Last year, when I got the Galaxy S24 Ultra, I thought I had finally settled into the perfect smartphone. It was reliable, packed with AI features, and offered one of the best displays in the business. But earlier this year, I decided to give the OnePlus 13s a try, intrigued by its compact design and beefy specs.
Now, after 90 days of using the OnePlus 13s (review), I can say it has been difficult for me to go back to the S24 Ultra. This is not because the Samsung flagship is lacking, but because the OnePlus 13s offers a combination of performance, efficiency, and value that feels very hard to ignore.
2Performance that pushes ahead
The Galaxy S24 Ultra is no slouch in performance – the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy is still incredibly powerful. But the OnePlus 13s brings Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Elite, which makes a visible difference in both speed and efficiency.
Multitasking feels instant, app switching is seamless, and gaming performance is top-tier. The thermals are also better managed, meaning I can push the device harder without worrying about heat buildup. It is not just raw performance, it is the way the phone stays consistently smooth across tasks that impressed me most.
One of the biggest reasons I found it difficult to move back to the S24 Ultra is the battery experience on the OnePlus 13s. The phone packs a 5,850mAh battery, and coupled with the new chip’s efficiency, it comfortably lasts well beyond a day of heavy use.
While the S24 Ultra offered decent endurance, I often needed to top it up by evening after long days of shooting photos or making calls. With the OnePlus 13s, I find myself charging less frequently. And when I do need a top-up, the ultra-fast wired charging makes the experience hassle-free.
