OnePlus 13 first impression: Has OnePlus settled?

This April, the OnePlus One will be 11 years old. While OnePlus started the “flagship killer” hype, the brand has now become a flagship. And on that note, we have the OnePlus flagship, the OnePlus 13. This phone has a lot of firsts, so here’s our OnePlus 13 first impression to tell you everything you need to know about it. Also Read: OnePlus 15, OnePlus Ace 6 To Launch In China Tomorrow: Key Specs Revealed

OnePlus 13 specifications

OnePlus 13 first impression

OnePlus 13 Box contents

Also Read: OnePlus 15 Launch In India: When To Expect The Next Flagship, Expected Specifications, Features, More

The OnePlus 13 comes in a red and black box. You get a colour-matched case with the same details as the phone. Then there’s a 100-watt SUPERVOOC charger, a USB-A to C cable, a SIM tool and some UV glue stickers along with some paperwork. Also Read: OnePlus Turbo Display And Battery Details Surface Online Ahead Of OnePlus 15 Launch

Design:

Our OnePlus 13 has a microfiber vegan-leather finish in midnight ocean colour. The Arctic Dawn colour has a smooth glossy finish, and the Black Eclipse has a wood grain texture. It is surprisingly slim despite the 6000 mAh battery and feels light enough to hold for longer durations.

You still get an off-center camera but it is no longer fused to the side. The alert slider occupies the left side while the volume and power buttons sit on the right. This design looks refined, mature, and has a sense of completeness, almost as if OnePlus has decided to settle, but in a good way.

OnePlus 13 display:

The OnePlus 13 has a QHD+ 4D micro curved display with ceramic glass for protection. It is a punchy and fluid display with enough brightness to watch YouTube videos under direct sunlight. You can see the screen flowing out of the sides into the bezels, but it is so subtly curved that it almost feels flat.

Now that OnePlus has an IP69 rating, you also get an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor that works like a charm. You’ll barely notice any misses or slowdown even with wet hands.

OnePlus 13 cameras:

Triple 50MP cameras at the back, two of which are the latest Sony LYT series sensors. There are some abrupt jerks in the video, but the phone has decent overall stabilisation. Moreover, from 0.6x to 6x, you get almost optical-quality zoom which makes it a versatile system.

I’ll rate the cameras 7 out of 10 as the colour reproduction and focus are spot-on in most cases. However, it sometimes misses out on details or overexposes the elements in the frame.

OS experience

I’ve only had a couple of days with this phone so it is too early to give a full performance report. So far, it is snappy, the OS has some preloaded apps but no bloatware, so it feels clean. I installed GTA San Andreas Definitive Edition on the phone, and it crashed several times after about an hour of gameplay.

However, an update fixed the issue and it hasn’t crashed since. I’ve also only had to charge this phone twice in the last 4 days, which means the background resource management is working well, and that 6000 mAh can be assumed to deliver more than one day of usage on a single charge.

OnePlus 13 first impression: Verdict

The OnePlus 13 looks evolved, clean and refined on the first look. It has ditched the rounded edges for boxier sides, and the curved screen is also better executed. The vegan leather finish also looks great but we are yet to see if it stands the test of time (and real-world dust and dirt).

The overall build quality feels premium and you’re getting a solid screen and speakers for the price. OnePlus has promised 4 years of OS + 6 years of software updates, and the OnePlus 13 should go a long way with its flagship specifications.

On the other hand, the cameras do not land up to the expectations. However, I’ve seen OnePlus cameras improve over time with OTA updates, so I’m hoping the overexposure and detail loss can be fixed. You’ll see the updated results in our detailed review on the website soon.

So for my first look, the OnePlus 13 is a solid 7 out of 10 for its build quality, display, and powerful specs. With this phone, OnePlus is now in the evolution phase where existing designs are being refined, and the phones are no more flagship killers but flagships.