Review: The OnePlus 13R Is A Pixel 9 For Everyone Else

OnePlus has always hinged its devices on value, and that’s been no more true than with the “R” series. Last year’s OnePlus 12R set the tone for the company’s revived “Flagship Killer,” and the new OnePlus 13R continues that with a remarkably solid package that goes up against the base Pixel 9 in a few key ways, but might appeal to a different customer.

The OnePlus 13R is built on a simple formula. Take the best parts of a premium, “Never Settle” device and make cuts to bring the price down. And at $599, OnePlus certainly had to be picky.

The first thing you’ll interact with on the 13R is the hardware, and it’s really good. The glass/metal slab feels good in the hand, and the “Astral Trail” color has some nice details along the back. It’s a slippery device, so I appreciated using the “Sandstone” case OnePlus provided with it. I’d argue you’ll definitely need a case with this device.

Diving into using the device in this condensed review, the 6.78-inch OLED display brings everything to life, with vibrant colors and a very bright peak brightness of 4,500 nits. In day to day use, this is a stellar display, though I do wish it had an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor like the standard OnePlus 13 (and Pixel 9) have. It’s still fast and accurate, but the blinding light stands out more as ultrasonic has become more common.

The entire experience is based on OxygenOS 15, OnePlus’ slightly tweaked version of Oppo’s ColorOS, which is ultimately based on Android 15. I used to have a lot of qualms with OxygenOS, but it’s gotten much better recently, and while a heavy skin on Android, is still a really good experience. You’ll get four major Android OS updates on this device, something the underlying specs should have no issue maintaining. OnePlus opted to save costs by swapping out the brand new Snapdragon 8 Elite on the OnePlus 13 for a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 on the 13R. In practice, there’s virtually no difference in performance. You might notice some hiccups in heavy games or such if you hold the two side by side, but the 13R punches way above its price class here. That’s also thanks in part to 12GB of RAM across both the 256GB and 512GB storage tiers.

Battery life is also phenomenal. Easily a full day, if not the better part of two. There’s no wireless charging on this device, but the fast charging up to 80W makes up for that. Notably, you’ll only get 55W with the included charger, but it’s still plenty quick.

The camera, finally, is very respectable for a modern Android phone, and again beats expectations for the price. The primary camera, a Sony LYT-700 sensor, has clean and sharp shots with excellent colors. I’ve been thrilled with most of the pictures I’ve taken, and I’m also glad to see that the secondary cameras aren’t useless. You’ll get an 8MP ultrawide shooter and a 50MP telephoto camera with 2x optical zoom.

So where does the Pixel come in?

I think the base Pixel 9 is the most wide-appeal Android smartphone available today. It’s good enough at everything while also providing good value, longevity, and stability. It’s been hard to find the same formula elsewhere.

The OnePlus 13R fits into a similar mold.

A fully capable device with the best features of the “Pro,” but with a few strategic cuts to cut costs. But where the Pixel 9 is a device that I think appeals to a broad audience, the OnePlus 13R is one that I think fits into a smaller niche – if the Pixel is for “everyone,” the OnePlus 13R is for “everyone else.” To someone that’s looking for gaming on a budget, or puts battery life and charging above all else, or who simply wants to save a couple hundred dollars.

At $599, the value of the OnePlus 13R really can’t be understated. You’re getting the bulk of the flagship OnePlus 13 at $300 less, and also beating the Pixel 9 by $200 while rivaling Google’s device pretty much across the board. Personally, I’d still go for the Pixel 9’s better hardware, consistent cameras, and more compact size. But for everyone else, the OnePlus 13R is an excellent pick.

OnePlus 13R at OnePlus.com
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