OnePlus 13R review: Maybe just buy a Pixel 9A

OnePlus 13R is a special type of midfall for a particular type of person.

This is a paradoxed version of OnePlus 13-which is a complete flagship and A good one in it. And although it has a lot of flagship DNA partnerships, the 13R lacks peace features on Google Pixel 9A, such as full resistance to water for seven years and the new OS version. This is also not cheap, with MS 599 MSRP. But if he all reduces his large -scale appeal, 13R creates for two major locations: battery life and screen. Is it worth buying more than $ 499 Pixel 9A? It depends on a certain type of person you are.

The 13r offers a large 6.78 -inch OLED panel with a variable refresh rate up to 120Hz, and its 1264 x 2780 resolution is enough to keep things speed. You will have a hard time finding another screen of this big and choice on the Madernge phone, at least one sold in the United States. It is directly bright in the sun, and it maintains its peak brightness well. It is always difficult to see the display in the sun without awakening the screen, but this is a minor complaint.

13R has an IP65 rating, which means it is completely dust resistant and can compete with some serious sprinkle. But this is not guaranteed to counter full immersion in water, and this price bracket has a lot of modern phones. The iPhone 16 e and Pixel offer 9 AIP 68 water resistance, as is the Pricey One Plus 13. Most of the 13R owners will probably have no problem, but it doesn’t sit with me very well that the biggest competition at this price offers better water resistance.

One Plus compromised to keep the 13R price low, but the performance is not one of them. This Snapdragon comes with 8 general 3 chip sets, a advanced chasset of the previous year, which is still a bench in 2025. The base model also has 12 GB Ram and 256GB storage. This is enough power to keep it easily, and I could not throw anything on it in my daily life. It never turned as much as my small daily tasks and scrolls turned, and it was barely hot during the extended free room session Pocket City 2.

I have always used the phone with an on -display and high performance mode, plus an generous screen time out -setting, because sometimes I need to see the recipe 20 times before I remember how many tea spoons it means. They eliminate all the battery faster, but by the end of the day I never less than 50 %, even in the days, with long motorcycle riders tracking on stroke and expanded trickycoling sessions. It’s a two -day battery for most people, and this is probably something that people still want more than the features of Gemi AI, which is less than 13R.

One Plus has promised four major OS upgrades and six -year security updates for 13R, which is better than the company in the past and maybe it will be enough for most people who buy the phone. But Google offers a seven -year OS upgrade to 9A in the upper part of the repeated security updates. If you want to squeeze the maximum year from your device, 9A will have a better choice, even on its $ 100 MSRP.

9a offers something else that does not do 13R? Wireless charging. The OnePlus offers 13R sharp Wired Charging – up to 55W with included charger. If you handle the morning routine, you need to take a quick top -off during the day or charge your phone. But you will get 0 if you leave it on the wireless charger placed on your night stand, which I did, and could not find out why I don’t remember why it is not paid. Everyone does not care about wireless charging, and fast charging may work, but 9 599 you should have the option to charge at least wireless.

13R includes three rear cameras: a 50 -megapixel F/1.8 stable main, 50 megapixel F/2.0 2 X telephoto, and 8 megapixel ultra sides. The photo quality is overall, and the 2x telephoto camera improves last year’s model than the low rescue macro camera. The images are inclined towards a bright aesthetic that I get a little more in times, and if you look closely, the exact detail is a lot. But if you give it a good lighting and photo -generous article, it will do justice to them.

“How much does this phone cost?” There is a question I am trying to answer. In this case, the answer is always complicated. The 13R MSRP is $ 599, but it has just been marked from 9 499 from One Plus and Best Best-no limited time contract or nothing, only a straightforward discount of $ 100. Is this the price forever? What happens if the tariff is actually hit? Unclear!

In fact, 9 499 feels like the correct price of this phone and $ 599 feels slightly more for the phone deficiency and IP68 rating reduction. 13R offers a strong battery life and a very good screen for your class, and if these are your top priorities, this is a solid choice. But everyone’s li, I think Pixel 9A has a better option.

Photography of Allison Johnson / The Verge