KUALA LUMPUR, March 21 — To be honest, I wasn’t particularly excited about the OnePlus 13 when it was first launched. It seemed like just a rebranded Oppo Find X8 Pro, and as someone who still reminisces about the “golden era” of OnePlus, I did not expect myself to like it coming in.
However, for the benefit of potential buyers, I set aside my biases and gave the OnePlus 13 a fair chance. And after nearly two weeks of usage, here’s my honest take on whether it’s a Buy or Bin.
The OnePlus 13 offers better value than the Oppo Find X8 Pro, with a more powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite chip and a RM600 lower price tag despite similar specs.
It might look like an Oppo, but who cares?
There’s no denying the resemblance between the OnePlus 13 and the Oppo Find X8 Pro. They share a similar design, nearly identical software and UI, and an overlapping set of AI features. Even their camera systems are comparable, apart from Oppo’s additional zoom lens, which I’ll discuss later.
However, my perception changed the moment I held the OnePlus 13. The glass and metal build exudes a true flagship feel, justifying its RM4,399 price tag in Malaysia. The matte glass back, particularly in the Arctic Dawn (white) shade, is so nice to the touch that I found myself reluctant to use a case.
Weighing around 210g, the phone has a reassuring heft, which, combined with its premium materials, makes it feel substantial in hand.
A better deal than the Oppo Find X8 Pro?
Like most flagship smartphones today, the OnePlus 13 features an impressive display. Specifically, it features a 6.82-inch Quad HD+ LTPO panel (3168 x 1440 pixels) with an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate, 1600-nit HBM peak brightness, and an always-on display.
Beyond the specs, the display is vibrant and bright enough for comfortable outdoor use, even under the scorching Malaysian sun.
Before even concluding this review, I can confidently say that the OnePlus 13 offers better value than the Oppo Find X8 Pro. Despite their similarities, the OnePlus 13 is powered by the superior Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, whereas the Oppo uses MediaTek’s Dimensity 9400.
While the Dimensity 9400 isn’t weak, it lags behind the Snapdragon in raw performance. Additionally, the OnePlus 13 is RM600 cheaper than the Oppo while offering the same 16GB RAM and 512GB storage.
However, battery tests on YouTube suggest that the Oppo might be more power-efficient due to MediaTek’s less power-hungry chipset. But that doesn’t mean the OnePlus 13 is a slacker here.
Under regular daily use, which in my case includes lots of web browsing and social media scrolling, texting, Spotify, YouTube, photo and video taking, as well as a little bit of gaming here and there, I was able to comfortably get over eight hours of screen on time.
With a Hasselblad-co-developed camera system like the Find X8 Pro, the OnePlus 13 delivers artsy, high-quality shots through its triple 50MP setup consisting of a main, telephoto, and ultrawide lens.
Artsy-looking photos that will make you fall in love with photography
Like the Find X8 Pro, the OnePlus 13’s camera system is co-developed with Hasselblad. The rear camera setup includes:
- 50MP f/1.6 main sensor (1/1.43” with OIS)
- 50MP f/2.6 telephoto (3x optical zoom, OIS)
- 50MP f/2.0 ultrawide
The Oppo Find X8 Pro sports pretty much the same setup, albeit with an additional 50MP f/4.3 telephoto lens that can optically zoom at up to 6x. So if you want an even better camera for taking faraway subjects, the Oppo is for you.
Otherwise, you can save your money and get the OnePlus 13 instead, as the photos it takes look as if they were taken using an actual dedicated camera. That is the typical reaction I got from friends and family when they first saw the OnePlus 13’s photos without knowing what device it was taken with.
Colours are vibrant and artistic, particularly for portraits, which boosted my confidence in mobile photography, and made me love doing it. However, after prolonged use (about 15 minutes), the camera module does get warm, especially outdoors. That said, competitors like the Galaxy S25 Ultra and iPhone 16 Pro Max face similar heating issues.
ColorOS OxygenOS 15: The smoothest Android UI yet?
I used to be a big fan of OxygenOS when it was still in its “near stock” Android phase but lost interest big time when it became what was essentially a clone of Oppo’s ColorOS. So, having revisited ColorOS OxygenOS for the first time after so many years with an open mind, I was genuinely impressed.
Once known for its near-stock Android experience, OxygenOS has evolved significantly, with version 15 now offering a smooth and refined UI that strikes an impressive balance between iOS-like fluidity and Android responsiveness.
With OxygenOS 15, OnePlus has been emphasising how smooth the UI is, and they’re not wrong. It’s as if they studied Apple’s iOS to replicate its fluidity. Many Android skins, including Samsung’s One UI and Google’s Pixel UI, prioritise snappiness, which isn’t a bad thing whatsoever. But OxygenOS 15 strikes a balance between smoothness and responsiveness, making daily use a joy.
I’m also particularly thankful that OxygenOS 15 maintains a clean and elegant aesthetic, without trying to be a carbon copy of iOS, like how ColorOS used to be many years ago. The UI’s customisability is also one of the things I found favour in.
I love how I was able to change the icons to the “Material” pack, which comes with icons that resemble those found in Nexus and HTC phones of the past. Nostalgia is a drug, guys.
To compete in the modern tech world, you can’t go without AI features. Aside from Google’s AI features such as Gemini and Circle to Search, OnePlus’ own AI suites like the AI Toolkit are pretty helpful, but frankly speaking still a little behind what Samsung offers with its Galaxy AI when it comes to integration.
However I did particularly appreciate photography-related AI features such as AI Photo Remaster and AI Reflection Remover, which allow me to enhance photos on the fly without needing to launch Photoshop using my laptop.
One thing I would like to see OnePlus committing to is even longer software support. Currently, the brand promises to provide its phones like the OnePlus 13 with up to four years of major Android OS and six years of security updates, which isn’t shabby to begin with.
I’m clearly nitpicking here, but pushing for at least six years of Android OS upgrades definitely won’t hurt the consumers, right? Competitors like Samsung and Google are both promising their latest devices (including some midrange and entry-level devices) with up to seven years of upgrades, period.
Taking everything into account, OxygenOS 15 is a UI that might be underrated but shouldn’t be overlooked. Comparatively speaking, Ssmsung’s One UI still has some advantages when it comes to design and functionality, but OxygenOS (as well as ColorOS) isn’t too far behind, and that says a lot.
The OnePlus 13 boasts a stunning 6.82-inch Quad HD LTPO display with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, 1600-nit peak brightness, and always-on functionality.
OnePlus 13: A flagship that’s worthy of consideration
For most consumers out there, including in Malaysia, purchasing a flagship smartphone would usually mean choosing between an iPhone or a Samsung Galaxy. But I’d highly recommend considering the OnePlus 13, especially for those looking for a premium experience that packs power, a great camera experience, and even more importantly, an asking price that won’t necessarily burn a hole in their pockets. For me, the OnePlus 13 is certainly a buy and is thus far my favourite flagship smartphone of 2025.
By the way, here’s a price comparison between the OnePlus 13 and some of its closest rivals:
OnePlus 13 (16GB RAM + 512GB storage) – RM4,399
Oppo Find X8 Pro (16GB RAM + 512GB storage) – RM4,999
Samsung Galaxy S25+ (12GB RAM + 512GB storage) – RM5,599
Google Pixel 9 Pro (16GB RAM + 512GB storage) – RM6,299
Apple iPhone 16 Pro (8GB RAM + 512GB storage) – RM6,499
With these comparisons in mind, would you pick the OnePlus 13 over its Oppo, Samsung, Google, and Apple rivals? — SoyaCincau
