The OnePlus 13T phone has been officially teased for its launch in China, providing flagship-level performance in a small body. Here is what to expect.
The One Plus 13T should be a pretty compact flagship with some decent hardware at a mid-range premium price point. The phone would most likely cater to customers seeking a powerful, yet pocket-friendly device like the iPhone 16e, which Apple launched as the relatively affordable brother of its premium flagship.
OnePlus has been hyping the OnePlus 13T as a “big devil, small screen” (teaser translation) phone in China suggesting flagship-level performance in a compact package. In contrast to the larger flagship brother OnePlus 13 with its 6.82-inch screen, the 13T should have a 6.3-inch 1.5K OLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate. Leaked photos that have been shared online also hint that the OnePlus 13T phone may boast a premium glass back, metal chassis, and flat edges similar to recent iPhones and high-end Android smartphones. It’s also said to weigh a mere 185g, which is substantially lighter than the OnePlus 13 (210g). That’s especially noteworthy given the phone will allegedly carry a bigger battery more on this later.
Performance Driven by Snapdragon 8 Elite
OnePlus 13T is reported to mean business when it comes to performance. It will likely be the first compact phone featuring Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite processor—the very same chip in the OnePlus 13 flagship device. the handset was also sighted recently in an Antutu benchmark (model PKX110) entry with a humongous score of 3,006,913 points divided as follows:
- CPU: 678,498
- GPU: 1,268,838
- Memory: 569,999
- UX: 489,578
These ratings indicate the phone must easily manage power-draining apps such as gaming, multitasking, and AI-based tasks. It’s also speculated to arrive with up to 16GB LPDDR5X RAM and 512GB UFS 4.0 storage with no memory compromises to be made here.
Also Read: OnePlus 13R Review
Camera Speculated to Have Dual 50-Megapixel Configuration
Contrary to the triple or quad-camera arrangement found in most flagships, the OnePlus 13T is speculated to offer a dual-camera setup:
- 50-megapixel primary sensor (with OIS)
- 50-megapixel telephoto lens (2x optical zoom)
Although this configuration should provide great daylight and portrait photography, there are rumours of the lack of an ultra-wide lens, something that could be a letdown for some users. There is no information on the front camera yet, but a hole-punch selfie camera is on the cards.
Battery Larger than the OnePlus 13?
The OnePlus 13T phone allegedly sports a whopping 6,200mAh battery, which is larger even than the OnePlus 13‘s 6,000mAh battery cell. That is some feat, especially considering how the phone might end up small. Yet it could not possibly be new. Maybe it’s comparable to the situation with Apple’s iPhone 16e, in which case the lower-price tag version ironically promises greater endurance thanks to the brand-new C1 chipset.
The OnePlus 13T will likely have support for 80W wired fast charging, but wireless charging will probably be absent, presumably a compromise for its small form factor.
Software: Android 15 and ColorOS 15 (China)
The one plus 13T should come with Android 15 out of the box. In China, it would run ColorOS 15, whereas the global variant if available would ship with OxygenOS.
More to Expect
Rumors also point towards the elimination of OnePlus’ signature alert slider in favor of a new OnePlus 13T smart button. The button, according to rumors, is said to be programmable, similar to the iPhone 15 Pro’s Action Button, enabling users to personalize it for instant access to features such as the camera, flashlight, or shortcuts. This OnePlus 13T customizable button is expected to bring a new level of interactivity and convenience to the device.
Also Read: OnePlus 13 Review
OnePlus 13T Price and Availability
All the above is still rumored, and nothing is officially confirmed by OnePlus as yet. So just take all the above information with a pinch of salt. But in respect of its compact flagship positioning, expect prices to be slightly lower than that of OnePlus 13. Going by the previous t series devices we can look forward to the OnePlus 13T in China for 4,000 – 4,500 yuan (approximately Rs 47,000 – Rs 53,000).
The OnePlus 13T launch date is officially set for a late April release in China, but no word on a global launch has been confirmed. Although the OnePlus 13T phone appears to be a phone that we would dearly love to have in India, there’s a possibility that it could be China-exclusive, like the earlier “t” variants. All the same, with other small flagships such as the Samsung Galaxy Edge 25 looming on the horizon and the iPhone 16e already part of the fray, OnePlus could well bring this little powerhouse to additional markets to cash in on the hype and provide consumers with a compelling alternative.