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Did OnePlus, in October 2024, just announce one of the best smartphones of 2025? It very well may have, because OnePlus has officially launched the OnePlus 13.
Well, sort of. The OnePlus 13 is now available in China, though it’ll be a while before it comes to the U.S. and other parts of the world. Although it’ll likely be December or January before you and I get our hands on the OnePlus 13, the wait should be worth it. The OnePlus 13 already looks like one of next year’s best phones — and it may have simultaneously caused the premature death of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.
The OnePlus 13 looks fantastic
OK, so the OnePlus 13 is official — but what’s so special about it? I’ll start with the hardware, which, to my eyes, is fantastic. I’ve been a fan of OnePlus’ design for the last couple of years, and the OnePlus 13 looks like a great evolution of it. The round camera housing is cleaner and a bit simpler than it was on the last couple of OnePlus flagships, the accent line to the right of it is a nice touch, and I’m happy to see the introduction of a flat frame.
The colors are equally fantastic. Secret Realm (aka the black option) has a gorgeous texture/pattern across the entire backside, Dew Dawn (the white version) looks like a better version of the white OnePlus 12, and Blues Hour (the blue one, shocker) has a gorgeous navy blue color that contrasts beautifully with the silver camera circle. Even better, it has a leather finish instead of glass. Take my money right now.
Then there’s the display. As much as I love the OnePlus 12 and OnePlus 12R, I’m not the biggest fan of their curved displays. Good news: the OnePlus 13 doesn’t have one. It technically has 2.5D curved glass on all four edges, but the curves appear to be far less dramatic than the distinct curved sides of the OnePlus 12 series. The 6.82-inch size is a little larger than I’d like, but I’m all for a flat screen. It also has every spec you could ask for: an AMOLED panel, a 3168 x 1440 resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, and up to 4500 nits of brightness.
Something else that’s caught my eye is a small, but important detail: the vibration motor. Good haptic feedback is, in my opinion, a critical, but often overlooked aspect of many Android phones. OnePlus says the OnePlus 13 has the largest vibration motor ever used in an Android phone. Whether it’s a high-quality motor remains to be seen, but it’s nothing if not encouraging.
And, of course, there are the specs. The Snapdragon 8 Elite — which has already proven to be an incredibly fast chip — is here. There’s also a massive 6,000 mAh battery, 100-watt wired and 50W wireless charging, and triple 50MP cameras for the primary/telephoto/ultrawide snappers. There’s a lot to like here.
What this means for the Galaxy S25 Ultra
Of course, we also expect the Galaxy S25 Ultra to match many of these specifications. Samsung’s flagship should also have the Snapdragon 8 Elite, a powerful camera setup, and a big battery. But based on the S25 Ultra leaks we’ve seen so far, nothing is blowing me away.
Samsung appears to be sticking with the same design it has used since the Galaxy S22 Ultra, which is disappointing. Yes, OnePlus has also done roughly the same thing, but it’s at least found interesting ways to shake up the camera design and consistently uses fun colors/materials. The OnePlus 11, OnePlus 12, and OnePlus 13 all look like they’re part of the same family, but they still look like different phones. Samsung, not so much. The S25 Ultra looks like the exact same phone we’ve had since 2022, just with a flatter frame.
There’s also no indication that Samsung will upgrade its battery or charging tech next year. Rumors suggest the Galaxy S25 Ultra will have a 5,000 mAh battery and 45W charging, just like the Galaxy S24 Ultra. If true, that would leave the S25 Ultra with a 20% smaller battery and considerably slower charging speeds than the OnePlus 13. For some context, Samsung has offered 45W charging since the Galaxy S20 Ultra was released in 2020.
Then there’s the matter of software. Neither OnePlus’ OxygenOS nor Samsung’s One UI are my preferred Android interfaces, but if I had to choose one, I’d go with OxygenOS. Though it’s certainly not perfect, I find OnePlus’ software much easier to use and far less bloated than Samsung’s. Both companies have big plans for their next major software updates, and while we’ve yet to get an official look at One UI 7, our first glimpse at OxygenOS 15 is promising.
Finally, there’s the matter of price. We don’t know what U.S. prices will be for the OnePlus 13 or Galaxy S25 Ultra, but based on their predecessors, OnePlus should have a pretty big advantage. The OnePlus 12 costs $800, while the Galaxy S24 Ultra costs $1,300. Even if the OnePlus 13 gets a price increase, it should still be considerably cheaper than the S25 Ultra — and still meet or outclass it in almost every way.
The fight’s already heating up
To be clear, don’t take this as me completely dismissing Samsung in 2025. The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is one of our best-reviewed phones this year; of course I’m interested to see how Samsung follows it up. I’ve also yet to use the OnePlus 13 and need to wait and see how it performs in the real world.
However, based on the OnePlus 13’s China release and the latest reports about the Galaxy S25 Ultra, I know which phone I’m most eager to use. Both should be among next year’s most capable smartphones, but OnePlus has my attention right now. Based on the design, screen, battery, charging, and more, I’m just about sold.
I hope Samsung surprises me and the S25 Ultra ends up being an impossible to ignore phone. But from where I’m standing right now, it’s the OnePlus 13 that I can’t wait to get my hands on.
