Why the OnePlus 13R is the best-value Android phone you can buy right now

ZDNET's key takeaways

OnePlus 13R starts at $599 and features a bright display, powerful performance, and fast charging. It doesn't have a flagship camera system and wireless charging. But for the money, you won't find a more balanced handset.

The new OnePlus 13R follows in the footsteps of its predecessor, delivering flagship performance at a not-so-flagship price. It's got a big battery, decent camera upgrades, a flagship processor (even if it's from last year), and a more ambitious software update policy. Plus, it has one of the best displays I've tested in the segment, with Aqua Touch technology and a durable build quality. 

Also: I replaced my Google Pixel 9 Pro with the OnePlus 13 - and it set a new standard for me

This all comes with a $100 price hike -- bringing the once $500 model to $600 now -- positioning it well above the Google Pixel 8a. So, should you opt for Google's more affordable offering, spend more on a Samsung phone, or pick up the OnePlus 13R? I spent weeks with the device, and here's my verdict.

Big, bold, and bright

The first thing I noticed when using the OnePlus 13R was its flatter sides, especially compared to the 12R. While this gives the phone a sharper, bolder look, it's not as comfortable to hold due to its edges despite being thinner and lighter. On the other hand, the design feels more ergonomic when held in landscape orientation, making it ideal for gaming and watching movies.

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The Astral Trail (read: white) variant I tested stands out with etched glass rings, offering a stylish and elegant look. I recommend this model over the Nebula Noir variant, which features a dull, uninspiring black finish. The phone has a power button and volume rockers on the right side, an Alert Slider on the left, and an IR blaster on top for controlling smart appliances.

The OnePlus 13R is rated IP65 for dust and water resistance, which is not as durable as the OnePlus 13's IP69 rating. Still it handles splashes fairly well. Just don't drop the device into the toilet or washing machine. Compared to the 13, the OnePlus 13R still sports an optical fingerprint scanner, which works fast and accurately. You wouldn't notice a difference if you hadn't used an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor before.

On the front, you get the best display in its class -- both in terms of specs and usability. It has a 6.78-inch AMOLED panel with support for Dolby Vision and HDR10+ for media consumption and a dynamic 1Hz-120Hz refresh rate for smooth use and efficiency. That's all protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 7i, which keeps the phone more resistant to scratches.

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The display is bright, with a peak brightness of 1,600 nits, and can reach 4,500 nits when watching supported HDR content. The colors look pleasing to the eye; they're bright and vivid, even without any display adjustments on my end.

I'm particularly a fan of the OnePlus 13R's Aqua Touch technology. This allows you to use the phone in the rain or shower without registering water droplets as taps. The display can also read your touches when wearing gloves, which is handy during the winter.

A performance champion for $600

The OnePlus 13R is powered by the same processor as last year's OnePlus 12 -- and that's a good thing. With it, you get a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor paired with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. 

The OnePlus 13R runs smoothly in day-to-day use. My usage involved jumping between social media apps like X and Instagram, work apps like Slack and Teams, and WhatsApp for messaging. I also used the camera quite a lot during my testing period. The animations look and feel faster than before, too. I faced no lag or stutter in my usage.  

Gaming on the phone has been very enjoyable despite the lack of on-device 120fps support. Instead, titles like Battlegrounds Mobile can go up to 120fps using frame interpolation. If you're able to settle with 60fps, most games will play with little to no jitters. The phone can get warm to the touch during extended gaming sessions, but I never received any notifications to quit games or apps to stabilize things.

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The OnePlus 13R runs Android 15-based OxygenOS 15 and is promised to get the same number of updates as the OnePlus 13: four years of OS updates and six years of security updates. I find the OnePlus software to be fairly clean, with only a few pre-installed apps. You get a handful of AI features, like AI Detail Boost, AI Unblur, AI Eraser, and AI Reflection Eraser, to enhance subjects or remove distractions in your photos. There are also Google's AI fix-ins, like Circle to Search and Gemini.

For my usage, the phone lasted an entire day with ease. And when it comes time to top up the 6,000mAh battery, the OnePlus 13R can be fast charged at 80W with the in-box charger. That means you can go from zero to full in a little more than half an hour. Unfortunately, there's no wireless charging.

Improved cameras

Last year's OnePlus 12R had a decent primary camera with below-average auxiliary sensors. But the company has upgraded the camera system this year. The OnePlus 13R sports a 50MP Sony LYT-700 sensor for the primary camera, a 50MP telephoto sensor with 2x optical zoom, and an 8MP ultra-wide angle lens. The trio supports shooting 4K60fps videos. Plus, you get a new live photos toggle to capture the emotions behind your shots.

The main camera captures good-looking photos in broad daylight. You get plenty of detail, good dynamic range, and decent white balance. The 2x telephoto isn't as versatile as the OnePlus 13's 3x sensor but offers a much-improved output compared to the OnePlus 12R. The photos are full of details, and the color is consistent with the primary camera, which is great to see at this price point. The ultrawide camera, however, delivers a more saturated look.

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For portraits, you get decent edge detection and good-looking shots most of the time. When you're in a dimly lit environment, however, the pictures struggle with details and have a soft look to them. Overall, the OnePlus 13R has an improved camera setup and delivers great results for the price. While I'd have preferred having a 3x optical zoom, the upgrade to a telephoto sensor is a welcome change.

ZDNET's buying advice

At $600 for the OnePlus 13R, you get the best display in its class with quality-of-life features, excellent performance, an all-day battery life, and a smooth software experience.

Its closest market competitor, the Google Pixel 8a, sits comfortably below the $500 mark ($399 at the time of writing) 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.

If you compare the OnePlus 13R to flagship smartphones, the sheer value of the device really shines. Wireless charging might be a big miss for some people, but the longer endurance on a single charge might make up for it.