OnePlus 13 rumors: Everything we know so far and what we want to see

Will there be a OnePlus 13?

Ryan Haines / Android Authority

OnePlus hasn’t officially confirmed whether there’ll be a OnePlus 13. Nevertheless, the company has offered at least one flagship phone in the series each year since 2014. We’ve also seen some early leaks and rumors regarding the phone, suggesting that it is in the pipeline. So you can expect to see a OnePlus 13 in the future.

What is the most likely OnePlus 13 release date?

Ryan Haines / Android Authority

What will the OnePlus 13 look like?

Ryan Haines / Android Authority

We haven’t seen any leaked OnePlus 13 renders just yet, but we have heard some claims regarding the phone’s design. For one, Weibo tipster Digital Chat Station claimed that the phone will have a new design with a ceramic body — real ceramic, not ceramic-like glass.

It also sounds like the rear camera housing could get a change. That would be welcome news, as OnePlus has used this same toilet-shaped housing since the OnePlus 11. This was echoed by tipster Yogesh Brar on April 17, who said we should expect a new rear camera design and arrangement.

Brar also asserted in early April that the OnePlus 13 (and OPPO Find X8 Ultra) could debut a “micro quad-curved panel.” That ostensibly means a quad-curved screen with subtle curves rather than anything approaching a waterfall display.

Digital Chat Station recently shared some new details hinting that the phone could feature a “straight screen” with a “micro-curved glass cover design.” The new information implies that the OnePlus 13’s display may be flat but with glass that curves on all four sides, creating a symmetrical, bezel-less look.

Brar has also shared an early outline of the camera deco of the OnePlus 13 and OnePlus 13R, and we can see that the camera housing for the 13 has moved to the center.

This is an early sketch, and the device is still in its development phase, so OnePlus can change things around.

We haven’t heard much else about the OnePlus 13 design just yet, such as the presence of an alert slider or an IP rating. But we’ll update this rumor hub as soon as more info appears online.

What rumored specs and features could the OnePlus 13 have?

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Every OnePlus flagship phone in recent years has come with the latest and greatest Snapdragon flagship processor. Qualcomm is expected to launch the top-of-the-line Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 in late 2024 and we’re expecting the OnePlus 13 to be powered by this chip. This claim has been echoed by leakers Digital Chat Station and Yogesh Brar too.

The two sources also assert that the phone will offer a 2K screen, which would be in line with recent releases. Leaker Digital Chat Station claims the phone will pack a 6.8-inch 2K LTPO “micro-curved” screen, which will “look better than this year’s one.”

Previously, Yogesh Brar had claimed that the OnePlus 13 packs a 5,400mAh battery and 100W wired charging — in line with the OnePlus 12. However, Digital Chat Station has now claimed that the OnePlus 13 will skip wireless charging in favor of packing a bigger 6,000mAh battery.

The OnePlus 12 was the first model since the OnePlus 10 Pro to reintroduce wireless charging, offering speeds up to 50W, and the decision to remove this hygiene feature is sure to rub off some people in the wrong way.

Other than that, there are claims that the new phone will reportedly have the same camera sensors as the OnePlus 12 too. That means we should expect a 50MP main camera, a 64MP 3x periscope camera, and a 48MP ultrawide lens. Digital Chat Station corroborated some of the camera claims, asserting that the phone will have a large 50MP main camera and some improvements to the periscope lens.

However, Digital Chat Station later claimed in a different rumor that all three lenses could be 50MP instead. The rumor also says that the telephoto lens will maintain its 3x optical zoom. The tipster added context to this rumor in a June 11 Weibo post, claiming that the periscope and ultrawide cameras may use a new Sony sensor, specifically the 50MP IMX882. The sensor is used on the main cameras of the POCO F6 and the China-only OnePlus Ace 3V.

The OnePlus 13 might be more of an iterative upgrade over the OnePlus 12 as far as specs are concerned.

Google and OPPO/OnePlus announced in April that AI features powered by Gemini would be coming to OPPO and OnePlus phones later this year. The two Chinese brands also confirmed that Google’s most powerful AI model (Gemini 1.0 Ultra) would be coming to their phones later in 2024. So it stands to reason that the OnePlus 13 would launch with some Google-powered AI smarts too.

There are still a few unanswered questions regarding the OnePlus 13 specs, such as RAM/storage details and the availability of wireless charging. But we’ll undoubtedly see these details leak as we get closer to the phone’s launch window later this year.

What might the OnePlus 13 price be?

Ryan Haines / Android Authority

We wouldn’t rule out a slightly cheaper OnePlus 13, though. A cheaper price tag would be possible in theory if the phone is indeed an iterative upgrade rather than a significant step up from the OnePlus 12.

Should you wait for the OnePlus 13?

Robert Triggs / Android Authority

The OnePlus 13 is still almost a year away from release, and that’s a long time to wait. But the OnePlus 12 ($899.99 at Amazon) can be found at a cheaper price nowadays if you look around, and it’s still worth a look if you want a high-end OnePlus device. It’s also expected to get some nifty Google-powered AI features later this year.

Alternatively, you should consider the Galaxy S24 ($859.99 at Amazon) if you want a well-rounded Android flagship phone. It doesn’t have blazing-fast charging speeds or a huge battery, but the S24 brings Samsung’s Galaxy AI features, brisk performance, water resistance, and seven years of updates.

Another phone worth considering over the OnePlus 13 is the Google Pixel 8 ($699 at Amazon). It brings seven years of updates, premium extras (wireless charging, IP68), a pocket-friendly size, and AI-driven features like Best Take and Audio Magic Eraser. You do lose out on performance, screen quality, and charging speed by opting for the Google phone, though. Then again, it’s also $100 cheaper.

Water resistance, please

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OnePlus has had a complicated relationship with IP ratings. The OnePlus 8 Pro, OnePlus 9 Pro, and OnePlus 10 Pro only had an IP68 rating for full water resistance if you bought them via T-Mobile — no rating for unlocked variants. Meanwhile, the OnePlus 11 and OnePlus 12 offer splash resistance, only.

We really hope OnePlus gives the OnePlus 13 an IP67 or IP68 rating for water resistance, bringing it in line with Google and Samsung’s flagships. And this IP rating should be available on all variants rather than just being restricted to carrier models.

Keep the alert slider

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The alert slider has been available on OnePlus flagships since 2015’s OnePlus 2, so it stands to reason that the OnePlus 13 will retain it. Nevertheless, we’re still adding this to our wishlist just in case OnePlus is thinking about ditching the feature. After all, it wasn’t that long ago that the company skipped the slider on the OnePlus 10T.

The slider is perhaps the most recognizable thing about OnePlus phones, so removing it would be a major step in the wrong direction for the brand. Here’s hoping that cooler heads prevail.

Seven years of updates

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OnePlus already delivers a very respectable update commitment, with the OnePlus 12 scheduled to receive four major OS updates and five years of security patches. That’s pretty good, but it’s not quite best-in-class.

Samsung and Google both offer seven years of updates these days, including seven years of OS upgrades. It would be great if OnePlus could match this commitment. We’d also like the brand to offer ready access to spare parts, such as batteries, over those seven years, so users can keep the hardware running for the support period.