In January, OnePlus launched its latest flagship phone, the OnePlus 13. Here’s how it compares to Google’s high-end Pixel phone, the Pixel 9 Pro XL.
We were highly impressed by the OnePlus 13 as an alternative option to some of Samsung and Google’s best flagships, but how does it compare when it comes to specific qualities, including design, display, cameras, performance and battery life?
Stay on this page to find out.
Price
The OnePlus 13 was announced in January 2025 and starts at £899/$899 for 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, making it the cheaper of the two phones.
The Pixel 9 Pro XL, on the other hand, launched in August 2024. Prices for the phone start at £1099/$1199 for 16GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.
Design and screen
- The OnePlus 13 includes two SIM slots
- Both phones feature 6.8-inch displays
- The OnePlus 13 has a brighter screen
Looking at the rear of these two phones, the biggest visible design difference is the camera module. Both handsets come in a handful of neutral and stylish colours and feature a subtle logo in the centre rear. Both are also dust- and water-resistant up to IP68.
However, where the OnePlus 13 features a large round camera module with a shiny silver finish, the Pixel 9 Pro XL offers a more unique black horizontal array. OnePlus has also included two SIM slots, meaning you can insert two cards at a time.
Flip the phones around and both phones feature spacious 6.8-inch displays with punch-hole cameras at the top. The OnePlus 13 has a brighter, 4500-nit AMOLED display with Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support, whereas the Pixel 9 Pro XL features a 3000-nit OLED screen with support for HDR10+. Both displays include 120Hz LTPO refresh rates.
We found the display on the OnePlus 13 to be bright, detailed and accurate with realistic colours that can be boosted with the D65 or Vivid mode, while the Pixel 9 Pro XL’s screen is stunning and easy to use in bright sunlight.
Winner: OnePlus 13
Camera
- Both phones feature 50MP triple cameras
- The Pixel 9 Pro XL supports 5x optical zoom
- The OnePlus 13 can record 1080p video at 480fps
Both the OnePlus 13 and Pixel 9 Pro benefit from triple camera arrays led by 50-megapixel sensors.
On the OnePlus 13, that consists of a 50-megapixel main camera, 50-megapixel ultra-wide camera with 120-degree FOV and 50-megapixel periscope telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom. The phone supports 8K/30fps, 4K/60fps and 1080p/480fps video capture, while the front camera is capable of snapping 32-megapixel (f/2.4) selfies and recording at 4K/60fps.
The Pixel 9 Pro XL, meanwhile, takes advantage of a 50-megapixel main camera, 48-megapixel ultra-wide camera with 123-degree FOV and 48-megapixel periscope telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom, which is 2x more than that on the OnePlus 13. The phone is capable of recording the same 8K/30fps and 4K/60fps video, though slow-mo has a lower frame rate at 1080p/240fps. Finally, the phone features a slightly higher megapixel count on its front camera with a 42-megapixel (f/2.2) sensor and 4K/60fps video capture.
We found that the OnePlus 13 offered generally solid performance with neutral colour processing and less of a golden or warm tone compared to the Pixel, though you can always adjust the colour tone with a filter. The zoom and macro features presented some issues focusing, though late-night shots are sharp and detailed.
The Pixel 9 Pro XL offered a bit more consistency, with the camera being a highlight on this phone. The Pixel is one of the best camera phones on the market right now, capturing incredible photos with true-to-life colours, capable autofocus and accurate skin tones in its portrait mode. Low-light is also a strong point for the camera phone and there are plenty of AI software features to dig into.
Winner: Pixel 9 Pro XL
Features
- The OnePlus 13 is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite
- The Pixel 9 Pro XL runs on Google’s own Tensor G4 chipset
- Both smartphones make use of AI features
When it comes to performance and features, both the OnePlus 13 and Pixel 9 Pro XL are powered by flagship chipsets. For the OnePlus 13, this is the Snapdragon 8 Elite, while the Pixel 9 Pro XL runs Google’s own Tensor G4 chipset.
However, where the Snapdragon 8 Elite concentrates primarily on performance power, the Tensor G4 focuses more on AI smarts and software tricks.
You’ll struggle to find a more powerful phone than the OnePlus 13 in the next 12 months, with the Snapdragon 8 Elite even beating Apple’s A18 Pro in our benchmarking tests. OxygenOS 15 is also hugely customisable and includes some exclusive AI features though these aren’t quite as impressive as those on the Pixel phone, which focuses on offering top AI performance with apps like Gemini Live, Pixel Studio image generation, Call Assist phone call summaries and more.
Winner: Pixel 9 Pro XL
Battery life
- The OnePlus 13 has a larger battery
- The OnePlus 13 has faster wired charging
- The OnePlus phone also supports faster wireless charging
Finally, when we look at the battery, the OnePlus 13 comes out on top both in capacity and charging speed. The OnePlus phone is fitted with a large 6000 mAh battery, along with support for 100W wired charging, 50W wireless charging and reverse wireless charging.
The Pixel 9 Pro XL, on the other hand, includes a (still very large) 5060 mAh battery, along with support for 37W wired charging and up to 23W wireless charging. The phone also supports reverse wireless charging.
We found the OnePlus 13 to be very efficient with its battery consumption, with 30 minutes of Mario Kart Tour gaming only costing 3-4% of battery. The charging is speedy too, going from 0 to 100% in 36 minutes with wired charging.
The Pixel 9 Pro XL has a more than decent battery life too, easily lasting all day on one charge. Fast charging isn’t as fast, however, with a full charge taking around 80 minutes in total – that’s more than double the OnePlus 13’s time.
Winner: OnePlus 13
Verdict
These two flagship phones have plenty of similarities, along with their own strengths. The OnePlus 13 focuses more on power and battery consumption, where the Pixel 9 Pro XL is ideal for feature-lovers and mobile photographers.
Buy the OnePlus 13 if you want powerful performance
If you’re looking for powerful flagship performance, along with a long-lasting battery life, a bright screen and a large battery, the OnePlus 13 is our recommendation.
Buy the Pixel 9 Pro XL if you want the best camera
For the strongest, most consistent camera performance and the biggest array of AI features, look no further than the Pixel 9 Pro XL.
