The OnePlus 13 and 13R could be the first real Samsung Galaxy S25 competitors


  • The OnePlus 13 and OnePlus 13R will be launched globally on January 7
  • The OnePlus 13 was previously launched in China on December 4
  • The prices of both phones have not yet been announced

The highly anticipated OnePlus 13 will officially launch globally on January 7, alongside its newly announced mid-range sibling, the OnePlus 13R.

OnePlus confirmed the phone’s release date for the US and the rest of the world in a press release following the launch of the OnePlus 13 in China on December 4.

A January launch date positions the OnePlus 13 and 13R as direct competitors to the Samsung Galaxy S25 range, which we expect to launch in the same month next year.

With this announcement, we also have some newly confirmed official specifications for the global versions of the OnePlus 13 and 13R.

The OnePlus 13 in Arctic Dawn (Image credit: OnePlus)

The OnePlus 13 will be equipped with the industry-leading Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset and a display with a 2K resolution, a variable refresh rate of 1-120 Hz and a maximum brightness of 4500 nits. It is the first OnePlus phone to have both an IP68 and IP69 rating for water and dust resistance.

OnePlus says the screen used for the OnePlus 13 is the first to receive an A++ rating from DisplayMate, an independent screen rating organization.

The OnePlus 13 will be available in three color options at launch: Black Eclipse, Arctic Dawn (white) and Midnight Ocean (blue). The Midnight Blue option is apparently the first phone to feature vegan microfiber leather, which improves scratch resistance.

The OnePlus 13R features a triple camera system, a 6,000mAh battery and Gorilla Glass 7i on the front and back panels. It has a flat display – unusual for OnePlus – and is 8mm thick.

The OnePlus 13R will launch in two colorways: Nebula Noir and Astral Trail – although we don’t have any confirmation on what exactly these titles describe.

We expect OnePlus to announce the price of both phones at the OnePlus 13 launch event on January 7, but the latest rumors suggest the 13 will cost the same or slightly more than its predecessor, the OnePlus 12, which still starts at $ 899 / £849 (it’s not available in Australia).

The announcement also marks the first time OnePlus has confirmed the existence of the OnePlus 13R, the latest addition to the company’s lower-end flagship phone series, a la the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE.

In our OnePlus 12 review we found that the most globally available Chinese phone is a stylish, fast and absolutely fantastic device, and the hype for its successor has grown in recent months (as our OnePlus coverage can attest).

If you’re intrigued by this unique brand, feel free to check out our guide to the best OnePlus phones.

You might like it too

Related Post