The OnePlus 13 has a new design and, for the first time, a complete package that I can’t fault—more so if you’re getting an upgrade after two years. However, it costs $899. So, if you want to save a little, I think the OnePlus 12 is the one to buy, and here’s why.
What’s New With the OnePlus 13
Before I dive into why the OnePlus 12 is a good fit for many, for context, here’s a breakdown of what’s new with the OnePlus 13.
First is the refined design. The OnePlus 13 has a sleeker and more squared-off look, contrasting to the OnePlus 12’s general shape. This means the curved display is gone, replaced by a flatter screen with slight curves at its edges. OnePlus even replaced the previously used Gorilla Glass Victus 2 with its in-house Ceramic Guard.
The flagship is lighter this year. It weighs 10 grams less than the OnePlus 12—210-213g against 220g on the latter—and features two material choices for its back: vegan leather in blue or glass in black or white. The glass models weigh a tad more.
Coming to the hardware packed inside, the OnePlus 13 ships with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite—a powerful processor that brings a 45% uplift in processing power and improvements to the camera processing. In addition, OnePlus has revamped its camera setup to achieve better results. Lastly, its battery gets a boost to 6,000mAh, and there’s an IP69 rating now.
A Discounted OnePlus 12 Offers Better Value
With all these changes, it might seem like the OnePlus 13 has left the OnePlus 12 behind in the dust, but if you take a closer look and look past the design, the OnePlus 12 is more similar to it than different. It’s why it’s even more appealing at $700—available at BestBuy—if you’re buying unlocked.
While the OnePlus 13 uses a new display design and panel generation, it and the OnePlus 12 have very similar displays at their core. They feature a 6.8-inch 2K LTPO AMOLED panel with an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate; aspects like typical brightness that impact the user experience are quite similar. The OnePlus 12, however, retains the tried and trusted Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection.
Battery life on the OnePlus 13’s 6,000mAh battery might be a tad better. Still, my OnePlus 12’s 5,400mAh battery on OxygenOS 15 gets me through a day just fine—its battery endurance earned it a place on our best 2024 Android phones list—and it charges just as fast, zero to 100% in about 30 minutes. So, no upgrades there on the OnePlus 13. And daily tasks are a breeze with the year-old but well-optimized Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. Even the cameras remain highly capable.
Ultimately, the choice does depend on your priorities. The OnePlus 13 is the one to get if you want the greatest. However, the understated and now-discounted OnePlus 12 offers better value.
