OnePlus 13R Review | Delivers excellent value for money

The OnePlus’s ‘R’ moniker is known to bring the flavour of a flagship phone at the price of a premium segment handset, and the newly launched OnePlus 13R is no different. Launched along with the OnePlus 13, the OnePlus 13R offers a high-end Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, a huge 6,000 mAh battery and a set of triple rear cameras. Hovering under 50K, the OnePlus 13R aims to strike a balance between flagship performance and affordability, cementing OnePlus’s position in the segment.

Design

The OnePlus 13R showcases a significant design departure from its predecessor, the OnePlus 12R, adopting a flat design language. The aluminium frame and Gorilla Glass 7i protection ensure durability, while the flat front and back provide a modern aesthetic. We reviewed the Astral Trail variant, which boasts concentric rings radiating from the camera module—a visual touch inspired by celestial bodies.

OnePlus has retained the iconic Alert Slider, located on the left, for quick toggling between silent, vibrate, and ring modes. The phone’s bottom houses the USB Type-C port, dual-SIM tray, and speaker grille. The flat design offers better ergonomics during gameplay.

An IP65 rating adds a layer of protection against dust and water. The phone feels well-balanced and easy to handle. Overall, the OnePlus 13R offers a polished and gamer-friendly design, albeit with a slight trade-off in comfort.

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Display

The OnePlus 13R features a 6.78-inch ProXDR OLED display with a 1.5K resolution (2780 x 1264), 120Hz adaptive refresh rate supporting 10-bit colour depth and 100% DCI-P3 gamut, ensuring accurate and vibrant visuals. With a peak brightness of 4,500 nits, the display performs exceptionally well under direct sunlight, thanks to RadiantView technology that dynamically enhances visibility. The display is also TÜV Rheinland Eye Care 4.0 certified, minimising eye strain during prolonged usage. Like OnePlus 13 you get the features like Aqua Touch 2.0 and Glove Mode in 13R too.

OS & AI

Running on OxygenOS 15, based on Android 15, the OnePlus 13R offers a clean, smooth, and customisable interface. The system is optimised for speed and fluidity, with animations feeling snappy and transitions seamless. AI features enhance productivity, the phone comes with tools like AI Summary, AI Notes, AI Unblur, Magic Compose and PassScan. These tools are thoughtfully integrated into daily workflows, making the OnePlus 13R an efficient companion for work and creativity.

OnePlus promises four years of major Android updates and six years of security patches, ensuring long-term software reliability. The minimal bloatware and robust feature set make OxygenOS 15 one of the standout aspects of the OnePlus 13R.

Processor

The new OnePlus 13R is powered by the second most powerful Qualcomm processor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, an 8-core CPU clocked at 3.3GHz and paired with the Adreno 750 GPU. My unit came with 16 GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 512 GB of UFS 4.0 storage, ensuring smooth multitasking and ultra-fast data access.

In real-world usage, the phone handled heavy multitasking, video editing, and gaming effortlessly. Titles like BGMI, Genshin Impact, and Call of Duty Mobile ran consistently at high frame rates, with minimal heat buildup. OnePlus’s Dual Cryo-Velocity Vapor Chamber cooling system expands to 9,925mm², effectively dissipating heat during prolonged gaming sessions.

On Geekbench, the OnePlus 13R achieved an impressive single-core score of 2,214, a multi-core score of 6,597, and a GPU score of 14,578. Whether for gaming, productivity, or media consumption, the OnePlus 13R delivers flagship-level performance.

Camera

Unlike the OnePlus 13, the 13R lacks Hasselblad tuning. It features a triple-camera setup on the back, comprising a 50 MP Sony LYT-700 primary sensor, a 50 MP telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom, and an 8 MP ultrawide lens. For selfies, it houses a 16 MP front camera.

OnePlus 13R camera sample | Photo Credit: Haider Ali Khan

The 50 MP primary sensor delivers sharp and vibrant photos with excellent dynamic range. Daylight shots showcased accurate colours and fine details, though I noticed that the 0.5x ultra-wide mode struggled with colour consistency and sharpness.

OnePlus 13R camera sample | Photo Credit: Haider Ali Khan

The telephoto lens performed well, capturing clear portraits and distant subjects with minimal distortion. The Dual Exposure Algorithm enhances dynamic scenes, ensuring motion blur is minimized while maintaining vivid colours.

OnePlus 13R camera sample | Photo Credit: Haider Ali Khan

In low-light conditions, the primary sensor’s f/1.8 aperture and OIS proved effective, producing detailed and bright images with minimal noise. The Nightscape mode further enhanced clarity and brought out colours in challenging lighting. However, the ultra-wide lens struggled a bit in dim conditions.

OnePlus 13R camera sample | Photo Credit: Haider Ali Khan

The 16 MP front camera produced decent selfies with natural skin tones and good edge detection in portrait mode.

Battery

The OnePlus 13R packs 6,000 mAh battery, delivering a full day of heavy use, including gaming, streaming, and photography. However, the charging speeds have been reduced compared to its predecessor. The switch from a dual-cell battery to a single-cell battery and a drop in charging speeds from 100 W to 80 W results in slower charging times.

During testing, the 80 W SUPERVOOC fast charger took close to 50 minutes to charge the phone from 20% to 100%. Also, the lack of wireless charging, however, feels like a missed opportunity, especially at this price point.

Verdict

The OnePlus 13R offers a desirable mix of performance, design, and features, making it a strong contender in the sub-₹50,000 segment. Its Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, vibrant display, and long-lasting battery caters to gamers and power users alike. The camera system, while versatile, falls short on some occasions.

All and all the OnePlus 13R delivers excellent value, especially for those prioritising performance. While minor trade-offs exist, they’re overshadowed by the phone’s strengths, making it a top pick for anyone seeking a feature-packed smartphone in 2025. Buyers can also try the OnePlus 12 with same processor and Hasselblad-tuned lenses, around the same price.

OnePlus 13R starts at ₹42,999.