OnePlus has finally launched the much-anticipated OnePlus 15R after the wildly successful launch of the OnePlus 15. And given the popularity of OnePlus’ R-series, many people are considering to upgrade to the device.
However, many people are also looking at the OnePlus 13R, the last gen semi-flagship from OnePlus. For a lot of people, the 13R is actually a pretty solid offering, especially now that it is set to get a proper price cut.
So, should you go for the latest semi-flagship from OnePlus, or go for the previous gen flagship killer? We break it down for you.
OnePlus 15R vs OnePlus 13R: Design
The OnePlus 15R and 13R don’t look identical at all, and that distinction between the two matters. However, the broader design language of glass panels and metal frames looks similar.
The OnePlus 15R feels much more purposeful with better durability of IP66, IP68, IP69 and IP69K ratings.
That level of water and dust resistance is rare in mainstream smartphones and pushes the 15R closer to rugged-phone territory. One thing they have common is the impressively slim design under 8 mm.
OnePlus 15R vs OnePlus 13R: Camera
OnePlus 13R pulls slightly ahead when it comes to camera. OnePlus 13R has a versatile camera stack includes a 50MP main camera, a 50MP telephoto and a 8MP ultrawide.
Telephoto is where the 15R lags behind in the competition, especially after dropping the zoom lens. And because of that telephoto lens the 13R offers better portraits and zoom photography.
The narrative flips at the video recording where 15R supports 4K 120FPS while 13R can shoot up to 4K 60FPS at max.
OnePlus 15R vs OnePlus 13R: Display
The display on both the phones is 1.5k AMOLED display except for the USP feature, which is the 165Hz refresh rate offered by the OnePlus 15R. The OnePlus 15R makes the usage much smoother, and it upgrades to an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner, making it faster and more reliable. However, the biggest bummer is the downgrade of LTPO panel in 13R to LTPS panel in the 15R.
OnePlus 15R vs OnePlus 13R: Performance
Performance is pretty solid on both the phones. 13R is powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and 15R steps up to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5. Benchmarks obviously favour the new chipset, with the OnePlus 15R touching 2.9 million compared to OnePlus 13R’s 2.6 million. The 15R also gets faster LPDDR5X Ultra RAM and UFS 4.1 storage.
The real difference though is in gaming. The OnePlus 15R gets native 165Hz support in games like Call of Duty: Mobile, and in others like BGMI, it can hit 165Hz using frame interpolation. The OnePlus 13R though is limited to 120FPS, because that’s all the display can push.
OnePlus 15R vs OnePlus 13R: Battery
Battery life will be another deciding factor if someone is choosing between the two. The 13R’s 6000mAh battery is already generous, but the 15R’s massive 7400mAh cell, the largest ever in a OnePlus phone, sets a new bar.
So obviously, because of the new chipset and larger capacity, the 15R will last longer than the 13R. Both support 80W fast charging.
OnePlus 15R vs OnePlus 13R: Verdict
There are some other factors too. Although both the devices are now on Oxygen OS 16 and get 4+6 years of software update, the 15R will last a year longer than the 13R, because it was launched later.
Now, the 15R comes in at a pretty solid price, starting at ₹44,999 for the base 12GB + 256GB variant. Interestingly, that was also the price for the 13R for the same variant, but now, the device is being sold for close to ₹39,000.
So, if you are looking for the cheapest option, the 13R is a no brainer. It also happens to have the better camera stack for the most part. But, if you want the latest and greatest in gaming experience, and want a monster of a battery life, the 15R is the one to go for.
