Latest news with #13s
Hans India
04-07-2025
- Hans India
Vivo X Fold 5 and X200 FE Set to Launch in India on July 14
Vivo has officially announced the India launch of its two upcoming smartphones — the foldable X Fold 5 and the compact powerhouse X200 FE — scheduled for July 14. While the official teasers have revealed limited details, both phones have already seen their global unveilings. The X Fold 5 made its debut in China on June 26, and the X200 FE was launched in Taiwan on June 23. Interestingly, the X200 FE is essentially a rebranded version of the S30 Pro Mini from China. The X Fold 5 is being positioned as a top-tier foldable, boasting a flagship-grade camera, a massive 6,000mAh battery, and one of the brightest foldable displays yet. Meanwhile, the X200 FE represents Vivo's first major step into compact devices with high-end performance — similar to the strategy OnePlus adopted with its recently launched 13s. Vivo X Fold 5: Key Features Expected in India The Indian variant of the X Fold 5 is expected to mirror the Chinese model. This includes a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, 80W wired and 40W wireless charging, and up to 80.6 hours of music playback on a single charge. Despite the large battery, the phone maintains a slim profile at 9.2mm when folded and just 4.3mm when opened, weighing only 217g. Vivo is also focusing on productivity, offering features like Workbench for multitasking (up to five tasks simultaneously), a Shortcut Button for quick access, and a Kinematic hinge rated for 600,000 folds. On the camera front, users can expect a triple 50MP setup — including a main, ultra-wide, and telephoto lens — co-engineered with Zeiss, offering 3x optical zoom and up to 100x digital zoom. The foldable's display is a major highlight, with Vivo claiming a peak brightness of 4,500 nits, potentially making it the brightest phone screen on the market. Pricing will be crucial for the X Fold 5's success in India. In China, it starts at CNY 6,999 (approx. ₹83,400) for the 12GB+256GB model. Given it shares the same chipset as last year, Vivo may opt for a more aggressive pricing strategy in India. Vivo X200 FE: Compact Powerhouse Incoming The Vivo X200 FE is expected to feature a 6.31-inch AMOLED display with 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, packed into a slim 7.99mm body. Powering the device could be the MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ or the newer 9400e chip, paired with up to 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. The phone is also tipped to sport a 6,500mAh battery with 90W fast charging, promising all-day performance and then some. On the back, the Zeiss-branded camera setup includes a 50MP main sensor, 50MP telephoto lens, and an 8MP ultra-wide unit. The device may also come with IP68 and IP69 ratings, offering excellent durability — a rarity in this price range. In terms of pricing, the X200 FE is expected to retail around ₹55,000 in India, though final pricing will be revealed at the launch event. Final Thoughts With both devices already generating buzz globally, all eyes are now on Vivo's July 14 launch event in India. Whether it's the ultra-slim, camera-focused X Fold 5 or the compact-yet-mighty X200 FE, Vivo seems poised to make a strong impact in both the foldable and compact premium segments this year.
Stuff.tv
02-07-2025
- Stuff.tv
I'd choose the big battery OnePlus 13s over other small phones, except for this one problem
Stuff Verdict Impeccable battery life in a truly palm-friendly package. The OnePlus 13s also packs flagship-grade power and takes a decent snap, but only being sold in a few markets limits its wider appeal. Pros Outstanding battery life meets rapid performance As pocket-friendly as OnePlus phones get Plus key a worthy replacement for the alert slider Cons Only officially sold in certain markets Cameras don't reach the same heights as closest rivals Introduction Does the S stand for small? OnePlus' latest high-end hero is step into the unknown for the firm, having mainly focused on big-screen flagship smartphones up until now. So much so, in fact, it's not being released worldwide. The OnePlus 13s is only on sale in India, with a spec sheet – and price – meant to appeal to that audience specifically. However, there could be a strong case for OnePlus fans living elsewhere to import one. It might be compact, but the 13s is packing a flagship-grade Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, to help it rub shoulders with far larger rivals in the performance stakes. Then there's the colossal battery, which should give it impressive staying power. Finally, the ₹54,999 retail price (roughly $650/£470) pits it against more mid-range competition like the Google Pixel 9a and iPhone 16e. After spending a few weeks with one as my main phone, I'm more than a little sad OnePlus doesn't want to offer the 13s out to the wider world. How we test smartphones Every phone reviewed on Stuff is used as our main device throughout the testing process. We use industry standard benchmarks and tests, as well as our own years of experience, to judge general performance, battery life, display, sound and camera image quality. Manufacturers have no visibility on reviews before they appear online, and we never accept payment to feature products. Find out more about how we test and rate products. Design & build: fun-size The OnePlus 13s fits the modern definition of 'small phone'. It's a teensy bit larger than the iPhone 16 and Galaxy S25; on par with the Pixel 9; and slightly smaller than the Xiaomi 15. Either way, it's still far easier to hold than the 6.7in or larger phones that are pretty much the norm everywhere else. With a flat metal mid-frame, flat screen and flat rear glass, this phone feels like OnePlus is trying hard to conform with what's popular elsewhere. The square camera bump around back is like nothing else from the firm's back catalogue, and looks rather iPhone-esque to me. Cover up the logo etched into the rear glass and even proper phone geeks are going to have a hard time telling this is a OnePlus device. That's doubly true once you notice there's no alert slider any more. The 13s was the first OnePlus phone to swap it for the new Plus key, which can be customised to do more than just change ringer modes, iPhone-style. It doesn't make a great camera shutter button, as its placement on the right side of the phone means you're likely to cover it with your fingers; I instead set it to launch the translate app while I was abroad, and the voice recorder when interviewing someone for work. This phone sits nicely in your hand, with the power and volume keys falling naturally under your thumb (or index finger if you're a leftie). I also liked how dense it feels. At 185g this is no lightweight, but that helps stop it seeming at all toy-like when you pick it up. The IP65 resistance rating isn't exactly top-tier, which is a shame, though sweat and unexpected rain shouldn't cause any problems. You could see the optical under-display fingerprint sensor as another cutback, given the OnePlus 13 uses an ultrasonic one, but I had no complaints about its speed or accuracy at unlocking phone. OnePlus gets a thumbs up for keeping the IR blaster, too; it came in handy during a recent heatwave when I'd misplaced the remote control for my desk fan. Screen & sound: small yet mighty It might be small, but the OnePlus 13s' 6.32in AMOLED display is still very well equipped. The 2640×1216 resolution looks gloriously crisp from arms' length, LTPO tech delivers a responsive and smooth 1-120Hz dynamic refresh rate, and viewing angles are excellent. The unusual 19.54:9 aspect ratio is a little at odds with multimedia content, which can make the punch hole front camera a bit distracting. I can't fault the visuals, though, with accurate colours, ample contrast, deep, inky blacks and impactful HDR. Dolby Vision and HDR10+ are both on board, with compatible content really making the most of the peak 1600 nits in High Brightness Mode (HBM). It doesn't shine quite so intensely most of the time, but I still had no issues with outdoor visibility on sunny days. It's a shame the speakers are merely average, though, with somewhat weak sound. There's lots of volume, but cranking it can't add any extra weight or body to your tracks. The down-firing driver and earpiece tweeter will do in a pinch, but I'd reach for headphones for anything other than quick YouTube clips or spoken word podcasts. Cameras: dynamic duo? The two snappers at the rear of the OnePlus 13s probably aren't the ones you were expecting. The main lens is straightforward enough – a 50MP unit with f/1.8 aperture and optical image stabilisation – but it's paired with a 2x telephoto. A lot of phones will opt for an ultrawide instead and use sensor cropping for 2x zoom, so the 13s will need to show a clear quality advantage to justify its hardware. Things are more clear cut around the front. The 32MP selfie camera has autofocus – a first for a OnePlus phone – and can record 4K/30 video clips. That's very handy for vlogging, especially when holding objects up to the camera. Stills snaps can be a little soft at full resolution, but they are wonderfully sharp once you resize them down for social sharing. Image quality from the lead lens is decent, rather than class-leading. Colours are vibrant, contrast is strong, and there's a good amount of detail on display, apart from areas of scenes in very dark shadow. HDR does a good job of preserving highlights alongside areas of shadow without going overboard like, say, Samsung. That it's on par with the OnePlus 13R won't come as a shock, given the two phones are using identical hardware. It holds up rather well in low light, too, as long as you have a steady hand for the longer exposure time. Google is still the champ here, with a better balance of light and shadow, and a willingness to let some noise into the shot in order to preserve detail. There's no macro mode here; the main camera instead digitally crops in at 2x. The resulting shots can't match rivals with proper macro zooms, being slightly soft even if colours are handled well. OnePlus has managed to closely match the telephoto and main sensors for colours, contrast and exposure. There's a good amount of detail on display at the native 2x magnification, though shots are generally softer than from the lead lens. The camera app has a 4x toggle, which crops the 50MP sensor for effective extra zoom that holds up rather well under scrutiny. Software experience: familiar features It might be aimed exclusively at the Indian market, but the 13s' version of OxygenOS isn't really any different to the one you'll find on other OnePlus phone. Open Canvas still makes split-view multitasking a breeze, even on a smaller screen, and there was a refreshing lack of software bloat following the initial setup. The overall look and feel is clean, easy to navigate, and not all that dissimilar from Google's stock layout. The only standout is the widget 'shelf' that can be accessed with a downward swipe on the home screen, which is handy for keeping the home screen itself free from clutter. OnePlus does include a bunch of its own apps, including a file manager, notes app, image gallery and voice recorder. Google's defaults are on hand too if you prefer, but doing so will skip out on some AI additions. There's a generative writing assistant in the notes app for reformatting and extending text; the voice recorder can transcribe and summarise your audio; and the gallery has generative expansion, object removal and reflection-busting abilities. They're just as effective here as any I've tried on rival phones, with most of the heavy lifting handed off to the Cloud. Then there's the Mind Space, which analyses screenshots and summaries any info, separate from your image gallery. Motorola and Nothing offer something similar. OnePlus lags behind Google and Samsung on update promises, but four years of new Android generations and six years of security patches is still a respectable effort. Performance & battery life: power by the hour OnePlus has opted for maximum performance potential by fitting the 13s with a Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset – the same one you'll find in the larger OnePlus 13. A vapor chamber cooling system and graphite sheet heat spreader help keep temperatures in check, so the phone's small stature doesn't hamper its ability to crunch through apps and games. Paired with 12GB of RAM, it's unsurprisingly rapid – if not quite a match for the OnePlus 13 in benchmarks. It's having to lower its clock speed a little faster to keep heat at bay, but not by much. This is still a properly fast phone, with excellent scores across the board even under sustained load. It's easily faster than a Pixel 9, and also outpaces the Galaxy S25 in many tests. That translates into impeccable everyday use, with rapid app loads, smooth multitasking, and the smoothest of animations. Games were no struggle at all, with all the ones I tried defaulting to their highest detail settings and running pretty much flawlessly. Only a few titles actually work with the 13s' high refresh rate display, but everything else consistently topped out at 60fps. OnePlus 13s benchmark scores Geekbench 6 single-core 2830 Geekbench 6 multi-core 8497 Geekbench AI 3860 PCMark Work 3.0 13,770 3DMark Wild Life Extreme 6173 3DMark Solar Bay 10,295 As much as CPU grunt is nice to have, it's the OnePlus 13s' battery life that truly impressed me. The firm has managed to squeeze a giant 5850mAh cell beneath the 6.32in screen – which, don't forget, has fewer pixels to push than larger rival phones. Simply put, I've never used such a small phone that could last as long as this while still being so powerful. A morning spent running a 5G hotspot, streaming YouTube videos, using GPS navigation and taking photos only ate 20%; by the time I got home late that evening, I still had close to 40% remaining. On more typical days, I'd sometimes still be north of 50% before heading to bed. That's better than anything the Pixel 9, Galaxy S25 or iPhone 16e can manage. While there's no wireless charging here – likely an effort to keep the price in check – 80W wired refuelling is suitably speedy. An empty-to-full charge takes under an hour, while 15 minutes is almost good enough for 50%. OnePlus 13s verdict Fans of powerful but compact phones have been relatively under-served lately, with Apple, Samsung and Google taking the lion's share and Xiaomi bringing up the rear. Now you can count OnePlus in the mix as well. The OnePlus 13s stands out from its rivals with simply outstanding battery life, and it's got serious performance muscle for such a small handset. It gives up a few flagship features, and the two rear cameras aren't the greatest pairing, but slick software and rapid wired charging go a long way to make up for it. Had OnePlus launched the 13s globally, I'd have no trouble recommending it – the battery life really is that good. If you live in India – or are willing to import – it's absolutely worth a look over a Galaxy S25 or Pixel 9 if you value time spent away from the mains. Stuff Says… Score: 4/5 Impeccable battery life in a truly palm-friendly package. The OnePlus 13s also packs flagship-grade power and takes a decent snap, but only being sold in a few markets limits its wider appeal. Pros Outstanding battery life meets rapid performance As pocket-friendly as OnePlus phones get Plus key a worthy replacement for the alert slider Cons Only officially sold in certain markets Cameras don't reach the same heights as closest rivals OnePlus 13s technical specifications Screen 6.32in, 2640×1216, 1-120Hz AMOLED CPU Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Memory 12GB RAM Cameras 50MP, f/1.8 w/ PDAF, OIS + 50MP, f/2.0 telephoto w/ PDAF, 2x optical zoom rear 32MP, f/2.0 front w/ autofocus Storage 256/512GB Operating system Android 15 w/ OxygenOS Battery 5850mAh w/ 80W wired charging Dimensions 151x72x8.2mm, 185g
Mint
12-06-2025
- Business
- Mint
OnePlus 13s now available in India: Check offers, pricing, specs, features and more
OnePlus has officially launched its latest premium mid-range smartphone, the OnePlus 13s, in India earlier this month. The device is now available for purchase through both online and offline channels across the country, boasting a blend of flagship-grade performance, AI-powered features, and a sleek, compact design. The OnePlus 13s is available in two storage configurations — 12GB RAM + 256GB and 12GB RAM + 512GB — priced at ₹ 54,999 and ₹ 59,999, respectively. However, buyers using SBI credit cards can avail an instant discount of ₹ 5,000, effectively reducing the prices to ₹ 49,999 and ₹ 54,999. Additionally, the company is offering up to nine months of no-cost EMI on select credit cards, and up to 15 months at specific offline retailers. To further entice customers, OnePlus is providing an exchange bonus of up to ₹ 5,000. Those purchasing the handset before 1 July will also receive a complimentary 180-day Phone Replacement Plan. Meanwhile, Red Cable Club members buying the device by 14 July can claim a Three-Year Battery Protection Plan. Jio postpaid subscribers are eligible for savings of up to ₹ 2,250 on certain plans. The smartphone is being retailed via the OnePlus Store app, the official OnePlus India website, and Amazon. Offline, it is available at OnePlus Experience Stores, Croma, Reliance Digital, Vijay Sales, Bajaj Electronics, and other select outlets. The 13s comes in three finishes — Black Velvet, Green Silk, and Pink Satin — though the top-tier 512GB variant is limited to the black and green options. At the heart of the OnePlus 13s is Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, paired with LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 storage. It sports a 6.32-inch LTPO display with a 1.5K resolution (1,216 x 2,640 pixels), a refresh rate of up to 120Hz, and a peak brightness of 1,600 nits. The device runs on OxygenOS 15, built atop Android 15. Replacing the traditional Alert Slider is a new customisable Plus Key, designed for quick access to apps, settings, or modes. This key also activates the AI Plus Mind space, integrating a host of artificial intelligence-driven features such as AI Unblur, AI Reframe, AI Reflection Eraser, AI VoiceScribe, and AI Translation. The phone also supports Google's Circle to Search and is compatible with the Gemini AI assistant. The OnePlus 13s features a dual rear camera system, headlined by a 50MP Sony LYT-700 main sensor and a 50MP telephoto lens using the S5KJN5 sensor. Selfies and video calls are handled by a 32MP front-facing camera. Powering the device is a sizeable 5,850mAh battery, supported by 80W SuperVOOC fast charging. Connectivity options include support for 5G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, GPS with NavIC, NFC, and a USB Type-C port. The device also features an in-display fingerprint scanner for biometric authentication.
India Today
12-06-2025
- India Today
As OnePlus 13s goes on sale, here are 13 reasons why this is a phone worth buying
The OnePlus 13s is a small phone with big potential. This is thanks to its exquisite hardware. The phone packs Qualcomm's fastest chip, aka Snapdragon 8 Elite, and a massive 5,850mAh battery inside a super-thin and light chassis – not Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge thin and light, but formidable regardless. We have reviewed the 13s at length, so be sure to check the full write-up here. The long-story-short take is, we were absolutely blown away by this new OnePlus 13 series this piece, we will give you a quick and rough idea about why the OnePlus 13s turned out to be a pleasant surprise, something which is frankly missing in today's highly commoditised smartphone space. The S25 Edge may be a peak into the future – or rather, one of the probable futures we might have – but the 13s is the first to bring at least some of those capabilities to the mass-market, so more people can access them today rather than wait for tomorrow. It is a big is because the 13s is more than the sum of its compact size, flagship chip and big battery capacity. It offers, or at least it tries to offer, the complete smartphone experience, which is to say that it takes all that powerful hardware and puts it to good, nay great use, so the overall experience is – as we call it with full conviction – a chef's kiss and a true masterclass in compact flagship phone design. It is the right phone at the right time and one can only hope that other brands will follow, but we'll the OnePlus 13s goes on sale in India today, here are 13 reasons why this is a phone worth buying:advertisement 1. Ultimate compact flagship phone: The 13s delivers a high-end phone experience with all the bells and whistles you'd normally associate with a flagship phone in 2025 without being too big or cumbersome for daily use.2. Ultra-phone without the ultra-size: It packs flagship capabilities into a form factor that challenges the conventional wisdom that only large phones can have big features. It measures just 8.2 mm and weighs only 185 grams. What's more impressive – and a rare feat of engineering, might we add – is that OnePlus put a 6.32-inch display in a chassis which is roughly equivalent to a 6.1-inch phone.3. Large battery in a compact body: The 13s boasts a large 5,850mAh battery within this chassis, breaking the stereotype that small phones must compromise on battery capacity. There is a version of this phone in China which has an even more insane 6,260mAh battery thanks to Silicon-Carbon technology.4. Exceptional battery longevity: But that is okay. The 13s still has phenomenal battery life, consistently lasting more than a day, even under heavy use.5. Fast charging: The phone also supports 80W quick top-ups, with a full charge taking just under one hour and fifteen minutes.6. Very fast performance: Equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite, the 13s maintains sustained performance consistently, even outperforming competitors (like the Samsung Galaxy S25, another compact flagship phone) in Efficient heat management: It can do that because of some clever under-the-hood engineering that has allowed OnePlus to put a large 3D Cryo-Velocity vapour chamber inside it so it cools down quickly even after extended periods of peak load.8. Bypass charging technology: OnePlus also allows you to directly charge the phone (bypassing the battery) during gaming, enhancing usability.9. OnePlus AI suite: The OnePlus 13s is the first phone to launch with OnePlus AI, a suite of AI applications with notable real-world use cases from search, call/meeting/video summarisation, to quick translations within third-party apps.10. The Plus Key: OnePlus has replaced the alert slider with a customisable button for shortcuts, including the 'Plus Mind' sandbox which lets you store screenshots and find information you're looking for through prompts and text.11. Stunning display: The 13s has a flat-out 6.32-inch LTPO OLED screen with super-slim bezels, offering an immersive visual experience.12. Thoughtful design and ergonomics: Finally – and most importantly – OnePlus has nailed the ergonomics on this phone. There is meticulous attention to detail, from the choice of colours, texture, to how the frame aligns with the front and the back, ensuring everything works together in perfect harmony with no loose ends or jagged edges. The OnePlus 13s is a 'feel good' phone, one that is hard to overlook and put down.13. Competitive pricing with strong software support: Despite the flagship specs, the phone is priced like a flagship killer. The base variant has 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. It is priced at Rs 54,999. For Rs 5,000 more, you can also double the storage to 512GB. OnePlus is committing to four years of major Android OS updates and six years of security patches. The software at large on this phone is clean and free of any dubious third-party bloatware.
Mint
08-06-2025
- Mint
OnePlus 13s review: A near-perfect compact phone, minus a few flagship perks
After hitting a home run with the OnePlus 13 and OnePlus 13R earlier this year, OnePlus has now expanded its flagship lineup with a compact addition—the OnePlus 13s. This is almost the same phone that launched as the OnePlus 13T in China wit a couple of changes. As for the new India specific 's' branding, OnePlus says it stands for a Stronger, Smarter and Smaller form factor. I have been using the OnePlus 13s as my primary device for nearly a month now, and here is my take on how it performs in the real world. There are a lot of things you can fault OnePlus for but one thing that you have to admit about the company is that they continue to provide one of the most wholesome Unboxing experiences in the market and the OnePlus 13s is no different. The 13s comes in the same red coloured box as its siblings and the setup inside is also similar to them. After opening the box, one is greeted with a device first wrapped inside a paper sheet, followed by some paperwork, SIM ejector tool, an 80W white coloured adapter, a traditional red coloured OnePlus cable and a colour matched case. The in-hand feel of the OnePlus 13s is very premium thanks to the full metal finish, curved edges and obviously the smaller form factor. While the phone comes with a 6.32 inch display, OnePlus says they have also worked on narrowing down the bezels to make sure the ultimate size comparable to a 6.1 inch device from other brands. The smaller form factor means that despite the 13s boasting almost the same thickness as the OnePlus 13, it's much easier to hold and at 186grams it's way too light on the pocket. However, I would still like to see OnePlus reduce the size a little bit in order to make way for better one-handed usage. OnePlus 13s in the black colour variant. OnePlus 13s with Plus key on the side OnePlus 13s features a full aluminium build OnePlus 13s features 6.32 inch LTPO AMOLED display OnePlus 13s features a dual camera setup with a 50MP Sony LYT-700 primar sensor with OIS and a 50MP 2x telephoto lens. The front shooter is a 32MPP Galaxycore GC32E sensor with autofocus. While the rear camera can shoot at a maximum of 4k 60fps, the front shooter is limited to 4k at 30fps. The primary shooter is exactly the same from the OnePlus 13R just like that device there isn't much to complaint about for the price point with the phone taking pictures with plenty of details, true to life colour tones and reliable HDR performance. The telephoto shooter also does the job well in most daylight scenarios with even images up to 6x being usable but anything beyond that kind of loses its sheen. In low light, the telephoto sensor can capture good pictures but they can turn out to be shaky if one is not very careful, owing to a lack of OIS. The 32MP autofocus sensor, however, is very good addition to this setup and the results were pretty impressive in my testing with the output from this sensor even rivalling that of the OnePlus 13. The selfie shooter captures sharp images that retain facial detail and maintain contrast well without making the final image look overly processed. OnePlus 13s camera sample OnePlus 13s camera sample OnePlus 13s camera sample OnePlus 13s camera sample OnePlus 13s camera sample OnePlus 13s camera sample OnePlus 13s camera sample OnePlus 13s selfie camera sample OnePlus 13s selfie camera sample OnePlus 13s runs on OxygenOS 15 based on Android 15 and the company has promised 4 years of OS updates and 6 years of security patches. While ,in my opinion, OxygenOS is already the best user experience that one can get on Android with some essential and other unnecessary AI features, OnePlus has actually went on to improve this further with a new suite of features on OnePlus 13s. For one, the dialler app has been completely revamped to make it in tune with the rest of the UI while also adding an AI call assistant that can seamless translate calls between different languages and even summarize the conversations. Another point worth noting is that since its a system dialler, there is no alerts while recording phone calls. An AI VoiceScribe feature is also present during WhatsApp calls now that allows users to start recording (with a sound alert), get AI summary of a conversation or even turn on captions. There are also a number of new AI features that OnePlus is bringing with the 13s which includes AI translation, AI Search (for natural language search), AI Reframe and AI Best Frame. OnePlus has made only one change from the OnePlus 13T to the 13s by reducing the battery size from 6,200mAh to 5,850mAh and replacing the front 16MP shooter with a 32MP shooter (more on this later). While some people may grudge the company for this change, I am actually perfectly fine with this arrangement given that this battery is powering only a 6.32 inch display and OnePlus has also improved the battery optimization a lot compared to the OnePlus 13. Despite using the phone as my regular driver with 5G turned on, I could easily stretch for it for over a day and into to the 1.5 dayish category. Do keep in mind, though, that this figure could be different for other users and my use case included no to very low gaming, mostly browsing the web, running social media apps, watching occasional YouTube videos and listening to songs. With good part out of the way, I am actually extremely disappointed with the new strategy that OnePlus is employing of increasing the battery size while keeping the charging speeds low (by their standards). The 13s only supports 80W of fast charging and no support for wireless charging - which is a definite disparity compared to the OnePlus' actual 'flagship' of the year. The OnePlus 13s is the first phone from the company to drop its iconic alert slider in favour of a new iPhone style Plus Key. But instead of offering a like for like swap with just ring profile controls, OnePlus has built in additional functionalities such as launching the voice recorder, taking a screenshot or photo, and most notably, activating AI Plus Mind. Unfortunately, the Plus Key is not customisable yet. You can only assign one task at a time. So if you have set it to change ring profiles, you will not be able to access Plus Mind without reassigning the key. As for Plus Mind, it is a good first step from OnePlus toward building an artificial memory system of sorts. But its current functionality is limited, and its true potential will likely only emerge with future updates. Right now, you can only store items in AI Plus Mind by tapping the designated Plus Key. There is no option to share content directly into it, like a web article you want to revisit later. At this stage, the feature feels more like an extension of the screenshot tool, with the AI offering a brief description of what you have captured. However, there is no way to interact with the underlying model. For instance, when I pointed the camera at my bedsheet and used the Plus Key to capture it, the AI correctly identified the colour and even recognised the design as a Mandala print. But that is where the interaction ends. You cannot ask follow up questions or explore more about Mandala prints. The OnePlus 13s runs on the same Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset as its elder sibling and indeed most other flagship phones launched this year. Just like its elder sibling, the 13s also comes with support for LPDDR5x RAM and UFS 4.0 storage. As one would expect, the top of the line specifications also translate into real-world performance and the OnePlus 13s faces no issues while handling day to day tasks, multi-tasking (thanks to OnePlus' Open Canvas) and switching between multiple apps. I did face a lot of heating issues with the phone during the initial period but since then the problem has been more or less tapered down with a software update. That being said, the 13s does have a tendency to stay on the warmer side while running the benchmarks or during prolonged gaming sessions, not so much in day to day usage. And finally for the benchmarks: Antutu: OnePlus 13s garnered a score of 24,01,817 which is higher than the score I received for the OnePlus 13 but lower than the results of iQOO 13 GeekBench 6 CPU: Single core score of 2,722 and a multi-core score of 7,266 3D Mark's Extreme Wild Life Stress Test: Best loop score of 6,086 and a lowest loop score of 4,825 with stability at an impressive 79.3% At an effective starting price of ₹ 49,999, the OnePlus 13s isn't the most perfect phone out there. It misses out on an ultra-wide-angle lens, IP68 rating, Hasselblad tuning, and OIS for the telephoto camera. It also faces stiff competition from other OnePlus offerings like the 13R and even last year's OnePlus 12. But where OnePlus has truly succeeded is in delivering a compact flagship that doesn't feel like a compromise. If you're looking for a smaller phone that's genuinely usable with one hand, the OnePlus 13s stands out thanks to its top-tier processor, vibrant LTPO AMOLED display, feature-rich software experience, and solid battery life. The cherry on top is that OnePlus has nailed the ergonomics here with the 13s offering a lightweight form factor and perhaps the most premium in-hand feel you'll get on any phone right now.
