The OnePlus 13s launched in India as the brand’s compact yet premium smartphone with flagship-grade specifications and features. Starting at Rs 54,999, the OnePlus 13s is among the most affordable phones in India with the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset and is the most compact device featuring this chipset. For someone seeking a value-for-money deal on a premium Android phone, the OnePlus 13s comes across as a great deal.
But what about the other phones in the OnePlus 13 series? There’s the OnePlus 13R available at a much lower price with all the essential features and a much larger display, appealing to those seeking a beefy midrange device. On the other hand, there’s the OnePlus 13 – the actual flagship from OnePlus that offers all the bells and whistles from the company. Featuring the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, the OnePlus 13 competes with the best of Android phones available in the market.
Hence, if you were to choose from any of the OnePlus 13 series devices, which one should you choose?
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OnePlus 13s is the more compact version of the same.
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OnePlus 13 comes in three colours and three memory configurations.
OnePlus 13 vs OnePlus 13s vs OnePlus 13R: Which one to buy
Design:
The OnePlus 13s features a fresh new design direction for the flagship series with a square dual camera hump that seems inspired by the iPhone 16. The boxy dimensions and the Plus key further add to the experience. The OnePlus 13R retains the traditional alert slider key and a design inspired by the OnePlus 13, especially with a large 6.7-inch flat display with slim bezels. The OnePlus 13 also has the highest water resistance rating (IP68/IP69).
Display:
All three OnePlus 13 series devices offer high-quality AMOLED displays with 120Hz refresh rates. However, the OnePlus 13 has the highest resolution and slightly larger 6.8-inch display size with Ceramic glass protection, while the OnePlus 13s is notable for its more compact 6.32-inch AMOLED display.
Performance:
The OnePlus 13 and OnePlus 13s feature the cutting-edge Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, giving them the edge in raw processing power over the OnePlus 13R with its older Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. Although all three models feature Android 15-based OxygenOS 15 out of the boxes, it is the OnePlus 13s that gets the most generative AI features.
Camera:
The OnePlus 13 features a highly versatile combo of 50MP wide (OIS), 50MP periscope telephoto (3x optical zoom, OIS) and 50MP ultrawide, promising the best user experience. The OnePlus 13R gets a combination of a 50MP main (Sony LYT-700, OIS), 50MP telephoto (2x optical zoom) and an 8MP ultrawide camera at the back, albeit with lower image processing quality.
The OnePlus 13s is limited to a combo of a 50MP main camera and a 50MP telephoto camera with 2x zoom.
Battery and charging:
The OnePlus 13s boasts the largest battery capacity with a 5,850mAh cell, which is coupled with an 80W wired charging solution. The OnePlus 13R gets the backing of a slightly larger 6,000mAh unit with support for 80W wired charging. The OnePlus 13, however, offers the best combo of the lot, offering a 6,000mAh unit that relies on a 100W wired and 50W wireless charging solutions.
Price
The OnePlus 13s starts at Rs 54,999 for the base model with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. The OnePlus 13R ends up looking more value for money with its lower starting price of Rs 42,999. The OnePlus 13 is the priciest of the lot, starting at Rs 69,999 for the base model with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage.
Conclusion
With a detailed look at all the specs, features and price, here is what we deduce about all three models in the OnePlus 13 range.
– Get the OnePlus 13 if you want the absolute best performance, display and camera system, and don’t mind a larger device and a premium price tag.
– Go for the OnePlus 13R if you’re looking for strong performance with a good display, great battery life and decent cameras at a more affordable price.
– The OnePlus 13s makes sense if you seek a balance of compact size, top-end specs, reasonable price and new-age AI features.
