OnePlus 13 Leak Is A Mixed Bag Revealing Big Upgrades And A Missing Key Feature
We, along with many in the industry, heaped praises over the fantastic OnePlus 12. It truly represents value in a flagship package, with the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, bright and fast LTPO AMOLED display, super fast charging speeds, strong cameras, and a unique design. In other words, all eyes are on OnePlus to see what plans to do with the 12's successor.
If we were to believe a claim by a popular leaker, the OnePlus 13 will have three major changes: two upgrades and one downgrade. The post on Weibo says that OnePlus plans to ditch the curved waterfall display for a flat, "straight screen." Both the OnePlus 11 and 12 had curved-edge displays, but with many of their competitors going flat, perhaps it's time for a change.
From this author's vantage point, moving to a flat display, if done right, can be a boon for handling in the hands, edge-to-edge visibility, as well as more complete coverage (and application) for third-party glass protectors. Curved glass looks and feels nice, but can be a nightmare in terms of drop protection and visibility.
The leaker, Digital Chat Station, also claims that there will be a bigger battery in the OnePlus 13. How much bigger? Well, with the OnePlus 12 already coming in at 5,400 mAH, and it's possible that the Chinese phone maker might try to hit the magical 6,000 mAh mark. That's knocking on gaming phone territory. Not only will it make for great marketing, but that ought to translate to phenomenal endurance. For reference, the 12 can last nearly two days on average, so significantly bumping up the battery size AND having the more efficient Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 on board could potentially lead us into three days of use.
If OnePlus goes with a larger battery, a couple of compromises have to be made. First, the camera hardware won't get a major upgrade; the rumor states that the new model will get a new 50MP periscope lens.
Second, and likely a bigger deal for many, is the company may have to drop wireless charging from the mix. If this is true, it'd be an unfortunate decision, especially after OnePlus got flak for not having wireless charging in the OnePlus 11, before bringing it back to the mix with the OnePlus 12.
The OnePlus 13 is expected to launch either in December this year or January 2025, so stay tuned as more concrete details will trickle in over the coming months.
