OnePlus 13 Review: Compact Powerhouse or Compromised Flagship?

The smartphone world has been on a growth spree — quite literally. Phones keep getting bigger, and while that works for many, it’s left a chunk of users wishing for something more manageable. OnePlus seems to have finally listened with the OnePlus 13s, its first “compact” flagship that promises top-tier performance in a smaller, easier-to-hold body. But does it actually deliver without compromise? Let’s find out.

A Compact Flagship — But Not a Small One

OnePlus calls the 13s a compact phone, not a small one — and that’s an important distinction. Don’t expect an iPhone 12 mini–style device. Instead, think Galaxy S25 or standard iPhone 16 size. It’s slightly taller than both but still easy to use one-handed.

The design language borrows heavily from modern flat-glass, metal-frame flagships. The corners are smoother and more rounded, giving it a premium yet familiar look. Its 6.32-inch flat AMOLED display dominates the front, surrounded by thin bezels (though not perfectly uniform — the chin is a bit thicker).

Gorgeous Display With Flagship-Level Specs

The LTPO AMOLED display on the OnePlus 13s impresses with a 1216×2640 resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and Dolby Vision + HDR10+ support. Colors are punchy, brightness peaks at 1600 nits, and viewing angles are excellent.

It’s covered by Gorilla Glass 7i, which isn’t as tough as Victus but should hold up for everyday use. One downside? The optical fingerprint sensor — not as fast or accurate as the ultrasonic one found on the OnePlus 13.

Big Battery, Fast Charging

Despite its smaller form factor, the 13s packs a 5850mAh battery — impressive for its size. It supports 80W wired charging, which juices it up to 75% in about 30 minutes and full charge in roughly 50–55 minutes. There’s also a bypass charging mode for gaming, which prevents overheating by powering the phone directly instead of charging the battery.

Snapdragon 8 Elite: Flagship Power, Throttled Performance

Under the hood, the Snapdragon 8 Elite (3nm) delivers blazing-fast performance, paired with 12GB LPDDR5X RAM and up to 512GB UFS 4.0 storage.

However, benchmarks reveal that the 13s lags behind the regular OnePlus 13, mainly due to its smaller vapor chamber cooling system. Sustained performance drops during long gaming or benchmarking sessions — though in everyday use, it’s still exceptionally fast.

OxygenOS 15: Fast, Polished… and Still Annoying

The 13s runs OxygenOS 15 based on Android 15, with four years of OS updates and six years of security patches. It’s smooth, fluid, and packed with customization features.

But there’s still a downside — bloatware and unnecessary notifications. The phone often nags you with battery optimization prompts and “tips,” which you can’t disable completely. It’s a small but persistent irritation on what’s otherwise an excellent software experience.

Cameras: Dual Setup, No Ultra-Wide

The OnePlus 13s sports a dual-camera setup — a 50MP main sensor with OIS and a 50MP 2x telephoto lens, but no ultra-wide camera.

That’s an odd omission for a flagship in 2025. While the main and telephoto cameras perform well in daylight and portrait shots, the lack of ultra-wide severely limits flexibility. The 32MP selfie camera, however, produces sharp, detailed images with natural skin tones.

Design & Build

At 185g and 8.2mm thick, the OnePlus 13s feels solid yet comfortable in hand. The aluminum frame, IP65 rating, and vibrant Pantone-inspired colors (Green Silk, Black Velvet, and Pink Satin) make it stand out.

Verdict: Great Idea, But Not Quite a Flagship

The OnePlus 13s nails what it set out to do — deliver flagship power in a smaller, easier-to-use design. The display, battery life, and chip performance are all excellent, and it feels premium in hand.

However, OnePlus’ compact flagship dream comes with compromises: no ultra-wide camera, slower cooling, lack of wireless charging, and missing flagship-grade materials in some areas.

If you want a smaller, high-performance phone that lasts all day, the OnePlus 13s is a great choice at ₹50,999. But if you’re expecting a no-compromise flagship in a compact form — this one doesn’t quite reach that mark.

Pros

• Excellent display and design
• Flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite performance
• Strong battery life and fast charging
• Compact and lightweight build

Cons

• No ultra-wide camera
• Inconsistent performance under load
• Too many OxygenOS notifications
• Optical fingerprint sensor, not ultrasonic