Freshly-tipped OnePlus 13 info has given us some potentially bad news about the next-gen Android phone's price, as well as more positive details about an upgrade to a key basic feature.
A Weibo leaker whose name translates to "Experience More" claims that the OnePlus 13's 16GB model with 512GB storage costs 5,299 yuan, up from the 4,799 yuan that a 16GB/512GB OnePlus 12 will cost you in China. That's over 10% more, which is pretty large increase even as a year-on-year price hike goes.
That would be the equivalent of raising the $899/£999 that this OnePlus 12 model would cost in the U.S. or U.K. to $992/£1,103. One of the OnePlus 12's best features is its value for money, but the OnePlus 13 would be in danger of losing that if such an increase happened.
A price hike in one region doesn't guarantee it'll happen in another, of course. But it's not exactly a positive sign either. Plus, we've heard from OnePlus itself that the 13 will use a next-gen Snapdragon chip, which we assume to be the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4.
This is a chipset tipped to be way more expensive than previous editions, so perhaps the alleged price hike is OnePlus passing on some of the increased parts cost to users.
An ultrasonic upgrade
On a more positive note, when discussing some of the spec updates coming to the OnePlus 13, Experience More described another upgrade: an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor.
While typical optical fingerprint sensors are perfectly usable for unlocking your phone, ultrasonic units are faster and more reliable, especially if your screen is dirty or damaged. We see these used to great effect on phones like the Samsung Galaxy S24 series, so we and potential OnePlus 13 buyers would be happy to see the new OnePlus use this tech.
Not that the OnePlus 13 is going to be lacking in cutting-edge hardware. The rumors so far have claimed the phone will use a 6.82-inch quad-curved display, up to 24GB RAM, a 50MP main camera, a huge 6,000 mAh battery and possibly an IP69 rating for dust/water resistance that goes beyond the typical water and dust-proofing of competing phones. It may even feature MagSafe-style magnetic accessories.
The OnePlus 13 could possibly launch this month in China. But we expect to see a global release early in the new year.
