OPINION: This year’s flagship OnePlus 13 feels like the company’s most complete flagship yet, but if I had one complaint, I’d say it’s a little on the large side. At 6.82 inches, it’s not exactly a pocket-friendly design, but the rumoured OnePlus 13T could rectify that.
Why? Rumours suggest that the upcoming smartphone will essentially be the OnePlus 13 in a smaller package, sporting a much more compact 6.3-inch display.
In a world where most flagships are closer to the 6.8-inch mark, that’s a refreshing change, especially for those who appreciate a more compact device.
The compromises of compact phones
Now, don’t misunderstand me; there isn’t exactly a lack of more compact phones on the market. You’ve got the 6.3-inch Google Pixel 9 Pro, the 6.2-inch Samsung Galaxy S25 and the 6.1-inch iPhone 16, but by and large these aren’t truly top-end phones.
The Pixel 9 Pro lacks the Snapdragon processing power and fast charging of other high-end flagships, the Galaxy S25 misses out on the top-end camera tech of the Ultra model in Samsung’s collection, and the iPhone 16 still, somehow in the year 2025, has a 60Hz screen.
What I’m trying to say is, if you want a small phone, you’re more often than not faced with compromises in the tech on offer. That’s where the OnePlus 13T, hopefully, will rectify things.
The OnePlus 13T could rewrite the compact phone rulebook
With the OnePlus 13T not yet official, I’m going by rumours, but given the extensive nature of the recent leaks, I feel as if there’s some weight behind the claims.
That starts with the same Snapdragon 8 Elite found within the OnePlus 13T. This itself isn’t a huge deal – the Galaxy S25 and other compact-ish phones have the same chipset – but it’s certainly welcome, reinforcing the idea that a compact phone can be just as powerful as its larger siblings.
Plus, with the OnePlus 13 achieving some of the best benchmarks we’ve seen from Snapdragon 8 Elite-equipped devices so far, I have high hopes that OnePlus’ high level of chipset optimisation will migrate to the smaller 13T.
The bigger news is that, despite a more compact form factor, the OnePlus 13T could have a frankly outstandingly large 6200mAh battery.
That’s likely made from the same silicon-carbon battery tech as the regular OnePlus 13, known for being able to provide high capacity in a smaller package – something that other small-screen phone manufacturers have yet to adopt.
That, combined with a smaller 6.3-inch screen, should translate to some of the best battery life around. The regular OnePlus 13 already had the legs to go two days on a single charge, so I’m expecting even better from its small-screen sibling – and that’s not something I thought I’d be saying, certainly not in 2025.
If only I could tell little Lewis, whose iPhone 3Gs would drop by 1% a minute when listening to music, that you could see a battery last beyond a two-day stretch. I say little, I was 17, but you know what I mean.
That’s said to be paired with the same 80W fast charging as the OnePlus 13. Again, this isn’t a given on small-screen phones as the potential for overheating is greater in more compact forms.
Say goodbye to the Alert Slider
The 13T is also set to be the first OnePlus phone to ditch the Alert Slider and use the new shortcut key Pete Lau first outlined last month.
As I mentioned at the time, it’s not a change I’m all that thrilled by. The alert slider has been one of my favourite smartphone features for years, offering the easiest way to switch between ringer and silent mode without looking at the screen or even getting it out of my pocket.
OnePlus China president Li Jie Louis confirmed the news on Weibo, revealing that the OnePlus 13T will sport a new physical button. He reassured fans that it’ll still be able to switch between silent, vibration, and ring modes, though he also mentioned that it’d be fully customisable and teased a “very interesting” feature tied to the button.
Given the trend from brands like Apple with the Action Button, it’s not a huge surprise to see OnePlus wanting to capitalise on that interest.
We don’t know much else about the smartphone, including the overall look and anything on the cameras, but I can only hope that – the latter in particular – marries up to that of the OnePlus 13. If it does, we’re in for a treat.
Well, we would be, anyway.
In a rather disappointing continuation of a trend set by OnePlus’ parent company Oppo, rumours claim that it won’t actually be released outside of China, joining the likes of the Oppo Find X8 Ultra and Oppo Find N5 that aren’t available internationally.
It’s frustrating, but I can only hope that Oppo and OnePlus change course sooner rather than later.
