ONEPLUS 13S

⭐ Overall Verdict

A solid compact Android flagship with excellent battery life, premium build, and top-tier performance—but held back by poor Wi-Fi reception, average cameras, and some surprising omissions. A good phone that could have been great.

✅ Pros: What I Liked

🔨 Build Quality & Design

  • Premium build, feels very close to iPhone 16 Pro.

  • Compact design with 6.3" AMOLED screen, thin bezels.

  • Frosted glass back, although fingerprint-prone (more in cons).

  • IR Blaster present – rare in modern phones.

  • Solid in-hand feel, no creaks or flex.

⚡ Performance

  • Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (8 Elite) – excellent performance.

  • No heating issues even under mobile data or travel.

  • Smooth UI, even under heavy usage.

  • UFS 4.0 storage and 12 GB RAM (RAM expansion disabled during test).

🔋 Battery Life

  • 5,800 mAh battery – outstanding battery life.

  • 8.5 to 10+ hours screen-on-time (SOT) regularly.

  • Very little battery drop between mobile data and Wi-Fi usage (~10%).

  • Fast charging with 80W SUPERVOOC charger included (Type-A to Type-C).

  • Supports PD and PPS charging (but limited to 26W on third-party chargers).

📞 Cellular Performance

  • Excellent cellular call quality and mobile data reception.

  • Clear calls, loudspeaker calls also worked well (though not very loud).

  • Proximity sensor works reliably.

📱 UI & Software

  • Clean OxygenOS-like experience (still Oppo ColorOS underneath).

  • Some uninstallable pre-installed apps (e.g., Facebook).

  • Customizable icons and smooth animations.

  • Shelf and Google pane accessible.

  • Smooth, lag-free performance even on high refresh rate (Auto/High).

🔄 Other Notables

  • 4K 60fps video recording supported on rear camera.

  • Lifetime green line screen warranty (on paper).

  • Good stabilization in rear video recording.

❌ Cons: What I Didn't Like

📶 Wi-Fi Reception

  • Major flaw: Worst Wi-Fi reception seen in a flagship.

  • Frequently disconnects in weak-signal areas where others don’t.

  • Caused by OnePlus using a non-Qualcomm Wi-Fi chip.

📸 Camera Setup

  • No ultrawide camera (disappointing for a flagship).

  • Rear cameras: 50MP main + 2x telephoto, but:

    • 2x zoom could’ve been digital from main sensor.

    • Poor logic in hardware selection; a 3x zoom would’ve been better.

  • Average low-light performance – blur and shutter lag.

  • Front camera (32MP) good in daylight but capped at 4K 30fps, not 60fps.

🧽 Back Glass Smudging

  • Frosted back glass attracts streaks and smudges easily.

  • Worst among flagships Ranjit has used (Pixel 9 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro fare better).

🔊 Speakers & Haptics

  • Stereo speakers not loud enough for a flagship.

  • Haptics are muted, not flagship-grade like past OnePlus phones.

🔋 Battery Stats Hidden

  • No native SOT shown in battery stats.

  • Only shows usage time since 100% charge.

  • Needed to install third-party paid app to track SOT.

💦 Water Resistance

  • Only IP65 rating, not IP68 as expected at ₹55,000.

  • Competing phones at half the price offer better IP certification.

🔌 Other Omissions & Quibbles

  • No wireless charging.

  • Alert slider is missing.

  • Notification icons don't show message count (like iPhone badges).

  • Dynamic Island clone (like iPhone) is present, but only mildly useful.

📷 Camera Summary

CameraDetails
Main50 MP, decent in good lighting, not great in low light
Telephoto50 MP, 2x zoom – unnecessary, could have been 3x
Front32 MP, good selfies, 4K 30fps video only
MissingNo ultrawide camera

  • Rear video: 4K 60fps supported.

  • Front video: 4K 30fps max.

  • Portrait mode and natural blur: Good.

💰 Price & Variants

  • Ranjit bought: 12GB RAM + 256GB storage – ₹55,000

  • Other variant: 12GB + 512GB

  • SBI card offer: ₹5,000 off (he didn’t use)

🧾 Final Thoughts by Me

“This is a good phone, but it could have been a great one.”

  • Compact, powerful, and long-lasting – ideal for users who want smaller phones.

  • But Wi-Fi issues, average cameras, and stripped-down features prevent it from being a top-tier flagship.

  • If camera or Wi-Fi is important to you, you may want to reconsider or wait.

Let me know if you'd like this turned into a comparison with another phone, recommendations in the same price range, or a condensed buying guide.

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