There are two sayings that can’t both be true at the same time: “newer is better” and “old but gold”. Today, we’re going with the second one.
Amazon dug up some left over OnePlus 13 units – only 12/256GB – and is selling them at $700. Coincidentally, that is the same price that the new OnePlus 15R sells for (to be fair, that also comes with a $100 gift card or store credit).
The OnePlus 13 has the better screen (1440p+ LTPO vs. 1272p+ LTPS), better cameras (triple 50MP including a 3x/73mm periscope vs. no tele camera at all), even its chipset is better – the Snapdragon 8 Elite edges out the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5.
The one unequivocal victory for the OnePlus 15R is battery life – its 7,400mAh battery (vs. 6,000mAh) achieved an impressive 21:36h Active Use Score in our tests, compared to 15:28h for the older model. That said, the 13 has better charging with 80W wired and 50W wireless vs. 80W wired only.
Then there’s the OnePlus 15, the new flagship. This one trounces its predecessor in battery life (23:07h vs. 15:28h) while having the same charging capabilities. And it has the new Elite chipset, the faster Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. For everything else, we’ll direct you to our OnePlus 13 vs. OnePlus 15 in-depth comparison article since things aren’t straightforward (e.g. the 15 has the better screen, even if it isn’t as sharp).
Whichever OnePlus model you choose, the OnePlus Buds 4 would be a great add-on. Audio quality isn’t the best, but these buds offer incredible active noise cancellation.
For around the same price as the OnePlus 15 you can have the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL instead. The Tensor G5 is no match for any of the Snapdragons mentioned above, but the Pixel camera is quite competitive with a large 50MP 1/1.31” main sensor, 48MP 5x/113mm periscope and a 48MP ultra-wide. The selfie camera is a 42MP ultra-wide (17mm) unit.
Those same cameras are available on the smaller Google Pixel 10 Pro as well. The Pro has a smaller screen (6.3” vs. 6.8”) and a smaller battery (4,870mAh vs. 5,200mAh), though battery life was almost identical when we tested it (12:06h vs. 12:29h).
One of the major upgrades for the 10-series was the adoption of magnetic Qi2 charging. If you want to use it with a case, the official Google Pixelsnap case is one of the better picks. It’s made of soft silicone and has its own magnets for stronger attachment.
There’s also the Google Pixel 9a, which is available as the cheaper option. Note that Google has already set the date for the 10a reveal (February 18). Leaked specs suggest that the 10a will be a mild upgrade at best, but we’ll know for sure in two weeks. Until then, you probably want to hold off on the Pixel 9a.
The Nothing Ear (a) buds have a massive 46% discount. They strike a good balance between price and features – ANC, 5.5-hour continuous play time with ANC on and Bluetooth 5.3 with LDAC.
The CMF Buds Pro 2 are a bit cheaper. Even so, they offer slightly longer battery life and better ANC. These also have the Smart Dial, which can adjust volume, pause/play music and answer/reject calls.
This Anker Nano 45W charger stands out with a built-in screen and a touch button on the side. The screen shows the current charge rate and gives you some control over it – with a tap you can enable Care Mode. This mode slows things down and keeps both the phone and the charger cooler by 9°F and 36°F, respectively.
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