Why You Should Skip OnePlus 13 and Buy This Phone Instead

Discover why OnePlus 12 offers better value and performance over OnePlus 13, especially at its discounted price.

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Why You Should Skip OnePlus 13 and Buy This Phone Instead

OnePlus 13 has a fresh design and, for the first time, offers a complete package that’s hard to criticize, especially if you’re upgrading after two years. However, it comes with a hefty price tag of $899. If you’re looking to save some money, I recommend the OnePlus 12 instead. Here’s why: it offers great performance, useful features and better value. If you’re choosing between OnePlus 13 and OnePlus 12, here’s why you should pick the OnePlus 12 instead.

Feature	OnePlus 13	OnePlus 12
Design	🖌️ Sleeker, more squared form with flat screen and Ceramic Guard	🎨 Traditional design with curved screen and Gorilla Glass Victus 2
Weight	⚖️ Lighter by 10 grams (210-213g)	⚖️ Heavier (220g)
Material Options	🧥 Vegan leather (blue) or glass (black/white)	🧳 Glass (black/white)
Processor	🧠 Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite (45% performance boost)	⚡ Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
Camera	📷 Enhanced for improved photo quality	📸 Excellent, still very capable
Battery	🔋 6,000mAh, with IP69 water and dust protection	🔋 5,400mAh, lasts a full day, 0-100% in 30 mins
Display	📱 6.8-inch 2K LTPO AMOLED, 120Hz adaptive refresh	📲 6.8-inch 2K LTPO AMOLED, 120Hz adaptive refresh
Price	💵 $899	💲 $700 (discounted at BestBuy for unlocked buyers)
Best for	🌟 Those looking for the latest features	💡 Those seeking great performance at a lower price

What’s New in OnePlus 13

Before I explain why the OnePlus 12 is a great choice, let’s see what’s new in the OnePlus 13.

First, the design has been updated. OnePlus 13 sports a sleeker, more squared form than OnePlus 12. It also sports a flat screen with subtle curves, which replaces the previous model’s curved display. In addition, OnePlus replaced Victus 2’s Gorilla Glass with its proprietary Ceramic Guard, which is more robust.

The OnePlus 13 is also lighter, weighing 10 grams less than the OnePlus 12 (210-213g compared to 220g). It offers two back material options: vegan leather in blue or glass in black or white. The glass models are slightly heavier.

The OnePlus 13 sports a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, which increases performance by 45% and enhances photo processing. The camera has been enhanced for improved quality, and the battery is now 6,000mAh. It also has an IP69 rating for water and dust protection.

OnePlus 12: Better Value at a Discount

Although the OnePlus 13 seems like a big upgrade, especially with all the changes, the OnePlus 12 is surprisingly similar in many ways. If you look beyond the new design, the OnePlus 12 is still a great option—especially at a discounted price of $700, available at BestBuy for unlocked buyers.

Both the OnePlus 13 and OnePlus 12 have very comparable screens. They both have a 6.8-inch 2K LTPO AMOLED panel with an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate, and their brightness levels are very similar, thus the user experience is practically identical. OnePlus 12 continues to use Gorilla Glass Victus 2, which is known for its durability.

While the OnePlus 13 has a slightly larger 6,000mAh battery, OnePlus 12’s 5,400mAh battery, running OxygenOS 15, lasts a full day with no issues. It charges just as quickly, from 0 to 100% in about 30 minutes, so there’s no real upgrade in battery life. Plus, the OnePlus 12, with its Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, handles daily tasks smoothly, and the cameras still perform excellently.

In the end, it comes down to what’s most important to you. If you want the latest features, the OnePlus 13 is a solid choice. But if you’re looking for better value, the OnePlus 12, now discounted, is the smarter buy.