OnePlus has been in the news quite a bit recently, but not necessarily for good reasons. It has been cutting staff and is currently “evaluating” its global business, but while there appears to be plenty happening behind the scenes, there are still products being revealed – just in a slightly less conventional way.

As spotted by 9to5Google, the OnePlus Watch 4 has been posted to the global OnePlus website, revealing the design and key details about the company’s next smartwatch.

What do we know about the OnePlus Watch 4?

According to the promotional page, the smartwatch will run on Wear OS 6 with OxygenOS Watch 8 over the top, and it is expected to offer the same battery life as the Watch 3. That means 16 days in power saving mode and three days for heavy use.

Google’s Gemini is also advertised on the page, while the smartwatch appears to opt for the Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 processor, again like the Watch 3.

What looks to be different this time is that the Watch 4 will get a titanium case rather than stainless steel with just a titanium bezel, as per its predecessor.

It is also lighter at 43g and a little thinner at 474 x 47.4 x 11mm. Other specifications appear to include 2GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, and a range of health sensors, while multiple health certifications are also listed for the new smartwatch.

The problem is whether it will actually launch, or more to the point, where.

The promotional page on the global OnePlus site doesn’t give any indication of price or release date, so for now, it just wait and see.

That's a shame really, as it looks like a fairly decent upgrade that fans of the brand will no doubt have appreciated.

A new OnePlus phone has just been announced, complete with an enviable spec sheet. The OnePlus 15T – the successor to last year's OnePlus 13T, with 14 skipped for superstitious reasons – seems to come complete with just about everything you'd want in a modern Android phone.

That centres around a whopping 7,500mAh battery, which is on par with some of the top consumer handsets around. It's not quite as impressive as the 9,000mAh touted for the OnePlus Nord 6, but it's still much more than most.

In fact, it's even bigger than the 7,300mAh cell found in the flagship OnePlus 15 handset. That's made possible thanks to silicon-carbon technology, which offers greater energy density in the same footprint as traditional mediums.

What makes it a greater feat is that all of that fits into a relatively compact handset. The model makes use of a 6.32-inch display, which is dinky in todays world of near-seven-inch panels.

Elsewhere you'll find RAM in 12GB or 16GB variants, and storage options in 256GB, 512GB and 1TB varieties. There's a pair of 50MP cameras on the back for standard and telephoto duties, as well as IP68/IP69 water and dust resistance and 100W wired charging.

So, what's the catch? Well, it's currently not available anywhere other than China. That's not unheard of for some brands, but there's another layer to the story with OnePlus.

Recently, suggestions arose in a fresh report that the brand could be shutting down some of its global operations. It's not the first time such comments have arisen, with a well-publicised saga earlier this year as well.

With all of that in mind, I wouldn't place too much hope on seeing one of these handsets in Western markets. For now, we'll simply have to admire from afar, and hope that it can inspire similar models from other brands.

These are interesting times for OnePlus. Subject to speculation about its future in recent times, it seems the brand is coming out fighting – maybe even pivoting to try something new.

It is claimed that it could soon capitalise on the rapid rise in gaming handhelds by introducing its own. And while it will reportedly run on Android – like the Odin 2 Portal, Retroid Pocket 6 and several other devices – it might also bring something new to the party.

According to renowned leaker Digital Chat Station (via Android Authority), it has been confirmed that a "mobile phone manufacturer" is making an Android handheld with controls designed specifically for first-person shooters.

There will be "multi-finger touch responsiveness," they reveal. And it's a "bit of a Frankenstein's monster". However, the device is also said to feature ultra-high refresh rates.

The manufacturer isn't mentioned, but commenters under the Weibo post claim that it's OnePlus.

There's little else to go on for now – we don't know what will power the device or the screen size, for example – but there's much competition out there already that offers a top notch experience. The AYN Odin 3 runs on the Snapdragon 8 Elite, for example, and is capable of very high quality Android and retro gaming up to Switch.

Maybe that's why the control method on this alleged new handheld will be different, to offer a more niche product for specific types of gamers.

Either way, I'm up for OnePlus trying something new, to complement its OnePlus Nord 6 and 15T smartphones coming soon.

It might even find a place in my ever-growing collection. After all, I already have a selection of peculiar devices that I use for specific reasons – what's one more between friends?

In the world of Android phones, battery capacity has been a hot topic over the last few years. Larger cells have been making their way into handsets, as manufacturers seek to offer more power and longer stints between charges.

Now, it looks like OnePlus could be readying a handset which will blow the competition out of the water. That's because OnePlus India has just confirmed some additional details about the impending handset, including the battery capacity.

That's set to be a whopping 9,000mAh, which would be the first OnePlus handset available globally with such a large capacity. Even in the wider context of the market, that's one incredibly large battery.

The nearest consumer-grade options include handsets like the Oppo Find X9 Pro and the Nubia Redmagic 11 Pro, both of which feature a 7,500mAh battery.

Beyond the battery, the brand has confirmed that it'll be powered by a Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 processor. They suggest that will be capable of running several high-intensity games at 165 fps.

That suggestion also gives away another spec – a 165Hz display. That's the same as the OnePlus 15, and should offer stellar experience for those who love gaming on the go.

We also know three colours which the device will be offered in. That includes a standard black, a silver – complete with patterns and lines along the edges of the back panel – and a lovely mint green.

The announcement also confirms the launch date. The model will be unveiled on the 7th of April, which is just a few short weeks away.

There's no word yet on pricing or availability, though leaks suggest it could be around the £399 / €449 (approx. US$535 / AU$765). It's also expected not to arrive in the USA, though most other markets should be well served.

With just a few weeks to go, we're expecting to see something cool in a short while.

OnePlus could be preparing a brace of premium tablets, with the launch of a 13.2-inch OnePlus 3 Pro as well as a smaller 8.8-inch Mini. The launches could build on the strength of the OnePlus Pad 3 launched in 2025.

The details come from Digital Chat Station on Weibo (via 9to5Google), outlining the details of the OnePlus Pad 3 Pro as a 13.2-inch display, with a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor and huge battery.

That puts it in a premium position to challenge the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra (or the Tab S12 Ultra successor) and sees it joining an increased number of premium Android tablets, including the Honor MagicPad 4 and the Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro.

The smaller 8.8-inch tablet is perhaps even more interesting, as the Apple iPad mini has fewer decent rivals. It's thought to use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, the slightly lower tier hardware that's in devices such as the Motorola Signature and other sub-flagship phones. That would still likely make it more powerful than Apple's latest device, though.

The increased interest in the tablet segment poses more competition for Apple's iPad generally. Apple has dominated tablet sales for a number of years, while Android manufacturers haven't always responded with the most powerful hardware, opting for cheaper devices instead.

However, there seems to be a growing trend for more powerful tablets, looking to revive sales, with Google also boosting the software experience with increased focus on how Android behaves on a larger display.

There's no fixed timeline for the launch of the new tablets from OnePlus, but it's thought that the larger device will launch first, followed by the smaller iPad mini competitor.

When we reviewed the OnePlus Pad 3, we said that "this OnePlus slate is an excellent buy, out-speccing comparable iPad and Galaxy Tab products."

OLED displays remain rare – it’s mainly the top Samsung and Apple tablets that offer that tech – but offering powerful hardware at more agreeable prices is something that Chinese brands are good at.

While we praised the OnePlus Pad 3 for that great hardware, the accessories can't keep up – although it's worth considering that Apple's high-quality iPad accessories are devilishly expensive, increasing the overall price of investing in an iPad if you're serious about working on it.

OnePlus has been in the news a lot over the last few months, and not always for the right reasons. Speculation on its future as a sub-brand of Oppo have run rife, with some going as far to say that it had released its last phone.

But that isn't the case at all. Indeed, as well as a OnePlus 15T looming on the horizon, the company has teased another Android device – and it's likely to come even sooner.

As posted by the OnePlus India X account, a new Nord phone is heading to market.

The OnePlus Nord 6 (which we expect it to be called) is arriving relatively soon after its predecessor. The Nord 5 was released in the summer last year along with a OnePlus Nord CE5.

It looks like the manufacturer is stepping up its schedule this year though, so we should get the Nord 6 this spring instead.

Few details on the phone have been revealed so far, but we do get an interesting look at it in the X post – not least because it's in the style of an airport security X-ray.

Nord is OnePlus' budget line – rivalling the likes of the A-series by Samsung and Nothing's Phone (4a). It's claimed that it'll run on the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 processor, which is the same as the China-only OnePlus Turbo 6 and has appeared in on Geekbench powering a OnePlus handset with the designation "CPH2795".

If it borrows other tech from the Turbo 6, we could also expect a 6.78-inch display with a 165Hz refresh rate, 50-megapixel rear and 16-megapixel front cameras, and some dedicated gaming features.

The Chinese model also sports a massive 9,000mAh battery with 80W superfast charging, but we often see downward swaps when it comes to the tech powering global editions.

So far, the X post has only appeared on OnePlus' Indian X feed, so it could be that the brand has opted not to bring its cheaper device to the UK and Europe this time around. Hopefully we'll find out soon, as the teases appear more regularly.

As for the OnePlus 15T, that should also make its debut soon, considering official pictures of it have already been posted on Weibo. We'll let you know when we find out more.

The cost of RAM and storage has been soaring as demand for components to supply the growth of AI has outstripped supply. We've now seen more signs of how this will impact customers with a stark notice from Oppo and OnePlus.

The company has announced that prices will increase from 16 March because of the increased cost of components. That will see price increases on a number of Oppo and OnePlus models sold through the company's stores in China.

This is for devices that have already been released, but seems to be limited to the more affordable end of the range at present, likely because the margins are lower.

The details come from Gizmochina, sharing the notice from Oppo's store in China, which says:

"In response to rising cost of several key mobile phone components, including high-speed storage hardware, we have made the following decision after careful evaluation: starting from 0:00 on 16 March 2026, Oppo will adjust the prices of some of its already released products.

"Currently, the products affected by the price adjustment include the Oppo A series, K series, and OnePlus, but do not include the Oppo Find series, Reno series, and Oppo Pad series."

That means flagship buyers are likely to remain unaffected for now, while even the mid-range Reno escapes the price hike – so it's only those shopping for the cheaper devices that will see price increases.

Exactly how the price increases will impact on OnePlus remains to be seen.

It's also not clear if this is the start of something larger, because currently there's no sign of this warning on other sites: currently, many models in the UK are listed with a discount, for example.

The demand for components is expected to squeeze the smartphone industry and lead to price increases, which could in turn reduce the turnover of devices as customers choose to stick to their existing device – or buy a refurbished device instead.

It's previously been said that Apple is expected to keep prices stable so we shouldn’t see an increase in the iPhone 18 price, but one trend we're seeing in the industry is the dropping of lower storage models, like 128GB versions of some devices.

Currently, the expanding AI industry is snapping up hardware and that's putting pressure on companies across the electronics business. We've previously reported that Steam has said that its new hardware will be more expensive as a result, while Western Digital has that its entire 2026 hard drive stock has already sold out.

OnePlus has another phone in the works, the OnePlus 15T. Having launched the OnePlus 15 in October, it was followed up by the OnePlus 15R and now the OnePlus 15T is joining the party.

Originally, the OnePlus T models were mid-life updates, first appearing six months after the launch of a new device with additional hardware changes. They started with the OnePlus 3T, but more recently the marking has been used to depict a compact flagship phone instead.

We know that this phone is approaching launch because OnePlus isn't being shy about sharing it, now including a post with the design of the phone clear for everyone to see.

There shouldn’t be too many surprises, seeing as the design is similar to previous OnePlus 15 devices, with that squared look and distinctive camera. It can be clearly seen in a post on Weibo, along with the message that "performance and battery life surpass large screens, flagship experience completely outclasses small screens".

Basically, the OnePlus 15T is lining up to be a compact powerhouse with flagship specs. It has been previously said that the OnePlus 15T would come with a 7,500mAh battery, with 100W wired charging and 50W wireless charging.

It's thought to be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, with IP69K protection and a pair of 50-megapixel cameras, including a 3.5x optical zoom.

The colour options – according to Abhishek Yadav – are Pure Cocoa and Relaxing Matcha, giving deep brown or green vibes. It looks like a great phone, with interesting options.

The OnePlus 15T is confirmed to be launching in March 2026 in China, but it's currently not known where the phone will be available. The OnePlus 13T only made it to India and China, so we can't be certain that this model will get an international release.

That would be a shame, because it's shaping up to be great device. While true flagship specs are normally reserved for the top-level devices with huge screens, there's surely space for a more compact device of this nature?

OnePlus has confirmed that the OnePlus 15T is coming soon – and that there's going to be a huge battery, so this phone could be the compact flagship smartphone of 2026. There's a lot to unpack here, so let's dive right in.

OnePlus has had a number of T versions in the past. It was originally a mid-life update, first appearing as the OnePlus 3T in 2016 which tweaked the phone launched just six months before. More recently, the OnePlus T model has been more compact, the most recent being the OnePlus 13T in 2025.

We know that the OnePlus 15T is coming, because it has been confirmed by OnePlus community manager Shuai Lan on Weibo, saying "the dream phone for small screen enthusiasts is coming soon" (via TechAdvisor).

But what's really interesting is that GSMArena is reporting that the OnePlus 15T is confirmed to have a 7,500mAh battery. That's huge for a compact phone, although there's a chance that the capacity will be 7,500mAh in China, but slightly reduced in other regions, if it sees a wider launch.

It's also said to have 100W wired and 50W wireless charging. However you cut it that's a huge battery offering for a phone that's said to have a 6.32-inch display. It's going to outlast the best flagship phones, likely giving well over two days of use.

It's expected that the phone will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, have IP protection up to IP69K, while offering a pair of 50-megapixel cameras, one of which is a 3.5x telephoto.

It's thought that the phone will have the same design as the OnePlus 15 although a leak reported to be the handset in the wild showed off a top camera section that was the full width of the phone, rather like the iPhone 17 Pro.

It really does look like it could be a cracking compact flagship device, taking on the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S26 and the Xiaomi 17.

However, OnePlus also seems to be facing a tough time, with declining sales in India, a loss of identity since moving closer to Oppo and rumours swirling about the brand's future – which have been categorically denied by leadership.

Whether the OnePlus 15T will be available outside of China or India – markets to which the OnePlus 13T was limited – remains to be seen.

The next OnePlus 16 smartphone looks set to come with a spec jump, but alongside a price hike too.

This could be the most expensive OnePlus flagship device yet, placing it firmly in the top-end premium flagship smartphone end of the market.

OnePlus started out as an alternative to the bigger brands, offering impressive specs for a far lower price. Now it looks like it may shift with the OnePlus 16, to compete more directly at the top end of the price and premium phone world.

According to a post from a Weibo tipster, the next OnePlus 16 will get a starting price – in China – of around $725/£545 for the base model.

When you consider that the OnePlus 15, for it starting level model, was priced – in China at least – at around $580/£435 – this represents quite a big jump up.

To be clear, this isn't going to offer ground-breaking tech like the folding OnePlus Open. In fact the jump might not be massive, but that price change could be down to the rising cost of components right now.

The jump in silicone is one part of that, with a single 2nm wafer from TSMC costing as much as 20% more than the current 3nm wafer. Memory, like LPDDR5X RAM are also getting higher price tags.

What's new in the OnePlus 16?

Fortunately that bump will also come with some upgrades that are rumoured to arrive on the latest OnePlus 16 flagship handset.

A major camera upgrade is expected with a whopping 200MP sensor on the rear. That chipset should also be top-end with the next-gen flagship CPU from Qualcomm likely powering the phone. There is also expected to be an improved display and larger battery to support all that.

The OnePlus 16 is still at the rumour stage right now but expect more to come to light ahead of the expected announcement in the back end of this year.

A day can feel like an lifetime in the world of tech, and for OnePlus is must have seemed like it'd never end.

Rumours started flying around yesterday after a report online suggested the company was being shuttered by parent brand Oppo, but by the end of the day, the OnePlus team made it abundantly clear that it was "business as usual".

It started with Android Headlines claiming that OnePlus is no more. It wrote (with the help of AI, it admitted afterwards) that the brand was being "dismantled", new phones "scrapped" and international offices closed down.

However, several hours later, OnePlus hit back. Echoing comments made by OnePlus India and OnePlus North America, OnePlus Europe sent a statement to T3 to calm fans' fears: "Existing business operations for OnePlus Europe continue to proceed as normal," a spokesperson told us.

"All users' after-sales support, software updates, and rights commitments are fully guaranteed."

That effectively means that the brand will continue in multiple regions, and your existing OnePlus phone (with the OnePlus 15R being the most recent) will be safe. You will receive ongoing updates and support.

Where it stops short is guaranteeing future devices. That's less certain, for now.

Will there be future OnePlus phone releases?

Sadly, we don't yet know whether there will be additional OnePlus handsets in future.

Recently speculation suggested the long-awaited OnePlus Open 2 – a follow-up to one of the best foldable phones we've seen – has been cancelled for the second time. That's not been confirmed, but did come from a leaker with a good track record (Yogesh Brar).

We've also not heard about any other OnePlus phone in development, although back in December, it was reported that the brand was looking into gaming phones.

Maybe this is how Oppo sees the future for OnePlus – as a big competitor to RedMagic. After all, while the OnePlus brand is better recognised in the UK, Europe and the US, Oppo phones are gradually making inroads (and feature nigh-on identical tech).

But with Asus having recently announced its withdrawal from the phone market altogether, there's a gap for a new gaming phone brand to fit right in.

Whatever happens, let's hope this isn't the end of OnePlus entirely. And shame on those who seemingly revelled in reporting that it was.

It's a case of history repeating as the OnePlus Open 2 is reported to be cancelled.

If that gives you a sense of déjà vu, then fear not: it's the same story we reported in early 2025. It appears that once again, OnePlus is not planning to release a new folding phone.

The OnePlus Open was launched in 2023 and quickly found favour thanks to the neat design, comprehensive spec sheet and innovative software, including the Open Canvas approach to handling apps. At the time, many said it was the best folding phone to buy.

However, while Oppo has forged ahead with folding devices, the OnePlus version never seems to arrive. In the latest turn of events, the Oppo Find N6 which looks like a monster of a folding phone, isn't going to land as a OnePlus version either.

The OnePlus Open 2 was said to have a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, three 50-megapixel cameras, and a 6000mAh battery. However, reliable leaker Yogesh Brar has taken to X to say that it's not happening.

While the Oppo Find N6 is still to be launched (albeit with delays), OnePlus' future with folding phones appears to be less certain.

That's an interesting position, considering the markets that these different brands work in. OnePlus has devices in the US, while Oppo does not. Oppo has only just returned to some European markets too – but it might be that OnePlus doesn't see that there's enough demand for folding phones.

There's competition from the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 (which dominates), the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, Honor Magic V5 and the latest addition is the Motorola Razr Fold, which is expected to see a full launch at Mobile World Congress in the coming months.

Some will undoubtedly be disappointed, but there's no shortage of great devices to choose from if you do want a book-type folding phone.

If you've been in the market for a gaming phone, you'll know that the options are relatively few and far between. For years, users have had a choice of the Asus ROG Phone, or the latest Redmagic device, with practically nothing else on the market.

If you weren't too taken by either of those phones, the next best option was likely one of the best Android phones on the market, though those would often lack specific gaming prowess.

Now, there could finally be another player entering that game – and it could be a big one. OnePlus is rumoured to be bringing a new model range to its phone catalogue, and it seems like it could be focussed on the gaming sector.

The news comes from a post on Weibo, courtesy of the President of the brand's Chinese operations, Le Jie Louis. That post noted that the new OnePlus Turbo Series – announced at the brand's 12th anniversary event – is coming.

That's said to inherit the powerful performance of flagship devices like the OnePlus 15, while also enjoying the strongest battery life in its class. It's also said to offer an unprecedented gaming experience in its price range, though there's no word yet on what exactly that price range is.

It's also said to be a frighteningly strong performance overall, which should certainly add some much-needed excitement into the market. For many years, the entirety of that industry consisted of a few different Redmagic devices and a new Asus ROG Phone each year.

While they did often bring some innovation, the market couldn't help but feel a bit stagnant. Adding a third major player into the mix could help to shake things up, in a moment where many mobile gaming rigs are moving towards the Steam Decks and Asus ROG Allys of this world.

OnePlus is preparing to announce two new devices, with the OnePlus 15R and a new OnePlus Watch teased on the company's website. The release of these devices is far in advance of previous years.

OnePlus has just released the OnePlus 15, its 2026 flagship phone and it's already on sale globally. It's part of a big movement from phone manufacturers, especially those focused on the Chinese market, to drag releases forward, likely to better compete with the launch of the new iPhone.

In 2025, the OnePlus 13 made its global debut on 7 January, alongside the OnePlus 13R, the "flagship killer" model that sat on premium hardware but offered a much lower price. Now it has been confirmed that OnePlus is preparing to launch the OnePlus 15R, which I expect will be a repeat performance, taking over the OnePlus 13's skills and offering a much lower price point.

OnePlus hasn't confirmed any details about the new handset, but has listed the device on its website. The description for the page reads "Be the first to get the AI-Powered 5G Phone OnePlus 15R", so we know the focus remain on AI, but for the hardware, we can look to the OnePlus Ace 6 for guidance.

It's likely that the OnePlus 15R will have Snapdragon 8 Elite power, a 6.83-inch display with 165Hz refresh rate and a pairing of a 50-megapixel main camera alongside an 8-megapixel ultrawide.

The battery in China is a 7800mAh unit, but that might be smaller for a global release in the OnePlus 15R. There's an image of the OnePlus Ace 6 below, which is what the OnePlus 15R should look like (but without the Ace graphics on the back).

There's a reason that OnePlus is sharing the details: it wants customers to sign-up and save money on the new devices.

A second OnePlus device to watch out for

There's a second device that OnePlus is teasing and that's a new OnePlus Watch. The OnePlus Watch 3 launched earlier in 2025 – slimming down with 43mm size in July – so it would fair to assume that the next generation is on the horizon. Or it could be a budget version to run alongside the OnePlus 15R.

Previously, we've seen the OnePlus Watch 2R, which made a few changes to focus on affordability and it could be that OnePlus is preparing to launch a more affordable version of the Watch 3.

It's also possible, that OnePlus is going to pick up on an earlier Oppo launch and produce a version of the Oppo Watch S. This watch is known for its slimness, featuring an ECG and coming with a 3,000 nit display.

While we're waiting for a little more confirmation, there are some details we can pull out of the terms and conditions on OnePlus' site. The "subscribe campaign" runs until 17 December, suggesting that the device could be announced on 17 or 18 December.

It's also revealed that there will be a new tablet launched, as it's one of the prizes for subscribing. While the OnePlus 15R name is confirmed, OnePlus is currently just referring to the wearable as "New Watch".

The OnePlus 15 has already launched in China, and we've been using one for the last week to bring you each of its new features as we test them, but you won't have too long to wait to get one in your own hands too.

The company has announced that it will launch the new flagship phone in the UK, US and Europe too, with its global debut planned for 13 November.

The contender for best Android phone comes with Qualcomm's latest flagship chipset – the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 – and up to 16GB of RAM.

The Chinese variant sports a 6.78-inch OLED display with a refresh rate of 165Hz, which should make gaming a breeze. But it's the camera system on the rear that's been getting to most attention.

That's partly thanks to OnePlus severing its ties with Hasselblad this time around (although parent brand Oppo still has some connection), and so a lot of eyes have been cast on its redesigned rear camera unit and DetailMax picture processing engine.

This utilises multiple technologies to capture more detail for photographs. For example, the Ultra-Clear 26-megapixel mode combines data from multiple 12-megapixel shots with a single 50-megapixel frame. This results in a 26-megapixel image with greater depth and clarity, OnePlus claims.

As for the phone itself, it comes in three different colours – Infinite Black, Sand Storm, and Ultra Violet – and each has an interesting treatment to its chassis to make it stand out. The black model uses a frosted glass rear case, for example, while the sand version has a fibreglass composite back panel with a metal frame.

You'll be able to see them in the flesh once they've launched on 13 November, and an early reservation offer is available now on OnePlus' website. If you pay €99 to secure your phone, you get an extra €50 discount. And you'll also be able to secure one of the other offers, including a free gift, such as a DJI Osmo Mobile 7 Gimbal, OnePlus Watch 3, OnePlus Pad Lite, or OnePlus Buds Pro 3.

OnePlus officially confirmed the OnePlus 15 in late September, getting in on the announcement of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. It joined the likes of Xiaomi in revealing that it would be one of the first devices to be powered by Qualcomm's new hardware.

At the time, the company said that more details would be released in the "coming weeks" and here we are – it has unveiled the official launch date in China.

Posting on Weibo, OnePlus has confirmed that the full reveal will take place on 27 October, with the launch of both the OnePlus 15 and OnePlus Ace 6.

That follows the timeline of the launch of the OnePlus 13, which was announced on 31 October 2024, so we can predict how the launch is going to pan out for the new device. It's likely that it will be available to buy in China in early November, with the global release in the first week of January.

The OnePlus 13 officially launched globally on 7 January 2025, making it one of the first next-gen phones to arrive, beating Samsung to the punch. And with Samsung launching the S25 family on 22 January, it looks like the OnePlus 15 and Galaxy S26 are going to arrive on a similar schedule.

One complication for OnePlus might be CES 2026 – the huge technology show dominates headlines, so that might see the company push the global announcement back slightly. Or, it might throw itself deep into the mix – time will tell.

What do we know about the OnePlus 15?

Thanks to 9to5Google, we also now know that the OnePlus 15 is going to launch in a Misty Purple colour, alongside the Original Sand Dune and Absolute Black. These colours may change for the global launch, if OnePlus thinks it can hit a better colour trend in different regions.

We know that the OnePlus 15 is going to be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and we know that there's a significant change to the design, dropping the round camera in favour of a squared unit instead.

The design overall is more squared, so it looks a little like the iPhone 16 Pro. It's going to have a 165Hz display that measures 6.78 inches.

There's also talk of a huge 7,300mAh battery with 120W charging – although the battery capacity may drop for the global release.

It will launch on Android 16 with OxygenOS 16, while it's expected that there will be three 50-megapixel cameras on the rear and a 32-megapixel camera on the front.

The phone is said to be made from aluminium with a ceramic coating, designed to be light with high durability and good heat dispersion.

We should find out more in a week's time.

OnePlus has gone to town to update its customers on what they're getting from OxygenOS 16. The company had a full event for the new software release and has even gone as far as confirming the schedule for phones to be updated.

We recently updated you on OnePlus' plans for Android 16, with an update counter on its website which some might have seen as a little over the top. But it's a great commitment to the software updating process and the level of detail that's now been supplied is impressive.

Via a community post, OnePlus has detailed exactly what OxygenOS 16 is bringing, as well as the full list of OnePlus phones to get the update and when that's going to happen, starting with the OnePlus 13.

Starting with the content of the update, OnePlus is naturally talking about how it is smooth and fast and how AI is getting deeper integration.

There's a collection of AI features that are highlighted – Mind Space working with the Plus Key (on some phones) where you log your ideas, creating collections of ideas and with Google Gemini integrated, allowing voice searching, as well as with Gemini able to use the information in Mind Space too.

Then there's AI Writer and AI Recorder features, like creating a mind map or using AI for noise cancellation so recordings are cleaner.

There's changes to the customisation options, photo editing tweaks, new easter eggs and a whole lot more which you can check out on the forum post.

Which OnePlus phones will get Android 16 and when?

OnePlus has provided a full schedule for the roll-out of OxygenOS 16 on its phones and tablets, broken down into three different time segments. The company has clarified that these updates will roll-out in batches, that there will be regional and carrier variations – and some devices might not get all the features.

Here are the confirmed OnePlus phones for OxygenOS 16:

From November 2025:

• OnePlus 13
• OnePlus 13R
• OnePlus 13s
• OnePlus Open
• OnePlus 12
• OnePlus 12R
• OnePlus Pad 3
• OnePlus Pad 2

From December 2025:

• OnePlus 11 5G
• OnePlus 11R 5G
• OnePlus Nord 5
• OnePlus Nord CE5
• OnePlus Nord 4
• OnePlus Nord 3 5G

From Q1 2026:

• OnePlus 10 Pro 5G
• OnePlus Nord CE4
• OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite 5G
• OnePlus Pad
• OnePlus Pad Lite

While Pixel owners have been enjoying Android 16 since June, other manufacturers are just catching up. OnePlus has confirmed the date that it will begin the roll-out of the new software (as OxygenOS 16) and is even running a countdown on its website for the software's launch.

OxygenOS 16 will integrate Android 16 and appropriately, the roll-out of the new software will start on 16 October.

The emphasis seems to be on the smoothness of animations and transitions around the phone and when switching apps, with the promise that your OnePlus phone won't slow down. The tag line "So fast. So smooth" is appended to the update.

Not only is OnePlus running that countdown, but has shared a couple of teaser videos on X following a musical theme – one with a keyboard and one with a guitar.

The video doesn't really show off any new features, instead sticking to that smooth and fast theme.

Sharing with other devices is also in the frame, including syncing with Apple Watch via the OHealth app – although the Apple Watch needs to be setup via an iPhone first.

We've previously seen a tease that Gemini – Google's AI – will be integrated into Mind Space, but beyond that, new features might take a little more digging too. That was the experience that Pixel owners found with Android 16 – it didn't change much at a surface level.

What OnePlus phones will get Android 16?

OnePlus has a four OS update policy on the OnePlus 13, and theree years on devices older than that. That should mean that the following devices are eligible for an update:

OnePlus phones:

• OnePlus 13, OnePlus13R, OnePlus 13T, OnePlus 13S
• OnePlus Open
• OnePlus 12, OnePlus 12R
• OnePlus 11, OnePlus 11R
• OnePlus Nord 5
• OnePlus Nord 4
• OnePlus Nord 3
• OnePlus Nord CE5
• OnePlus Nord CE4, OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite

OnePlus tablets:

• OnePlus Pad 3
• OnePlus Pad Lite
• OnePlus Pad 2
• OnePlus Pad

Meanwhile, OnePlus has already announced its next device, the OnePlus 15. This new phone is powered by Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, but we're not expecting to see it launch globally until 2026.

Reverting to a former playbook, OnePlus has revealed its latest flagship Android phone early. We don't yet have an official launch or release date yet, but T3 has been told that it'll launch globally. We've also been given more than a glimpse of the forthcoming device.

Following a leaked image taken during an eSports tournament in China, the company itself has now released scores of official pictures of the OnePlus 15 series. And it's something of a departure for the firm.

Or at least, it looks very different to last year's OnePlus 13. The number "14" is unlucky in Chinese culture, so has been skipped for the latest generation.

You actually only need to look at the OnePlus 13s to see where this bold new look comes from – that had already switched to the flat sides and squarish camera unit. Or you could look at just about every other phone coming out today. It seems that all the major manufacturers are opting for a similar, iPhone-like design language.

Back to the OnePlus 15 though and the company has shared images of the Sand Storm version – as that colourway will be called globally. Much of the photography takes the theme fairly literally, too.

Posted on the official OnePlus account on Weibo, the pics also show the company's first flagship camera unit since splitting from its partnership with Hasselblad. It's moved to a square shape with rounded corners and over to the top-left. The OnePlus 13 had a circular unit.

Apart from that, the Weibo posts also confirm that the phone will indeed have a 165Hz display as rumoured. OnePlus says this will make it perfect for gaming.

In addition, the chassis will be made from "aerospace-grade nano-ceramic metal" – aluminium coated with a ceramic layer. It's reportedly lighter than titanium, but more durable and with superior heat dissipation.

We also seem to have a clue about the release date. In one of the shots, with the phone held in someone's hand, there's a date on the display – 27 October. This could well be the launch date in China.

It's not known whether this will also be the global launch date. We'll find out soon.

As for specifications, it was previously confirmed to be one of the first phones to launch with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset running the show, while rumours have pointed to 16GB of RAM, three 50-megapixel rear cameras, a 7,000mAh battery and 120W wired charging.

The screen will also utilise a 6.78-inch LPTO OLED display, it's said.

We'll let you know more as we near launch. For now, the OnePlus 15 is certainly shaping up to be a phone to keep an eye on.

If you're on the lookout for the best Android phone on the market, there might well be a new contender. What's more, this new option could hang on to the top spot for a while.

That's because the OnePlus 15 has just been announced, and it's packing some serious firepower under the hood. The handset is one of the first in the world to feature the brand new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset.

That is – rather confusingly – the second generation of the brand's Elite chipsets, and is its current flagship offering. The brand suggests that this chip will offer a 20% boost versus its predecessor, which should mean killer performance.

Speaking about the announcement, OnePlus founder, Pete Lau, said, "For more than a decade, OnePlus and Qualcomm have moved in lockstep to redefine what a flagship can be. With Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 at its core, the OnePlus 15 carries that legacy forward, delivering the speed, intelligence and efficiency our users demand today and into the future.”

It's not just the processor specs which we're excited by. The announcement also talks about the new DetailMax image engine, which is the OnePlus' post-Hasselblad effort.

The OnePlus 15 will be the first device to use that engine, and the first released images from a few weeks ago suggest that it'll be a pretty strong contender. Those images looked sharp and vibrant, which fills us with confidence in the brands efforts to spread its wings.

There's no official word on exactly when the device will be launched at this point, but we're used to seeing OnePlus handsets arrive before the calendar is changed, so it shouldn't be too long. There's the promise of even more information being released in the coming weeks, too, so there should be plenty for fans to sink their teeth into.

We've heard a fair bit from OnePlus about its next flagship Android phone series – not least because it'll be the first in a while without a Hasselblad-backed camera.

We've heard about its screen technology from company president, Li Jie, who teased that it'll surpass the new iPhone 17 Pro with a 165Hz refresh rate. And we've seen photos allegedly taken with its new, Hasselblad-free rear cams.

Now it looks like we've got a glimpse of the phone itself – and that much-discussed camera.

Posted on Chinese social site Weibo by reliable leaker Digital Chat Station (via Techlusive), an image shows what is said to be the OnePlus 15 in white. It's being used to take a photo using the new camera, which has an unusual design.

The picture was allegedly taken during the Elite Gaming League Finals in China, with what looks to be a fan or pro gamer (it's unclear) holding the forthcoming device.

If real, the camera unit is completely different to the one on the OnePlus 13. That was completely circular, whereas this has a shape more akin to the iPhone Pro models up to the iPhone 16 Pro. However, two of the sensors are in a pill shape, with the third and a flash are separate on the right-hand side.

The phone also looks to have flat edges, with the previous model being more tapered at the sides.

In fact, the design is much more like the OnePlus 13s than its direct equivalent from last year – so this seems to be the direction the brand is heading in.

As for other specifications, it's claimed that the phone – which is expected to be launched in China before the end of the year – will sport a 6.78-inch LPTO OLED display with that 165Hz refresh rate mentioned above.

It could be one of the first to run on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset being officially launched later this week by Qualcomm. And it will come with up to 16GB of RAM, it's said.

Battery life could also be a major draw, as rumours point to a 7,000mAh battery and 120W wired charging. There could also be 50W wireless charging, too.

As for that camera again, current thinking is that it'll use three 50-megapixel cameras on the rear.

We'll undoubtedly find out more in the next couple of months.

Incidentally, if you're wondering why this will be the OnePlus 15 when the previous model was the OnePlus 13 – 14 is considered to be an unlucky number in China.

With the recent launch of the iPhone 17 range, one of the most important additions saw the inclusion of Apple's ProMotion display on the base model for the very first time. That's something fans of the brand – present company very much included – have been asking for for years.

That addition means iPhone 17 users will be able to enjoy a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate for the first time. The feature had previously been exclusive to the Pro models in the iPhone family, having first debuted with the iPhone 13 Pro back in 2021.

Now, it looks as though OnePlus could smash that, with its new OnePlus 15 handset. That's not expected until the end of the year, but we're starting to hear a lot of rumours about the handset.

This one comes direct from the President of OnePlus China, Li Jie, on Weibo. In the post, Li praises Apple for entering the era of high refresh rates, before going on to say that OnePlus will lead the industry in this area this time out.

While it's not exactly a concrete admission, we'd wager that this is a suggestion of the OnePlus 15 carrying a 165Hz refresh rate. It wouldn't be the first device to carry such a specification – I tested the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro last year, which was similarly spec'd – but it would mark a significant moment for OnePlus.

That brand certainly feels a step more consumer-focused than Asus, which is definitely leaning hard into the gaming niche. For that market, the technology is far less prevalent, and so should be a welcome addition.

Of course, it's unlikely to feel as revolutionary as the iPhone jump. The leap from 60Hz to 120Hz is more significant than the step from 120Hz to 165Hz, and will be easier to feel in standard day-to-day use.

With OnePlus usually launching devices before the year ends, we shouldn't have to wait too long to find out exactly what the device has to offer.

Back in June, we reported on a dramatic change coming to the next generation of OnePlus phones. That report suggested that the brand would be ceasing its partnership with Swedish camera giant, Hasselblad, which has previously collaborated on the optics in its devices.

Now, the first images from the post-Hasselblad era have been showcased – and it's not as bad as we first feared. In a blog post on the brand's website – machine translated from Chinese – OnePlus announces the end of the Hasselblad era, and shares a trio of pictures taken with its new in-house camera system.

That's called Lumo in the blog post, though reports suggest it might be called the DetailMax Engine in other regions. I'd wager that Lumo is a little snappier, personally.

All three of the sample images are taken using the 85mm equivalent focal length, and the results look stellar. Colours look really nice, and there's a solid degree of detail, albeit without the depth of field you'd find in a dedicated setup.

Still, what it lacks in physical sensor capabilities, it makes up for in computational power. The report suggests that the system has been designed to capture people, with exceptional performance in portrait blur, motion capture and telephoto imaging.

That sounds like a seriously competent setup, and one which should tantalise phone photography lovers everywhere. I've long been a fan of the brand's photography prowess, and this proves that there is more to it than just a Hasselblad logo.

Clearly some of that magic has rubbed off, and the results prove that a post-collaboration landscape should still be competitive among the best Android phones on the market.

The camera technology should arrive as part of the OnePlus 15 launch, and if historic release schedules are anything to go by, that will come around the end of the year. We'll have to wait and see, but I'm certainly excited to give this one a go.

The fight to be crowned the best phone in 2025 looks like a really interesting one. Samsung has been an early favourite, with its Galaxy S25 range launching early in the calendar year.

More recently, we saw the Google Pixel 10 unveiled, which looks set to push the boundary of the brand's Android phone offering even further. And before the ball drops to send us into 2026, we're also anticipating a landmark iPhone launch, with the promise of more goodies from across the market.

That includes the successor to the OnePlus 13 – and a new leak suggests that could have one spec point which outdoes both Apple and Samsung. The news comes from notorious tech leaker, Digital Chat Station (via Android Police), who suggest that the next model from the brand will make use of a 165Hz refresh rate on the display.

It's not going to be the first of that ilk – we've already tested the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro which had such technology – but it's still a decent step for a more consumer-focused device. The news will be of particular interest to mobile gamers, where the increased refresh rate is best put to use.

While most might not think added refresh rate is a must-have feature for their next handset, it will certainly be a welcome addition. Even if you never use the higher rate setting, you'll save power by making use of a lesser refresh rate.

We'd also expect the handset to make use of the newest Qualcomm chip – which is unreleased as of now, but could be called the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 – while there's talk of a new colour called Moon Rock Black.

It's also expected to be the first OnePlus model in a long time which loses the Hasselblad camera system. That's been a long-standing feature on the flagship handsets, though it looks like the brand could take matters in-house this time around.

If you're in the market for a new tablet, you've probably got a fair chunk of change saved. Like most things in life, the good ones don't come cheap, and the cheap ones are rarely any good, so it pays to make a solid investment.

Fortunately, that's not the case with OnePlus. After the roaring success of its OnePlus Pad 3 – a tablet which boasts lightness and killer tech among its key selling points – the brand is back with another device ready to steal your heart.

The OnePlus Pad Lite takes the same ethos, but packs it all into a much more affordable end product. From today, the model is also available to pre-order in the UK, with a range of fantastic deals on offer. For starters, you'll get £30 off the list price, plus a free gift and an extra £30 when you trade-in!

The device sits just 7.39mm thick, and weighs just 530g, making it perfectly slim and light enough for daily carry. The 11-inch display offers 500 nits of peak brightness – which is certainly not the best offering out there, but should do fine indoors – with a 16:10 aspect ratio offered. There's even 10-bit colour depth, a 90Hz refresh rate and 180 touch sampling rate, all of which spell a lovely experience in the hand.

For audio lovers, the brand offers a quad speaker array inside. All of those are hi-res audio certified, too, ensuring you can enjoy truly terrific sound quality at all times.

The 9,340mAh battery should ensure you have enough charge for longer sessions, while 35W SUPERVOOC charging will also keep it topped up quickly.

But perhaps the most inviting part of this device is the price tag. With the base model starting at just £199 / €229 (approx. US$266 / AU$409) this model offers a really compelling value-for-money proposition.

Okay, it might not go toe-to-toe on every spec point, but there's enough of the good stuff here to warrant interest for most people. Whether or not the added 5% is enough to push you towards a higher priced model is down to you – but if you're content, this is a killer deal.

"It might be too bulky for some", was one of the concluding lines from our OnePlus Watch 3 review, as the company first launched its latest wearable in a 46mm size. But now there's great news for those with slimmer wrists too – a 43mm version.

The OnePlus Watch 3 43mm has a sightly more minimalist design, stripping away some of the bulk of the case for a sleeker build. It now looks more like the Pixel Watch 3.

And as an added bonus, the new OnePlus Watch 3 43mm doesn't lose any functionality, it basically offers the same features but with a more compact design.

It's 28% lighter than the regular model, with more delicate lugs, a button that's flush with the casing on the side, and still offers the rotating crown. The screen on the new model is 1.32-inches, so a little smaller than the 1.5-inches of the original.

The AMOLED screen has a 466 x 466 pixel resolution (the same as the original), while it's powered by the Snapdragon W5 Gen 1, a dedicated hardware platform for wearable devices. The battery is said to last for up to 60 hours and it has an IP68 protection rating, so you can use it in water.

The case is stainless steel, coming in black or silver, while it comes with a fluroelastomer strap. OnePlus said that it decided to launch this smaller size in response to feedback from its community.

The OnePlus Watch 3 43mm is loaded with features

We already think that the OnePlus Watch 3 is one of the best smartwatches of 2025, and with a new smaller option pitching up, it only reinforces that strong positioning.

Priced at £269 / €299 (although currently available with a slight launch discount), it's slightly cheaper than the original too.

The Watch 3 is loaded with features, with this new model introducing female health tracking and new Mind & Body Evaluation to look after your wellbeing.

This will use your HRV (heart rate variability) and other factors to evaluate your mental wellbeing and make suggestions for you. This might include things like telling you to take a break, go to bed or get something to eat.

There are also video watch faces, adding a little excitement to the front of the watch, while it will act as a health monitor, including heart rate tracking during exercise, sleep tracking.

The OnePlus Watch 3 43mm runs on the Wear OS 5 platform, with the company telling me that Gemini will soon be on the watch too, replacing Google Assistant. There's also support for offline YouTube Music, Google Wallet and the full range of Wear OS apps.

The Watch 3 43mm is available to buy now.

Hot off the heels of the OnePlus Pad 3 – one of the best Android tablets you can buy – there's a new tablet from OnePlus for those who can't quite stretch to the iPad Pro competitor.

The OnePlus Pad Lite comes in at £199 (€229) making it cheaper than any iPad and cheaper than many Samsung Tabs too.

In fact, the company has even swiped 15% off the price in an introductory offer, so you can snap it up for £169 right now.

The OnePlus Pad Lite design is closer to the OnePlus Pad 2, with a central camera on the rear, but with a two-tone finish to the back. It's a 16:10 aspect display, so great for watching movies on the move, and slightly different to the 7:5 aspect of the OnePlus Pad 3.

It's an 11-inch display with a 1920 x 1200 pixel resolution and support for 10-bit colour. Animation is kept smooth by the 90Hz tech that powers it, but it's not an IPS display like its bigger brother – it's an LCD display instead.

My first impressions of the display are that it's nice and vibrant, with plenty of punch to the colours.

To boost the watching experience, there are four speakers on this tablet, which should provide a nice directional sound field for immersive entertainment.

OnePlus is offering Wi-Fi and LTE versions of this tablet, with the Wi-Fi version offering a 6/128GB configuration and the LTE coming with 8/128GB.

There's a MediaTek Helio G100 chip powering this tablet, so the power fits its entry-level positioning, unlike the OnePlus Pad 3 which is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite for flagship power.

There's 33W charging (charger sold separately) which should top you up quickly and I'd expect the battery to last through 11 hours of video, or 54 days of standby.

While the hardware pulls this tablet into the affordable end of the spectrum, there are some attractive software features too. That's one of the best features of the OnePlus Pad 3 and we expect a similar level of cohesion here.

Open Canvas is a great approach to multitasking, letting you slide a screen off to the side until you want it back. Instead of squishing everything into smaller windows, you can move things around to cross reference and get stuff done.

There's also greater compatibility with Apple devices than we've seen in the past. This is something of a growing trend for Android devices, with O+ Connect allowing quick and easy file sharing with your iPhone or iPad.

If you're thinking of putting this into the hands of younger users, there's a Kids Mode with full parental controls, while the Folio Case for the OnePlus Pad Lite is only £35.

Pre-orders for the OnePlus Pad Lite open from 8 July and it comes in an Aero Blue colour.

In the world of Android phones, a big shift has been expected for a while. A few years ago, the Qi2 charging standard was introduced, which looked set to offer a MagSafe-like charging experience on other handsets.

It took a while to bed in thanks to product design cycles, but it's finally starting to rear its head on some rumoured devices. Now, a new report suggests that Oppo and OnePlus handsets will arrive with a similar technology – but it may not integrate the Qi2 standard.

The news comes from renowned tipster, Digital Chat Station, who suggests that the brands are working on a proprietary magnetic charging solution. That's not dissimilar to the MagSafe charging found in iPhones, though with a slightly different design so as to not infringe upon any patents.

It's certainly an interesting approach. Many commentators – myself included – saw the Qi2 standard as a really brilliant opportunity for brands to unify their approach.

This rumour suggests that the two brands are looking to circumvent that, which would definitely be an odd choice. While I can see the benefits of having total control over the hardware which works with your device, walling it off from other Android devices would make the accessories less valuable to the consumer.

I'd be much more inclined to buy into a system of chargers and accessories that worked seamlessly with most of the phones on the market, rather than investing heavily into something specific.

Still, there's no guarantee that it will or wont right now. Regardless, it's great to see other brands working to implement solid wireless charging capabilities. In my opinion, it has been one of the best features for Apple devices over the last few years.

With the handsets in question usually arriving around the end of the calendar year, we should still have a good few months before they're set to arrive. We'll certainly be keeping an eye out for more details and information over the coming months.

When most of us use our smartphone cameras to take a quick picture, after more than a decade of being able to rely on it to do so, we probably don't think much about exactly how it got tuned. It's one thing to consider the supply chain and assembly line that built your phone, but another to consider the choices that led to exactly how it works.

When I visited OnePlus' impressive health laboratory in Shenzhen earlier this year, I also got a quick tour of one of its other facilities – a smartphone camera tuning lab. Here, I was shown just how the phone brand tunes its cameras, and was surprised by what I saw.

I visited what felt like another world; it was a series of fake rooms, each carefully lit and filled with props to look exactly like a different real-world location, from the lobby of a hotel to a convenience store, a fast food joint and even a cocktail bar. These provided the variety subjects and lighting conditions to be tested.

Around this little town of fake rooms trundled a pre-programmed robot, with a large arm clasping a phone. It would go off on an identical route each time, stopping at designated spots to take the exact same photos over and over again. This way, OnePlus' technicians could rely on getting back photos in the exact same position to compare as they tweaked different variables within the camera.

Watching this happen (or watching part of it, anyway) was a fascinating reminder of the amount of time that goes into tuning the software we take for granted, even after the hardware is ready. There's basically no way around this problem that doesn't involve taking thousands of photos to compare, so that the differences between different setups can be established.

It's also a good example of how automation can be a great thing in these processes. OnePlus told me how it took a fraction of the time for a robot to take identical photos compared to a human, with the job obviously being monotonous and finicky for people to do on their own.

Hopefully this stands as an interesting glimpse into how your phone actually comes together – for every component, you can easily and safely presume that similar amounts of time and work has gone into fine-tuning it.

The world of tablets – much like the world of phones – is broadly divided. Those who make use of technology from different ecosystems will often find themselves shoehorned into one camp or the other, limiting the compatible devices for their system.

On the one side, you have iPhone users, who can enjoy the suite of different iPads on offer. But for those using Android phones, things have been broadly less appealing.

For me, OnePlus makes some of the most exciting Android tablets around. Its latest OnePlus Pad 3 looks like a killer tablet, with stacks of amazing tech and specs to get excited about, including superb thinness.

Now, rumours suggest the brand isn't done. According to leaker Smart Pikachu on Weibo, the brand is testing a new gaming tablet – and it could have a smaller, iPad Mini-rivalling footprint.

According to the report, the brand is working on a gaming tablet with an 8.x-inch display. That's also said to run at 165Hz and offers a 3k resolution.

It's not the only device of this ilk that we've seen. Recently, Redmagic announced a similar device packing the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, though that's a 9-inch model.

For me, the OnePlus unit is a much more tantalising prospect anyway. In the world of Android tablets, the brand has been my standout pick for a while now, offering the most compelling overall package for anyone who doesn't use the Cupertino-based brand.

With the strength of phones like the OnePlus 13 also showing how good the brand can make an everyday device, the future looks really bright. If it can turn its tablets into something which can be used for productivity and working – as well as offering something capable for gaming – it could be the cornerstone of a fantastic in-house tech ecosystem.

While there are a range of big names in the world of Android phones, few have the kind of rags to riches cachet of OnePlus. Initially born to offer a more affordable alternative to the major names, the brand is now firmly cemented in the segment.

Key to its success has been consistency. Designs often stay very similar between generations, while the spec sheet of the devices is always predictable in a good way – you really feel like you know what you're getting.

That could all change with the next gen OnePlus 15, though. According to a recent report from Digital Chat Station, the brand could sever its ties with legendary imaging brand, Hasselblad, for the new model.

The two have been collaborating since 2021, and have created one of the most sought-after phone cameras on the market. That makes use of things like colour science and a Pro mode, which are part of what makes the camera so beloved.

Instead, the new model is said to use an in-house image brand – effectively OnePlus returning to its own ideas about the camera. In theory, that should allow for OnePlus to have better end-to-end control over the image capture process, which should aid integration.

It's also likely to save some cash. I have no doubt that licensing the Hasselblad logo is not cheap, though whether or not that saving makes it to the end user is yet to be seen.

It's not just the licensing which would change, either. The same tipster states that the engineering unit of the device doesn't have a round camera bump, as the OnePlus 13 does. There's still scope for that to change, but it would mark a seismic shift for the brand, which has a fairly iconic silhouette at this point.

Elsewhere, we'd expect to see a new flagship processor in the device, while other rumours suggest that it could have an extremely narrow bezel. We'll certainly be keeping a close eye on what the brand comes up with.

If you're a fan of Android phones, OnePlus is probably a brand you're aware of. Their handsets are widely regarded as some of the best out there, offering an enviable blend of specs and design.

Now, the brand has unveiled its newest tablet – the OnePlus Pad 3. And for those seeking a viable iPad alternative to pair with their Android setup, this might just be it.

First things first, let's talk size. The tablet sits a meagre 5.97mm thick, which should make it effortless to slip into bags without bulking them up too much. It also weighs just 675g – thanks, in part, to an aluminium construction – so you won't need to hit the gym before carrying it around all day, either.

Inside, you'll find a Snapdragon 8 Elite processor. That's pretty much the gold standard for modern mobile processing, and should be good enough to power through just about any task you can think of.

That's married up with a 12,140mAh battery, which offers up to 18 hours of video playback on a single charge. You also won't need to fear running out of charge, either. 80W Supervooc charging offers a full top up in just 92 minutes.

Because its a OnePlus tablet, you'll also get up to 60 days of standby time. That means you won't pick it up one day and find that the battery died while you weren't making use of it.

Elsewhere, you'll find a 13.2-inch display, complete with a 144Hz refresh rate. That also tops out at 900 nits of peak brightness, and it TUV eye care 4.0 certified.

Last but not least, you'll find a whopping eight-speaker array inside. That's constructed from four pairs of bass units and tweeters, for a truly sumptuous sonic experience. It also enables Holo Audio, which lets users place different sounds within the sonic space.

Priced from £529 / €599 (approx. US$720 / AU$1,100) this certainly seems like an excellent offering for Android users seeking a pro-grade tablet experience.

The world of tech is staunchly divided. Those seeking a new phone, for example, face the choice between an Android phone and an iPhone, with the respective ecosystems potentially keeping them locked into a smaller set of devices in other areas.

Fortunately, in 2025, we're making moves to change that. OnePlus, for example, has a feature called O+ Connect. That allows users to connect their phone with other devices, regardless of brand.

Notably, that means that users will be able to connect to Apple devices like the iPad or a MacBook. Previously, that has been a dreadfully painful task, but the new app makes it relatively seamless.

What's more peculiar is that the update in questions hasn't yet arrived on the current flagship OnePlus 13. That's said to be happening in the coming months – but it has debuted on the brand's cheaper phone, the OnePlus 13R.

Quite why that decision was made is unclear. It's possible that the brand is making use of a more budget-conscious device to test the water with the new feature, before rolling it out to its flagship device.

It offers a lot of functionality, too. The software enables file transfers between devices, with users able to flip images, documents and more between phone and tablet or laptop with ease.

It also allows you to remotely control those devices. That's really handy, ensuring you can always access the files and applications on your home device, even if you're not nearby.

With more devices set to be added in the coming months, it certainly seems like something the brand is pushing for. We've already seen its sister brand, Oppo, enjoy the fruits of this feature, with the Oppo Find N5 able to utilise it.

I'm a really big fan of it. Anything which can bridge the gaps between device ecosystems is a big win in my book, and I hope we see more of this across the board in the next few years.

If you've been paying attention to the technical side of smartphone development over the last 18 months or so, which not everyone does, you may have noticed a huge swell in attention over one big new feature. Battery life, after being relatively static for years in the best phones, could be in line for a new revolution thanks to a replacement for the traditional, simpler lithium-ion pack.

It's called silicone carbide, and in fact, it's still a lithium-ion battery, but with fancier anodes that allow for much greater energy density, meaning more battery capacity in smaller packages. When I went to Shenzhen a couple of weeks ago to see various OnePlus facilities, you could see evidence of these new batteries in a few places.

More than just that, I talked to Rudolf Xu, Senior Product Marketing Manager at OnePlus, about the jump in user expectations and performance that might come with the new tech as it spreads, and he was unequivocal about what it'll mean for phone users.

"The spec will continue to rise, for sure. [...] By adding silicon in the anode of the battery, it helps us increase the energy density compared with a traditional graphite anode. So if the energy density continues to increase, then in the same size, you can fit in a larger battery." That's complex stuff reduced to a simple concept – more capacity, no extra thickness.

Xu went on: "So, the battery capacities will continue to rise, and users welcome that, because eventually what they really want is a phone that can last, let's say, two days on a single charge." Again, it's hard to argue with the core point that people are desperate for phones that last longer, but also don't want fatter phones in their pocket as a downside.

So, silicon carbide batteries look like the answer, but they're not coming out quite as quickly as some observers hoped. OnePlus just unveiled the 13T, a smaller mid-range phone that will only come out in China, and its impressive 6,260mAh battery, which employs the new tech to great results.

However, it's not shipping to the US or EU (possibly because EU regulations don't allow a single-cell battery that big in a phone). This means we're still realistically waiting for the first big worldwide device to bring a big step forward in battery capacity to the masses.

It leaves me wondering who will be first to market, and whether this sort of technical explanation will ever break through. More likely is that one of the big phone-makers will debut a flagship that has battery life it can really shout about, without bothering to explain to the average consumer just why the change has come about.

Xu confirmed that OnePlus sees better battery as a way to tempt people into upgrades at a time when many are holding on to their phones longer than ever before, so it'll be interesting to see if the company can be one of the first to market with a truly jaw-dropping battery increase.

It's easy to take things for granted, the more tech you fold into your daily life. Scroll back a couple of decades, and the most advanced pedometer couldn't do much more than tell a very vague estimate of how far you'd walked that day, but smartwatches and the best phones can now give you untold amounts more detail.

Whether it's GPS-enabled activity tracking or more precise analysis using the accelerometers onboard a smartwatch in particular sports modes, fitness looks very different now. Still, if you've ever wondered how manufacturers actually ensure that their devices get tracking right, you'd probably be interested to see OnePlus' new health research hub in Shenzhen, China.

I was shown around the facility last week and could immediately see why the company's so proud of it – even if it arguably just brings it up to the level of other giants like Huawei, which has a similar lab of its own. The whole building was like stepping into a science fiction facility.

Its ground floor is basically a large open-plan school-style gymnasium, but with a whole heap of machines and technical additions that you might not recognise. First up, OnePlus showed me a set of treadmills it was using to create baseline records of people's blood oxygenation (SpO2) while exercising.

This metric has become more prized in recent years, but OnePlus stressed that you can't estimate SpO2 accurately from a smartwatch's sensors unless you have a great set of data to back up your claims. So, rather than strapping watches on volunteers to verify this, it was staying old-school and simply building up a database of readings that it could use to understand the metric better in the first place.

Similar stations were dotted around to measure people's stride length as they jogged, and to fully motion capture them while they ran, cycled, played basketball and more. There was even a dedicated badminton court and golf simulator, along with a climbing wall and a chunky treadmill that could accommodate both a bike or skis, depending on the setup.

All of these can help OnePlus to build databases that can inform its tracking, and thus the fitness algorithms that actually drive its various sports modes on smartwatches. Upstairs, meanwhile, the facility got more clinical and divided into smaller rooms. Here we saw altitude chambers to see how going further above sea level impacted on people's fitness.

There were also labs for more medical examinations and tests, along with sleep rooms aimed at improving sleep tracking from both wearables and phones like the OnePlus 13. Again, I kept expecting to see those bits of consumer hardware in evidence, but OnePlus' reps stressed that this wasn't really how the lab was operating at that point.

Take sleep tracking; I thought the play would be to put one of OnePlus' best smartwatches on someone, then send them to sleep with a bunch of other sensors hooked up to them. From there, you could compare whether the watch's tracking matched the more expensive and sophisticated setup.

Instead, though, OnePlus seemed (for now) to be simply using the fancier sensors – doing so to ensure that it can fully understand how different details change while we sleep, before presumably later leveraging that data to improve its actual tracking. Needless to say, the nuance of what informs the order it does this research in isn't something I'm privy to, but it was a fascinating reveal regardless.

Of course, even beyond the realities of what tracking this will all unlock, there's something otherworldly about checking out this sort of shiny facility. It all looked so visibly new (since it very much is new), and I could almost imagine astronauts playing basketball in breaks from training for space. Sci-fi indeed – but also just another measure of how huge companies like OnePlus' parent Oppo really are, despite more limited footprints outside of China.

The Apple campus in Cupertino might be one of the shiniest headquarters in the world, but seeing the sort of facilities that the likes of Oppo have set up in Shenzhen is an eye-opener, in effect. That's really only a revelation if you haven't done much research, but it's nonetheless worth restating.

Similarly, I knew on some level that this sort of testing has to be done before you pop out a fitness tracker with decent accuracy – that doesn't just come from nowhere. Still, seeing the research actually being conducted is a useful reminder of just how much work really goes into the features that we all take for granted.

OnePlus could have a new folding phone in development, as new details surface pointing to an unreleased device. OnePlus has previously said that it won’t be releasing a folding phone in 2025, so this might be a device for 2026 instead.

The new details come from Max Jambor on X. Jambor is a reliable leaker of information about unreleased phones, while this new information has also been corroborated by Abhishek Yadav, who has a good reputation in this area, too.

Little is revealed about OnePlus’ plans, expect that it’s called Pagani – likely to be an internal codename – and that it’s a book-style foldable.

There isn’t much we can decipher from the codename, but the fact that it’s a book-style foldable shouldn’t come as a surprise. The OnePlus Open – OnePlus’ first folding phone – was also book style, opening up to give you a larger internal display like a small tablet.

The OnePlus Open was one of the best folding phones because of the interesting approach to its software, particularly the Open Canvas feature that allowed for apps to be moved off the main display, but within easy reach to drag them back in, rather than constantly switching apps or having to view them in tiny windows on a split screen.

Wait, wasn’t OnePlus rumoured to launch a phone in 2025?

Earlier in the year it was thought that the OnePlus Open 2 was going to be based on the Oppo Find N5. Oppo’s folding phone was announced on 20 February, offering a really slim folding phone that Mike Lowe, T3’s tech editor called “2025’s hottest new folding phone” in his review.

While many had been expecting OnePlus to take Oppo’s hardware and make a few design tweaks, layering in Oxygen OS, to make the OnePlus Open 2, the company came forward and said that wasn’t going to happen.

OnePlus probably felt it needed to clarify the situation to put a halt to the rampant speculation online. But, the company also confirmed that it wasn’t leaving this segment of the market, instead saying that it was “committed to developing products that will redefine multiple categories and bring you experiences that are as innovative and exciting as ever".

So while it looks like there’s a OnePlus foldable in the works, it’s unlikely to appear until the year is out. Until then, the OnePlus 13 has received rave reviews.

For the longest time, wearables forced us to choose between great battery life or clever smarts, until the OnePlus Watch 2 delivered both. Now, the OnePlus Watch 3 refines the formula in a bid to be the best smartwatch of 2025.

Before the OnePlus Watch 2, I’d review smartwatches like the Apple Watch Ultra 2, Google Pixel Watch 3, and Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra for a few weeks, then switch back to my longer-lasting Huawei Watch GT series with its two-week battery life.

The OnePlus Watch 2 changed that with around four days of battery life in smart mode and two weeks in Power Saver mode, keeping me hooked for months after reviewing it. The OnePlus Watch 3 builds on that with a fully functional rotating crown, a larger, brighter display, a titanium bezel, slightly better battery life, an ECG sensor, and upgraded GPS.

After a month with it, though, I reckon the OnePlus Watch 3 is worth the wait (the launch was pushed to April 2025) even without ECG support (which is currently not supported in the UK or US). That said, it probably isn’t worth an upgrade for existing users, and here’s why.

OnePlus Watch 3 review

Price and availability

The OnePlus Watch 3 is available in one size – 46mm – and two colour options: Emerald Titanium (green strap) and Obsidian Titanium (black strap). Both cost the same, £319/ $329.99, though if you’re reading this before April 15 2025, which is when the watch will start shipping, OnePlus is offering some hefty pre-order discounts.

The Watch 3’s price is higher than the Watch 2’s when it launched at £299/ $299, though with pre-order discounts, you can expect to pay the same or less depending on where you are.

Specifications

• Weight: 49.7g (without strap), 81g (with strap)
• Dimensions: 47.6 x 46.6 x 11.8 mm
• Case: Stainless steel frame with a titanium alloy bezel
• Lens: Sapphire crystal glass
• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen 1/BES2800BP
• Display: 1.5-inch LTPO AMOLED, 466 x 466 resolution, peak brightness of 2,200 nits
• Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n (dual-band)
• Battery Life: Up to 5 days in Smart Mode; up to 16 days in Power Saver Mode
• Water Resistance: 5 ATM (up to 50 meters) and IP68 rated
• GPS: Dual-frequency (L1+L5) GPS

Design and build quality

The OnePlus Watch 3 looks almost identical to the Watch 2, but a few key upgrades shine through when you hold both side by side. The most obvious is the Watch 3’s smaller bezels, with its 1.5-inch LTPO AMOLED display making it feel fresher than last year’s model. The screen’s a sharp 466 x 466 resolution, beams at up to 2,200 nits for easy viewing in direct sunlight, and the case is slightly more compact.

OnePlus has opted for a premium stainless steel frame with a titanium alloy bezel, giving it a refined look and added durability. I’ve bashed my review device against door frames and used it in the gym four times a week for a month, and it still looks box-fresh. While the Emerald Titanium Watch 3 features a polished silver case, the Titanium Obsidian Watch 3’s case (pictured below) is a polished gunmetal colour, complementing the black strap nicely.

Like its predecessor, the OnePlus Watch 3 is 5 ATM-rated and IP68 dust and water-resistant, so it’s ready for an accidental dunk or a swim. The sapphire crystal glass covering the display is also totally scratch-free a month into use, so in my time with the watch, there’s no need to question its durability.

Practically speaking, the most notable upgrade this year is the rotating crown, which now supports menu navigation and interface scrolling. This really should have been in place on the Watch 2, but it works great, whether scrolling through notifications or zooming in and out of your app grid and the haptics when you rotate it are also satisfying.

The OnePlus Watch 3 is not small, at 47.6 x 46.6 x 11.8 mm, so may be too chunky for some, but it’s no Garmin Enduro 2. At 49.7g without the strap and 81g with it, it has some weight behind it, contributing to its premium feel.

Any fans of strap swapping, the OnePlus Watch 3 supports quick-release interchangeable straps (46mm). However, OnePlus warns that to get the very best health tracking, use a proprietary strap as it sits flush with the case to minimise light leakage from the monitors on its undercarriage.

As for comfort, I had no issues with the Watch 3. Having used the Watch 2 for months when it launched, the Watch 3 is a natural progression, with similar ergonomic touches like the angled, easy-to-press bottom button being very welcome, a comfortable strap and no hairy-wrist tugging.

Performance

The OnePlus Watch 3 is a watch of two halves, Smart, and Power Saver. In Smart mode, the watch offers full Wear OS support and uses the Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 chipset. In Power Saver, functionality is paired back to Huawei Watch GT/advanced fitness tracker levels, the watch switches to the BES2800BP chip, but battery life is more than tripled.

What makes the OnePlus Watch 3 more impressive than a watch with two modes, however, is the fact its Smart mode takes advantage of the Power Saving BES2800BP chip, so when you sleep or when the watch is idle, it sips away at the battery by switching to the low-power chip. The fact this feels seamless when in smart mode is excellent, and the two modes sharing the same aesthetic also helps create a sense of unity across the experience.

Navigating the watch is silky smooth. There’s 2GB RAM, which helps with basic multi-tasking, such as setting a timer mid-workout, which impressively works across both Smart and Power Saver modes.

For anything that relies on an internet connection, things can take a second while the Bluetooth connection between your Watch 3 and phone catches up or the watch connects to Wi-Fi. Still, for typical day-to-day tasks, notification management, replying to messages with voice input, and activating Google Assistant, everything worked well.

If you don’t mind halving your battery life, the always-on display is easy to see indoors, though it can be a bit trickier in bright environments, but a quick wrist twist fires up the full brightness, and with an ambient light sensor, auto brightness works well.

The OnePlus Watch 3’s fitness tracking covers over 100 workout modes and worked well in my time with it. The GPS was quick to lock on for outdoor jogs and walks, and for gym sessions, the rowing machine and freestyle training modes did a good job of tracking calories burnt and also illustrating what level my heart rate was at, with the warmup, fat-burning, endurance, anaerobic and threshold zones each represented by a colour.

Excellent for casual exercisers, more advanced runners and sportspeople might find the app and health tracking a bit limiting.

Sleep tracking worked well in my month with the watch, displaying a breakdown of sleep stages pretty much as soon as I woke up. To get your sleep score, you need your phone connected to the watch. This highlights the hand-off process from watch to phone when you want to pull up deeper insights or historical data.

On the subject of the OHealth app, it centralises your workout records, plots your walks and runs on a map, and breaks down data visually for easy sharing. The main feature I missed from my Huawei Watch GT 5, Fit 3, and Garmin Enduro 2 was heart rate broadcasting via ANT+ or Bluetooth. For anyone who does HIIT training on a compatible machine, this would have been the icing on the cake, but in every other respect, the OnePlus Watch 3 met my fitness needs.

The watch also includes a Wellness feature, which gives you a score based on resting heart rate, heart rate variability and other factors. This score feels very arbitrary, dropping after a workout (complete with a sad face), and increasing at seemingly random points throughout the day. I ended up hiding the feature as after a month, it just left me confused.

Another minor gripe is that my phone’s pedometer doesn’t sync steps with the watch. Apple Watches and Samsung Galaxy Watches keep steps synced, so it would be great if OnePlus gave the OHealth app access to phone steps so no tracking falls through the cracks. When using my walking pad at a standing desk, the watch doesn’t pick up steps as I’m typing, so I typically put my iPhone or Galaxy in my pocket to fill the gaps. It’s a niche example but still an area where OnePlus falls behind.

Battery life and charging

Wrapping up with battery life, the OnePlus Watch 3 lasts for days and charges up in minutes, putting competing wearables to shame.

With daily workouts and moderate use, it’s realistic to expect three to four days in Smart mode and two weeks in Power-saver mode. Mix and match modes, and you can switch to Power Saver at 20 per cent battery to comfortably get another three or four days out of it.

OnePlus's smartwatch/fitness tracker approach within a single device was game-changing for the OnePlus Watch 2, and is even better for the Watch 3, making it a winning choice for anyone who travels for work but doesn’t want to pack another charger and if you value sleep tracking but hate having to quickly charge your watch up before hitting the hay, it's a breath of fresh air.

Verdict

Considering OnePlus’s original watch was such a letdown, it’s fantastic to see how far it’s come in two generations, laying down the gauntlet to Apple, Google and Samsung to up their battery life without ditching smarts.

The OnePlus Watch 3 isn’t perfect, but it is a winning balance of style, smarts and battery life, and if you’re anything like me – a casual exerciser who gyms a few times a week and likes taking long walks, dislikes charging their watch all the time, and appreciates having Google Assistant and Android apps on their wrist – it’s the best option currently available.

That said, if you’re after next-level sports tracking or a smaller, lighter watch, you might want to look elsewhere. The ECG function being region-locked and the lack of Bluetooth HR broadcasting are frustrating, and the app’s more limited insights than some more sports-dedicated alternatives might put some off.

But if you can live with its limitations, the OnePlus Watch thing lasts for days, powers up in under an hour, while doing almost everything you’d want from a smartwatch without tethering you to a charger every night.

Also consider

Samsung users may be better served with a Galaxy Watch owing to the tighter integration across Galaxy devices, with the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra and Galaxy Watch 7 being obvious choices. This is especially true if you want to get the best out of the Galaxy S25 series’s Now Brief feature.

If you have an iPhone, you’re out of luck as the OnePlus Watch 3 only supports Android, so Apple users should consider a Huawei Watch Fit 3 or Huawei Watch GT 5 if an Apple Watch Ultra or Apple Watch Series 10 are too expensive.

The most obvious alternative for Android users is the Pixel Watch 3, and while its tighter integration into all things Google and more minimalist styling are very attractive, its battery life just can’t compete with the OnePlus Watch 3. Finally, the OnePlus Watch 2 is probably the Watch 3’s most fierce competition, especially in the Nordic Blue colour, which looks fantastic. If you’re happy without a rotating crown, it matches most of the Watch 3’s features while undercutting it.

The next phone from OnePlus could make a change that moves it closer to the latest iPhone and Samsung devices. According to the latest details, the next OnePlus phone could have a completely flat display.

OnePlus didn’t make huge changes to the design of the OnePlus 13, with curves to all edges. This is something of trend among some brands, especially those from China. In other areas, the likes of Apple, Samsung and Google have all moved to flat displays in recent years. And now it seems the OnePlus 14 could go this way too.

It’s suggested that OnePlus will drop the curved display and go flat, which should lead to greater design changes moving forwards. That’s likely to follow the Oppo Find X8 Ultra expected to launch at some point in 2025 too. The OnePlus 14 might then use that display when it launches later in the year, likely in early October.

The details come from Notebookcheck.net, citing details from Digital Chat Station (a reliable leaker). Posting on Weibo, the leaker says that the quad-curved screen is coming to an end – but that might not be a bad thing.

Which is better, a flat screen or curved edges?

Samsung was the instigator for many curved screens, from the original Galaxy Note Edge, through to more aggressive curves on many of its Galaxy S devices over the last decade. But, the extreme curve has given way to a softer finish, where the screen curves into the frame making for great handling on larger phones.

The problem with flat displays is that they are often paired with a flat frame, giving a “sharp” finish to the edge of the phone. This is more of a problem on larger phones, where you are stretching to grip it. We’ve seen frames get softened slightly to accommodate this – the Pixel 9 Pro XL being a good example of this.

But a flat display has many advantages over those curved edges. Firstly, you can get better quality visuals across the whole panel, without losing some of the around the edges. Secondly, the touch response is better, especially if you’re playing games on your phone, where the edge of the phone becomes a fairly unreliable area.

Thirdly, flat screens are much easier to fit a seamless screen protector on. Finally, it’s easier to change a flat display than a curved display and with greater environmental emphasis going into the manufacturing of devices, this has increased priority for brands.

With the OnePlus 13 being close to the design of the OnePlus 12, the move to a flat design should usher in fresh new looks for the OnePlus 14 that will be most welcomed.

OnePlus announced its new smartwatch back in the middle of February with the device bringing a number of upgrades over its predecessor.

The OnePlus Watch 3 touts a longer battery life than the OnePlus Watch 2, having learned from some of the battery technology that is included in the latest OnePlus 13 smartphone. It also offers several new health features, including a 60S Health Check-In.

That 60S Health Check-In can be done quickly during the day and it analyses seven key metrics, from heart rate and SpO2, to vascular age and wrist temperature. Trouble is, if you had your heart set on buying one of the new watches, you'll be waiting a little longer than you initially expected – the OnePlus Watch 3 has been delayed.

When will the OnePlus Watch 3 now go on sale?

A report on 9to5Google has said the OnePlus Watch 3 has been officially delayed until sometime in April 2025, moving from the previous 25 February date. The report contains a statement from OnePlus, which reads:

"Global technology brand OnePlus today announced that the open sales date for the highly anticipated OnePlus Watch 3, initially set for 25 February 2025, has been postponed until April 2025.

"The delay comes as a result of a minor typographical error identified below the watch face, which the company is addressing with a new batch. Pre-orders for the corrected device will continue from 25 February."

The minor error is that early devices say "Meda in China" on the rear casing, instead of "Made in China". Pre-orders for the OnePlus Watch 3 are still open and you can get a slight discount if you're ok with receiving a device with the typo, while those who have received theirs already can return it "without question".

Our review unit does have the typo as it was an early sample. If you have pre-ordered or are considering ordering, there's a chance you may not care given it's on the underside of the device, in small and against your wrist when on. However, if you do mind, then you'll need to wait a couple of months.

There isn't an exact date for when the delivery of the OnePlus Watch 3 will kick off again in April, but we suspect this won't be a mistake that's made again.

The OnePlus Watch 3 was announced recently, offering massive battery life – if you choose to use the power saver mode – and some impressive health features. But, there’s one thing that could be keeping it off the best smartwatch lists: it’s big and heavy.

The OnePlus Watch 3 has a 46.6mm body and weighs 81g, which is double the weight of the titanium Apple Watch Series 10. That might be behind the drive to produce a smaller version of the watch, according to details from dedicated website Wareable.

It’s reported that Leo Zhang – head of R&D at the OnePlus Health Lab – said in an interview: “It’s true that the watch remains heavy for a small wrist and that this typically affects women, but we will fix that this year.”

That might address the size and weight problem and widen the appeal of the OnePlus Watch 3 to wider markets – not just people with a larger wrist that can accommodate its current heft.

The advantage of a big watch is that you can offer more screen space and a larger battery, which brings with it obvious user advantages. The downside is that some people just don’t want to wear a massive watch.

What other changes might come to the OnePlus Watch 3?

That’s not the only adaptation that’s on the card. According to Zhang, OnePlus is listening to its customers, saying: “LTE is also something we get asked about by many users.”

In China, OnePlus offers an LTE version, but the problem for the global market is working with all the different carriers to bring the device to market. This, says Zhang, is “a big hurdle”.

Adding LTE brings the significant advantage of remaining connected when away from the phone, which appeals to those exercising with the device. That LTE connectivity can power a range of features – not primarily for Dick Tracy-style calling on your watch, but being able to stream music, share your location and receive notifications, for example.

These are all positive signs for the OnePlus Watch 3. While this isn’t confirmation that these changes will be made, it’s great that the company is aware of them and that could lead to an enhanced offering for users down the line.

For a long time it was thought that OnePlus would launch its next-gen folding phone just after the reveal of the Oppo Find N5. However, it now seems that OnePlus isn’t going to launch its device after all, with Oppo instead planning to use the Find N5 to rebuild its fanbase outside China.

That might also make perfect sense, because the Oppo Find N5 is shaping up to be quite the device. We’ve already seen it, with Tech Editor Mike Lowe able to share images, but not reveal any details about the device.

Oppo has been doing some of that already. We’ve seen that it’s really thin, we know that it has an IPX9 rating and we’ve heard that it’s coming with a Snapdragon 8 Elite, no one form or another.

Well, some of the waiting game is over, as the metaphorical belly of this beast has been slashed open by TENAA (via 91mobiles), with the specs spilling out for all to see.

It’s perhaps no surprise that Oppo is going to use this phone to establish a foothold in Europe, as it could be one of the best folding phones of the year.

From the leaked details we learn that this phone is 8.95mm thick when folded and weighs just 229g, which compares to 239g for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 - which is 12.1mm thick.

It’s powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite and it’s the 7-core version, so not exactly the same as the OnePlus 13 we’ve already seen this year. There will be 12 and 16GB RAM options, with storage up to 1TB.

Turning to the display and we have a 6.62-inch cover display and an 8.12-inch main display. Both support 120Hz, and both appear to be larger than you’ll get from Samsung’s folding phone. However, this phone is taller and wider than the Z Fold 6, so while it’s slimmer, the overall footprint is larger.

There’s a 5,600mAh battery with 80W wired and 50W wireless charging to power the things.

Finally the camera: the Oppo Find N5 will have a 50-megapixel main camera and a 5-megapixel telephoto camera offering 3x optical zoom. There will be an 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera to support it, which also sounds like it might be the weak link in that camera system.

As we’ve confirmed a couple of times in the past, the Oppo Find N5 will be officially announced on 20 February when all these details will be confirmed, as well as the important software and AI features that the phone will offer.

Naturally, we’ll bring you all the details when that happens, so you’re full in the know about one of the most interesting folding phones we’ve seen for a while.

What you're looking at above is a would-be image of the OnePlus Open 2. Okay, okay, so it's not really – it's actually the Oppo Find N5. Which, for all intents and purposes, is assumed to be exactly the same phone, save for maybe some internal memory and, but of course, the visible branding and, presumably, finish options.

However, just this week, via OnePlus' community forums, the brand suddenly announced its cancellation of the OnePlus Open 2 – or, to be precise, according to Vale G, OnePlus Open' Product Manager, that "we [OnePlus] have made the decision not to release a foldable this year [2025]".

But I think that's actually a good decision – and that's coming from someone who heartfelt loved the original OnePlus Open. I tried out the Open Apex Edition, too, which was even more alluring (despite its high price) thanks to its faux-leather finish, as you can see from my gallery of shots below.

So, in some respects, I'm disappointed that there's no follow-up to those devices imminently – the sort of foldable that could take it to the Samsung and Google party. So why am I calling it a good decision by OnePlus?

OnePlus was part of the BBK Electronics umbrella. As was Oppo. And Vivo. I say 'was', because BBK disbanded in late 2023 to avoid various potential regulatory issues that have struck other Chinese conglomerates – just look at Huawei and Honor, for example – and the brands are now individual entities.

But those brands' identities, while officially separate, are borne of the same parents, they share some of the same blood – and that's why products across the brands have, at times, been so similar that it's been questionable as to why two products exist when only one would be needed.

That would have been the situation with the OnePlus Open 2 – it'd have been a later arrival than the international Oppo launch, living in the Find N5's shadow (pictured below, ahead of its 20 February launch), and having a whole lot more to prove.

Sure, the brand recognition of OnePlus is stronger in the UK than Oppo's current standing, but if the two can yet carve out their respective positions more succinctly – which will be more easily accomplished by ranging very different products. Such as the best folding phones.

Besides, Vale G didn't say OnePlus was sacking off foldables altogether. He's only referring to the company's 2025 plans, meaning something bigger and bolder could be on the cards for 2026 – or beyond. We'll just have to wait and see.

Until then, however, we've got Oppo to look forward to. I've got the phone, which I'm using as my daily handset, and can reveal more about the world's thinnest foldable come the 20 February launch event. Needless to say, the various small nuggets of information that Oppo has already released prove what an engineering marvel it is – and OnePlus needn't be hanging off the wings of that trying to scrape together its own success.

OnePlus has made an announcement nobody wanted to hear – it has cancelled plans to follow-up its hugely popular foldable phone this year.

Writing on the OnePlus community pages, product manager Vale G. revealed that there will be no OnePlus Open 2. The company will instead concentrate on its core devices, leaving sister-brand Oppo a free rein with its latest release – the Oppo Find N5.

We tried the Oppo Find N5 ahead of its full, international reveal on 20 February and think it has the potential to be the best foldable phone on the market. However, it was thought at the time that it's also form the framework for the OnePlus Open 2. That's now not the case.

OnePlus isn't calling this decision a step-back, but rather a recalibration: "We’ve carefully considered the timing and our next steps in foldable devices, and we have made the decision not to release a foldable this year," said Vale G. in his blog post.

"While this may come as a surprise, we believe this is the right approach for us at this time.

"As Oppo takes the lead in the foldable segment with the Find N5, we're committed to developing products that will redefine multiple categories and bring you experiences that are as innovative and exciting as ever, all while aligning closely with our Never Settle mantra."

Where this leaves future OnePlus foldables is anyone's guess for now. But as Oppo re-enters markets, such as Europe, after a period away, it's likely the differentiation between the brands becomes more clear in the coming months.

And as for existing OnePlus Open owners, don't worry. You'll still get the same software updates and support as usual: "You are at the heart of everything we do, and we’ll continue to support you every step of the way," explained the product manager.

There’s a lot of excitement about the OnePlus Open 2, which is expected to update one of the best folding phones that we’ve seen so far. While the news from OnePlus has been rather quiet, parent brand Oppo is making a lot more noise about the Oppo Find N5.

This is important because it’s expected that the OnePlus Open 2 will be based on the Oppo Find N5. While there will be cosmetic changes – as well as different software – the underlying hardware should be fundamentally the same.

So confirmation of the Oppo Find N5’s launch date of 20 February is something to celebrate. The launch is aimed at the Chinese market, with Oppo already teasing this phone widely, but we’d expect OnePlus to move into launch mode once the hubbub around the Find N5 has died down.

As I said, so far we’ve heard nothing from OnePlus about the replacement for the OnePlus Open, but with MWC on the horizon, I’d expect to hear something sooner rather than later.

What do we know about the Oppo Find N5 so far?

Oppo has been rather generous with sharing details about its next-gen folding phone. It showed off just how slim it is, comparing it to the iPhone 16. It’s reported to be 9.2mm thick when folded, suggesting it will be under 5mm thick when open.

We’ve also heard that it’s going to be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite, with the suggestion that will use the 7-core version of this chip. A 5,700mAh battery is rumoured with 80W wired charging and 50W wireless charging.

Turning to the cameras we could be looking at three 50-megapixel sensors, with the telephoto offering 3x optical zoom. The software is expected to be Android 15 with ColorOS 15 – and this is where we’d expect the OnePlus phone to be different using OxygenOS.

It has also been revealed that the Oppo Find N5 offers IPX9 waterproofing, with images of the phone being used underwater circulated by official Oppo channels.

It certainly sounds like an impressive piece of hardware, with Oppo and OnePlus looking to launch these devices long before we see the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 arrive.

OnePlus is back in the smartwatch game with the OnePlus Watch 3, a premium wearable that keeps things ticking for up to 16 days.

Set to launch in Europe and North America on 18 February, this new model builds on its predecessor’s strengths with a refined design, upgraded battery tech, and a striking titanium finish.

Battery life is the big selling point here, and OnePlus isn’t messing around. The Watch 3 offers up to 120 hours (five days) in smart mode and a hefty 16 days in power saver mode. If you do somehow run low, a quick 10-minute charge provides a full day’s juice. Take that, Apple Watch Ultra 2.

Under the hood, the OnePlus Watch 3 runs on a Dual-Engine Architecture, powered by the Snapdragon W5 performance chipset and a new BES2800 MCU Efficiency chipset.

Thanks to improved 6nm FinFET fabrication and the same silicon anode battery tech found in the OnePlus 13, the battery capacity jumps from 500mAh to 631mAh – more power, less drain.

OnePlus has stuck with the classic stainless-steel casing but introduced a titanium alloy bezel with a PVD coating for added durability (and Huawei Watch GT 4-esque look). The 2D Sapphire Crystal display not only boosts brightness but also adds strength and longevity, making it more resistant to scratches and everyday wear.

Available in two colours, Emerald Titanium and Obsidian Titanium, the OnePlus Watch 3 offers a choice between a silver titanium bezel with a green fluor rubber strap or a black titanium bezel with a matching black strap.

OnePlus has promised a deep dive into the Watch 3’s full capabilities during its launch event on 18 February, hosted on the official OnePlus Europe YouTube channel.

While we don’t have all the details yet, expect deeper Wear OS integration, optimised power efficiency, and a smartwatch designed for those who want longevity without sacrificing performance.

OnePlus only announced its latest flagship smartphone – the OnePlus 13 – at the beginning of this month, with the device being praised as one of the best Android smartphones you can currently buy. It's just got better though, as its first software update has introduced a number of new features, including on-device AI, as well as camera improvements.

The update was spotted by Android Authority who reported that the new software brings support for Google's Gemini Nano AI model. This is the mobile-optimised version of Google's large language model allowing for the OnePlus 13 to run some AI features without an internet connection.

What new features does the software bring to the OnePlus 13?

The software update is version CPH2655_15.0.0.402(EX01) and adds the Android AICore app to the OnePlus 13 – this subsequently means support for Gemini Nano. It should begin downloading when you press the Magic Compose icon in the Google Messages app.

Magic Compose is an AI feature that suggests replies based on the context of your conversation and while it typically uses the cloud, if the device supports Gemini Nano, the messages can be processed on the handset itself.

There are more features available with Gemini Nano on Pixel 9 devices, such as summaries in the Pixel Recorder app, call summarisation in the Google Phone app and screenshot processing in the Pixel Screenshots app. For now though, the OnePlus 13 only utilises Gemini Nano for Magic Compose in the Google Messages app.

Google Nano aside, the software update for the OnePlus 13 also brings a touch to share feature supporting iOS devices, additional styles and personalisation options for the Watermark feature in the camera app, and better clarity of previews and photos in both Portrait and Photo modes.

Colour performance for photos from the main sensor and telephoto sensor have also been improved with the update, along with the tone and colour accuracy.

There are a couple of additional improvements elsewhere too so it's certainly worth making sure you are running the latest software if you have the OnePlus 13.

If 2024 left you a little disappointed at the lack of a new folding phone from OnePlus, then 2025 could be your year – the highly-anticipated OnePlus Open 2 is seemingly being prepared for launch.

The OnePlus Open was launched in 2023 and very well-received, with many impressed with the overall design and some of the innovative software features, especially Open Canvas. Indeed, it is regarded as one of the best folding phones so far – but now two years old, it’s time for an update.

As has been the case for OnePlus phones of late, the OnePlus Open 2 will have a sibling device, the Oppo Find N5 – and it’s the Find N5 that’s now being officially teased by Oppo. As unearthed by 91mobiles, the first thing we discover is that the Oppo Find N5 will be really thin – thinner than a pencil.

This comes from a teaser image shared by Pete Lau, OnePlus co-founder and Oppo chief product officer. It also corroborates with news that leaked in September 2024 that claimed the OnePlus Open 2 would be the thinnest foldable when it launches. It has subsequently been said that it will use Titanium in the build, so it should be strong and light.

There’s a good chance that the Oppo Find N5 will only launch in select markets, with the OnePlus Open 2 being the device that gets a global launch soon after. Pete Lau also goes further, telling us to look forward to February when the Oppo Find N5 will presumably be announced.

It’s unlikely that the OnePlus Open 2 will launch at the same time, but it sets us up nicely for the launch of that new phone in subsequent months. It might be a little ambitious to hope for it at Mobile World Congress in early March, but OnePlus has often used the show to tease new devices.

What to expect from the OnePlus Open 2

Aside from a really thin design, we’ve previously heard that the OnePlus Open 2 will offer IPX8 waterproofing and wireless charging. We’re expecting to see a silicon-carbon battery in the new phone, allowing OnePlus to increase the capacity without increasing the bulk too much.

It’s also thought that the OnePlus Open 2 will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite, the same hardware that’s sitting in the OnePlus 13, one of the first devices to launch on this platform and offering compelling performance.

The OnePlus Open 2 sounds like it’s going to be a fairly significant upgrade over the original Open device, which should help cement its popularity in the folding phone segment. Unfortunately, it faces stiff competition, with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold popular choices for folding phone fans.

OnePlus started life as a plucky upstart, with the OnePlus One commanding start-up-grade hype when it dropped in 2014. Almost 11 years on, the phone maker has become mature, safe, and yes, even predictable. It's this older, more conservative OnePlus that gives us the OnePlus 13 more than a decade on.

With so many phones vying for the spot of best Android phone on the scene, the OnePlus 13 launches days before the Honor Magic 7 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, and a few weeks after the Oppo Find X8 Pro – all contenders for the title.

Out of the gate, the OnePlus 13 has some advantages. Its 2025 flagship is loaded with the highest-capacity battery of the bunch, a triple 50MP camera mix, AI crammed into almost every nook and cranny of the interface, and the design and screen look glorious – especially in the Midnight Ocean colour on test.

The OnePlus 13 is also one of the first phones to pack the latest chipset from Qualcomm, giving it near-gaming phone levels of power. If you think back to last year, though, that's exactly what the OnePlus 12 did, and the OnePlus 11 before it. OnePlus is certainly becoming predictable. The question is: is it predictably boring, or predictably impressive?

OnePlus 13: Price & Availability

The OnePlus 13 is available in two memory configurations: 12GB/256GB, costing £899, and 16GB/512GB, costing £949. When you consider the phone's spec and the fact 256GB is typically enough for most users, the OnePlus 13's price seems fair on first impression.

Anyone with a keen memory for prices may remember the OnePlus 12 launched at £849 for the 256GB storage option, so the OnePlus 13 clearly marks a price increase year-on-year.

Another talking point when the OnePlus 12 launched was how much cheaper the phone was in the US than in the UK and Europe, starting at $799 for US customers, £849 in the UK, and €949 in Europe. For the OnePlus 13, US and UK pricing seems more aligned at $899/£899.

OnePlus is also launching a separate 50W magnetic wireless charger and magnetic MagSafe/Qi2 style case, with pricing for both accessories yet to be confirmed.

OnePlus 13 review: What's New?

The OnePlus 13 drives the brand into flagship 2024-5 territory when compared to the OnePlus 12, ditching the curved screen for a flat display with quad-curved glass on all sides, adding flat sides to the mix and generally toning down the design.

With its huge 6000mAh battery, you'd be forgiven for thinking that the OnePlus 13 is a chunkier, heavier phone. But thanks to a slimmer telephoto camera and new battery tech – the same silicon-carbon innovation that makes the Honor Magic V3 such a slender foldable – it's actually thinner, lighter, and noticeably less imposing in hand.

The OnePlus 13 upgrades the chipset to the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite, while carrying forward the same storage and RAM spec, while it introduces ColorOS 15 and Android 15 (though both are available right now for the OnePlus 12 via an OTA software update).

Most of the remaining upgrades are under the hood: an advanced photography burst mode, the latest Hasselblad Portrait algorithms, an all-new Livephoto pipeline, and a turbo-charged AI telephoto zoom beyond 30x. The phone also shares a slew of AI tools with the Oppo Find X8 Pro (missing on the OnePlus 12), and is expected to get one extra year of software and security updates – four years and six years, respectively – making it more future-proofed.

OnePlus 13 review: Design & Display

• 6.82-inch 'ProXDR' OLED display, 4500 nits peak brightness
• 1440x3160 resolution, 120Hz refresh rate (LTPO 4.1)
• Arctic Dawn and Black Eclipse options available in glass
• Midnight Ocean available in vegan leather
• 162.9 x 76.5 x 8.5/8.9mm; 210g/213g colour-dependent
• Alert slider returns

The OnePlus 13 is a big phone, slightly slimmer and narrower than the iPhone 15 Pro Max, but also a touch taller. It feels like a proper flagship and makes a good first impression.

The trend towards flat screens has seen OnePlus, Honor, and Xiaomi ditch curved screens in their recent flagships, and the move makes the OnePlus 13 feel instantly modern – helped by its sleek design and the slim bezel framing the display.

Easy-to-reach volume and power buttons are on the phone's right side, while on the left is a notification slider that can be set to silent, vibrate, or speaker-on. The USB-C port and SIM tray are at the base of the phone, while a modest camera bump sits off-centre around the back, surrounded by glass or vegan leather.

Available in three finishes, the Arctic Dawn and Black Eclipse options have glass backs, while the Midnight Ocean finish has a vegan leather back. I've been testing the Midnight Ocean colour, and it feels exceptionally comfortable and almost pillowy in hand.

The OnePlus 13's screen is a high point. Its QHD+ resolution makes it one of the sharpest around, while a peak full-screen brightness of 1600 nits in bright environments makes it easy to see what you're doing in direct sunlight.

It's also good to see the OnePlus 13 is Netflix-certified to playback HDR10 and Dolby Vision content at up to Full HD through the app, a highlight missing from lower-cost phones, like the Redmagic 10 Pro.

Content looks glorious on the large, vibrant panel. It's the first DisplayMate A++ rated screen, and whether gaming, watching or looking at photos, it's hard to fault the visuals on show.

While I can't speak to the phone's durability in too much detail as I didn't drop it while reviewing it, the IP68/69 rating means it's both dunkable in fresh water and can endure extreme temperatures. The Ceramic Guard glass on the front of my unit also didn't pick up any noticeable scratches in my month with the phone, which is reassuring.

OnePlus 13 review: Performance & Battery

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite
• 12/16GB RAM depending on config
• Extra 4-12GB RAM from storage
• 256GB/512GB configs
• 6000mAh silicon-carbon battery
• 100W wired, 50W wireless charging

The OnePlus 13 is one of the first widely available phones with the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, making it among the most powerful handsets you can buy at launch. This instantly makes it a great gamer's choice, scoring brilliantly in benchmarks while also playing demanding games like Genshin Impact and Wuthering Waves at maximum graphics settings without dropping noticeable frames.

The phone didn't get too hot in our time with it – not the case with the Redmagic 10 Pro, another 8 Elite phone – suggesting OnePlus throttles a bit more aggressively than some competition. Despite this, I always found performance to be silky smooth when testing, even when multi-tasking across two full-screen apps.

Another win for gaming is battery life. The new 6000mAh silicon-carbon battery within is a full 1000mAh (20%) larger than most of the 5000mAh competition, and matched with the efficiencies of the new Snapdragon chip, you'll struggle not to make it through a full day.

There are also four performance modes: Balanced (default), High-performance, Power saving, and Super power saving. Even with the OnePlus 13 set to High-performance, I still ended the day with around 15-20 per cent battery, even when gaming for an hour or longer.

Another battery boon is the OnePlus 13's fast charging. With 100W speeds, it can power up fully in under 40 minutes when plugged in, and the 50W wireless charging is handy for quick top-ups.

The phone doesn't ship with a charger in the box, so you'll need a compatible OnePlus or Oppo power brick to take advantage of those max speeds. If you aren't too concerned about 100W charging, it's great to see the OnePlus 13 works with the PD 3.0 standard as well, so can still charge faster than an Apple iPhone or Samsung Galaxy using a widely available Power Delivery fast-charging or a compatible laptop charger.

Nowhere is the convergence of OnePlus and Oppo more evident than in the software, as the OnePlus 13 and Oppo Find X8 Pro are very similar beasts when you fire them up. Both phones have Flux themes, pictured above, making it easy to switch up your interface quickly; they have the same new AI features – voice transcription summary, translate tools, web page reader, AI image editing tools – and both look and feel very smooth.

While Oppo is charging more for its flagship, the OnePlus 13's interface benefits from being less bloated. There's no second app store, and pre-loaded third-party apps are kept to a minimum. This actually makes OnePlus's OxygenOS 15 feel less cumbersome on first use than Oppo's ColorOS 15, further justifying the OnePlus 13's confident price.

OnePlus 13 review: Cameras

• Wide-angle: 15mm equiv, 50MP, ISOCELL JN5 sensor, f/2.0 aperture
• Main: 23mm equiv, 50MP, LYT808, f/1.6, optical stabilisation (OIS)
• Zoom (3x): 73mm equiv, 50MP, Sony LYT-600, f/2.65, (OIS)
• 7fps Clear Burst at 50MP with full HDR
• Hasselbald Portrait Mode

On paper, the OnePlus 13's camera mix is very similar to that of the OnePlus 12, but the key hardware difference is the telephoto, 3x zoom camera. To slim down the phone's profile, OnePlus opted for a new type of periscope camera – similar to the tetra-prism module in the iPhone 15 Pro – and while this is a win for design, it's a small step backwards in terms of camera versatility.

Specifically, the new 3x zoom can't focus close to objects, so you need to stand about 70cm away to use the telephoto camera's minimum focus distance. Telephoto cameras that can focus close create a beautiful quality to their photos with shallow depth and a pro-grade look.

While the OnePlus 12 was excellent for product photography, with its 3x camera able to focus as near as 20cm from a subject, the OnePlus 13 is categorically worse in this respect, and this extends to food photography captured on the 3x camera too.

It's worth noting that neither the iPhone 15 Pro or Pixel 9 Pro's zoom offer near-focus telephoto cameras, so this doesn't hold the OnePlus 13 back from being competitive, but for anyone specifically coming from a OnePlus 12, it's definitely worth knowing.

One other area the OnePlus 13 starts to lose me is the hyper-processed zoomed-in shots at 30x and beyond. While strictly speaking, these look no worse than the grainy mess you see on most other phones at absurd zoom ranges, the artificial sharpening and redrawing OnePlus introduces to clean elements up looks unnatural, and sometimes, I'd prefer to have a grainy mess than a composite of clean-looking shapes.

Those caveats aside, the OnePlus 13 still manages to be an excellent point-and-shoot camera across various situations. Its processing at 0.6x, 1x, 3x, and 6x is typically reliable and free from the over-sharpening I mentioned, and the phone captures a great balance of highlights and shadows.

I particularly enjoyed the OnePlus 13's portrait mode, this being the area where the 3x camera shines. Typically, portrait modes leave me cold – I never use the feature on my iPhone, for example – but in the last year, OnePlus, Oppo and Vivo have converted me.

You can see the picture below taken in a pub. Yes, the background is too blurry and it doesn't look totally natural, but with OnePlus letting you change the blur amount post-shot, you can edit portraits that have an almost Canon-like warmth to them on-device.

The new burst mode in the OnePlus 13 (which also features on the Oppo Find X8) does a good job of snapping seven fully-processed photos per second across all rear cameras – particularly useful for kids and pets. There's also a relatively comprehensive Master Mode for manual control without missing out on Hasselblad image processing.

OnePlus also supports Dolby Vision (HDR) video across all three rear cameras at up to 60fps, and video from the OnePlus 13 looks very good. While pros might not consider it up to par with the latest Pro iPhone models or the Vivo X200 Pro's exceptional LOG mode, expect excellent-looking footage across a range of scenarios.

OnePlus 13 review: Verdict

The OnePlus 13 is undoubtedly one of the best Android phones a power user can pick up right now. While its camera isn't best-in-class – the much pricier Xiaomi 14 Ultra bests it on that front – it's still very well-priced.

OnePlus outclasses the other Snapdragon 8 Elite phones available in January 2025: the Redmagic 10 Pro lacks the IP-rated durability and camera performance; the IQOO 13 misses out on wireless charging and its cameras also fall short. We're also expecting the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and Honor Magic 7 Pro to cost a fair bit more than OnePlus's flagship, suggesting it will still be a great shout once they drop.

If you don't need the latest power and don't mind the curved screen, there's an argument to be made for opting for last year's OnePlus 12 instead – the phone has aged well – however, if you're happy with the asking price, the OnePlus 13 is a very good phone with excellent battery life and top-tier performance.

Also consider

If you like the look of the OnePlus 13 but want more zoom, the obvious choice is the Oppo Find X8 Pro. It features an identical camera mix plus a 6x zoom, but does cost more.

The Pixel 9 Pro is another alternative with a slightly more powerful camera mix, but significantly weaker battery and gaming performance. The Pixel 9 Pro also starts at a very modest 128GB storage capacity, so to match OnePlus's 256GB or 512GB, you can expect to spend significantly more.

If power is your priority, the Redmagic 10 Pro's inbuilt fan and less aggressive throttling keeps frame rates higher for gamers and the phone sports a much edgier aesthetic. It also has a huge 7000mAh battery and is significantly cheaper than the OnePlus 13. With no IP-rated water resistance, wireless charging, and a much more limited software support promise, however, Redmagic products are almost exclusively suited to gamers.

If you like the OnePlus 13's feature set – wireless charging, a great screen, premium styling – but don't need all that power, the Xiaomi 14T Pro is a lower-cost alternative that's a similar kind of all-rounder – just at a lower price and positioning.

The fight to be crowned the best Android phone on the market is never ending. While most will currently be scoffing mince pies and enjoying the twinkly lights on their tree, major tech brands are hard at work ensuring their next handset will be in with a chance of victory.

Once the ball drops on the 31st of December, the race is on, with a wide array of brands vying to be among the first to launch. And we now know one who will be there – OnePlus.

That's because the global launch event for the brand's OnePlus 13 handset has been confirmed. The handset will launch on the 7th of January 2025, at 3:30pm GMT.

It's likely no coincidence that the launch falls in the same window as CES 2025. OnePlus aren't listed as an exhibitor at the event, but that doesn't mean the brand can't steal some of the limelight from devices launched at the show.

It could certainly do that, too. While we're not 100% sure what the global spec sheet will be, if it's anything like the Chinese release, it's going to be a showstopper.

That packed in the new Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, alongside a gargantuan 6,000mAh battery and up to 24GB of RAM. It also offered up to 4,500 nits of peak brightness via an AMOLED display with adaptive refresh rate, IP68 and IP69 water and dust resistance ratings, and a triple-50MP rear camera array tuned by Hasselblad.

I'm personally really excited for this one. I was vocal about my adoration for last year's OnePlus 12, which was arguably the best looking phone of the year. My only two gripes came with the slippery nature of the thing – it was nearly a very snazzy discus – and the lack of consistency between cameras.

Both of those look set to be remedied this time out. The 13 looks set to come with a couple of different textured back options, including a vegan composite leather and a wood effect panel, while the camera uses a trio of Sony 50MP sensors.

For the ultrawide and telephoto sensors, those are said to be the same Sony IMX882 found in the CMF Phone 1. I was seriously impressed with the quality of that sensor – and I can't wait to see what it looks like with some Hasselblad magic on top!

At the very cutting edge of technological innovation, you'll find the wonderful world of foldable phones. Quickly ascending from a pipe dream to reality and into the mainstream consciousness, these handy devices are all the rage.

Gone are the days when the only mainstream option was a Samsung phone. These days, you'll find just about every brand with something to offer, from powerhouses like the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold to record-breakers like the Honor Magic V3.

Another highly anticipated player in that space is the OnePlus Open 2. Following on from the original OnePlus Open handset – which was already pretty darn good – this device sounds like a total knockout. We've already heard rumours about an even slimmer chassis than the Honor, and now another pair of features have been leaked.

Those come from Digital Chat Station on Weibo – a renowned leaker with a great profile for unveiling key specs ahead of time. The post speaks about the Oppo Find N5 handset, though we're expecting that to effectively just be the China-only rebadge of the OnePlus device.

According to the post, the device will include IPX8 waterproofing and wireless charging. Those are both new to the handset, alongside other features like a Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, a redesigned camera and a massive battery.

All of that sounds like an absolute treat. IPX8 water resistance is a neat feature, which should make it easier to use the device without fear of damage. The wireless charging is also a great addition. Hopefully, that's the Qi2 standard which is cropping up in a wide array of handset rumours at the moment.

Similar to Apple's MagSafe, that would offer wireless charging, but could also open the door to an array of different accessories. iPhones use MagSafe for everything from cases to wallets, which is a really neat add on.