OnePlus 13 vs OnePlus 12: How significant is the upgrade?

OnePlus 13 vs OnePlus 12: How significant is the upgrade?After mainstream brands release their new flagship phones, sub-brands start to make their move. While sub-brand models may struggle to generate significant hype in offline markets, they still attract considerable online attention

OnePlus 13 vs OnePlus 12: How significant is the upgrade?

After mainstream brands release their new flagship phones, sub-brands start to make their move. While sub-brand models may struggle to generate significant hype in offline markets, they still attract considerable online attention. OnePlus phones, in particular, have achieved impressive results in the online market in recent years. Both the OnePlus numbered series and the Ace series have garnered considerable interest among users. With the launch of OnePlus 13, the phone's allure for high-performance enthusiasts is undeniably strong. But compared to the OnePlus 12, what are the key improvements in the OnePlus 13? Let's take a look.

Differences in Design:

The OnePlus 13 comes in three new colors: "Black Obsidian", "Blue Moment", and "White Dew Dawn". It retains the iconic three-stage switch and adopts a full, deep, soft-edged straight screen, resulting in a significant visual change that many, including myself, find more appealing than the previous generation. In terms of detail, the hinge design, a hallmark of the past two generations, has been removed. This design shift certainly contributes to a more visually pleasing aesthetic, eliminating the "glue-like" appearance.

The OnePlus 12 offers three colors: "White Space", "Cyan Green", and "Rock Black". It adheres to the familiar family-style design, featuring the flash located above the left side of the camera module and the Hasselblad "H" logo positioned on the left side of the lens. Notably, the OnePlus 12 employs a curved screen design, although not extremely curved. It's a subtle curve, ensuring a comfortable grip and user experience.

Screen Quality Differences:

The OnePlus 13 boasts a 6.82-inch 31681440 full, deep, soft-edged OLED straight screen with BOE X2 luminescent material, supporting a 120Hz refresh rate (LTPO). It also features full-brightness DC dimming, 10-bit color depth, Crystal Shield ultra-ceramic glass, Dolby Vision display, rain-touch control, sun display, ultrasonic fingerprint recognition, and other features.

The OnePlus 12 features a 6.82-inch 32161440 OLED screen from BOE, supporting a 120Hz refresh rate (LTPO 3.0), 3EMPulse+1EMPulse DC-like dimming, and 2160Hz high-frequency PWM dimming. It also supports 10-bit color depth, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, Dolby Vision display, rain-touch control, and other features, but lacks ultrasonic fingerprint unlocking.

Core Configuration Differences:

The OnePlus 13 is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 mobile platform, coupled with LPDDR5X memory, UFS4.0 flash storage, 9925mm dual VC, and the second-generation Sky Cooling System Pro. To fully unleash the potential of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, OnePlus and Qualcomm established a joint performance release adjustment laboratory. They conducted 20+ specialized adjustments in six key areas: performance, gaming, AI, display, interconnection, and network.

The OnePlus 12 is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, also supporting LPDDR5X memory, UFS4.0 flash storage, 9140mm ten-level single VC, and the Sky Cooling System Pro, alongside a PixelworksX7 dedicated display chip. It's worth noting that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor incorporates a GPU frame interpolation chip, rendering a dedicated display chip unnecessary.

Imaging Capabilities Differences:

The OnePlus 13 sports a triple rear camera setup: 50MP main camera + 50MP periscope telephoto + 50MP ultrawide. It integrates Hasselblad Master Imaging, featuring the strongest imaging hardware in its class and the same imaging algorithm found in the Find series. It also introduces new features such as shadowless capture, capture portraits, and supports ultra-clear live photos, offering a comprehensive suite of functions to meet users' photography needs.

The OnePlus 12 employs a 32MP front-facing camera and a triple rear camera setup: 50MP main camera (Sony LYT-808, 1/1.4'', OIS) + 48MP ultrawide macro (Sony IMX581) + 64MP periscope telephoto (OmniVision OV64B, OIS). Notably, the main cameras of the OnePlus 13 and OnePlus 12 are identical, but the ultrawide and telephoto lenses have been updated, utilizing Samsung S5KJN5 and Sony LYT-600 lenses, respectively.

Battery Life Differences:

The OnePlus 13 packs a 6000mAh Glacier battery, supporting 100W long-life flash charging, 50W wireless flash charging, 10W wireless reverse charging, and is equipped with a SUPERVOOCS power management chip. The OnePlus 12 houses a 5400mAh battery, also featuring a SUPERVOOCS power management chip, 100W long-life flash charging, 50W long-life wireless flash charging, and 10W wireless reverse charging.

Other Functional Differences:

In terms of functional features, the differences are minor. The OnePlus 13 supports Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 (ultra-long-distance dynamic Bluetooth), NFC, infrared remote control, AAC+0916X-axis linear motor (602mm volume), super-linear stereo dual speakers, USB 3.2 Gen 1, and other features. The OnePlus 13 runs on ColorOS 15, based on Android 15, and features IP68 & IP69 dust and water resistance.

Summary:

Based on the comparison above, the gap between the OnePlus 13 and OnePlus 12 is substantial. At least in terms of iteration scope, this generation is perfectly acceptable. So, the question is, how do you feel about the upgrades? We welcome your thoughts and discussion.