OnePlus 13R evaluation: Possibly simply purchase a Pixel 9A

The OnePlus 13R is a specific type of midrange telephone for a specific type of particular person.

It’s a pared-down model of the OnePlus 13 — which is a full-on flagship and a good one at that. And despite the fact that it shares quite a lot of the flagship DNA, the 13R lacks peace-of-mind options current on the Google Pixel 9A, like full water resistance and new OS variations for seven years. It’s additionally not precisely low cost, with an MSRP of $599. But when all that reduces its mass attraction, the 13R makes up for it in two key locations: battery life and display screen. Is it value shopping for over the $499 Pixel 9A? That is determined by the actual type of particular person you’re.

The 13R affords a giant 6.78-inch OLED panel with a variable refresh price as much as 120Hz, and its 1264 x 2780 decision is sufficient to maintain issues sharp. You’ll have a tough time discovering one other display screen this huge and fancy on a midrange telephone, at the very least one offered within the US. It’s a lot brilliant in direct solar, and it maintains its peak brightness properly. The always-on show is difficult to see within the solar with out waking the display screen, however that’s a minor criticism.

The 13R has an IP65 ranking, that means it’s totally mud resistant and may stand up to some critical splashes. But it surely’s not assured to resist full immersion in water, and loads of trendy telephones on this worth bracket are. The iPhone 16E and Pixel 9A supply IP68 water resistance, as does the pricier OnePlus 13. Most 13R house owners most likely received’t have an issue with this, nevertheless it doesn’t sit tremendous properly with me that the entire main competitors at this worth affords higher water resistance.

OnePlus made compromises to maintain the 13R’s worth down, however efficiency isn’t one in all them. It comes with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, final 12 months’s top-tier chipset, which continues to be a banger in 2025. There’s additionally 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage within the base mannequin. That’s loads of energy to maintain it operating easily, and nothing I might throw at it in my day-to-day gave it bother. It by no means a lot as flinched doing my little each day chores and scrolling, and it barely warmed up throughout an prolonged free roam session in Pocket Metropolis 2.

I used the telephone with the always-on show and high-performance mode enabled, plus a beneficiant display screen time-out setting as a result of generally I want to have a look at a recipe 20 occasions earlier than I keep in mind what number of teaspoons of sesame oil it requires. All these issues drain the battery quicker, however I by no means acquired decrease than 50 % by the top of the day, even on days with lengthy bike rides tracked on Strava and prolonged TikTok scrolling classes. It is a two-day battery for most individuals, and that’s most likely one thing that individuals need proper now greater than gimmicky AI options, that are blissfully minimal on the 13R.

OnePlus has promised 4 main OS upgrades and 6 years of safety updates for the 13R, which is healthier than the corporate has performed previously and can most likely be sufficient for most individuals who purchase this telephone. However Google affords seven years of OS upgrades on the 9A on prime of frequent safety updates. When you’re trying to squeeze as a few years out of your system as potential, the 9A could be a more sensible choice, even at its $100 decrease MSRP.

One thing else the 9A affords that the 13R doesn’t? Wi-fi charging. The OnePlus 13R affords speedy wired charging — as much as 55W with the included charger. That’s useful for those who want a fast prime off through the day or wish to cost your telephone when you deal with your morning routine. However you’ll get 0 for those who drop it on a wi-fi charger stationed in your nightstand, which I did, and couldn’t work out why it wasn’t charging till I remembered. Not everybody cares about wi-fi charging, and quick charging can turn out to be useful, however for $599 you need to at the very least have the choice to cost wirelessly.

The 13R contains three rear cameras: a 50-megapixel f/1.8 stabilized predominant, 50-megapixel f/2.0 2x telephoto, and an 8-megapixel ultrawide. Photograph high quality is nice total, and the 2x telephoto digital camera is an enchancment over the low-res macro digital camera on final 12 months’s mannequin. Photographs have a tendency towards a brilliant aesthetic that I discover a bit of a lot at occasions, and superb element is fairly crunchy for those who look shut. However for those who give it good lighting and a photogenic topic, it’s going to do them justice.

“How a lot does this telephone price?” is a query I’m continually attempting to reply. On this case, the reply is simply as sophisticated as all the time. The 13R’s MSRP is $599, however proper now it’s marked right down to $499 from OnePlus and Finest Purchase — no limited-time deal or something, only a straight up hundred greenback low cost. Is {that a} ceaselessly worth? What occurs if tariffs truly hit? Unclear!

Truthfully, $499 seems like the proper worth for this telephone and $599 seems like only a bit an excessive amount of for a telephone missing wi-fi charging and an IP68 ranking. The 13R affords robust battery life and an excellent display screen for its class, and if these are your prime priorities, then this can be a strong choose. However for everybody else, I feel there’s a greater possibility within the Pixel 9A.

Pictures by Allison Johnson / The Verge