OnePlus 13s review: A near-perfect compact phone, minus a few flagship perks

Following the successful launches of the OnePlus 13 and 13R earlier this year, OnePlus has unveiled a new compact addition to its flagship lineup—the OnePlus 13s. Essentially a rebranded OnePlus 13T from China, the 13s introduces minor tweaks while retaining its core appeal. The 's' in its name signifies a Stronger, Smarter, and Smaller design, tailored specifically for the Indian market. Having used the OnePlus 13s as my daily driver for nearly a month, I can share my impressions on its performance. OnePlus has consistently excelled in providing an exceptional unboxing experience, and the 13s is no exception. The device arrives in a striking red box, accompanied by essential accessories including a SIM ejector tool, an 80W charger, a signature red charging cable, and a color-matched case. The premium feel of the OnePlus 13s is immediately apparent, thanks to its full metal finish and curved edges. With a 6.32-inch display, OnePlus has worked to minimize bezels, creating a size comparable to a 6.1-inch phone from other brands. Weighing just 186 grams, the device is lightweight and comfortable to hold, although a slightly smaller size would enhance one-handed usability. In terms of photography, the OnePlus 13s features a dual-camera setup with a 50MP Sony LYT-700 primary sensor equipped with OIS, and a 50MP 2x telephoto lens. The front camera is a 32MP Galaxycore GC32E sensor with autofocus. The rear camera can shoot in 4K at 60fps, while the front camera is limited to 4K at 30fps. Photos taken with the primary shooter exhibit impressive detail and accurate color tones, while the telephoto lens performs well in daylight, though images beyond 6x zoom may lack clarity. Low-light performance is decent, but shaky shots can occur due to the absence of OIS on the telephoto lens. Running on OxygenOS 15 based on Android 15, the OnePlus 13s promises four years of OS updates and six years of security patches. The user experience is enhanced with AI features, including a newly revamped dialer app capable of translating calls in real time and summarizing conversations. Furthermore, the AI VoiceScribe feature now records WhatsApp calls, providing summaries and captions. One notable change from the OnePlus 13T is the reduction in battery capacity from 6,200mAh to 5,850mAh. Despite concerns about this adjustment, the battery optimization has improved, allowing for over a day of use with 5G enabled. However, the OnePlus 13s supports only 80W fast charging, which feels inadequate compared to other flagship models, and lacks wireless charging capability. The 13s also introduces a new 'Plus Key' that replaces the iconic alert slider. This button can perform various functions, such as launching the voice recorder or taking screenshots, but currently lacks customization options, allowing only one task at a time. Powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, the OnePlus 13s handles daily tasks effortlessly and excels in multitasking. However, users may notice some heating during intensive activities such as gaming or running benchmarks. In benchmark tests, the phone scored 2,722 in single-core and 7,266 in multi-core assessments on GeekBench 6, while achieving an impressive Antutu score of 24,01,817. With a starting price of ₹49,999, the OnePlus 13s presents an appealing compact flagship option. Though it lacks features like an ultra-wide camera and an IP68 rating, it offers a stellar performance, vibrant AMOLED display, and a user-friendly software experience. If you're in the market for a compact phone that balances usability and power, the OnePlus 13s certainly stands out as a worthy contender.