OnePlus 13 rumors: Everything we know so far and what we want to see

Update: October 2, 2024 (09:10 AM ET): We’ve updated the OnePlus 13 rumor hub with battery and charging leaks, as well as the firm showing off the OnePlus 13’s screen.

Original article: April 24, 2024 (5:17 AM ET): The OnePlus 12 launched globally back in January, but we’ve already seen some OnePlus 13 leaks and rumors start to trickle in. So, what do we know about the upcoming flagship phone? Read on to find out all the major details and leaks we’ve managed to gather.

Will there be a OnePlus 13?

OnePlus hasn’t officially confirmed whether there’ll be a OnePlus 13. Nevertheless, the company has offered at least one flagship phone in the series each year since 2014. We’ve also seen some early leaks and rumors regarding the phone, suggesting that it is in the pipeline. So you can expect to see a OnePlus 13 in the future.

What is the most likely OnePlus 13 release date?

• OnePlus 10 Pro — January 11, 2022 (China) / March 31, 2022 (global)
• OnePlus 11 — January 4, 2022 (China) / February 7, 2023 (global)
• OnePlus 12 — December 5, 2023 (China) / January 23, 2024 (global)

OnePlus has been launching its flagship phones earlier and earlier. A recent post on Weibo by the reliable tipster Digital Chat Station suggests that OnePlus might reveal the OnePlus 13 even earlier this year, specifically before China’s Singles Day festival on November 11. Considering that Singles Day is the country’s largest shopping event, launching the OnePlus 13 ahead of the festival would be a strategic move for the company to maximize sales.

Since the OnePlus 13 is expected to feature the upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 SoC, the company might unveil the device soon after Qualcomm’s event wraps up on October 23. OnePlus China president Li Jie Louis confirmed in early September that the next OnePlus flagship device (expected to be the OnePlus 13) would launch in October. So the phone is indeed launching earlier than expected. We’re guessing a global launch is on the cards for December 2024 or January 2025.

What will the OnePlus 13 look like?

We haven’t seen any leaked OnePlus 13 renders just yet, but we have heard some claims regarding the phone’s design. For one, Weibo tipster Digital Chat Station claimed that the phone will have a new design with a ceramic body — real ceramic, not ceramic-like glass.

It also sounds like the rear camera housing could get a change. That would be welcome news, as OnePlus has used this same toilet-shaped housing since the OnePlus 11. This was echoed by tipster Yogesh Brar on April 17, who said we should expect a new rear camera design and arrangement.

Brar also asserted in early April that the OnePlus 13 (and OPPO Find X8 Ultra) could debut a “micro quad-curved panel.” That ostensibly means a quad-curved screen with subtle curves rather than anything approaching a waterfall display.

Digital Chat Station recently shared some new details hinting that the phone could feature a “straight screen” with a “micro-curved glass cover design.” The new information implies that the OnePlus 13’s display may be flat but with glass that curves on all four sides, creating a symmetrical, bezel-less look.

Brar has also shared an early outline of the camera deco of the OnePlus 13 and OnePlus 13R, and we can see that the camera housing for the 13 has moved to the center.

This is an early sketch, and the device is still in its development phase, so OnePlus can change things around.

OnePlus China president Li Jie Louis shared an image on September 30 showing the OnePlus 13’s screen, if not the phone itself. The company added that this was BOE’s second-generation screen and that it should offer superior performance compared to the first-generation display on the OnePlus 12.

Digital Chat Station posted some apparent OnePlus 13 specs on July 2. The leaker claimed that the phone will pack an IP68 or IP69 rating. The latter would be better than most mainstream flagship phones, including devices from Samsung, Google, and Apple.

We haven’t heard much else about the OnePlus 13 design just yet, such as the presence of an alert slider. But we’ll update this rumor hub as soon as more info appears online.

What rumored specs and features could the OnePlus 13 have?

Every OnePlus flagship phone in recent years has come with the latest and greatest Snapdragon flagship processor. Qualcomm is expected to launch the top-of-the-line Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 in late 2024 and we’re expecting the OnePlus 13 to be powered by this chip. This claim has been echoed by leakers Digital Chat Station and Yogesh Brar too. OnePlus China’s president also suggested in September that an upcoming flagship would be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4.

The two leakers assert that the phone will offer a 2K screen, which would be in line with recent releases. Leaker Digital Chat Station claims the phone will pack a 6.8-inch 2K LTPO “micro-curved” screen, which will “look better than this year’s one.”

Previously, Yogesh Brar had claimed that the OnePlus 13 packs a 5,400mAh battery and 100W wired charging — in line with the OnePlus 12. However, Digital Chat Station suggested in May that the OnePlus 13 will skip wireless charging in favor of packing a bigger 6,000mAh battery. However, the leaker noted in July that wireless charging is back on the table.

More recently, Digital Chat Station shared that an upcoming phone from the company might include a new 6,500mAh battery. The post doesn’t specify which model will feature this larger battery, but it could be hinting at the OnePlus 13 or OnePlus Ace 5 series.

The apparent OnePlus 13 (model number PJZ110) appeared on China’s 3C website in late September, and the filing confirmed a maximum wired charging speed of 100W (11V/9.1A). We’re guessing this charging speed will be capped at 80W in the US, as is the case with the OnePlus 12. Check out the listing below.

Brar went on to post battery and charging details on October 1, claiming the phone will offer a 6,000mAh battery with 100W wired charging and 50W wireless charging.

Other than that, there were initially claims that the new phone will reportedly have the same camera sensors as the OnePlus 12 too. That means a 50MP main camera, a 64MP 3x periscope camera, and a 48MP ultrawide lens. Digital Chat Station corroborated some of the camera claims, asserting that the phone will have a large 50MP main camera and some improvements to the periscope lens.

However, Digital Chat Station later claimed in June that all three lenses could be 50MP instead. The rumor also says that the telephoto lens will maintain its 3x optical zoom. The tipster added context to this rumor in a follow-up Weibo post in June, claiming that the periscope and ultrawide cameras may use a new Sony sensor, specifically the 50MP IMX882. The sensor is used on the main cameras of the POCO F6 and the China-only OnePlus Ace 3V.

Tipster Yogesh Brar took to X on July 1 to claim that the OnePlus 13 would feature a 50MP LYT-808 main camera and two 50MP LYT-600 sensors. For what it’s worth, the LYT-600 seems identical to the aforementioned IMX882 sensor, as both feature a 1/1.95-inch sensor size and 0.8-micron pixels.

Google and OPPO/OnePlus announced in April that AI features powered by Gemini would be coming to OPPO and OnePlus phones later this year. The two Chinese brands also confirmed that Google’s most powerful AI model (Gemini 1.0 Ultra) would be coming to their phones later in 2024. So it stands to reason that the OnePlus 13 would launch with some Google-powered AI smarts too.

Digital Chat Station posted more OnePlus 13 specs on July 2, claiming that the phone will support wireless charging, 100W wired charging, a 2K “micro-curved” screen, and a “super-large” silicon-based battery. The leaker added that you can expect a Hasselblad-branded triple 50MP rear camera system, including a 50MP 3x periscope camera.

The latest update on the OnePlus 13 comes straight from the brand. At the BOE Global Innovation Partner Conference in China, BOE announced that its next-generation flagship X-series display will be introduced next month, and OnePlus will be among the first to incorporate this display into its global lineup. Li Jie, President of OnePlus, confirmed that this new BOE display will be featured on an upcoming OnePlus smartphone.

Although the specific model of the phone wasn’t mentioned, it aligns with speculation about the OnePlus 13. Based on this, it’s likely that the OnePlus 13 will feature the BOE X2 display, which is expected to offer improved brightness and eye protection compared to the screen on the OnePlus 12.

There are still a few unanswered questions regarding the OnePlus 13 specs, such as RAM/storage details. But we’ll undoubtedly see these details leak as we get closer to the phone’s launch window later this year.

What might the OnePlus 13 price be?

• OnePlus 10 Pro — $799.99
• OnePlus 11 — $699.99
• OnePlus 12 — $799.99

OnePlus has generally been all over the place regarding pricing in recent years, so it’s not easy to predict a price point. Nevertheless, the OnePlus 12 matched the base Galaxy S24‘s price tag. It, therefore, seems like a safe bet that the OnePlus 13 could match the base Galaxy S25.

We wouldn’t rule out a slightly cheaper OnePlus 13, though. A cheaper price tag would be possible in theory if the phone is indeed an iterative upgrade rather than a significant step up from the OnePlus 12.

Should you wait for the OnePlus 13?

The OnePlus 13 is weeks away from its expected release, although this will likely be a Chinese launch first. But the OnePlus 12 ($899.99 at Amazon) can be found at a cheaper price nowadays if you look around, and it’s still worth a look if you want a high-end OnePlus device. It’s also expected to get some nifty Google-powered AI features.

Alternatively, you should consider the Galaxy S24 ($859.99 at Amazon) if you want a well-rounded Android flagship phone. It doesn’t have blazing-fast charging speeds or a huge battery, but the S24 brings Samsung’s Galaxy AI features, brisk performance, water resistance, and seven years of updates.

Another phone worth considering over the OnePlus 13 is the Google Pixel 9 ($799 at Amazon). It brings seven years of updates, premium extras (wireless charging, IP68), a pocket-friendly size, and AI-driven features like Best Take and Add Me. You do lose out on performance, zoom quality, and charging speed by opting for the Google phone, though.

OnePlus 13: What we want to see

That’s all we know about the OnePlus 13 for now, but we’ve also got our own wishlist of features we’d like to see on the upcoming flagship phone.

Water resistance, please

OnePlus has had a complicated relationship with IP ratings. The OnePlus 8 Pro, OnePlus 9 Pro, and OnePlus 10 Pro only had an IP68 rating for full water resistance if you bought them via T-Mobile — no rating for unlocked variants. Meanwhile, the OnePlus 11 and OnePlus 12 offer splash resistance, only.

We really hope OnePlus gives the OnePlus 13 an IP67 or IP68 rating for water resistance, bringing it in line with Google and Samsung’s flagships. And this IP rating should be available on all variants rather than just being restricted to carrier models.

The good news is that a leaker claimed in July that the OnePlus 13 could pack an IP68 or IP69 rating. But will this come to all phones or just carrier variants? That’s the real question.

Keep the alert slider

The alert slider has been available on OnePlus flagships since 2015’s OnePlus 2, so it stands to reason that the OnePlus 13 will retain it. Nevertheless, we’re still adding this to our wishlist just in case OnePlus is thinking about ditching the feature. After all, it wasn’t that long ago that the company skipped the slider on the OnePlus 10T.

The slider is perhaps the most recognizable thing about OnePlus phones, so removing it would be a major step in the wrong direction for the brand. Here’s hoping that cooler heads prevail.

Seven years of updates

OnePlus already delivers a very respectable update commitment, with the OnePlus 12 scheduled to receive four major OS updates and five years of security patches. That’s pretty good, but it’s not quite best-in-class.

Samsung and Google both offer seven years of updates these days, including seven years of OS upgrades. It would be great if OnePlus could match this commitment. We’d also like the brand to offer ready access to spare parts, such as batteries, over those seven years, so users can keep the hardware running for the support period.