The OnePlus 13 may be the best phone you can buy in 2025. It checks all the boxes for a premium experience. In comparison, Samsung’s Galaxy S25+ feels like it hasn’t ventured far from its previous iterations this year.
That’s not to say it has no top-tier features, but it’s hard to ignore that Samsung hasn’t pushed boundaries as much as they did with their earlier Galaxy releases. But it’s left for you to judge the two phones based on personal preferences. Let’s analyze which one brings more value for your money.
Specs overview: OnePlus 13 Vs Galaxy S25+
 |
 |
|
|---|---|---|
| Components | OnePlus 13 | Samsung Galaxy S25+ |
| Operating System | Android 15, OxygenOS 15 |
Android 15, One UI 7 |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 8 Elite (3 nm) | Snapdragon 8 Elite (3 nm) |
| CPU | Octa-core (2×4.32 GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix L + 6×3.53 GHz) | Octa-core (2×4.47 GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix L + 6×3.53 GHz) |
| GPU | Adreno 830 | Adreno 830 |
| Storage | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, | 256GB, 512GB, |
| MicroSD Support | No | No |
| RAM | 12GB, 16GB, 24GB | 12GB |
| Display | 6.82-inch LTPO 4.1 AMOLED, 120Hz, 1440 x 3168 pixels | 6.7-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 120Hz, 1440 x 3120 pixels |
| Main Camera | 50 MP (wide), 50 MP (periscope telephoto, 3x zoom), 50 MP (ultrawide) |
50 MP (wide), 10 MP (telephoto, 3x zoom), 12 MP (ultrawide) |
| Selfie Camera | 32 MP (wide) | 12 MP (wide) |
| Battery | 6000mAh, | 4900mAh, |
| Charging | 100W wired, 50W wireless, 10W reverse wireless | 45W wired, 15W wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Water Resistance | IP68/IP69 | IP68 |
| Price | $899.99 | $999.99 |
Related: What’s the Difference Between the S24 Plus and S25 Plus?
Design
The OnePlus 13 has a large build, with dimensions of 162.9 x 76.5 x 8.5 mm or 8.9 mm, depending on the variant. The weight also varies at 210g or 213g. But it’s clearly heavier than the Galaxy S25+. It has more compact dimensions of 158.4 x 75.8 x 7.3 mm, and it weighs 190g.
On the front, the OnePlus 13 has a Ceramic Guard type glass. It’s supposedly stronger than Gorilla Glass Victus, and there are not many official tests of its strength since its proprietary. But OnePlus does have a track record of using high-quality materials, so it’s nothing much to worry about.
On the back, you get two options. Either go for the glossy glass finish with a hint of wood grain or the silicone polymer. The phone uses an aluminum frame, which is one thing it shares with the Galaxy S25+.
Now, the design you choose plays a big role in the color you get. If you go for the glass back, you can get it in Arctic Dawn or Black Eclipse. Choose the vegan option and you get the Midnight Ocean model. It’s the choice I’d make, coming from personal experience with non-glass backs. It’s more premium in hand, has better grip, and leaves less fingerprint smudges.
On the other hand, the Galaxy S25+ is a nice blend of Aluminum and Gorilla Glass. On the front and back, you have the Gorilla Glass Victus 2 material that Samsung introduced on the Galaxy S23 series in 2023. It’s a tough glass, and it’s stronger than the original Victus. Expect the phone to survive drops from one meter onto concrete.
Meanwhile, the phone’s frame uses the Armor Aluminum 2 material. It’s hard to say for sure if it’s actually stronger than the OnePlus 13. But if we go by tested durability, the Galaxy S25+ is the safer bet.
The camera module on the OnePlus 13 is my favorite, but I wish it was aligned at the center. Instead, the circular ring is noticeably shifted to the left and arranged as a tight, uniform cluster of three equally sized 50MP lenses. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S25+ has individual lenses as usual. But this time, Samsung has separated them with bold, dark, and protruding rings instead of a flattened design that blends into the phone.
As for colors, Samsung gives you more in Navy, Mint, Icy Blue, and Silver Shadow. There are three extra unique colors, but they are available exclusively online. Unless you want to deal with shipping and all other hassles of internet shopping, you’ll do just fine with the basics. Besides, you still get the same materials regardless of the color you pick.
Display
The Galaxy S25+ has a large 6.7-inch screen if you include the full rectangle. With rounded corners, it’s technically 6.5 inches. Either way, it’s a big, immersive screen with 16 million colors supported and Quad HD+ resolution. So, you’re not going to lose sleep over a few missing inches. The panel uses Dynamic AMOLED 2X technology with rich colors, deep blacks, and smooth motion that’s courtesy of its high 120Hz refresh rate.
If we’re comparing all that to the OnePlus 13, let’s start with the similarities. Both phones share AMOLED panels, the Always-On Display, 120Hz refresh rate, and a Quad HD+ resolution in common. However, the S25+ has a slightly higher pixel density of 513 ppi over the 510 ppi on the OnePlus 13. Basically, a higher pixel density translates to sharper images and text because the individual pixels are smaller and less noticeable.
But OnePlus wins in brightness and color technology. It hits a peak brightness of 4500 nits, nearly double the S25+’s 2600 nits. It also supports Dolby Vision and HDR Vivid, alongside HDR10+, while Samsung sticks to HDR10+ alone.
OnePlus 13 also has the RadiantView technology. The brand hasn’t gone into detail about what makes it unique. But most likely, it improves brightness, color accuracy, or visibility in different lighting conditions. There’s also the Aqua Touch 2.0 technology that allows you to tap and swipe away at your screen even when wet, and Intelligent Eye Care 4.0 to reduce eye strain.
One small advantage for Samsung is the slightly better screen-to-body ratio that gives you thinner bezels. But overall, the OnePlus 13 has the better display on paper and in reality.
Performance
If you’ve seen that Spider-Man meme where three of him are pointing at each other, that’s pretty much what it feels like comparing the OnePlus 13 and the Galaxy S25+. Both phones have nearly identical performance specs with the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor and Adreno 830 GPU.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite is Qualcomm’s latest and most powerful mobile processor that uses a three-nanometer design with the Oryon CPU and the promise of 45% faster than previous models. It supports up to 320MP camera resolutions, multiple camera feeds for video, and improved graphics with the Adreno GPU.
In memory, both use support the UFS 4.0 fast storage standard. But the OnePlus 13 has a broader range of options, with storage choices that go up to 1TB and up to 24GB of RAM. Other options include 256GB+12GB RAM, 512GB+12GB RAM, and 512GB+16GB RAM.
512GB of storage and 12GB of RAM is the highest you get on the Galaxy S25+. You’ll want to think deeply about how much space you need and which phone gives you that. Neither phones have a microSD slot.
Battery
Battery is one other place where the OnePlus 13 isn’t afraid to show off. It has a larger 6,000mAh battery compared to the 4,900 mAh battery of the Samsung Galaxy S25+. It’s even lower than their usual capped 5,000mAh batteries, which you can blame on the lighter design this year. A few mAh removed won’t really make a huge impact on day-to-day use. But it’s noticeable in contrast with the OnePlus 13.
Speaking of, OnePlus’s phone supports 100W wired charging that’s capable of taking the device to 50% in 13 minutes and a full charge in 36 minutes. It also supports 50W wireless charging, 10W reverse wireless, and 5W reverse wired charging.
The Galaxy S25+ can only boast of 45W wired charging, which takes the phone to 65% in 30 minutes. Although it has 15W wireless charging that is Qi2.1 Ready and 4.5W reverse wireless charging, these are slower compared to the OnePlus 13’s wireless and reverse charging capabilities.
There’s also the fact that Samsung didn’t add the Qi magnets to the phone. So, you still need to spend money on quality casing for a secure charging grip. Quite conveniently, the brand has made a case especially for this situation.
Cameras
The OnePlus 13 has a three-camera setup on the back with powerful lenses that overshadow Samsung’s phone. The main lens carries a 50MP wide sensor with a f/1.6 aperture that beats the 50MP wide sensor having a smaller f/1.8 aperture. Again, it carries another 50MP periscope telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom over the S25+’s 10 MP telephoto lens.
Although it offers the same 3x optical zoom, it has a much lower resolution. It will make all the difference when you’re covering long distances. The third rear camera on the OnePlus 13 comes with a 50MP ultrawide lens that far surpasses the 12MP ultrawide lens found on the Galaxy S25+. On the front is a 32MP wide lens, while Samsung’s phone uses a 12MP wide lens.
Software and features
On international shores, the OnePlus 13 runs on OxygenOS 15. In China, it runs ColorOS 15. Both of them are indeed clean and fast versions of the latest Android 15. If you’re familiar with Oppo and Realme phones, then you have a hint of what it looks like as they share many similarities. For example, the notification panel.
Samsung’s One UI 7 brings many new features with Galaxy AI and offers unparalleled customizations. That same level of customization can be a curse because it may feel a bit more complex to handle. OnePlus has offered four major Android updates, which would normally be the same standard as Samsung’s.
But like the S24 series, it will receive seven years of updates. It’s among the best update policies in the industry, and the ideal choice if your next phone happens to be your last bus stop for the next few years.
The verdict
I love Samsung’s phones, and it feels like a betrayal giving the best phone medal to the OnePlus 13. But it is the more deserving phone. You can’t ignore the OP13’s 6,000mAh battery, its exceptional charging technology, and the cameras. If you’re still leaning towards Samsung, there are many reasons to stick with the Galaxy S25+.
The company’s consistent software updates, strong ecosystem, and integration with other Samsung devices are among them. One UI is also well-established and brings a broad suite coupled with Galaxy AI to make sure you never get bored with your phone.
