The OnePlus 13 is officially here with the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite processor. It also brings an upgraded camera setup while retaining its Hasselblad prowess. But is it good enough to upgrade from the OnePlus 12? We tested both generations of the OnePlus flagships and here’s a detailed comparison between the OnePlus 13 and the OnePlus 12.
The launch price of the base variant of the OnePlus 13 has gone up by Rs 5,000. The company has also introduced an additional 24GB+1TB variant in India, which makes it a lucrative option. Plus, the current bank discounts worth Rs 5,000, can lower the price.
However, if price is an issue, the OnePlus 12 is often available for as low as Rs 54,999 with offers and hence, can be chosen.
Both devices are sold on Amazon, OnePlus.in, and partner retailers.
OnePlus 13 vs OnePlus 12: Build and Design
Device
OnePlus 13
OnePlus 12
Dimensions
162.9 x 76.5 x 8.5 mm
164.3 x 75.8 x 9.2 mm
Weight
210 grams
220 grams
Colours
Arctic Dawn, Midnight Ocean, Black Eclipse
Flowy Emerald, Silky Black, Glacial White
The overall design of the OnePlus 13 has not changed much compared to the last generation. The circular camera module is leaned towards the left side. The biggest change is the addition of a new Vegan Leather variant in Midnight Ocean colour. It feels refreshing compared to the glass-only options of the OnePlus 12.
The OnePlus 12 has a premium in-hand feel for a flagship phone. Despite the large footprint, it feels lighter than most other top-end devices. The Green colour variant with a Marble finish is still unique.
The biggest difference is that the OnePlus 13 now supports an IP69+IP68 rating, making it more resistant towards dust and water. The OnePlus 12 was limited to just IP65. The weight has also gone down from 220 grams to 210 grams, which although hard to notice, is a welcome move.
OnePlus 13 vs OnePlus 12: Display
Device
OnePlus 13
OnePlus 12
Display
6.82-inch LTPO AMOLED curved
6.82-inch LTPO AMOLED curved
Resolution
2K, 3168×1440 pixels
2K, 3168×1440 pixels
Refresh rate
120Hz
120Hz
Peak brightness
4500 nits
4500 nits
Protection
Crystal Shield Ceramic Glass
Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2
The technical specifications of the display have remained unchanged on the OnePlus 13. But the design has been revamped. The screen curvature is now more subtle than the last generation and the curves flow on all four sides. The screen produces excellent colours with deep and natural blacks. It also gets super bright outdoors.
The OnePlus 12 is not far behind as it essentially has the same display. The colour production is superb and the blacks are deep. The tuning and colour profiles between the two generations of OnePlus flagships are quite similar.
Simply talking about the panels, the OnePlus 13 and OnePlus 12 offer a similar visual experience. But, minor changes make the OnePlus 13 more comfortable to feel in your hands.
OnePlus 13 vs OnePlus 12: Performance
Device
OnePlus 13
OnePlus 12
Processor
Snapdragon 8 Elite
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
Architecture
3nm, TSMC
4nm, TSMC
GPU
Adreno 830
Adreno 750
The OnePlus 13 comes with the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite, the first processor from Qualcomm based on TSMC’s 3nm architecture. When paired with Oxygen OS 15, this is easily one of the fastest Android phones we have tested. From app opening to switching rapidly between them, the OnePlus 13 was a breeze.
The OnePlus 12 is not slow by any means. It continues to have a superfluid UI and quick app opening times. But, when you compare them side by side, the improvements on the OnePlus 13 are noticeable as it just feels more refined. The same is evident from benchmarks. The OnePlus 13 has scored almost 50% higher in AnTuTu.
OnePlus 13
2,626,392
OnePlus 12
1,738,936
AnTuTu Overall benchmark score analysis
The differences carry forward in gaming as well. Both support 120fps gaming in BGMI. However, the OnePlus 13 can push closer to 120fps with more consistency, while the OnePlus 12 maxes out at 110fps, and sometimes drops down to 90-95fps. Although both offer a super smooth gaming experience, which is well above 90fps, the 40% faster GPU on the OnePlus 13 outperforms the OnePlus 12 in a direct comparison.
Both phones get significantly warm to the touch after gaming, but neither shows thermal throttling. If gaming is a priority, then the OnePlus 13 is worth it.
OnePlus 13 vs OnePlus 12: Software
Device
OnePlus 13
OnePlus 12
Android version
OxygenOS 15, Android 15
OxygenOS 15, Android 15 (Updated from Android 14)
Number of updates
4 Android updates, 6 years of security patches
4 Android updates, 5 years of security patches
The Oxygen OS 15 update brings in smoother animations and support for Fluid Cloud, a feature similar to Apple’s Dynamic Island. The OnePlus 13 feels super smooth out of the box and the animations are quick and responsive. There is no bloatware, which is a huge positive. There’s also support for Gemini AI features and Circle to Search.
The software experience on the OnePlus 12 is more or less similar. There are no major differences as it supports Fluid Cloud and Gemini AI. The newer animations also work super smooth on the device.
The biggest difference comes in software update support. The OnePlus 13 is eligible for up to Android 19 and will continue to receive security patches up to 2031. The OnePlus 12 maxes out at Android 18 and security patches up to 2029. So if you want to experience the latest features for a longer duration, the OnePlus 13 is the best fit.
OnePlus 13 vs OnePlus 12: Cameras
Device
OnePlus 13
OnePlus 12
Primary rear camera
50MP f/1.6, OIS, Sony LYT-808
50MP f/1.6, OIS, Sony LYT-808
Ultrawide lens
50MP f/2.0, Samsung JN1
48MP f/2.2, Sony IMX851
Telephoto lens
50MP f/2.6, OIS, 3x optical zoom, Sony LYT-600
64MP f/2.6, 2x optical zoom, OmniVision OV64B
Video recording
8K 30fps
8K 24fps
Selfie camera
32MP f/2.4, Sony IMX615
32MP f/2.4, Sony IMX615
The OnePlus 13 captures excellent images in daylight and maintains natural colours. The dynamic range is great and it retains an ample amount of details. However, the Halo Effect around human objects in challenging lighting conditions persists, which has been a problem since the OnePlus 11.
The ultra-wide lens does a good job of shooting a wider perspective and has similar colour profiles. The telephoto lens clicks super sharp zoomed-in shots. The low light performance appears to be better than the OnePlus 12 with better image processing. Selfies are also sharp and capture great skin tones and textures.
OnePlus 13 Camera Samples
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The OnePlus 12 has quite capable cameras. Since its launch, the device has focused on a Click-and-Forget ideology and tries to capture images that look pleasing to the eyes. Photos during the day are super sharp leaving no room for complaints. The telephoto lens impressed us last year and continues to remain one of its strongest points. Selfies are almost the same, as they share the same front camera.
OnePlus 12 Camera Samples
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In a direct comparison, it is difficult to pick a clear winner. This is because the Hasselblad camera setup on the OnePlus 12 has been so good, that the margin of improvement is narrow. There are some enhancements in low-light photography with the newest flagship, but you won’t be disappointed if you choose one over the other.
OnePlus 13 vs OnePlus 12: Battery and Charging
Device
OnePlus 13
OnePlus 12
Battery
6,000mAh
5,400mAh
Charging wattage
100W wired, 50W wireless
100W wired, 50W wireless
Time taken for 0-100%
31 minutes (wired)
26 minutes (wired)
The battery capacity has been upgraded by 10% on the OnePlus 13, which is one of the biggest upgrades on the phone. The device lasted for 18 hours and 28 minutes in our PCMark battery test, which is one the highest in the charts. We could extract eight hours of screen-on-time, and the device can go up to two days on a single charge.
The OnePlus 12 with its comparatively smaller battery continues to offer an average screen on time of around 6 hours. It lags behind the OnePlus 13 by a significant margin.
The charging speeds on both flagships are similar, and you can fully charge them in just 30 minutes.
OnePlus 13 vs OnePlus 12: Verdict
The OnePlus 13 (Review) brings in a massive upgrade in performance with the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor. It also provides two hours of additional screen-on time with its larger battery. If you are a gamer, the OnePlus 13 is worth upgrading from the OnePlus 12 (Review).
However, if you are a casual user who loves to have a premium phone for regular usage, then the OnePlus 12 is still impressive. The cameras on both phones are quite similar and you will enjoy clicking photos using either. If cameras are a priority and you do not mind about performance much, then you can hold your upgrade for this generation.
If you are looking to pick a new device between the two, then the OnePlus 13 should be your obvious pick considering the price difference between them is just Rs 5,000. However, if the price of the OnePlus 12 drops down to around Rs 50,000, it can be a value-pick instead of spending extra on the OnePlus 13. But the likelihood of a price drop is quite low, hence the OnePlus 13 is a winner.
