While Oppo is one of the world’s largest tech companies, it’s better known for its subbrand OnePlus in the West. OnePlus started out producing just one or two flagship smartphones a year but has since launched a midrange lineup called Nord and has entered other product categories like headphones and tablets. Though the hype around the brand isn’t what it once was, OnePlus is notable for being one of the few Android manufacturers to still release handsets in the US.
A new update is rolling out Plus Mind, which uses AI to create calendar events or record important details from screenshots.
It’s coming to the 13 and 13R, and rolls out worldwide “over the coming weeks.” Neither of those phones has the customizable Plus Key that activates the AI on phones like the new Nord 5, so you’ll have to use a three-finger swipe to trigger it instead.
The Pad 3 is going to include software for file transfer and remote control of a Mac — I tested the same tech on the Oppo Find N5, and it works unexpectedly well.
We don’t know much else about the Pad 3 yet, except that it’ll include improved multitasking and run on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite, but we’ll find out more when it launches on June 5th.
6
Verge Score
A good midrange phone that lacks mass appeal.
When it debuts in China later this week on April 24th, the OnePlus 13T will feature a 6,260mAh battery, as spotted by Notebookcheck. That’s a lot of capacity for a compact phone with a 6.32-inch screen. For comparison, the 6.3-inch Google Pixel 9A has a 5,100mAh battery, while the 6.3-inch iPhone 16 Pro has an even smaller 3,582mAh battery.
The OnePlus 13T will launch in China on April 24th, though we don’t know if or when it’ll launch elsewhere. The design is a little new for OnePlus, and we already know it will ditch the fan-favorite alert slider for a new shortcut button. It’s small, too, though only by modern standards — its 6.32-inch screen is still bigger than the iPhone 16’s.
The $69.99 5,000mAh charger is just 9mm thin — only fractionally thicker than the OnePlus 13 itself. It attaches magnetically for wireless charging, but you’ll need one of OnePlus’ magnetic cases — which start from $24.99 — if you want to use the magnets with the company’s own flagship. It’ll work with MagSafe iPhones out of the box though, and there’s always USB-C to fall back on.
Maybe it’s the lack of Apple Intelligence in China, or maybe it’s the Mate 70 series’ performance.
Either way, MacRumors points out these Counterpoint Research stats showing iPhone sales in China put it in third place in Q4, behind both Huawei and Oppo (which includes OnePlus), and fourth place for the full year, despite its second-place finish globally.
8
Verge Score
After several attempts, OnePlus made a great high-end phone.
That’s how much more the OnePlus 13 costs compared to the 12 — it’s $899, up from $799. It goes on sale today in the US. The OnePlus 13R is up for preorder now, too, with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, a 6,000mAh battery, and an updated 50-megapixel main camera. It’s $599, which is also 100 bucks more than last year’s model.
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Android Authority spotted code pointing to a higher-end tier of OnePlus’ next smartwatch. It appears that the upcoming OnePlus Watch 3 will come in a Pro version, too. No details yet on what’ll make it any fancier.
[Android Authority]
OnePlus’ new flagship device is already available in China, and now we know when it’s getting a US release. The company has a “Winter Launch Event” scheduled for 10:30AM ET on January 7th — the first day of CES. Guess we won’t have to wait long to get a closer look at that fetching navy vegan leather option!
[www.oneplus.com]
Oppo has launched the Find X8 series globally, including the X8 Pro with dual telephoto lenses. The standard X8 comes with just one zoom lens, and it looks an awful lot like the OnePlus 13 — also expected to launch globally sooner than later. Both brands sure are leaning into the big circular camera bump look, but there’s an essential piece of hardware still present: the alert slider.
7
Verge Score
The OnePlus Pad 2 continues to impress in many ways, but the upgrades don’t justify the price.
The crimson red ‘Apex Edition’ OnePlus Open is a stunner, and the color isn’t the only thing that’s different about it.
You can buy the tablet from OnePlus.com for $549.99 and from Amazon this coming August.
I’m still in the testing process, but so far I like it. It offers the same value as its predecessor but is faster and more powerful, with six stereo speakers that sound phenomenal. It’s still not the best for work, though. My full review is coming soon, so stay tuned.
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OnePlus is launching its latest pair of earbuds in the hyper-competitive midrange market. The new Nord Buds 3 Pro come in light green or black, and the company says they offer adaptive noise cancellation along with OnePlus’ proprietary “BassWave 2.0” technology. Plus you’re getting IP55 water resistance and multipoint. Not bad at all for $79.99.
OnePlus is stepping into the piping-hot waters of mobile AI. It’ll soon release AI Eraser, a feature that uses Oppo’s own LLM, AndesGPT.
It sounds like a straightforward generative AI photo tool in the style of Google’s Magic Editor, and it’s coming to the OnePlus 12, 12R, 11, Open, and Nord CE 4. I guess the refreshingly AI-free flagship is AI-free no more.
Update April 3rd, 9:45AM ET: Added link and sample images from OnePlus.
