OnePlus 13 & 13R Durability Put To The Test With Surprising Result

OnePlus has already launched two flagship smartphones for 2025 to compete with the big boys in the Android market. The OnePlus 13 is the premium model, while the OnePlus 13R is a very powerful and affordable “flagship killer.” Both devices have been put through the “torture table” by Zack from the JerryRigEverything YouTube channel. Both the OnePlus 13 and OnePlus 13R emerged victorious, with the latter demonstrating even greater durability.

OnePlus 13R looks more premium at first glance, JerryRigEverything says

According to Zack, the affordable OnePlus 13R ($599) looks more premium than the OnePlus 13 ($899) out of the box. This is possibly due to the 13R’s “all-flat” design that follows the current industry trend. The OnePlus 13 still features slight curvatures at the edges, which the YouTuber believes gives it a 2019 feel. Both flagships include powerful chargers in the box (100W for the 13, 80W for the 13R), something that most big brands no longer boast.

While the OnePlus 13R looks “more premium,” things are different in hand. Both devices have a textured rear area, but the one on the more expensive OnePlus 13 feels more “rugged” without negatively impacting the design. Zack tested the resistance of this area on both devices by trying to scratch it with his knife. Fortunately, the textured rear of both phones proved to be very resistant to this type of damage.

The camera modules on the OnePlus 13 and 13R are also textured, providing great durability against scratches as well. The sides of both smartphones are made of aluminum and gave way to Zack’s knife, which is pretty much normal.

OnePlus 13 and 13R’s displays showed the same resistance to scratches

Moving on to the front, there are differences in the protective glass on both devices. The more expensive model uses a material called Ceramic Guard, while the OnePlus 13R uses Gorilla Glass 7i. That said, both glasses showed almost identical scratch resistance performance and were in line with other flagships in the industry. The screens started to show visible marks at level 6, with deeper grooves at level 7. It’s possible that the difference between the two glasses is in impact resistance and other parameters.

Zack also applied heat to the OnePlus 13’s screen with a flame from a lighter. The screen was still whole and working after 25 seconds of direct contact, which is great.

The OnePlus 13 uses an ultrasonic fingerprint reader, while the OnePlus 13R relies on traditional optical technology. Both scanners still performed well after receiving level 7 scratches in the area. Interestingly, the 13R’s optical fingerprint reader proved more reliable when used with water splashes on the display. For reference, the OnePlus 13 has an IP69 rating while the 13R has an IP65 rating.

Both withstood the bending test successfully

The YouTuber finished the durability test on the OnePlus 13 and 13R by showing how resistant they are to bending. Both devices survived Zack’s attempts to break them in half, maintaining their structure. Interestingly, the OnePlus 13R felt even more solid than its more expensive sibling.

You can watch the full test below.