Smartphone lovers, we’ve got a spicy battle on our hands! The iQOO 13 and OnePlus 13 are both packed with top-tier features, but here’s the catch: OnePlus 13 is ₹15,000 more expensive. So, the big question is—is it worth the extra cash? Let’s break it down in a no-nonsense, straight-up comparison!
Pricing: How much more are you paying?
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- iQOO 13: ₹50,000
- OnePlus 13: ₹65,000
That’s a ₹15,000 difference without any offers. Now, let’s see if that gap is justified.
Read: OnePlus 13 review
Design & build: Both look premium!
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Both smartphones feature a modern, premium design with sleek aesthetics and top-quality materials. They feel great in hand, and both include an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner for super-fast unlocking.
A major similarity is USB 3.2 Type-C support, which was previously exclusive to OnePlus. This means both phones now have faster data transfer speeds and better connectivity.
Fans of leather, though, would naturally lean towards blue colored OnePlus 13 (official color name is Midnight Ocean, FYI) which offers the blur leather back as iQOO doesn't have any such offering. Having used one, I can say that the blue leather back OnePlus 13 is indeed premium and a notch above the rest, even though it makes the device a hair thicker than other color options. But it doesn't feel that way, and people do think I have a case slapped on – so, the surprise reaction is well worth it when you tell them it's a leather back, not a case!
But, the story doesn't end here. You get something with iQOO 13 that is even more compelling – at least to me – than the vegan leather on blue OnePlus 13, and that's the dynamic light around the camera island which glows up for calls, notifications, even to indicate camera shutter, and some more. In my time with iQOO 13, I have loved checking it out again and again. It's nice to use the back of my iQOO 13 often indicate to me if I have notifications I have set it for. It is an eye-catcher and often draws interests from people around you.
If you remember, smartphones used to have LED notification light to indicate notifications, but here it is, the dynamic island, the LED notifications light back from the dead – on steroids.
Verdict: No major difference here. But go for OnePlus 13 for leather back option or iQOO 13 for dynamic lighting.
Display: Identical on paper, but...
Both devices rock AMOLED panels, but while iQOO 13 offers you a 144hz refresh rate, OnePlus offers lesser refresh rate at 120hz (I can't believe I am calling 120hz lesser!), and the same resolution and peak brightness at 6.82 inches display size, 1440 x 3168 pixels in resolution, approx. 510 PPI in density, but here’s the catch:
- iQOO 13 claims 1800 nits peak brightness, but in real-world use under direct sunlight, both look the same.
- OnePlus 13 may have slightly better HDR tuning, making some content look richer.
Verdict: Tie – practically no noticeable difference in day-to-day use.
Performance: Who wins in gaming?
Both phones pack the latest Snapdragon flagship chipset, so expect blazing-fast speeds. But let’s get into real-world gaming:
- In GRID Legends game, which we played for a about 45 minutes, the FPS score and device temperature were nearly identical.
- But in Call of Duty Warzone, OnePlus 13 showed slightly better FPS stability.
Verdict: Tie.
Though, if you’re a hardcore gamer, OnePlus 13 gives you a tiny edge, but casual gamers won’t notice the difference. But we will call this too, a tie.
Battery & Charging: Almost the same
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- Battery life: Both phones give similar screen-on time and easily last a full day (or two0, depending on your milage).
- Charging speed:
- iQOO 13: 120W wired charging (faster!)
- OnePlus 13: Slightly slower at 120W (and 80W in the US), but still impressive.
- Wireless charging: Available with OnePlus 13. But you will need to buy the OnePlus AIRVOOC 50W Wireless Charger separately, and it will cost Rs 5,499 in India (and $80 in the US).
Verdict: Tie. And then no.
OnePlus 13 would win it if you need wireless charging because iQOO 13 doesn't offer that and OnePlus does, and that too at insanely fast speed of 50W – for some context, the top-end Samsung and Apple devices like Galaxy S25 and iPhone 16 offer less than 50W even for wired charging, let alone wireless. Though, the wireless charger is an extra Rs 5,499, which means the difference between the two devices becomes Rs. 20,500, not Rs 15,000.
Though, if wireless charging doesn't matter to you, because that's completely possible and fine, the iQOO 13 wins it because extra 20W speed.
Cameras: Are small gains in OnePlus 13 worth the extra amount you pay?
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- Primary Sensor: Both have 50MP main cameras, but OnePlus has a larger sensor for better light capture and dynamic range.
- Telephoto Zoom:
- iQOO 13: 2x telephoto lens
- OnePlus 13: Better zoom capabilities (3x), sharper details.
- Ultra-Wide Camera: OnePlus 13 edges out with better details and light capture.
- Selfies:
- Both use a 32MP front camera.
- iQOO 13 performs slightly better in aggressive lighting.
- Video Quality: OnePlus 13 delivers more stable and detailed videos.
Verdict: If you’re into photography and videography, OnePlus 13 is the better choice.
But do not over consider this, the 2X zoom is sometimes more practical, believe me, and small gains are not worth extra Rs 15,000 OnePlus 13 costs.
Software & AI features: Any major differences?
- OnePlus 13 gets you OxygenOS 15 while iQOO 13 is powered by Funtouch OS 15. Both are similar in first look but massively different in real workings. Personally, I would give Fun touch OS in iQOO a big, big win here. And I mean it!
- Both phones support AI-based global search, Circle to Search, and similar AI features.
- Software update policy: OnePlus promises one extra year of security updates.
Verdict: iQOO 13
Even OnePlus 13 gets you an extra year in each of OS updates and security patch updates, the Funtouch OS 15 on iQOO is clearly better than OxygenOS 15 in our eyes. We would prefer using Funtouch over OxygenOS anytime, even if it means lesser promised updates.
Final verdict: Which one should you buy?
Feature | iQOO 13 | OnePlus 13 | Winner |
---|---|---|---|
Price | ₹50,000 | ₹65,000 | iQOO 13 (More affordable) |
Design & Build | ☑️ | ☑️ | Tie (Dynamic light on iQOO pretty unique while OnePlus 13 offers you vegan leather option) |
Display | ☑️ | ☑️ | Tie |
Performance | ☑️ | ☑️+ | Tie, although OnePlus 13 offer Slightly better in FPS stability |
Battery & Charging | ⚡120W | ⚡ Fast but not as fast | iQOO 13 (Faster wired charging) |
Cameras | 📸 2x Zoom | 📸 3x Zoom + Better Details | OnePlus 13 (by small margin) |
Software support and quality (OS-security updates) | 🔄 3-4 years | 🔄 4-5 years | iQOO 13 for better features and UI |
So, should you spend ₹15,000 extra on OnePlus 13?
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✅ Pick iQOO 13 if you want flagship-level performance at a lower price with great software that is a delight to use and offers great customization and feature. Also, yes, for the dynamic lighting around the camera island at the back.
✅ Pick OnePlus 13 if you care about wireless charging, slightly better cameras, gaming stability, and long-term software support. And, a red cable!
Personal opinion: Only if you are sure you need wireless charging, go for OnePlus 13, else, iQOO 13 is all you need – provided it's available in your region. The small gains in cameras and elsewhere are not with the extra Rs 15,000 you need to spend for OnePlus 13 over iQOO 13 – moreover, the difference is even more, at Rs 20,500 is you need opt for OnePlus 13 for wireless charging reason as the wireless charger costs Rs 5,499.
Honestly, both phones are fantastic, and unless you really need OnePlus’ extra perks, iQOO 13 delivers amazing value!
Thoughts?
Discussion