OnePlus 13 leak suggests new upgrades with a controversial trade-off

The OnePlus 12 was a true return to form for the brand, but it seems like the company is shaking things up quite a bit for its successor. While we already had some idea about what to expect from the OnePlus 13, a new set of leaks has surfaced, hinting at exciting upgrades and some controversial changes.

Renowned tipster Digital Chat Station took to Weibo to drop some new hints about the OnePlus 13. The post has been translated from Chinese, so there might be some discrepancies in interpretation. It looks like the OnePlus 13 will have a “straight screen” with a “micro-curved glass cover design,” which differs slightly from the previous rumors about the phone coming with a quad-curved display.

This new information suggests the OnePlus phone’s display may be flat but covered by glass curved on all four sides, creating a symmetrical, bezel-less appearance. Xiaomi and HONOR have used this “quad-curved” design on recent phones, but those phones also had slight curves to the screen itself on all four sides. We’ll have to wait and see how OnePlus’ implementation compares.

Two days ago, DCS claimed the OnePlus 13 would lack wireless charging, but it’ll come packing a substantial 6,000mAh battery and 100W wired charging. It could potentially give the OnePlus 13 two-day battery life, a marked improvement over the already impressive OnePlus 12 with its 5,400mAh battery.

However, the removal of wireless charging is a contentious decision. OnePlus has faced criticism in the past for omitting this feature, which is often considered standard in flagship phones. Its justification typically centers on prioritizing faster wired charging speeds, as seen with the $1,700 OnePlus Fold, which also lacked wireless charging.

The OnePlus 12 was the first OnePlus phone since the OnePlus 10 Pro to offer wireless charging, supporting speeds up to 50W using the AirVOOC standard. The best flagship phones, like the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and even the iPhone 15 Pro Max, max out at 15W wireless charging.

It’s unclear why OnePlus would remove this feature from the OnePlus 13. One possibility is the larger 6,000mAh battery. Increasing battery size could increase the phone’s weight, and adding wireless charging to an already heavy device might be undesirable.

Additionally, the tipster’s posts indicate that the OnePlus 13 will likely carry over the same triple camera setup from the OnePlus 12, with a minor upgrade to the periscope camera. With the OnePlus 13 expected to launch around December 2024 or January 2025, we hope the company figures out a way to make it an all-out flagship with no caveats.