When I first unboxed the OnePlus 13s, I was genuinely impressed by how clean and minimal the packaging felt. Inside, its exactly what I expected from OnePlus: the phone itself with a sleek and clean design, a braided USB-C charging cable, and a chunky 80W SUPERVOOC charger. No earphones, no adapter for a 3.5mm jack, its clear OnePlus expects you to go wireless now. Still, the moment I picked up the device, it felt lightweight, compact, and premium. At just 185g and 8.2mm thick, it fit perfectly in my hand, and I can finally say, when I pocket this phone, it doesnt feel like a brick.
Design That Just Clicks
The last few years have been a bit rough for OnePlus. No matter what they were lacking at, Ive always loved OnePlus’s design language, and the OnePlus 13s does it smartly and simply. It rocks a flat-frame aluminum build with a matte or glossy glass back that screams flagship vibes but keeps things pocketable. Especially in 2025, its refreshing to hold something this compact when your options are expanding in screen and weight. The only factor that bugged me was its IP65 rating, which offers splash protection, but not full water resistance.
Display: Smooth and Bright
The 6.32-inch OLED display seriously caught my eye. Its super smooth with a 120Hz refresh rate, with Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support. I had no issues using it outdoors either, thanks to the solid peak brightness of 1, 600 nits. Watching videos, scrolling through socials, and even casual gaming felt buttery smooth. Honestly, the deliverance of flagship-level visuals without the bulk is called a solid win, at least for me.
Performance: Its a Beast
The Snapdragon 8 Elite chip inside this thing is wild. It runs at 4.32GHz and when paired with 12GB RAM, it handles everything I threw at it without breaking a sweat; you name it- gaming, multitasking, heavy browsing, even reel editing loaded with effects. I pushed Genshin Impact and BGMI on it, and not once did it stutter or overheat. Plus, it comes with OxygenOS 15 on top of Android 15, with a promise of four years of major updates, which is pretty reassuring if you like keeping your phone for a while.
The New Plus Key is Kinda Cool
Theres a new physical Plus Key on the frame, which I actually found super handy. I set it up to quickly switch between silent, vibrate, and ring modes, but you can also use it to access AI tools like Plus Mind Space, live translation, and even instant call summaries. Its a neat addition and adds a little extra to the daily user experience.
Camera: Sharp but Not Perfect
The dual-camera setup includes a 50MP primary and a 50MP telephoto lens with around 2x zoom. While for selfies, you’ll stay comforted with a 32MP front camera along with autofocus, that turned out to be a game-changer for me because front cam sharpness usually sucks in many new offering nowadays. Photos came out vibrant and detailed, but I did miss having an ultrawide lens. Also, the telephoto doesnt have optical image stabilization(OIS), which means zoom shots can be a bit shaky. Still, the main camera is fantastic for most situations.
Battery: All-Day Confidence
Be assured, the 5, 850mAh battery is another win. It easily lasted me a full day with pretty heavy use, and whenever the battery juice turned red, charging with the 80W brick was crazy fast, going from 0 to 100% in about 35 minutes. Wireless charging would have been a nice bonus, but honestly, the fast wired charge they offered is so quick, I really didnt care much.
Final Thoughts
What I love about the OnePlus 13s is that it brings power back to the compact phone game. It nails the basics and adds just enough flair with features like the Plus Key and AI tools. Sure, it skips some things like an ultrawide camera, wireless charging, and full submersible water resistance, but if youre like me and just want a phone thats fast, silken, and easy to handle with one hand, then this should be your solid pick in 2025.
Starting at ₹;54, 999 with an expected launch date of June 27, 2025, and pre-orders already on the go. OnePlus 13s offers serious value, though not perfect, but its definitely one of the best compact phones Ive used in a long time.