OnePlus 13 to debut in China this month, promising major upgrades: All you need to know

The long-anticipated OnePlus 13 is set to launch this month, as confirmed by Louis Lee, President of OnePlus China, in a Weibo post. The China-exclusive launch will be followed by a global debut later this year. The flagship smartphone will be the first device to run on ColorOS 15, OnePlus’ custom operating system for the Chinese market, and will offer significant performance improvements over its predecessors.

Lee teased that the OnePlus 13 will feature a "big leap" in performance, crediting this upgrade to the latest Snapdragon flagship chipset, rumoured to be the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4. According to industry insiders, the new chip will deliver enhanced AI capabilities, thanks to its next-generation Neural Processing Unit (NPU), which promises improved processing speeds and more efficient AI-driven tasks.

The OnePlus 13's upgrade in performance is expected to rival any Android smartphone currently on the market, as Lee claimed that the device will achieve “a height never seen before” in terms of fluency and responsiveness. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chipset, also expected to debut this month, is anticipated to enhance the phone’s overall performance, making it one of the most powerful smartphones of the year.

Rumoured specifications suggest the handset will feature a 6.82-inch 2K LTPO BOE X2 OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, offering vibrant visuals and smooth scrolling. This second-generation screen, developed by BOE, is believed to outperform the BOE X1 display used in the OnePlus 12.

India and other global markets, however, are not expected to receive the ColorOS 15 variant. Instead, the OnePlus 13 will likely come equipped with OxygenOS outside of China, bringing a distinct user experience to international users. As OnePlus fans eagerly await the global release, the phone is poised to set new benchmarks in performance and user experience.