OnePlus makes great premium phones and the present-day OnePlus 12 is a living testament of that. Whether it’s the beautifully crafted rear panel or the cutting-edge internal specifications, the OnePlus 12 is a great recommendation for people who want to step away from the Samsung and Apple camps. So how will its successor, the OnePlus 13, shape up to be like?
Even though the OnePlus 13 is months away from its official release, word on the street is that OnePlus is upgrading its non-folding flagship to a slightly higher tier, potentially making it a threat to Samsung’s Galaxy S series. The partnership with Hasselblad will be in effect for another year and this time, OnePlus seems to be better utilising its knowledge base to improve the cameras on its flagship – an Achilles heel for the brand since its heydays.
Most importantly, the OnePlus 13 will arrive in a world where generative AI will be a key aspect of most modern smartphones. It would also be among the first of many Android phones to utilise the newer 3nm platform, something that was exclusive to Apple since 2023’s iPhone 15 Pro. All of this makes it one of the most highly anticipated premium phones due to be released next year.
Given the buzz and chatter it is generating, we decided to round up all the OnePlus 13 leaks and rumours ahead of its likely release in the last quarter of 2024.
OnePlus 13 leaks, rumours, release date and more
The last major upgrade to the OnePlus flagship was made in 2022 with the announcement of the OnePlus 10 Pro, a premium handset boasting all the luxuries that we expect from OnePlus. Its successive generations have since been regarded as iterative updates with mildly tweaked designs and beefed-up hardware.
With the OnePlus 13, things are changing at a rapid pace. Let’s begin with the core aspects.
Design
The OnePlus 11 and OnePlus 12 stand out from the crowd courtesy of their large and uniquely shaped circular camera humps. In fact, the circular camera hump has given OnePlus’ flagship phones a different identity and has even inspired other brands to replicate it. With the OnePlus 13, the brand now wants to go in a different direction.
Early rumours hint at a rectangular camera hump on the OnePlus 13 housing three camera sensors – something similar to the OnePlus 10 Pro’s design. While the renders aren’t out yet, it seems like OnePlus wants its flagship to stand out from the multitude of budget and midrange Android phones from its sister brand Realme. It is also said that OnePlus wants to go for a flatter display panel instead of one with the familiar curved edges. The iconic Alert Slider mute switch is expected to remain on the device.
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Performance
OnePlus generally relies on Qualcomm’s flagship mobile chip for performance under the hood. Since the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 is expected to power the next generation of smartphones, we believe the OnePlus 13 will feature this new chipset to deliver unmatched performance. For the uninitiated, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 is rumoured to be based on the newer 3nm node, promising superior performance and power efficiency. It is also expected to offer a significant boost in neural processing, thereby encouraging more Gen-AI tasks to be handled on-device.
Alongside the chipset, OnePlus is also expected to dress up the next version of OxygenOS with generative AI features. We expect the brand to work in collaboration with Google and merge the Gemini Nano AI model on-device to introduce smart AI features. We won’t be surprised to see OnePlus bringing cloud-based Gen-AI features like advanced image editing, video editing and access to the Gemini Ultra AI model.
Cameras
For years, the camera system on OnePlus flagships has left enthusiasts and shutterbugs wanting more. Even the Hasselblad partnership has struggled to give users a great camera experience on the OnePlus flagships. This year though, it looks like OnePlus is gunning for the Google Pixel, iPhone and Samsung Galaxy S flagships with serious hardware upgrades.
According to the OnePlus 13 leaks, it will feature a triple camera system featuring three 50-megapixel image sensors, similar to the Xiaomi 14. The main sensor and the ultrawide shooter could get new Sony image sensors for improved dynamic range and better clarity. The telephoto lens will also rely on a flagship-grade 50-megapixel sensor for improved image clarity while shooting portrait photos and zoomed-in images. Sadly, the optical magnification will be limited to 3x but the advanced image sensor could allow up to 5x lossless magnification.
Battery
The OnePlus 12 hit headlines for embedding a massive 5,500mAh battery to provide comfortable all-day stamina, even for power users.
For the OnePlus 13, OnePlus is now rumoured to stuff a bigger 6,000mAh capacity cell. Not only is this a huge upgrade in stamina on paper but the extra capacity could also cover additional power drain should the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chip come across as power-hungry.
As for charging, OnePlus is expected to rely solely on the 100W wired charging solution we saw with the OnePlus 12. Wireless charging is rumoured to be skipped for the 2025 flagship.
Pricing
For the last two generations, OnePlus has stuck with an aggressive pricing strategy to undercut the iPhone and Samsung’s Galaxy S flagships. According to the OnePlus 13 leaks, there is a possibility of a price hike, eventually pushing it closer to the iPhone 16. The newer 3nm Qualcomm chip along with the revamped camera system and the Gen-AI features could drive up the price.
Release date
Rumours from industry insiders suggest that the OnePlus 13 is likely to be announced in China by December 2024, running the Chinese build of the ColorOS interface. For the rest of the world, the OnePlus 13 is likely to debut in February 2025 with OxygenOS 15 based on Android 15.
(Hero and Featured Image Credits: Courtesy OnePlus / Representational Image)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
– When is the OnePlus 13 expected to be released?
The OnePlus 13 is expected to be released in December 2024 in China.
– What are the rumoured camera specifications of the OnePlus 13?
The OnePlus 13 is rumoured to feature a 50-megapixel primary camera, another 50-megapixel ultrawide shooter and a third 50-megapixel telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom.
