Anyone who wants to begin the new year with one of the best cheap phones will be very interested in a OnePlus 13R vs. OnePlus 12R comparison now that OnePlus has confirmed we're getting a follow-up to one of the best bargains of 2024. While the upcoming OnePlus 13 flagship will certainly command its share of attention, you'd expect a lot of interest in the lower-cost R version of the phone, particularly how it's different from the current version.
After all, the OnePlus 12R proved to be a personal favorite of mine this past year, thanks to flagship-class performance from a midrange phone and battery life that put all other devices to shame. What made the OnePlus 12R especially appealing in the U.S. was a lower-priced entry-level version that brought the price of the phone to less than $500.
That would be a tough act to follow for many new releases, but if leaked specs are anything to go by the OnePlus 13R could be up to the task. Early spec reports suggest an upgrade from the OnePlus 12R's system-on-chip, which could push performance and battery life to new heights for this model.
OnePlus doesn't launch its new phones until January 7, but there's enough information out there now to offer up this preliminary OnePlus 13R vs. OnePlus 12R comparison. as we consider what advances the newer model might bring and whether bargain hunters should keep this new device in mind when shopping for a new phone.
OnePlus 13R vs. OnePlus 12R specs
OnePlus 13R vs. OnePlus 12R price
As noted at the outset, the OnePlus 12R made its mark in the U.S. with a low-cost 128GB version that brought the phone's starting price to $499 — exactly what Google charges for the Pixel 8a. In other parts of the world, you could only the 256GB version of the OnePlus 12R, which cost $599/£649. That version also featured 16GB of memory, double the RAM of the entry level version.
We're curious to see if OnePlus continues to offer a 128GB phone so that it can challenge midrange devices like the Pixel 8a on price. Early rumors have not been promising, mentioning just a 256GB model. However, a 91mobiles article reporting on potential OnePlus 13R specs did raise the possibility that there might be other versions of the phone beyond a 256GB version.
The OnePlus 12R was launched at the same time as the OnePlus 12, so we'd expect a similar rollout for the OnePlus 13 lineup. We should find out launch dates for both the new flagship and the R variant during the OnePlus 13 global launch event taking place January 7 at 10:30 a.m. ET/ 7:30 a.m. PT.
OnePlus 13R vs. OnePlus 12R design and display
Not much has been said about the OnePlus 13R design, other than it should mirror the more expensive OnePlus 13 flagship. And if that's case, based on what we've seen so far from images of the new OnePlus phones, the 13R is going to look a lot like the 12R, with a circular camera array dominating the phone's back panel. That said, based on a OnePlus 13R render from OnePlus, the rear camera array on the new phone seems to blend more seamlessly into the back of the phone.
OnePlus has promised a thinner phone with this year's OnePlus R model. The company says the phone will be 8mm thin, compared to the 8.8mm OnePlus 12R. In addition, OnePlus is using a new material for the OnePlus 13R with Gorilla Glass 7i covering the front and back. Corning designed that version of Gorilla Glass for midrange phones, and its said to match the durability of the Victus glass used on older phones like the Galaxy S23. If that's true, this could be an area where OnePlus is saving cots, as the OnePlus 12R featured Gorila Glass Victus 2 upfront, just like the OnePlus 12 flagship.
Don't expect any changes to the display, as rumors tip the OnePlus 13R to offer the same 6.78-inch screen as the OnePlus 12R. We'd expect the 120Hz display rate from that panel to return as well.
As for colors, the gray and blue options available for the OnePlus 12R are giving way to Nebula Noir and Astral Trail. Based on the OnePlus website, those look like fancy descriptions for black and silver, respectively.
OnePlus 13R vs. OnePlus 12R cameras
The OnePlus 12R offered three rear cameras, though they were quite different from the OnePlus 12's triple camera array. With the 12R, you got a 50MP main lens along with an 8MP ultrawide camera and a 2MP macros sensor. The Hasselblad partnership that's helped bolster the cameras on OnePlus' flagships was also missing from the 12R, and you could see the difference in the way pictures from that phone couldn't quite hold up against those from the Pixel 8a, easily the best camera phone under $500.
The OnePlus 13R offers the possibility of improved camera performance, at least based on rumored specs. The OnePlus 13R is apparently keeping the 50MP main and 8MP ultrawide sensors, but another 50MP camera could join the mix, according to some rumor mongers. It's less clear what that camera might be, though it probably isn't a telephoto lens. OnePlus could once again give us a dedicated macro lens or it could introduce one specifically designed for portrait shots.
While hardware changes remain up in the air, some of the camera features available through the OnePlus 13R have emerged. Specifically, OnePlus has mentioned a Clear Burst feature for taking a burst photos in one go as well as an Action Mode that keeps the subject of the photo in focus even when they're moving fast.
OnePlus 13R vs. OnePlus 12R performance
What silicon gets used by the OnePlus 13R figures to tell us a lot about the phone's prospects. And if OnePlus sticks with the approach used by the OnePlus 12R, it should be a pretty powerful system-on-chip despite the phone's midrange status.
The OnePlus 12R used a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, which was a year behind the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 powering the OnePlus 12. That meant the 12R wasn't as powerful as the fastest Android phones on the market, but it wasn't that far off, since the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 had powered some of 2023's best phones.
You'd imagine the OnePlus 13R would take a similar route, opting for the chip found in many of the best Android phones from this year while the OnePlus 13 uses the more powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite. And based on a premature Amazon listing, that sounds exactly like what the OnePlus 13R is going to do, turning to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. That should translate to some sizable year-over-year performance gains for the latest R series phone from OnePlus.
OnePlus 13R vs. OnePlus 12R battery life
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 likely to power the OnePlus 13R will likely offer more than just performance gains. It could mean better battery life, too, given the improved power management we've seen in phones running on that Qualcomm chip. That's good news for the OnePlus 13R, which is going to need all the help it can get to improve upon the OnePlus 12R's battery life.
That phone lasted 18 hours and 8 minutes on our battery test, where phones are left to surf the web over cellular until they run out of power. That's about 8 hours better than the average smartphone that we've tested, and only two other devices on our best phone battery life list top the OnePlus 12R's result. (Both of those are gaming phones, which make long battery life a central part of their appeal.) The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 could give the OnePlus 13R the boost it needs to take on its predecessor's impressive battery life.
A bigger battery will help, too, as OnePlus has already confirmed it's using a 6,000 mAh cell in the OnePlus 13R. That's an improvement over the OnePlus 12R's 5,500 mAh battery.
Since the OnePlus 12R featured the same 80W charging speed as the OnePlus 12 flagship, we'd expect the OnePlus 13R to follow suit. That could allow you to just about fill up a drained OnePlus 13R after 30 minutes, if the OnePlus 12R's charging performance is anything to go by. However, wireless charging may be one of those features you sacrifice for a low price on the 13R — it's certainly a feature you won't find on the 12R.
OnePlus 13R vs. OnePlus 12R software
It would be fair to say the OnePlus 12R was light on AI features at ta time when other phones have been ramping up their array of AI-powered tools. Based on that Amazon listing, the OnePlus 13R sounds like it's changing things up with an AI Notes feature that will clean up and rephrase notes and text on your phone.
A more interesting development could be whether OnePlus changes the support it offers the OnePlus 13R from the three years of software updates and additional year of security support that the OnePlus 12R received. That was in line with support for other midrange phones at the time, but since then, Google has extended support for the Pixel 8a to seven years. We're curious as to whether OnePlus follows suit.
OnePlus 13R vs. OnePlus 12R outlook
We won't have to wait long for our lingering OnePlus 13R vs. OnePlus 12R questions to be answered with software supporting and pricing being the big missing pieces to the upgrade puzzle. We're also waiting to see how camera upgrades pan out for the midrange OnePlus phone this year.
But even if that's not much new to the camera setup and the software support remains the same, the addition of a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset could be enough to propel the OnePlus 13R far ahead of its predecessor.
