OnePlus 13R | Smarter with OnePlus AI (12GB RAM, 256GB Storage Nebula Noir)

OnePlus 13R: A Fantastic Mid-Ranger That Shines😌💯
The OnePlus 13R is a real winner in the mid-range smartphone arena. It brings a premium feel and impressive performance without the premium price tag, making it a seriously attractive option. I’ve been consistently impressed with what this phone offers.Here’s what I love about the OnePlus 13R:Pros: * Dazzling Display: The 6.78-inch AMOLED screen is absolutely gorgeous. The colors pop, the blacks are deep, and the 120Hz refresh rate makes everything buttery smooth. Whether I’m gaming, watching videos, or just scrolling through my feed, the display is a joy to behold. * Blazing-Fast Performance: The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 3 processor is a powerhouse. It handles everything I throw at it with ease, from demanding games to multitasking between multiple apps. Lag is a thing of the past with this phone. * Lightning-Fast Charging: The 80W SuperVOOC charging is a lifesaver. I can plug in my phone for a few minutes and get hours of usage. It’s incredibly convenient and makes sure I’m never caught out with a low battery. * Camera Capabilities: The camera system is a definite highlight. The 50MP main sensor captures stunningly detailed photos with vibrant colors, even in challenging lighting conditions. I’ve been really impressed with the quality of the images. * Sleek Design: The OnePlus 13R looks and feels premium. It’s a stylish phone that’s comfortable to hold and use.Cons: * A Little Less Water Resistant: While I haven’t had any issues, it’s worth noting that it doesn’t have an official IP rating. Just something to be a little mindful of around water. * Software Nuances: OxygenOS is generally smooth and fast, but there are a couple of pre-installed apps I could do without. However, this is a minor gripe.Overall:The OnePlus 13R is a fantastic mid-range phone that delivers on all fronts. It offers a brilliant display, top-notch performance, incredibly fast charging, and a great camera system. It’s a well-rounded package that’s hard to beat at this price point.Rating: 4.5/5 starsWho is it for? * Anyone looking for a high-performing phone without the flagship price. * Gamers who want a smooth and responsive gaming experience. * Users who value fast charging and a beautiful display.Who might want to look elsewhere? * Those who absolutely need an IP rating for water resistance. * Users who prefer a completely barebones Android experience.In short: The OnePlus 13R is a winner. It’s a phone I’ve thoroughly enjoyed using, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a top-tier mid-range device.

Awesome
I really like the budget-friendly flagship offering from OnePlus unlike Redmi and Realme, especially with the lifetime green line replacement policy. I got a great deal through a mobile exchange offer 10k off.As a first-time OnePlus user, I chose this over Samsung (due to poor battery backup) and Pixel (because of heating and network issues).What’s in the box:80W fast chargerBack coverPhoneHowever, there’s no eSIM support in India.Features I liked:The sidebar with AI Summary and AI Speak, which are quite handy for reading documents.Improved camera quality compared to the previous version, with AI features like DetailBoost, Eraser, Unblur, and Reflection Eraser.Useful tools like App Lock and App Cloner.A unique fingerprint-based guest mode, which gives the feel of a completely new phone when unlocked with a specific fingerprint.Pros:Oxygen OS and the display are fantastic.Long-lasting battery life.Good speakers.Four years of Android updates, starting from Android 15.Excellent haptic feedback.Good processor in this price range.Cons:No wireless charging.No Dolby Atmos support.Limited zoom (up to 2x).Only IP65 water and dust resistance.Pre-installed “App Picks” app, which feels unnecessary.Fingerprint scanner position.

Mostly great but evident cost cuttting
No phone can be rated 5 out of 5. At the best 4.5 would be possible with something or the other falling short.. Oneplus 13R has many great things under it’s hood but half heartedly done to retain the difference between R and the non R phone.A. Positives.1. Display.Excellent and flat display. No concerns as it now comes with life time warranty for green line issues, if any and if at all which is a great peace of mind considering Oneplus would honour it. Supports Dolby vision, HDR +. The display is bright, clear and crisp. The under display optical finger print sensor is placed lower closer to the bottom bezel failing to the ergonomic placement. It could have been an inch above. However, no issues with it’s operations. Quite quick but not as fast and quick as ultra sonic sensor.2. Processor.Excellent. No lags and no hiccups. (I am not into gaming but i know this would fare well based on my experience with S24 Ultra. Note that there would be heating felt upon prolonged heavy app use. However, this SoC would serve well for several years with new android updates. Now with Oneplus offering 4 plus 6 years SW update policy this is future proof hardware.3. Sound.Ok, the stereo sound is decent and loud enough but there’s evident distortion over 90 percent volume setting. Bass isn’t very evident. Also Dolby Atmos is now not available. Otherwise it’s a proper stereo sounding speakers.4. RAM, Storage and Communication.Excellent specs with DDR5 and UFS 4.0. With base version starting at 12GB/256GB it’s more than enough for most users. It is however let down with USB 2.0 post that limits transfer speeds but then it’s something that wouldn’t bother to most people who wouldn’t be transferring data to and fro from other devices. IP protection is IP65 which is fine but IP 68 is a common thing at these prices especially from chinese phone makers. Haptics are tight but weak. A little more stronger motor would have been perfect.5. Battery.Excellent. Anything between 7 to 10 hours of SOT can easily be had from this phone. A proper full day battery unless you are into gaming all the day. I use 50 percent for my use case which involves social media, few camera photos and browsing with about 4 hours of SOT. Calling drains faster than multimedia watching which probably needs to be rectified with future updates. Some carrier bands seems to have been removed, however I didn’t have any issues with calling or internet on my 4G airtel SIM. There’s no wireless charging though.6. Call qualityVery good and clear. No issues at either end..signal reception is also good.B. Negatives.1. SoftwareThis is Color OS 15 which is slightly modified as Oxygen OS 15. It’s super smooth and slick with lots of customizations possible. But still it’s no where near Samsung One UI which is far superior, functional and feature rich than Oxygen OS 15. Also Oneplus added few bloatwares like Phone manager, Phone pick and few other apps. Luckily, you can either uninstall them or disable them.Interestingly, as an example the biggest overlooked setting is you can chose when to enter Power saving mode but you can come out of it only when you charge it till 90 percent. This is something that’s silly and Oneplus must automatically disable power saving mode once the battery crosses it’s trigger point. There are couple of such thoughtless things in Oxygen OS 15 which should be rectified. There’s also nothing like Routines which Samsung offers on their S and A series for phone automation tasks.2. CamerasSome changes are positive but half hearted. Something like adding a telephoto 2X instead of macro which is such a welcome move, but then this lens has no OIS. UW 8 MP is just passable in daylight. In day light both main and 2X give good quality photos however low light performance is much to be desired. 3X with OIS would be more practical as such. Video on this phone is even more compromised with 4K limited to main sensor. All other sensors are capped at 1080P. In the front 16 MP camera is again okish for photos and handicapped for videos capped at 1080, 30 FPS which is a bummer. Overall Oneplus could have done better with the cameras but it seems like they intentionally subdued R series more to differentiate it with the pricier Oneplus 13 rather than on pricing front.3. AIThere are few AI features in photos, notes etc..but frankly they don’t work as seamlessly or effectively as what can be seen on my S24U from Samsung. Oneplus has a long way to go in this aspect. Right now it’s more gimmicky.My last Oneplus phone was 3T post which I switched to Samsung S series. No doubt S series, especially Ultra is leagues ahead both hardware and software but when it comes to value for money Oneplus 13 series does shine. Moreso with their introductory pricing and offers. Yes some of the above shortcomings could have been included at this price point, but stills it’s a safe bet and a promising phone for years of use with the kind of hardware and SW you get from Oneplus.I would recommend the Oneplus 13R phone under 40K for its hardware and revised SW update policy.