run a finger over it, it will help with grip and keeping the phoner safe, however a case is still worth getting to keep it protected at all times.
The device features a triple camera setup that includes a main 50-megapixel lens with an LED flash to boost low-light photography. Additionally, it includes a 8-megapixel ultra wide-angle lens perfect for capturing landscape shots even if the megapixel count is lower than some of the competition, it makes up for this though with the third camera, a 50 megapixel telephoto which allows 2x zoom without losing quality.
Sample photos and videos taken from each camera can be found later on in the review so you can see what the quality is like.
Software
The OnePlus 13R comes with the latest version of the companies skin of Android which they call OxygenOS, and personally is one of my favourite versions of the OS you can get with lots of customisation options but without the additional bloatware you get from some of the competition such as lots of duplicate applications or adverts.
Because the phone has decent specifications you can expect it to get many more updates to newer versions of OxygenOS over the years so your phone will always be up to date and will last you for plenty more years to come so you will be getting great value for money.
OxygenOS allows you to change a lot of the phone software from lock screen to fonts and icons which means you can really customise your phone to be personal in every way.
Performance
The performance was really good as the 13R comes with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, whilst not top of the range, it was more than capable for running normal every day tasks as well as the new AI features and some heavy gaming from Call of Duty mainly as well as some other graphic heavy gaming, i did not notice any slowdown or impact using this processor, this is helped with 12GB LPDDR5X RAM to ensure everything is as smooth as possible and is a version of RAM that performs 33% faster and is 20% more efficient than standard LPDDR RAM
Storage comes in at 256GB which is non expandable, if you do need more than this then you will have to look at online options, however 256GB is very generous when many phones that are on sale today normally start at half this at 128GB which is getting a little low as apps get larger in size and video can record in 4K.
The included battery has a capacity of 6000mAh, ranking it among the top models currently on sale. This is particularly impressive given the phone’s OLED screen, which operates at 120hz you will easily get a full day of heavy use, including using the camera and playing games.
The OnePlus 13R comes with support for 2G/3G/4G/5G so you have a wide range of connectivity options depending on your network and sometimes price plan of choice (not all plans include 5G access)
Naturally, this device is packed with essential features like GPS, Bluetooth, NFC, and built-in WiFi for seamless navigation and communication. Furthermore, the WiFi supports the latest standards, delivering superior and faster data speeds when paired with the right router.
Camera
I often say in my reviews that there is much more to a camera than having a high megapixel count, some of the competition are offering 200 megapixel lenses on their phones now. but when it comes to normal point and shoot, most of the time there is very little improvement in quality over a 50 megapixel, it just allows you to crop in and not lose quality.
The selfie camera has a 16MP lens which delivered decent performance in good lighting, you get the option to take portrait photos and these also came out well from the 13R, considering the two biggest uses for the selfie camera will be for video calls and for sharing photos on social media, the 13R performs very well for it’s price.
Selfie videos are decent too offering a maximum resolution for recording at 1080p 30fps which quality is decent enough for most situations, 4K is lacking here as is an option for 60fps so if either of those specs are important then you will have to look at the more expensive OnePlus 13 model, but for it’s price the 1080p quality was more than good enough, and for most people who will use this phone they will not really worry about not having 4K.
OnePlus has opted for a three-lens setup, featuring a main 50-megapixel camera, a 8-megapixel wide-angle camera suitable for all conditions and a 50-megapixel telephoto camera to allow you optical zoom to get closer to your subject without losing any quality.
In good lighting the captured photos seem decent packing a lot of details and colour which was good to see, it does not have the boosted contrast which Samsung seem to love doing in there photos that make greens really over the top which is a good thing although some people do like that style of photo.
Here are the photos taken using each of the three cameras so you can see what quality you can expect to see.
Normally, night photos struggle to capture many details compared to some of the competition in the past for me. However, it seems that OnePlus has managed to get some decent quality in night conditions, it is not the best by any means, but for the price the cameras are more than capable, and again considering this is not the flagship model, you are getting a great range of cameras to use,
Something pointing out is that the 13R does not come with the Hasselblad tuning or branding, that is saved for the more expensive OnePlus 13 model
Final Thoughts
So my final thoughts on the OnePlus 13R, they are very positive, especially when you look at all the key specs on offer and at the price you can get one at the time of writing this review.
Whilst you dont get the highest performing processor, what you do get is a very good one which will handle all your daily tasks plus some great gaming performance, sure if you look at benchmark numbers they will be lower than the top spec, but when it comes to ACTUAL use of the phone you will not notice a difference and should help put your mind at rest, especially considering the large battery and large 12GB of RAM to help with overall performance.
If you look at the 6000mAh battery, 12GB RAM, 256GB storage, 80W fast charging, triple camera setup, large OLED display with Always On and a software skin which is one of the best out there, you might be especting to pay over £900 for a phone with all this, so when at time of writing you can get one for just £459 that is incredible value for money.
If you asked me if I would recommend this device. I would have to say a definite yes, take a look at the competition and what they have to offer and look at this phone for what it has to offer, and you’re getting a great smartphone that will last a long time at a really affordable price with a beautiful design.
Again a big thanks to OnePlus for sending out the 13R for review.
| Design | ★★★★ |
| Camera | ★★★★ |
| Software | ★★★★ |
| Performance | ★★★★ |
| Value For Money | ★★★★★ |
