The OnePlus 13 and 13R are great, but which phone is the better choice?

OnePlus’s slogan of “never settle” is still very much with the brand and the firm has kicked off 2025 with two tempting handsets.

The OnePlus 13 launched internationally in early 2025, bringing cutting-edge technology and premium features to the flagship phones market.

Alongside it, the OnePlus 13R emerged as a more budget-friendly option while still offering a host of impressive capabilities.

Here’s how these two Android phones compare and which is the better choice for you.

Design & Build

The OnePlus 13 features a vegan leather-backed design in its Midnight Ocean variant (other colours and finishes are available), offering a tactile and luxurious feel. It also comes with IP68 and IP69 certifications, making it highly resistant to water and dust, a rarity even among flagship phones.

The magnetic accessory ecosystem supports MagSafe, enabling compatibility with a wide range of attachments, including a 50W AirVOOC wireless charger.

The OnePlus 13R adopts a simpler but still stylish aesthetic, with flat glass surfaces and an aluminium frame which offers a solid, monolithic feel.

It lacks the advanced IP69 rating of the 13, instead settling for IP65, providing more basic water and dust resistance.

While it supports the same magnetic accessories as the 13, it doesn’t include wireless charging capabilities, making it a less versatile option for keeping topped up.

Score Specs & Performance

The OnePlus 13 boasts Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, making it one of the most powerful smartphones on the market.

The Elite chipset pairs seamlessly with up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 storage, ensuring blazing-fast multitasking and gaming performance.

AI features are significantly boosted thanks to an enhanced neural processing unit, making AI tools faster and more efficient.

In contrast, the OnePlus 13R is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, a step down from the Elite but still a strong performer for 2025.

With 12GB of RAM and the same UFS 4.0 storage, the 13R delivers solid performance for everyday use and gaming but falls slightly behind in sustained tasks and advanced AI operations.

While the 13R excels in its price bracket, power users seeking peak performance will naturally gravitate towards the OnePlus 13.

Cameras

The OnePlus 13 leverages a fifth-generation Hasselblad camera system featuring three 50Mp sensors: main, ultrawide, and 3x telephoto.

This system supports 4K Dolby Vision recording across all lenses, advanced HDR processing, and improved low-light performance.

It excels in producing vivid, dynamic shots with deep contrast, although colour consistency between sensors could use refinement.

Read our full OnePlus 13 camera review to find out more.

The OnePlus 13R features a scaled-down camera setup as you would expect. Its 50Mp main sensor performs admirably in good lighting, but the 8Mp ultrawide and 50Mp 2x telephoto sensors offer limited versatility compared to the 13.

Portrait shots are detailed but suffer from inconsistent edge detection, and low-light capabilities lag slightly behind its flagship sibling.

While the 13R offers decent imaging for its price, photography enthusiasts will appreciate the OnePlus 13’s superior system more.

Other Key Differences

Beyond the key distinctions above, the OnePlus 13’s 100W wired charging and advanced silicon-carbon dual-cell battery outperform the 80W wired charging and single-cell silicon-carbon battery of the 13R.

While both phones feature expansive LTPO OLED displays, the 13R’s Gorilla Glass 7i feels like a slight downgrade compared to the Ceramic Guard on the 13.

Audio capabilities are also similar, though the 13 includes a more advanced ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, enhancing security and usability.

Price & Availability

The OnePlus 13 starts at £899/$899. For those who prioritise top-tier performance, design, and build quality, the OnePlus 13 is worth the investment.

The OnePlus 13R, priced at £679/$599.99, although sacrifices some premium features, still delivers excellent value with strong performance, a fantastic display, and a great battery.

You can buy both phones from OnePlus directly (OnePlus US store | OnePlus UK store), as well as third-party retailers, such as Amazon.

With no carrier partners in those regions, check out our rundown of the best SIM-only deals.

Verdict

Ultimately, the choice comes down to your priorities, because frankly there is no wrong choice here.

For those wanting a capable and stylish phone at a lower price, the OnePlus 13R offers the better value between the two.

However, if you seek cutting-edge performance and premium features, the OnePlus 13 is the clear winner if you can afford the higher price.