The OnePlus 13 and 13R could be the first real Samsung Galaxy S25 competitors

OnePlus 13
An official image of the OnePlus 13 (Image credit: OnePlus)

  • The OnePlus 13 and OnePlus 13R launch globally on January 7
  • The OnePlus 13 previously launched in China on December 4
  • Neither phone's pricing has been announced yet

The long-awaited OnePlus 13 is officially launching worldwide on January 7, alongside its newly-announced midrange sibling, the OnePlus 13R.

OnePlus confirmed the phone's release date for the US and the rest of the world in a press release following the launch of the OnePlus 13 in China on December 4.

A January launch date positions the OnePlus 13 and 13R as direct competitors to the Samsung Galaxy S25 lineup, which we expect to launch in the same month next year.

With this announcement, we also have some newly confirmed official specs for the global versions of the OnePlus 13 and 13R.

The OnePlus 13 from the back, in water

The OnePlus 13 in Arctic Dawn (Image credit: OnePlus)

The OnePlus 13 will come equipped with the class-leading Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, and a display with a 2k resolution, a 1-120Hz variable refresh rate, and 4500nits of maximum brightness. It is the first OnePlus phone to have both an IP68 and IP69 water and dust resistance rating.

OnePlus says the display used for the OnePlus 13 is the first to be rated A++ by DisplayMate, an independent display rating organization.

The OnePlus 13 will be available in three color options at launch: Black Eclipse, Arctic Dawn (white) and Midnight Ocean (blue). The Midnight Blue option is apparently the first phone to feature micro-fiber vegan leather, which improves scratch resistance.

The OnePlus 13R features a triple-camera system, a 6,000mAh battery, and Gorilla Glass 7i on the front and rear panels. It features a flat display – unusual for OnePlus – and measures in at 8mm thick.

The OnePlus 13R will launch in two colorways: Nebula Noir and Astral Trail – though we don’t have any confirmation of what these titles exactly describe.

We expect OnePlus to announce the price of both phones at the OnePlus 13 launch event on January 7, but the latest rumors suggest the 13 will cost as much or a little more than its predecessor, the OnePlus 12, which still starts at $899 / £849 (it’s not available in Australia).

The announcement also marks the first time OnePlus has confirmed the existence of the OnePlus 13R, the latest addition to the company’s lower-end flagship phone series a la the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE.

In our OnePlus 12 review, we found the most globally available Chinese phone to be a stylish, speedy, and altogether superb handset, and hype for its follow-up has been building over the last few months (as our OnePlus coverage can attest).

If you find yourself intrigued by this one-of-a-kind brand, feel free to check out our guide to the best OnePlus phones.

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Jamie Richards
Mobile Computing Staff Writer

Jamie is a Mobile Computing Staff Writer for TechRadar, responsible for covering phones and tablets. He’s been tech-obsessed from a young age and has written for various news and culture publications. Jamie graduated from Goldsmiths, University of London in 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism. Since starting out as a music blogger in 2020, he’s worked on local news stories, finance trade magazines, and multimedia political features. He brings a love for digital journalism and consumer technology to TechRadar. Outside of the TechRadar office, Jamie can be found binge-watching tech reviews, DJing in local venues around London, or challenging friends to a game of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

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