OnePlus 13s Launch Tomorrow: Should It Be Your Next Phone?

OnePlus 13s launch in India is set for June 5. Ahead of the event, the company has shared several teasers highlighting the hardware upgrades coming to the company’s compact and sleek phone. The company claims the OnePlus 13s is its most compact flagship phone, featuring high-end specifications like the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset and features like OnePlus AI. While the jury is still out on whether the OnePlus 13s is part of the company’s smart strategy, its launch appears like a catch-up with Samsung after the Galaxy S25 Edge.

What’s in store?

According to company teasers, the OnePlus will be the company’s first phone to have a dedicated AI button called the Plus Key. It would allow you to summon OnePlus AI to perform functions such as translate a call, summarise a document, and even fetch information from what’s on screen. The OnePlus 13s will also offer high-grade performance, thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chip inside. The cameras will include a 50MP wide and a 50MP telephoto sensor, while the battery inside it is claimed to be higher than that inside the Galaxy S25 Edge. The design is also significantly different from the previous OnePlus phones, focusing on compactness and sleekness in the mid-range segment.

Could it be a good upgrade?

Depending on what you want from your next phone, the OnePlus 13s could be good or irrelevant for you. If you are in the market for a phone that does not look like a full-blown flagship, the OnePlus 13s is a good choice. Its design looks minimalistic. It should be suited for people who want a flagship chip and a good display on a phone that is not as bulky as the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. Sure, there are caveats, like fewer cameras on the OnePlus 13s. But that is a compromise you must make to find the OnePlus 13s appealing for less than half the price of the Ultra.

Yet, it is not everyone. The OnePlus 13s bets on the slim phone trend despite being one. Its compactness is also overstated, especially in the mid-range market, where phones like the Pixel 9a and even the new iPhone 16e have emerged as top choices. While both phones compromise on some hardware, like more number of cameras or top-end features, they both use flagship chipsets and offer AI features — exactly what OnePlus is pitching with the OnePlus 13s.

Why could it be a failed trend?

The upcoming OnePlus 13s will easily be among the best phones in the upper mid-range market, but customers should not go for it without considering other options. Here is why:

— While OnePlus’s AI will improve productivity, the preloaded tools, even with a dedicated button, are not a breakthrough. Phones at around ₹20,000 price, as well as those in the same price segment, offer the same AI features.

— The OnePlus 13s could also crowd the company’s mid-range offerings, leaving customers confused. Another problem with the phone is the lack of an ecosystem. Phones at around ₹50,000 integrate well with other products from a company, offering a good stickiness to users.

The OnePlus 13s would work in isolation, unlike the Pixel 9a, iPhone 16e, or the Samsung Galaxy S25.

The bottom line

The OnePlus 13s shows the company’s renewed interest in shaking up the smartphone market. If implemented well, it could replicate the company’s debut in India. But the OnePlus 13s will have to be more than just a size-down flagship to stand out, especially when its rivals could be the Pixel 9a and the iPhone 16e. It would be good for people who are OnePlus enthusiasts and want a phone as adept as the OnePlus 13 or, better, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, without costing that much. The OnePlus 13s is sleek and powerful, but unless you are a die-hard fan, the Pixel 9a or iPhone 16e might offer a more complete experience.

Read more: Why Are Samsung Phones More Expensive Than Other Android Phones, and Are They Worth the Cost?