OnePlus 13 rumour roundup: What we know so far

The next OnePlus flagship phone is around the corner, and as the launch of one of the most awaited smartphones of the year nears, numerous details around the phone have surfaced online. From an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner to a custom flagship chipset, here’s everything that has leaked around the OnePlus 13 so far.

Custom Snapdragon 8 Elite

Being a flagship device, and likely the brand’s only flagship device until the OnePlus Open successor launches, the OnePlus 13’s highlight is expected to be its processor. Unlike most previous years though, it seems the latest stock Snapdragon 8-series chip may not cut it this time around.

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Several rumours have suggested that the OnePlus 13 is likely to come with a custom version of Qualcomm’s next flagship chipset – the Snapdragon 8 Elite. It will not be the first time we have seen custom chipsets, and improvements over the vanilla 8 Elite may include better thermal performance or efficiency gains. More details should be revealed on launch.

Super-high brightness

Smartphone screens have gotten significantly brighter over the past couple of years, and it is common now for high-end phones to sport 2,000nits of peak brightness or more.

However, the OnePlus 13 is expected to pack a much brighter display as part of a collaboration with display provider BOE, which is set to launch a new flagship display panel later this month. This new panel is rumoured to offer up to 6,000nits of brightness – if true, that should translate to some radically improved outdoor visibility.

Ultrasonic fingerprint scanner

OnePlus flagship phones have had under-display optical sensors for years now, but they have been optical sensors, which authenticate your touch by scanning a 2D image of your fingerprint. Now, reports suggest that the OnePlus 13 could pack an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner that will still be under the display but work faster and more accurately.

Unlike regular optical scanners, ultrasonic scanners use a 3D image of your fingerprints (just like Face ID works on iPhones). This also makes them more secure as replicas of your fingerprint cannot get through.

Bigger battery

The 5,400mAh battery on the OnePlus 12 was one of its best features, giving the phone some really good battery life, especially handy for those playing a lot of games or streaming a lot of content. This was only made better with the wired and wireless fast charging options on offer.

Now, the next phone in the series is expected to pack an even bigger battery, with leaks suggesting a 6,000mAh battery, a number that has only been seen on affordable phones like the Samsung M-series devices before. Coupled with the 100W fast wired charging, this should make the new OnePlus 13 very battery friendly.

Magnetic wireless charging

While wireless charging has existed on Android phones for a while, the implementation has been inferior to Apple’s MagSafe tech used on iPhones. This is because the tech allows wireless chargers and other accessories to snap in place, ensuring perfect alignment for quick and more importantly, reliable charging.

The OnePlus 13 is also expected to support magnetic charging suction, as suggested by a Weibo leak. Whether this is via the phone itself, using the new Qi2 wireless charging standard, or using external cases with magnets, remains to be seen.

All this is based on leaks and rumours, so some of it could change by the time the phone launches. However, more concrete details around the phone should be available very soon, as the OnePlus 13 is expected to launch later this month in China, before making it to the global markets.