OnePlus 13R review: Maybe just buy a Pixel 9A
The OnePlus 13R is a particular kind of midrange phone for a particular kind of person.
It's a pared-down version of the OnePlus 13 - which is a full-on flagship and a good one at that. And even though it shares a lot of the flagship DNA, the 13R lacks peace-of-mind features present on the Google Pixel 9A, like full water resistance and new OS versions for seven years. It's also not exactly cheap, with an MSRP of $599. But if all that reduces its mass appeal, the 13R makes up for it in two key places: battery life and screen. Is it worth buying over the $499 Pixel 9A? That depends on the particular kind of person you are.
The 13R offers a big 6.78-inch OLED panel with a variable refresh rate up to 120Hz, and its 1264 x 2780 resolution is enough to keep things sharp. You'll have a hard time finding another screen this big and fancy on a midrange phone, at least one sold in the US. It's plenty bright in direct sun, and it maintains its peak brightness well. The always-on display is hard to see in the sun without waking the screen, but that's a minor complaint.
The 13R has an IP65 rating, meaning it's fully dust resistant and can withstand some serious splashes. But it's not guar …