OnePlus‘ next flagship is scheduled to debut in China this month, and there might be changes to the design and camera plus MagSafe style charging
When it comes to flagship smartphones, Apple, Samsung and Google are probably the first brands that come to mind.
But ignore OnePlus at your peril. The Chinese company is great at making high-end phones, evidenced by the excellent OnePlus 12. It offers everything most people are looking for in an Android phone, at a price that undercuts many rivals.
So, what can we expect from its successor? As it’s now scheduled to debut soon, we already have an idea of what OnePlus is planning. Here’s everything you need to know at this stage.When will the OnePlus 13 be released?
In recent years, OnePlus has settled into a very consistent release schedule for its flagship phones in Europe and North America:
OnePlus 12 – February 2024
OnePlus 12R – February 2024
OnePlus 11 – February 2023
OnePlus 10 Pro – March 2022
OnePlus 9 – March 2021
OnePlus 9 Pro – March 2021
This would be around the same time as the Samsung Galaxy S25. However, OnePlus China President Louis Lee has confirmed that the company’s next flagship, the OnePlus 13, will be launched in October.
This aligns with previous claims from both leakers Smart Pikachu (via 91 Mobiles) and Digital Chat Station (via Gadgets360), as well as from the OnePlus Club, that OnePlus wants its next flagship to be the first smartphone to launch running the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, Qualcomm’s next top-of-the-line smartphone chip that will debut at Snapdragon Summit on 24 October.
At this point, we don’t know whether the premiere in October will be global or only in China. If it’s the latter, we might have to wait for the global release until February or March 2025.How much will the OnePlus 13 cost?
Nothing has been revealed regarding the pricing of the OnePlus 13 at this stage. However, previous models give us a rough idea of what to expect:
OnePlus 12 – from £849/$799
OnePlus 12R – from £649/$599
OnePlus 11 – from £729/$699
OnePlus 10 Pro – from £799/$899
OnePlus 9 – from £629/$729
OnePlus 9 Pro – from £829/$1,069
The OnePlus 12 saw a significant price rise compared to the 11, but we don’t expect that to be repeated in the next generation. While tech in general has been getting more expensive, OnePlus will want to still undercut flagships from the likes of Apple, Samsung and Google on price.
However, according to Digital Chat Station, the top-tier model of the phone (24GB of RAM and 1TB of storage) is expected to be more expensive than the OnePlus 12 equivalent.What specs and features will the OnePlus 13 have?
The OnePlus 13 probably won’t arrive in Europe and North America until early 2025, but there are already some key rumours about the phone.Design
It seems that OnePlus may be reworking the rear camera module design of the OnePlus 12. Tech tipster Digital Chat Station posted on Chinese social media site Weibo that the ‘family-style hinge’ that sits to the left of the rear camera module would be removed.
The same OnePlus Club post on X that mentioned the October launch date has also revealed what it says is a new design for the rear cameras. It shows a new vertical camera module that would replace the circular one from the OnePlus 12.
Replies have pointed out that the rear module looks remarkably similar to that found on the Sony Xperia PRO-I, so it could be a Photoshop image that combines the two.
While the latest rumours point to a change in the camera module, OnePlus might go in a completely different direction to the one above.
The brand might continue using a circular camera array for the OnePlus 13, but it will be positioned more centrally than on the OnePlus 12.
