The best OnePlus phones in different categories — budget, camera, and more

OnePlus doesn’t have as many phones in its lineup as Samsung or most other Android manufacturers, but there are still enough of them available to complicate your purchase decision. Which OnePlus model to go with depends on several factors, including your budget and the specs and features that matter to you. We’ve listed the best OnePlus phones you can currently get in different categories to help you out. Your needs should be covered here, no matter what you’re looking for. Let’s dive in.

The best OnePlus phones:

• OnePlus 11 — The best overall phone from the company.
• OnePlus 10T — For those who want a high-end experience, but also want to save a bit of money.
• OnePlus Nord 2T — The best mid-range OnePlus phone outside the US.
• OnePlus 11R — The best OnePlus phone for India.
• OnePlus N300 — For the best budget experience in the US.
• OnePlus 9 Pro — The best phone to buy used.

Editor’s note: We’ll regularly update this list of the best OnePlus phones as new models launch.

OnePlus 11 — The best overall phone from the company

We skipped the OnePlus 10 Pro in this list in 2022, mainly because we felt the OnePlus 9 Pro was actually a better offering. The OnePlus 11 isn’t going to be missing in 2023, though. With the newer flagship, OnePlus seems to be going back to what made the brand exciting from the beginning.

The OnePlus 11 offers what most people would consider a high-end experience. It has an exquisite design that feels premium, and the phone happens to look very good too. The LTPO3 Fluid AMOLED display is stunning, featuring a QHD resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. And it’s no lackluster in terms of performance. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and 8-16GB of RAM make it fly, competing with the best of the best the industry has to offer.

Battery life is impressively good, too. We were able to stretch it for almost two days on a single charge during our testing. And when you do need to charge, you can do so at 80W in the USA, or 100W in other markets. But even at 80W we only needed half an hour to go from zero to 100%.

But of course, there have to be some downsides when you get a $699 phone that competes with those that cost well over $1,000. It has no wireless charging, for starters. The cameras aren’t the best. Additionally, the IP64 rating is pretty disappointing in 2023. It’s an amazing phone at a great price if you can look past those downsides, though.

OnePlus 11 specs:

OnePlus 10T — Not the best, but a great cost-effective option

This is the latest phone in OnePlus’s lineup and offers a bit less than the OnePlus 10 Pro overall. But it’s also cheaper, coming in at $650.

It has plenty to offer, including excellent performance, a superb screen, and all-day battery life. Then there’s the charging, which is crazy fast. The phone supports 150W peak charging speeds that get the battery from zero to full in just 19 minutes. All these things combined make it the best high-end OnePlus phone you can buy.

The OnePlus 10T has its faults, though. The cameras aren’t that great, the signature Alert slider is gone, and there’s no wireless charging. The speakers are a bit imbalanced as well.

OnePlus 10T specs:

OnePlus Nord 2T — The best mid-range OnePlus phone outside the US

The OnePlus Nord 2T is the follow-up to last year’s OnePlus Nord 2. The mid-ranger offers decent performance, a solid build quality, fast 80W charging, and a decent primary camera. It’s available across Europe but is not on sale in the US, at least not officially.

The Nord 2T has a 6.43-inch Full HD+ display with a 90Hz refresh rate and is powered by the 5G-capable MediaTek Dimensity 1300. The chip makes the phone plenty powerful. Unfortunately, the big drawback to the Nord 2T — especially when compared to the likes of the OnePlus 9 Pro — is the camera system, which isn’t amazing. The primary camera is quite good, but the others leave much to be desired.

You’re also not getting things like wireless charging and an IP rating, but that’s to be expected at this price point.

Nord 2T specs:

OnePlus 11R — The best OnePlus phone for India

OnePlus is huge in India. However, India is a very different market from the rest of the world. For example, what works in the United States might fail spectacularly in India. The OnePlus 11R is one of the company’s attempts to craft a device that keeps the Indian customer in mind. It’s a great OnePlus phone for what you’ll pay for it, but its limited availability might make it difficult for you to get one if you don’t live in India.

The phone has a unique design, very similar to the OnePlus 11, but a bit less premium. It has a plastic back, and there is no Hasselblad branding, as OnePlus opted to leave the Hasselblad tuning out of the equation to cut costs. It still has fast 100W charging, a great display, and solid performance. There are a few issues worth pointing out as well. There’s no wireless charging, no IP rating, and the camera system isn’t the best.

OnePlus also decided to use the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 here. This means it won’t be as fast as the standard OnePlus 11, but it is still very capable.

Still, Indian fans will be pretty happy with the price. The OnePlus 11R starts at 44,999 INR (~$547), making it quite affordable for what you get.

OnePlus 11R specs:

OnePlus Nord N300 — The best entry-level OnePlus phone in the US

We aren’t huge fans of the construction, display, and camera, but the Oneplus Nord N300 still has a lot going for itself. Mainly because of its very low $228 MSRP, which is a very low price for the value this device offers.

For starters, the N300 has excellent performance, which is rare in such an affordable handset. Other factors that stand out are its great battery life, fast charging, a 90Hz refresh rate, and a good set of speakers.

Unfortunately, it won’t see the same update promises of more expensive OnePlus phones. The company confirmed the phone would only get the Android 13 update. Also, it’s only available for T-Mobile in the USA, so its reach is pretty limited.

OnePlus Nord N300 specs:

OnePlus 9 Pro — The best OnePlus phone to buy used

The OnePlus 9 Pro launched in 2021. We actually believed it offered better value than the OnePlus 10 Pro in 2022, and though it can’t quite beat the OnePlus 11, it is still an excellent device to get used. Especially considering you can get what we consider a near-premium experience at a significantly lower price point.

While most previous OnePlus devices had disappointing cameras, the OnePlus 9 Pro changed this, offering the best camera experience from OnePlus at the time of its launch. Its photos even beat the OnePlus 10 Pro.

Outside of the camera, though, the OnePlus 9 Pro is just a great overall phone. It has a premium build, 2021’s second-most powerful Android chipset, ultra-fast wired and wireless charging speeds, and an IP68 rating against water and dust. Even the OnePlus 11 doesn’t get an IP68 rating; it has IP64.

Its only real drawback is that it doesn’t see the best battery life. If you can look past its age and a few downsides, though, it’s still a great device to get refurbished or used.

OnePlus 9 Pro specs:

These are the best OnePlus models you can currently get your hands on. We’ll update this post once the company announces new phones.