The OnePlus 13 may have already killed the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

6 days ago

Did OnePlus, successful October 2024, conscionable denote 1 of nan champion smartphones of 2025? It very good whitethorn have, because OnePlus has officially launched nan OnePlus 13.

Well, benignant of. The OnePlus 13 is now disposable successful China, though it’ll beryllium a while earlier it comes to nan U.S. and different parts of nan world. Although it’ll apt beryllium December aliases January earlier you and I get our hands connected nan OnePlus 13, nan hold should beryllium worthy it. The OnePlus 13 already looks for illustration 1 of adjacent year’s champion phones — and it whitethorn person simultaneously caused nan premature decease of nan Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.

The OnePlus 13 looks fantastic

Renders of nan OnePlus 13 successful its 3 colors.

OK, truthful nan OnePlus 13 is charismatic — but what’s truthful typical astir it? I’ll commencement pinch nan hardware, which, to my eyes, is fantastic. I’ve been a instrumentality of OnePlus’ creation for nan past mates of years, and nan OnePlus 13 looks for illustration a awesome improvement of it. The information camera lodging is cleaner and a spot simpler than it was connected nan past mates of OnePlus flagships, nan accent statement to nan correct of it is simply a bully touch, and I’m happy to spot nan preamble of a level frame.

The colors are arsenic fantastic. Secret Realm (aka nan achromatic option) has a gorgeous texture/pattern crossed nan full backside, Dew Dawn (the achromatic version) looks for illustration a amended type of the achromatic OnePlus 12, and Blues Hour (the bluish one, shocker) has a gorgeous navy bluish colour that contrasts beautifully pinch nan metallic camera circle. Even better, it has a leather decorativeness alternatively of glass. Take my money correct now.

The bluish OnePlus 13 successful a excavation of water.

Then there’s nan display. As overmuch arsenic I emotion the OnePlus 12 and OnePlus 12R, I’m not nan biggest instrumentality of their curved displays. Good news: nan OnePlus 13 doesn’t person one. It technically has 2.5D curved solid connected each 4 edges, but nan curves look to beryllium far less melodramatic than nan chopped curved sides of nan OnePlus 12 series. The 6.82-inch size is simply a small larger than I’d like, but I’m each for a level screen. It besides has each spec you could inquire for: an AMOLED panel, a 3168 x 1440 resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, and up to 4500 nits of brightness.

Something other that’s caught my oculus is simply a small, but important detail: nan vibration motor. Good haptic feedback is, successful my opinion, a critical, but often overlooked facet of galore Android phones. OnePlus says nan OnePlus 13 has nan largest vibration centrifugal ever utilized successful an Android phone. Whether it’s a high-quality centrifugal remains to beryllium seen, but it’s thing if not encouraging.

And, of course, location are nan specs. The Snapdragon 8 Elite — which has already proven to beryllium an incredibly accelerated chip — is here. There’s besides a monolithic 6,000 mAh battery, 100-watt wired and 50W wireless charging, and triple 50MP cameras for nan primary/telephoto/ultrawide snappers. There’s a lot to for illustration here.

What this intends for nan Galaxy S25 Ultra

Galaxy S25 Ultra look from Android Headlines.

Of course, we besides expect nan Galaxy S25 Ultra to lucifer galore of these specifications. Samsung’s flagship should besides person nan Snapdragon 8 Elite, a powerful camera setup, and a large battery. But based connected nan S25 Ultra leaks we’ve seen truthful far, thing is blowing maine away.

Samsung appears to beryllium sticking pinch nan aforesaid creation it has utilized since nan Galaxy S22 Ultra, which is disappointing. Yes, OnePlus has besides done astir nan aforesaid thing, but it’s astatine slightest recovered absorbing ways to shingle up nan camera creation and consistently uses nosy colors/materials. The OnePlus 11, OnePlus 12, and OnePlus 13 each look for illustration they’re portion of nan aforesaid family, but they still look for illustration different phones. Samsung, not truthful much. The S25 Ultra looks for illustration nan nonstop aforesaid telephone we’ve had since 2022, conscionable pinch a flatter frame.

The backmost of nan Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.

There’s besides nary denotation that Samsung will upgrade its artillery aliases charging tech adjacent year. Rumors propose the Galaxy S25 Ultra will person a 5,000 mAh battery and 45W charging, conscionable for illustration nan Galaxy S24 Ultra. If true, that would time off nan S25 Ultra pinch a 20% smaller artillery and considerably slower charging speeds than nan OnePlus 13. For immoderate context, Samsung has offered 45W charging since nan Galaxy S20 Ultra was released successful 2020.

Then there’s nan matter of software. Neither OnePlus’ OxygenOS nor Samsung’s One UI are my preferred Android interfaces, but if I had to take one, I’d spell pinch OxygenOS. Though it’s surely not perfect, I find OnePlus’ package overmuch easier to usage and acold little bloated than Samsung’s. Both companies person large plans for their adjacent awesome package updates, and while we’ve yet to get an charismatic look astatine One UI 7, our first glimpse astatine OxygenOS 15 is promising.

Finally, there’s nan matter of price. We don’t cognize what U.S. prices will beryllium for nan OnePlus 13 aliases Galaxy S25 Ultra, but based connected their predecessors, OnePlus should person a beautiful large advantage. The OnePlus 12 costs $800, while nan Galaxy S24 Ultra costs $1,300. Even if nan OnePlus 13 gets a value increase, it should still beryllium considerably cheaper than nan S25 Ultra — and still meet aliases outclass it successful almost each way.

The fight’s already heating up

Renders of nan beforehand and backmost of nan OnePlus 13.

To beryllium clear, don’t return this arsenic maine wholly dismissing Samsung successful 2025. The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is 1 of our best-reviewed phones this year; of people I’m willing to spot really Samsung follows it up. I’ve besides yet to usage nan OnePlus 13 and request to hold and spot really it performs successful nan existent world.

However, based connected nan OnePlus 13’s China merchandise and nan latest reports astir nan Galaxy S25 Ultra, I cognize which telephone I’m astir eager to use. Both should beryllium among adjacent year’s astir tin smartphones, but OnePlus has my attraction correct now. Based connected nan design, screen, battery, charging, and more, I’m conscionable astir sold.

I dream Samsung surprises maine and nan S25 Ultra ends up being an intolerable to disregard phone. But from wherever I’m opinionated correct now, it’s nan OnePlus 13 that I can’t hold to get my hands on.