ONEPLUS 13S A VERY FORMITABLE PHONE

 

The OnePlus 13s, a more compact yet equally potent sibling to the OnePlus 13, launched in India on June 5, 2025, carving out its niche for users who prioritize one-handed usability without sacrificing flagship-tier performance. Positioned strategically between the premium OnePlus 13 and the more budget-friendly OnePlus 13R, the 13s aims to offer a compelling blend of power, refined design, and innovative features in a smaller form factor.

Design and Form Factor: Compact Powerhouse

The primary differentiator of the OnePlus 13s is its compact design. While the OnePlus 13 embraced a larger, more traditional flagship size, the 13s offers a 6.32-inch display, making it significantly more manageable for single-handed use and pocketability. Despite its smaller stature, OnePlus has ensured the phone retains a premium feel, featuring a glass back (with different finishes depending on the color, such as a metallic sand for black and "Velvet Glass" for pink and green variants) and an aluminum frame.

The design philosophy of the 13s leans towards flat sides and larger radius corners, giving it a sleek and modern appearance that, to some observers, bears a resemblance to contemporary iPhones. The camera module on the rear is also integrated into a single piece of aluminum, housing its dual lenses and other sensors. While it protrudes slightly, its size on this more compact phone generally doesn't cause excessive wobble when laid flat.

A notable departure from traditional OnePlus design is the replacement of the iconic alert slider with a new "Plus Key." This customizable hardware button can be programmed to launch various AI features, offering a quick shortcut to functionality, particularly the new "Plus Mind" AI assistant. However, a slight drawback in design is the IP65 rating, which, while adequate for splashes and rain, is a step down from the more robust IP69 rating of its larger sibling, the OnePlus 13. This suggests it's not designed for submersion. Additionally, some reviews have pointed out minor inconsistencies in bezel thickness and the placement of the optical fingerprint sensor towards the very bottom of the screen, which can be less ergonomic for some users. At 185g, it feels well-balanced but might be considered slightly hefty for its compact size.

Display: Vibrant and Responsive in a Smaller Package

The display on the OnePlus 13s is a 6.32-inch OLED panel with a 1.5K resolution (2640×1216 pixels, 460 PPI). It boasts an adaptive refresh rate ranging from 1Hz to 120Hz, ensuring smooth scrolling and fluid visuals while optimizing battery consumption. The display supports 10-bit color and Dolby Vision, providing vibrant colors and excellent contrast. While its peak brightness of 1,600 nits is impressive for outdoor visibility, it doesn't quite reach the 4,500 nits of the OnePlus 13, a trade-off for its smaller form factor.

OnePlus has equipped the 13s with "Aqua Touch 2.0" technology, which enhances responsiveness, especially when dealing with wet fingers or gloves. Eye comfort features are also integrated, including 2,160Hz PWM dimming for reduced eye strain at low brightness levels. Overall, the display offers a premium viewing experience, delivering sharp visuals and excellent color reproduction, making it ideal for media consumption and daily use.

Performance: Flagship Power in a Compact Shell

Under the hood, the OnePlus 13s is a true performance beast, powered by the same cutting-edge Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform as the larger OnePlus 13. This ensures top-tier performance for all demanding tasks, from intensive gaming to seamless multitasking. The device is available with 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and storage options of 256GB or 512GB of UFS 4.0, providing ample speed and space for apps, media, and files.

The Snapdragon 8 Elite, with its next-gen 8-core Oryon CPU and Adreno 830 GPU, delivers substantial improvements in both raw power and power efficiency. OnePlus highlights 45% better CPU performance, 40% higher GPU performance, and 27% more efficient performance compared to previous generations, translating to a consistently smooth and lag-free experience. To manage thermals in a compact body, the 13s incorporates a 4,400mm² vapor chamber and an innovative cooling layer on the back panel to efficiently dissipate heat, allowing for sustained peak performance even during extended gaming sessions.

Camera System: Focused Photography

The camera setup on the OnePlus 13s takes a more streamlined approach compared to the OnePlus 13's triple-lens system. The 13s features a dual-camera array on the rear:

• Main Wide-Angle Camera: A 50MP sensor (likely the Sony LYT-700 or similar, though some sources mention LYT-808, it's generally considered the same or very similar to the main sensor on the OnePlus 13R). This lens is equipped with PDAF and OIS for stable and sharp shots.
• Telephoto Camera: A 50MP Samsung JN5 sensor with 2x optical zoom, allowing for crisp zoomed-in shots up to 20x digital zoom.

For selfies and video calls, there's a 32MP front-facing camera with autofocus, a welcome addition for sharp self-portraits and clear video calls.

While the 13s lacks an ultra-wide-angle lens, which is present on the OnePlus 13, its dual-camera setup is designed for focused, high-quality photography. It supports various AI imaging modes, including AI Detail Boost, AI Unblur, AI Reflection Eraser, and AI Reframe, leveraging the powerful NPU of the Snapdragon 8 Elite to enhance image quality and offer smart editing capabilities. Video recording capabilities include 4K at 30/60fps and 1080P at 30/60fps.

Battery and Charging: Impressive Endurance

Despite its compact size, the OnePlus 13s packs a substantial 5,850mAh Silicon-Carbon battery. This large capacity, combined with the power efficiency of the Snapdragon 8 Elite, ensures impressive battery life, often lasting well over a full day of heavy use. OnePlus claims the 13s offers "the best battery life ever on a compact phone."

The phone supports 80W SUPERVOOC wired fast charging, allowing for rapid recharges. While slightly slower than the 100W of the OnePlus 13, 80W is still incredibly fast, providing a day's power in approximately half an hour. Notably, the OnePlus 13s does not support wireless charging, which is a feature available on the larger OnePlus 13. It does, however, offer "Bypass Charging," enabling the phone to draw power directly from the wall during intense gaming sessions, reducing heat and prolonging battery health.

Software and AI: Smart and Seamless

The OnePlus 13s runs OxygenOS 15, based on Android 15, out of the box. OnePlus has committed to four years of Android OS updates and six years of security patches for the device, ensuring long-term software support and access to the latest features.

A significant highlight of the software experience is the deep integration of AI features. The "Plus Key" specifically serves as a hardware shortcut to the new "Plus Mind" AI assistant. This on-screen AI assistant acts like a "photographic memory" for your phone, intelligently analyzing on-screen content and offering contextually relevant suggestions and actions. For instance, it can save information from articles, generate summaries, and seamlessly integrate with other applications. All captured information is stored in "Mind Space," a new app that allows for easy organization and natural language search.

Beyond Plus Mind, the OnePlus 13s also supports a suite of AI-powered features like AI Search, AI VoiceScribe, AI Translation, AI Call Assistant, and the integration of Google Gemini. For photography, AI enhancements include AI Best Face 2.0 (for correcting expressions and open eyes in group photos), AI Detail Boost (to preserve detail during cropping), AI Unblur, and AI Reflection Eraser (to remove glare). The 13s also offers Gemini widget support on the lock screen, enhancing quick access to AI capabilities.

Price and Availability

The OnePlus 13s was launched on June 5, 2025, primarily targeting the Indian market. The pricing for the OnePlus 13s in India starts at ₹54,999 for the 12GB RAM/256GB storage variant, and ₹59,999 for the 12GB RAM/512GB storage model. This positions it as a more affordable flagship option compared to the OnePlus 13, which typically starts around ₹64,999.

OnePlus 13s vs. OnePlus 13: Key Differences

The OnePlus 13s is designed for a specific user segment, and its differences from the OnePlus 13 are deliberate:

• Size & Display: The most obvious difference is the form factor. The 13s has a compact 6.32-inch 1.5K OLED display, whereas the 13 features a larger 6.82-inch 2K AMOLED display with higher peak brightness.
• Durability: The OnePlus 13 boasts an IP69 rating, offering superior dust and water resistance, while the 13s has an IP65 rating.
• Cameras: The OnePlus 13 has a more versatile triple-camera setup (main, ultra-wide, telephoto) with 4K Dolby Vision recording across all lenses. The 13s has a dual-camera setup (main, telephoto) and lacks an ultra-wide lens.
• Battery & Charging: While both have large batteries, the 13s has a 5,850mAh battery with 80W wired charging and no wireless charging. The 13 has a 6,000mAh battery with 100W wired and 50W wireless charging.
• Hardware Feature: The 13s introduces the "Plus Key" dedicated AI button, replacing the traditional alert slider. The 13 retains the alert slider.
• Price: The 13s is generally more affordable than the OnePlus 13, reflecting its more compact design and some minor spec adjustments.

Conclusion

The OnePlus 13s is a compelling proposition for users seeking a compact Android flagship that doesn't compromise on core performance. It delivers the blazing speed of the Snapdragon 8 Elite, excellent battery life, a vibrant display, and a capable dual-camera system, all within a more hand-friendly form factor. While it makes some trade-offs in terms of ultra-wide camera and the highest IP rating compared to its larger sibling, the integrated AI features, long-term software support, and the introduction of the "Plus Key" make it a uniquely appealing device. For those who desire flagship performance and smart features but prefer a more manageable size than the increasingly large mainstream flagships, the OnePlus 13s stands out as an excellent choice in the competitive 2025 smartphone market.