OnePlus has introduced a global variant of its new flagship smartphone quite recently. In this article, we’ll be comparing it to last year’s model. In other words, we’ll be comparing the OnePlus 13 vs OnePlus 12. These two devices may look similar at first, but they do differ quite a bit design-wise, which is something you’ll realize when you grasp them. There are a number of other changes too, of course.
We will kick things off by listing their specifications, and will then talk about various other things. We’ll talk about the differences in their build, their displays, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio output. The OnePlus 12 was, and still is, a very compelling smartphone, but let’s see how its successor compares to it, shall we?
Specs
OnePlus 13 vs OnePlus 12, respectively
– Screen size:
6.82-inch LTPO AMOLED (micro quad-curved aka flat, 120Hz, HDR 10+, 4,500 nits max)
6.82-inch LTPO AMOLED display (curved, 120Hz, HDR10+, 4,500 nits)
– Display resolution:
3168 x 1440
3168 x 1440
– SoC:
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
– RAM:
12GB/16GB/24GB (LPDDR5X)
12GB/16GB/24GB (LPDDR5X)
– Storage:
256GB/512GB/1TB (UFS 4.0)
256GB/512GB/1TB (UFS 4.0)
– Rear cameras:
50MP (f/1.6 aperture, 23mm lens, 1.12um pixel size, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS), 50MP (ultrawide, 15mm lens, 120-degree FoV, f/2.0 aperture, 0.64um pixel size, PDAF), 50MP (periscope telephoto, 0.8um pixel size, OIS, PDAF, 3x optical zoom)
50MP (f/1.6 aperture, 23mm lens, 1.12um pixel size, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS), 48MP (ultrawide, 14mm lens, 114-degree FoV, f/2.2 aperture, 0.8um pixel size, PDAF), 64MP (periscope telephoto, 0.7um pixel size, OIS, PDAF, 3x optical zoom)
– Front cameras:
32MP (f/2.4 aperture, 0.8um pixel size)
32MP (f/2.4 aperture, 0.8um pixel size)
– Battery:
6,000mAh
5,400mAh
– Charging:
100W wired, 50W wireless, reverse wireless, reverse wired (charger not included)
100W wired, 50W wireless, reverse wireless (charger included)
– Dimensions:
162.9 x 76.5 x 8.5/8.9 mm
164.3 x 75.8 x 9.2mm
– Weight:
210/213 grams
220 grams
– Connectivity:
5G, LTE, NFC, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5.4
– Security:
In-display fingerprint scanner (ultrasonic) & facial scanning
In-display fingerprint scanner (optical) & facial scanning
– OS:
Android 15 with OxygenOS 15
Android 14 with OxygenOS 14
– Price:
$899+
$699+
– Buy:
OnePlus 13 (Best Buy)
OnePlus 12 (Best Buy)
OnePlus 13 vs OnePlus 12: Design
Both of these phones are made out of aluminum and glass. The thing is, one of the OnePlus 13 variants also comes with a vegan leather backplate. Even the frame is notably different on these two phones. It’s flat on the OnePlus 13, all around, while the same cannot be said for the one on the OnePlus 12. That’s because OnePlus changes things up. The OnePlus 13 has a quad micro-curved display, which means its display is flat, but the glass on top of it is curved on all four sides. The same goes for its backplate. The OnePlus 12, on the other hand, has a curved display, and a proportionally curved backplate.
Both smartphones have a centered display camera hole up top. Their bezels are also very thin and comparable in how thin they are. You’ll notice a camera oreo on the back of both phones, in the top-left corner. It looks slightly different, as the OnePlus 13 doesn’t have a metal piece next to the camera island. Both smartphones have a power/lock button on the right-hand side, along with volume rocker keys. The alert slider sits on the left-hand side.
The OnePlus 12 is slightly taller, while the OnePlus 13 is slightly wider in comparison. The new phone is also a bit thinner in comparison, but the difference is minimal. The OnePlus 13 is IP68 and IP69 certified, compared to the IP65 certification on the OnePlus 12. So you will be getting better protection on the new model. They’re both quite slippery, but the vegan leather variant of the OnePlus 13 does add some grip to the ordeal. So if you don’t plan on running a case, getting that variant (the blue one) may be the best idea.
OnePlus 13 vs OnePlus 12: Display
The OnePlus 13 features a 6.82-inch 3168 x 1440 LTPO AMOLED display. That panel is flat, but it has quad-curved glass on top. It has an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120Hz and can project up to 1 billion colors. Dolby Vision is supported, as is HDR10+ content. HDR vivid standard is also included, and the display goes up to 4,500 nits of brightness at its peak, in theory. The screen-to-body ratio is at around 90%, while the Ceramic Guard glass protects the panel.
The OnePlus 12, on the other hand, features a 6.82-inch 3168 x 1440 LTPO AMOLED panel too. That panel is curved, however, and it can project up to 1 billion colors. This display also offers an adaptive refresh rate, and comes with both Dolby Vision and HDR10+ standards. The peak brightness on this display is 4,500 nits, maximum. The screen-to-body ratio is at around 90%, while the Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protects this display.
Both of these panels are outstanding, actually. They’re not only vivid and bright, but they’re more than sharp enough. The viewing angles are outstanding, and the touch response is also great. High-frequency PWM dimming is included on both of these displays. You can’t go wrong with either one, just note that the one on the OnePlus 13 is flat, while the display on the OnePlus 12 is curved.
OnePlus 13 vs OnePlus 12: Performance
The Snapdragon 8 Elite fuels the OnePlus 13. That is the company’s latest and greatest processor, a 3nm chip. The phone is also equipped with up to 16GB of RAM globally, up to 24GB in China. LPDDR5X RAM is used, and so is UFS 4.0 flash storage. The OnePlus 12 is fueled by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, a 4nm chip from Qualcomm. That phone has the same RAM situation as the OnePlus 13, and it also uses LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 flash storage.
With that being said, both of these smartphones are as smooth as butter in day-to-day use. You won’t really notice that a more powerful chip is included inside the OnePlus 13. They’re extremely snappy when it comes to opening apps, multitasking, sending emails and messages, image processing… basically anything you can imagine. You may notice glimpses of the OnePlus 13’s power here and there, but the thing is, they’re both outstanding performers with highly optimized software.
The same can be said for gaming, actually. Yes, the Snapdragon 8 Elite is the more powerful chip, but both of these phones can run the most demanding games out there without a problem. OnePlus also included a huge vapor chamber in both phones, and they’re great when it comes to heat dissipation in general. Yes, they’ll both get warm during intense gaming, but never too warm. Overheating was not a problem on either device, not even close.
OnePlus 13 vs OnePlus 12: Battery
The OnePlus 12 had great battery life, but the OnePlus 13 brings the ante even higher. The company’s new handset includes a 6,000mAh silicon-carbon battery, while the OnePlus 12 included a 5,400mAh unit. Both of these smartphones are road warriors in terms of battery life, and some of the best flagships in terms of battery life that we’ve used. Getting over 7-8 hours of screen-on-time is easily done on both, and way more than that if you’re not a gamer. Well, at least that was the case for us, even when 5G was a bit part of our usage.
You won’t have to worry about battery life here. During our usage, we definitely did not hold back, and both smartphones were put through the wringer, with the exception of daily gaming. We played games only for testing purposes. Well, casual games were a part of it, but demanding ones were not a part of the daily cycle. Plenty of emails, messaging, browsing, image editing, taking pictures and so on… all of that was a constant on both phones.
Even if you run out of battery ahead of time, both of these smartphones have you covered. Both of them support 100W wired charging, 50W wireless charging, 10W reverse wireless charging, and the OnePlus 13 also supports 5W reverse wired charging. Do note that the OnePlus 13 does not come with a charger in the retail box, though, while the OnePlus 12 does.
OnePlus 13 vs OnePlus 12: Cameras
These two smartphones have the exact same main camera. They’re using a 50-megapixel unit, a 1/1.43-inch sensor. That camera has an f/1.6 aperture and a 1.12um pixel size. OIS is also a part of the picture. The other two units are different. The OnePlus 13 has a 50-megapixel periscope telephoto camera with a 1/1.95-inch sensor size, 3x optical zoom, and an f/2.6 aperture. The OnePlus 12, on the other hand, uses a 64-megapixel periscope telephoto camera with a 1/2.0-inch sensor size, an f/2.6 aperture, and 3x optical zoom.
The last camera on the back of both phones is an ultrawide one, but it’s different across the two phones. The OnePlus 13 has a 50-megapixel ultrawide unit (1/2.75-inch sensor, 0.64um pixel size, f/2.0 aperture, 120-degree FoV). The OnePlus 12, on the other hand, includes a 48-megapixel ultrawide unit (1/2.0 sensor size, f/2.2 aperture, 0.8um pixel size, and a 114-degree FoV).
Now, we did notice some improvements on the OnePlus 13’s main camera despite the fact the same hardware is used. The phone is capable of taking more details from the shadows, the balance does seem better in challenging conditions. Images during the day are very similar in comparison. There is an improvement with zoomed-in shots, that’s for sure, in all lighting conditions, while the ultrawide shots… well, it depends on the scenario. The point is, both of these smartphones do have extremely capable snappers on the back. The OnePlus 13 is better, all things considered, but both are great overall… though not the very best out there.
Audio
You will find a set of stereo speakers on both of these smartphones. The OnePlus 12’s speakers were good, though they were not as loud as we wanted them to be. Well, the OnePlus 13 does bring a notable improvement in that regard, which is nice to see. The quality did not take a hit, though.
You will not find an audio jack on either of these two smartphones. You can always plug in your headphones in their Type-C ports, and get your audio access that way, though. If you prefer wireless audio, however, Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity is accessible on both phones.
