OnePlus recently launched the OnePlus 13 series worldwide, bringing several significant upgrades and changes, especially in the camera and performance department. Compared to its predecessor, the latest from OnePlus features the Snapdragon 8 Elite, Qualcomm’s fastest chipset to date, a new telephoto camera and a more refined design. While these changes may sound appealing on paper, here’s a quick comparison between the OnePlus 12 and the OnePlus 13 that will help you decide if the newly launched phone is worth the upgrade.
Compared to its predecessor, the OnePlus 13 does bring some changes to the phone’s design, but the two smartphones may look similar at first sight from the front. However, these devices cannot be more different when you look at the back of the phone.
The black variant of the OnePlus 12 came with a faux leather back, but with the OnePlus 13, the company has opted for a more premium-looking faux leather, which it says is more resistant to scratches, stains and corrosion. While it is too early to say which one is better, the OnePlus 13’s faux leather back is thicker than its predecessor, and, as a result, may last longer if you use the phone for years.
Another subtle but noticeable change is that the camera island on the OnePlus 13 is no longer connected to the frame of the phone. The company also seems to have moved the Hasselblad branding from the left side of the camera island to the right side of the device. Compared to the OnePlus 12, the OnePlus 13 is also a bit thinner, measuring 8.9mm.
One of the biggest upgrades the OnePlus 13 brings to the table is that the newly launched phone is IP68 as well as IP69 certified. Compared to the OnePlus 13, which comes with IP65 dust and water resistance, this is a significant upgrade as users can now dip their phones in water and not worry about it.
To give you a quick recap, IP65 certified are not waterproof but can only handle low-pressure water jets while IP68 phones can be fully submerged in water. As for IP69, this rating offers protection against high-pressure water jets from any direction.
And while the OnePlus 13 has the same display size as its predecessor, the smartphone maker has opted to go with a newer LTPO panel and upgraded the screen protection from Gorilla Glass Victus 2 to Ceramic Guard, which is the same technology Apple uses for the iPhone.
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The OnePlus 13 has several AI tricks up its sleeve. (Express Photo)
Performance and software
Another area where the two devices differ is performance. While the OnePlus 12 is powered by the Snapdragon Gen 3 chipset, the OnePlus 13 features the much more powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, which offers up to 25 per cent more performance while drawing less power.
OnePlus also seems to have stepped up the game with its latest Android skin – OxygenOS 15 based on Android 15. While OxygenOS 14 is no slouch by any means, the company’s latest skin brings several new AI features as well as super smooth animations, which make the phone feel snappier.
OxygenOS 15 also brings more customisation options with different widgets, fonts and lock screen themes. On the AI front, OnePlus has added three new image editing features – AI Unblur, AI Detail Boost and AI Reflection Eraser. The company also introduced a new Notes app that can leverage the power of generative AI to help improve, summarise and enhance text.
Camera
The OnePlus 12 takes great photos for the asking price, but the camera was one of the major gripes amongst users. However, the company seems to have incorporated user feedback with the OnePlus 13.
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While the OnePlus 13 seems to have the same camera sensor as its predecessor, the processing seems to have improved a bit, thanks to a combination of software optimisation and improved ISP on the Snapdragon 8 Elite. OnePlus also upgraded the ultrawide shooter from 48MP to 50MP with the new phone, but many may feel like the OnePlus 12’s 64MP periscope telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom may be superior compared to the OnePlus 13’s 50MP periscope telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom.
However, OnePlus says that despite the lower megapixel camera, the OnePlus 13’s telephoto sensor is better at taking images as it uses Sony’s new LYT-600 sensor, which is known for taking better photos in low light conditions compared to the old sensor.
The OnePlus is features the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, which also powers the likes of the Galaxy S24 Ultra. (Express Photo)
Battery
The OnePlus 12 packs a 5,400mAh Li-Po battery, while the newly launched device comes with a bigger 6,000mAh Silicon Carbon battery, which should help the phone endure a little longer than its predecessor. The increased battery capacity combined with the improvements in power efficiency should translate to somewhere around an hour or two of more usage for heavy users.
However, both phones support 100W wired and 50W wireless charging, meaning the new phone will a bit longer to fully charge compared to its predecessor, but that’s not a bad thing.
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OnePlus 12 vs OnePlus 13: Is the new phone worth upgrading?
With the OnePlus 13, the company did bring some significant upgrades in the battery, performance and camera department, but the OnePlus 12 still remains a solid choice for gamers and multitaskers alike.
However, if you want to play the latest games and want a slightly bigger battery and an improved telephoto shooter, the OnePlus 13 (review) makes sense. But for users who are satisfied with the OnePlus 12 (review) and don’t mind missing out on the new Qualcomm chipset, there is little to no reason to upgrade to the latest model.
