OnePlus confirms a key upgrade for the upcoming OnePlus 13 global launch

OnePlus 13
The OnePlus 13 is fully waterproof (Image credit: OnePlus)

  • The OnePlus 13 will be IP68/IP69 rated worldwide
  • OnePlus has confirmed the spec ahead of a full launch
  • It's a significant upgrade over the OnePlus 12

We're a little bit in limbo when it comes to the OnePlus 13, as it's been unveiled in China but won't launch globally until next week. That means some specs of the international version are yet to be confirmed, but OnePlus has now announced one key feature.

OnePlus has now confirmed to Android Authority that all global variants of the flagship phone will have the dual IP68 and IP69-level protection against water and dust that the Chinese version of the OnePlus 13 offers.

As we reported when the handset launched in China, that dual rating means the handset will survive immersion in water, and can also withstand high-pressure jets of water. A vacuum seal, meanwhile, ensures no dust can get in at all.

In fact, the OnePlus 13 will be the first phone to go as high as IP69 outside of China and the other Asian markets. The exact details of how long the phone can last underwater and at what depth are set by the manufacturer and vary from device to device, but in terms of the official rating this is as good as it gets.

An important upgrade

The OnePlus 12 phone, from the back

The OnePlus 12 didn't offer an IP68/IP69 rating (Image credit: Future)

OnePlus has always approached waterproofing and dustproofing somewhat differently to everyone else: sometimes these ratings have varied between regions, and sometimes there haven't been ratings at all (even if the phones have been waterproof).

As our OnePlus 12 review will tell you, the lack of IP68 and IP69 support was one of our major complaints about the current handset, which became available internationally in January 2024 – almost a full year ago.

It's therefore a welcome upgrade that we're getting for 2025, and which puts the OnePlus 13 ahead of the iPhone 16 Pro Max, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, and the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL when it comes to protection against the elements.

We will of course bring you all the official news from the international launch of the OnePlus 13, which is scheduled for Tuesday, January 7. Everything gets underway from 7.30am PT / 10.30am ET / 3.30pm BST, which works out as Wednesday, January 8 at 2.30am AET for those in Australia.

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David Nield
Freelance Contributor

Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you'll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.