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OnePlus 13R review: a triple threat of battery, performance, and brilliance
4:24 pm | January 10, 2025
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets OnePlus Phones Phones | Tags: , , , | Comments: Off

OnePlus 13R review: Two-minute review

The OnePlus 13R builds on the winning formula of its predecessor, the OnePlus 12R, by delivering prolonged battery life, a dazzling display, and plenty of power in a slick, premium package.

Its price is not as competitively low as the brand’s earliest ‘flagship killers’, but if you’re after a flagship phone without the quite frankly eye-watering price tags that come with them, the OnePlus 13R delivers plenty while only compromising in a few small areas.

This is only the second time an R-Series handset has launched internationally; the initial ‘R’ branded devices (of series 9, 10, and 11) did not reach European or North American shores.

The OnePlus 13R is a less tricked-out – and thus more affordable – version of the flagship OnePlus 13 which launched alongside it. Think of this phone like Samsung’s ‘FE’ variants of its high-end S series and Google’s ‘A’ line of its Pixel phones.

OnePlus 13R front screen

(Image credit: Future)

The 6.78-inch display is colorful and sufficiently bright, making it easy to use even in direct sunlight. The screen is flat, and flush with the phone’s aluminium frame, which results in a pleasing viewing experience.

Meanwhile, the sizable 6,000mAh battery lasted me two days on a single charge, and even power users will get more than a day’s use from the OnePlus 13R before needing to reach for the charging cable. But reach for the cable you will, as there’s no wireless charging.

There’s plenty of power under the hood, with the previous flagship generation Snapdragon chipset at its heart, ably assisted by 12GB of RAM. It means the 13R can handle pretty much anything you throw at it.

While the trio of cameras on the rear may not have the very latest features of the current-gen flagships, it’s a great point-and-shoot camera that holds its own in most scenarios.

Holding the 13R may be a little tricky for those with smaller hands though, as this is a large phone. And you’ll want to be careful around water, as this handset isn’t protected against submersion. It’s merely splash-proof, which does mean it’ll be okay in the rain.

The OnePlus 13R is an accomplished smartphone that borrows many of the features from the brand's previous flagship phone, while being kept just out of reach of some of the very latest tech which has been reserved for its non-R, numerical twin.

OnePlus 13R review: price and availability

OnePlus 13R review images

(Image credit: Future)
  • OnePlus 13R price is $599 / £679
  • Available with 12GB RAM + 256GB ROM in North America and Europe
  • India also has the option of a 16GB + 512GB variant

When it comes to buying the OnePlus 13R, things are kept simple with just one storage configuration of 256GB ROM + 12GB RAM available in North America and Europe.

For those in India, there’s a beefier 512GB + 16GB additional configuration, which may have some in Western markets looking enviably over to Asia.

The OnePlus 13R price is $599 / £679, matching the launch price of its predecessor (the OnePlus 12R) in the US, but coming in at £30 more expensive in the UK.

With the same launch price in the US as last year’s 256GB OnePlus 12R, the 13R is well positioned in the market, offering a big screen, big battery, and plenty of performance at a price point that undercuts Apple. Meanwhile, for UK buyers the £30 price increase is a little frustrating, but OnePlus has improved on its predecessor and the 13R still offers a solid all-round experience.

This price point sits the OnePlus 13R towards the top end of the ‘affordable flagship’ market, and unlike the OnePlus 12R, the US only gets the 256GB ROM + 12GB RAM. There’s no cheaper variant with 8GB/128GB of RAM and storage this time round.

That means it’s more expensive than the smaller, more palm-friendly Pixel 8a – Google’s own take on an affordable flagship – yet similarly priced to the AI-loaded Samsung Galaxy S24 FE and alternative Nothing Phone (2), although the latter is now a year and a half old at the time of writing.

One of the big draws of the OnePlus 13R will be its supreme battery life, but if battery life is the most important focus in a big-screened phone for you, then you may want to look at the Honor Magic 7 Lite. It’s a chunk cheaper and boasts an even bigger battery (6,600mAh), although it has less power and storage and isn’t available in North America.

  • Value score: 4 / 5

OnePlus 13R review: specs

The OnePlus 13R comes with a trio of headline specs. There’s the big, bright, and bold 6.78-inch display boasting a maximum brightness of 4,500 nits, the huge 6,000mAh battery that can keep you going for two days, and slick performance thanks to the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset as the brand’s previous generation flagship, the OnePlus 12.

There’s also a trio of cameras around the back, fast 80W wired charging, and 256GB of storage which will keep all but the most prolific power users happy.

OnePlus 13R review: design

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OnePlus 13R review images

(Image credit: Future)
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OnePlus 13R review images

(Image credit: Future)
  • Wonderfully premium aluminum and glass frame
  • A little large for small hands, and can’t be submerged in water

The OnePlus 13R is a slick piece of hardware, with a sleek aluminum frame wrapping around the circumference of the handset, which is sandwiched on either side by glass.

The flat sides are reminiscent of Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro and 16 Pro series, as well as the Oppo Find X8 range – the latter of which shares various design cues with the OnePlus 13 series, as the two brands are part of the same overarching company.

To complete the premium package the screen and rear of the phone are covered in Gorilla Glass 7i, the first OnePlus phone to harness this new glass type, which maker Corning claims is “specifically engineered to address the need for improved drop protection and scratch resistance.”

This means the 13R should be able to resist the odd drop and knock, but during my review time with the phone, I didn’t really put this to the test.

While the aesthetics may not be entirely unique, the OnePlus 13R has a premium look and feel; it’s built solidly and outperforms its price tag.

Those with smaller hands will find the size of the device overbearing – especially for one-handed use – while I’d have liked the power and volume buttons on the right of the 13R placed lower down.

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OnePlus 13R review images

(Image credit: Future)
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OnePlus 13R review images

(Image credit: Future)

The volume rocker especially was a stretch for my thumb, resulting in awkward shuffles in the hand to turn the volume up. If OnePlus placed these a few millimeters lower the buttons would fall naturally under the thumb, making for easier manipulation.

OnePlus’ now iconic alert slider is present on the OnePlus 13R, providing an easy way to toggle between silent, vibrate, and ring modes – although it suffers the same placement affliction as the volume and power – it’s placed just a little too high up on the left of the phone for my taste.

While this was a novel addition in the early days of OnePlus, its inclusion now feels a little superfluous as user habits have evolved over the years resulting in fewer people switching regularly between ring states. Former OnePlus co-founder, Carl Pei, even tweeted to say “most people never use it” in regards to the alert slider.

The USB-C port sits centrally on the bottom edge of the phone, flanked by the SIM tray (which supports two cards) and the speaker. On the back, the smooth, minimalist finish of my Nebular Noir-colored device is interrupted only by the enormous circular camera housing.

It’s aligned to one side of the handset – providing a small point of differentiation to the centrally placed camera bump on the Find X8 devices – which does displace the weight slightly, but isn’t an issue during daily use. OnePlus has managed to keep the weight of the 13R to a reasonable 206g, which allows it to sit comfortably in the hand.

One disappointing feature is the handset’s IP65 water resistance rating. It’s an improvement over the IP64 rating of its predecessor and protects against jets of water, but an IP68 rating (water resistance for submersion) is not uncommon in this price bracket.

  • Design score: 4 / 5

OnePlus 13R review: display

OnePlus 13R review images

(Image credit: Future)
  • The 6.78-inch display is big, bright and colorful
  • A peak brightness of 4,500 nits makes it great for use in the sun

OnePlus makes a big deal about the display on this phone, and the good news is it lives up to the billing. It’s big, bright and colorful.

At 6.78 inches, it’s a sizable offering, much larger than the 6.1-inch screen on the Pixel 8a, a hair bigger than the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE (at 6.7 inches), while it’s the same size as the Honor Magic 7 Lite – another big-battery competitor.

There’s plenty of real estate for apps, and the slender uniform bezels all the way around give it a premium appeal. The only interruption on the screen is the circular cutout at the top of the display for the 16MP front-facing camera.

The 1264 x 2780 (1.5K) resolution – which gives you a pixel density of 450 ppi – is par for the course. OnePlus says the 13R can deliver a maximum brightness of 4,500 nits, but you won’t actually see that level of brightness in real-world use.

In my time with the phone, the OnePlus 13R’s screen performed very well in bright light, whether indoors or outdoors. If you’re fortunate enough to find yourself in a particularly sunny climate, you can be confident you’ll be able to see what’s on-screen in direct sunlight.

OnePlus 13R review images

(Image credit: Future)

And when the weather turns and rain starts to fall, the OnePlus 13R continues to perform thanks to Aqua Touch 2.0. Taking the phone into the rain, the screen continued to respond well when my use was uninterrupted by the conditions – rain can cause issues on other phones, where the screen is confused by water droplets leading to unregistered taps or erroneous inputs.

Another nice inclusion for the OnePlus 13R is Glove Mode, allowing you to interact with the screen while wearing woolen or sheepskin gloves (up to 0.5cm thick). This mode isn’t on by default, you need to dive into the accessibility menus in the Settings apps (you can search “glove” in Settings to find the mode quicker) to enable it.

Once enabled, I was impressed by just how responsive the screen was when wearing a pair of woolen gloves. With the mode switched off, there was zero response from the screen when wearing gloves, so the difference is stark.

Interactions do require a little more force to be applied compared to non-glove use, but that’s not a surprise. OnePlus does note that glove mode does not support gameplay, so if you’re planning to have a round of PUBG while vacationing in Lapland, Finland, you may want to wait until you’re inside and gloveless before parachuting into battle. Opening and closing apps, moving around the interface, scrolling social, and tapping out messages are all easily done, however.

  • Display score: 4.5 / 5

OnePlus 13R review: software

OnePlus 13R review images

(Image credit: Future)
  • OxygenOS 15.0 offers plenty of customization options
  • OnePlus guarantees four years of OS updates, but rivals offer more

The OnePlus 13R is an Android 15 smartphone, with the latest version of Google’s mobile operating system underpinning the software you see on the screen.

It’s not pure Android, as OnePlus has applied its OxygenOS 15.0 interface on top, providing the handset with a familiar look and feel for users of the brand’s previous generation of devices.

What this gives you is a slightly different look and feel to the stock Android platform (found on Pixel handsets). My OnePlus 13R also arrived pre-loaded with additional apps on top of the default system offerings.

These included Netflix, Amazon Music, Booking.com, LinkedIn, Facebook, Lyft, and AliExpress. You may find some of these pre-installed apps useful, but if you don’t the good news is they can be uninstalled entirely from the phone – leaving you with more of the apps you want.

I have seen phone manufacturers pre-install many more apps than on the OnePlus 13R, and also forbid users from uninstalling them, so what OnePlus has done isn’t cause for concern.

OnePlus says it has reduced the overall size of OxygenOS 15 by 40%, meaning it takes up less of the 256GB of internal storage space, leaving you more room for apps, games, photos, videos, and more.

OnePlus’ overlay also provides a wide range of customization features, allowing you to make the OnePlus 13R personal to you. From a range of home screen widgets and the ability to tweak the size, shape, and design of app icons, to different options from the drag-down motion to access the notifications bar and quick settings – there’s plenty to explore.

The Open Canvas feature from the OnePlus Open and OnePlus Pad 2 is present here, so I could have two apps side-by-side on screen. A horizontal bar divides the screen, and I could drag it up and down to resize the two apps.

There’s also the option to open an app in a floating window, and I could move around the rest of the phone’s interface while keeping the selected app open in a small area of the screen. Useful if you’re watching a video or part of a busy group chat and want to look up information in other apps.

I could even drag and ‘pin’ up to two of these floating windows to the edge of the screen, minimizing them to a transparent app logo tucked off the side of the display. A quick tap on the logo opened it back up as a floating window.

These multitasking features work well on the OnePlus 13R, and while it’s a little fiddly to enable split screen or floating window (and to pin these), it’s impressive when you get multiple apps all working at once – especially if you have two apps on split screen and then a third in a floating window.

The OnePlus 13R comes future-proofed too, with OnePlus committing to four years of software updates and six years of security updates for the device. While this is a good offering, it’s not industry-leading. Apple has offered five years of updates for some time, while Google and Samsung offer seven years of software and security updates on their latest devices.

And this wouldn’t be a 2025 smartphone without a mention of AI. In the Photos app (the OnePlus version, not Google’s Photos app) you’ll find the AI Editor option with four tools for you to use. More on these in the camera section.

Google’s Gemini AI assistant also comes pre-loaded on the OnePlus 13R, giving you access to features such as Circle to Search and Magic Compose (for help writing text messages).

  • Software score: 4 / 5

OnePlus 13R review: cameras

OnePlus 13R review images

(Image credit: Future)
  • A capable all-round camera delivers great images in most conditions
  • Plenty of modes and settings for avid photographers

The OnePlus 13R packs a trio of cameras in the sizable, circular camera housing, headlined by a 50MP Sony LYT-700 main sensor alongside a 50MP telephoto sensor, providing support for the 2x zoom. The sensor array is completed by an 8MP ultra-wide sensor with a 112-degree field of view. There’s also an LED flash to help illuminate dark scenes.

On the front, you get a 16MP selfie camera, but there’s no wide-angle lens to expand the view to fit more faces. You’ll either have to press cheeks together or live with the fact some people may not make it in the frame.

The OnePlus 13R camera app loads swiftly and comes packed with features, with quick access icons for Google Lens, exposure, retouch (beautification mode), and filters ensuring you’re Instagram-ready in no time.

You can move between different camera modes by swiping horizontally above the shutter button – with smartphone staples ‘Video’ and ‘Portrait’ quickly accessible on either side of the default ‘Photo’ mode.

For those who like to fine-tune their shooting experience, ‘Pro’ mode gives granular controls for ISO, Shutter speed, exposure, focus, and white balance – plus there’s the option to shoot in RAW rather than JPG for greater editing flexibility in programs such as Photoshop.

Dive into the ‘More’ section and you’ll find further modes to choose from including night, panorama, slo-mo video, and time-lapse.

In short, the OnePlus 13R camera app gives you plenty of choice and customization options, but the good news is it takes good photos in the default setting – for those who don’t want to have to mess with settings.

In most conditions, the 13R is a very capable smartphone camera. It’s not at the same level as the best camera phones on the market, but that’s to be expected given it sits a tier below the true premium flagship offerings.

  • Camera score: 4 / 5

OnePlus 13R review: camera samples

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OnePlus 13R cameras samples

Portrait mode does an excellent job of keeping the cat in focus while blurring the sofa behind (Image credit: Future)
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OnePlus 13R cameras samples

Macro mode is automatically enabled when you get close to your subject (Image credit: Future)
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OnePlus 13R cameras samples

In bright daylight, the OnePlus 13R is a great point-and-shoot camera (Image credit: Future)
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OnePlus 13R cameras samples

The default 1x zoom (Image credit: Future)
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OnePlus 13R cameras samples

Tap to the 2x optical zoom and you’ll get closer to your subject while maintaining image quality (Image credit: Future)
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OnePlus 13R cameras samples

The 13R can zoom all the way to 20x digitally (Image credit: Future)
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OnePlus 13R cameras samples

At night, the OnePlus 13R captures detailed shots (Image credit: Future)
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OnePlus 13R cameras samples

And does impressively well close-up in lowlight (default shooting mode) (Image credit: Future)
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OnePlus 13R cameras samples

The selfie camera produces bright, clear shots – although they can be a little overexposed (Image credit: Future)
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OnePlus 13R cameras samples

Switch to Portrait mode when using the selfie camera and you get a more natural result and decent blurring around the subject (Image credit: Future)

As with its predecessor, the advice for those who want to take their smartphone photography seriously on the OnePlus 13R is to stick to the main 50MP camera. It benefits from both EIS (electronic image stabilization) and OIS (optical image stabilization) to improve results.

You can use the phone as a reliable point-and-shoot to capture outdoor and indoor shots, both during the day and at night. The OnePlus 13R camera particularly impressed me during a nighttime walk through a light trail, with the default settings handling the variable lighting conditions very well.

I was able to take a series of striking low-light images with minimum effort as I walked through the trail, and this is exactly what I want from a smartphone camera. Something that can quickly and easily generate great results for social and group chats.

The OnePlus 13R also offers solid editing tools, allowing you to tinker with pictures way after you’ve taken them. As mentioned earlier in this review, OnePlus has included a number of AI-powered editing tools in its own gallery (the 13R has two photo galleries, the default OnePlus app, and the Google Photos app – the latter of which has its own editing tools as well).

AI Unblur, as the name suggests, can take your blurry photographs and reduce the lack of focus. It can be applied to any image, not just ones taken on the 13R, although I found the difference made – while an improvement – was minimal.

What I found more useful was AI Detail Boost. This enhances busy images to provide better clarity and contrast throughout your shots – again, working on any image.

Then there’s AI Eraser and AI Reflection Eraser. The former you’ll likely be familiar with as it’s a tool most smartphones offer, allowing you to remove people/animals/objects from your shots. It works well here, although it can struggle with busier scenes and complex backgrounds.

Reflection Eraser takes things a step further by, yup you’ve guessed it, attempting to remove reflections on windows, glass, or screens. I tried this on a number of images, with varying success. Generally, improvements were made, but I didn’t manage to completely remove reflections in any of the images I tested it on.

In all, the AI tools are a nice addition to the OnePlus 13R, but they don’t deliver an experience that stands out over similar tools available on other phones.

OnePlus 13R review: performance

OnePlus 13R review images

(Image credit: Future)
  • Powerful chipset provides flagship-grade performance
  • Hyperboost performance settings are great for mobile gamers

The OnePlus 13R comes packed with power, ensuring it keeps up with pretty much anything you can toss its way.

While the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset isn’t the latest top-tier Snapdragon 8 Elite offering from Qualcomm, it’s the same flagship chipset that featured in the OnePlus 12. What this means is the 13R still packs a punch, backed up by a capable 12GB of RAM.

The interface flows well, and the performance along with the 120Hz displays makes for slick, smooth scrolling on social media. Apps load quickly, although for more demanding titles the OnePlus 13R doesn’t feel quite as fast under the finger as the true flagships on the market.

That’s not really an issue, and considering the price point of this phone I was more than happy with the performance I was getting, whether that was browsing social, streaming video, checking emails, doing work (including writing parts of this very review) or taking a well-earned gaming break.

I ran a number of benchmark tests from 3DMark, Geekbench, CrossMark, JetStream, and WebXPRT 4 to really push the capabilities of the OnePlus 13R. It performed admirably with flagship-level (or close to flagship) results, reinforcing the fact there’s plenty of power available in this phone.

Fire up a game and you’ll notice the handset’s Hyperboost performance settings are automatically engaged, giving you live data on the phone’s condition during your gaming session.

From the drop-down panel, you can easily keep an eye on your fps (frames per second), latency, and how hot the OnePlus 13R is getting thanks to a temperature sensor embedded under the display.

There are three modes to choose from, with ‘Balanced’ being the default setting. You can alternatively switch to ‘Low power’ which will help extend your gaming session when the battery is running low by reducing screen refresh and lowering touch response.

OnePlus 13R review images

(Image credit: Future)

Then there’s ‘Pro Gamer’ which channels all power to your game resulting in increased temperature and battery drain. A pop-up even warns you to consider only using this mode during ambient temperatures.

There are even more tools to play around with in the Hyperboost menu, including tweaking the GPU settings, toggling key features on and off, and screen recording controls to capture epic battles. In short, if you’re big into mobile gaming, the OnePlus 13R has plenty to offer.

The OnePlus 13R comfortably handled Genshin Impact at 60fps and its highest graphics setting (at 30fps). Load screens took a beat longer to process compared to the high-end flagship phones, but it didn’t detract from gameplay. While the handset did get warm it never reached an uncomfortable temperature.

Something else that impressed me during testing was the performance of the biometric scanners. Located under the display close to the bottom of the screen, the fingerprint scanner is well placed for your thumb to land on it every time when unlocking.

It performs well too, with great responsiveness and no read failures experienced during my time with the phone.

You can also choose to enable face unlock. It’s quick to register your face, and in daylight, the OnePlus 13R is able to instantly recognize you and unlock, even from awkward angles such as sneakily looking at your phone from under a desk.

  • Performance score: 4 / 5

OnePlus 13R review: battery

OnePlus 13R review images

(Image credit: Future)
  • TA huge 6,000mAh battery delivers two-day use on a single charge
  • 80W charging sees 1%-100% in 52 minutes, but no wireless charging

One of the biggest selling points for the OnePlus 13R is its huge 6,000mAh battery, providing the handset with excellent longevity and giving you the peace of mind of truly all-day battery life without the need to even consider reaching for a charger.

During our heavy-usage days, we found we’d still be getting into bed at the end of the day with the battery at least 20%, and on days where we curbed our gaming and video watching, we could easily unplug at 7am and then plug in at 11pm with 50% still left in the tank.

With slightly more thoughtful use (i.e. no gaming and videos and limited social media) the OnePlus 13R is capable of delivering two days of battery life from a single charge without the need to switch to a battery-saving mode.

The SUPERVOOC charging speed has been reduced from 100W on the OnePlus 12R to 80W on the new OnePlus 13R, as the firm looks to preserve the overall life of the mammoth power pack inside.

OnePlus 13R review images

(Image credit: Future)

The 80W charging still delivers a good amount of juice in a short amount of time, and with the right fast-charging plug adapter (you only get a USB-C cable in the box in the UK) the OnePlus 13R can go from 1% to 100% in as little as 52 minutes.

Using a fast 60W charging block, the OnePlus 13R replenished from 15% to 31% in 15 minutes, and the battery got back to 48% after 30 minutes (increasing 33 percentage points in half an hour). Respectable top-up times, especially if you need to swiftly add charge before stepping out of the house.

These charging times will improve if you have an 80W charging block to take advantage of the maximum supported charging speed.

The only blemish in the OnePlus 13R’s battery story is the fact it doesn’t have wireless charging. This feature has been reserved for its pricier sibling – the OnePlus 13, so you’ll need a cable to top up the 13R.

  • Battery score: 4.5 /5

Should you buy the OnePlus 13R?

Buy it if...

You want a brilliant balance of battery power and performance
With a 6,000mAh battery and punchy Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, the OnePlus 13R delivers excellent battery life along with flagship-level performance (even though the chipset is a year old).

You’re after a big screen that won’t break the bank
Forget the Pro Max and Ultra devices, the OnePlus 13R delivers a big screen experience at a lower price point, and it does it really well. The 6.78-inch display is brilliantly bright and colorful, making whatever you do on it look great.

You want a slick mobile gaming machine
Add together the battery life, performance, and display, and the OnePlus 13R has all the hallmarks of a fantastic gaming device. The Hyperboost performance settings are the icing on the cake.

Don't buy it if...

You’re looking for the best update longevity
OnePlus has made positive strides by announcing its OnePlus 13 series handsets will receive four years of OS updates and six years of security updates, but it still lags behind the competition. Apple, Google, and Samsung all offer more years of OS updates.

You want the biggest battery for your buck
If battery life is your core focus for buying a new phone, the OnePlus 13R and its 6,000mAh power pack certainly makes a good case, but the Honor Magic 7 Lite has a bigger battery (6,600mAh) at a lower price – although it’s not as powerful, and not available in North America.

You’re after proper water resistance
The OnePlus 13R carries an IP65 dust and water resistance rating, which translates to the phone being able to cope with droplets and jets of water (such as rain), but isn’t protected if you were to accidentally drop it in the bath/sink/swimming pool.

OnePlus 13R review: also consider

Samsung Galaxy S24 FE
The Galaxy S24 FE isn’t the cheapest of the rivals, but it comes stuffed to the brim with Galaxy AI features, excellent battery life, and decent performance.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy S24 FE review

Google Pixel 8a
This Galaxy is about to be replaced, but it still hits hard with amazing cameras, the water-resistant S Pen camera remote, and tons of other features.

Read our full Google Pixel 8a review

How I tested the OnePlus 13R

I used the OnePlus 13R as my daily device for more than two weeks, testing it in a wide range of daily scenarios.

From night-time photography walks around illuminated festive trails and trips to live sporting events, to hours spent playing games (including Pokemon Go, Clash Royale, and Genshin Impact) and streaming videos (via Netflix, DAZN, YouTube, and Disney+), the 13R experienced high-usage and demanding applications to push the screen, chipset and battery to their limits. I braved the storms, taking the phone outside during heavy downpours to test the screen resistance, while also chasing the sun to put the 4,500 nits display through its paces.

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There were quieter days too, where I was checking emails, scrolling social media, and listening to music without the demands of gaming or video, to get a true feeling of how the battery and interface work. I even wrote some of this very review on the OnePlus 13R, to see how it coped as a work device – as life isn’t all pleasure. At least, not for me.

Alongside daily use, I ran numerous benchmarking tests from the likes of Geekbench, CrossMark, 3DMark, and more, to find out if the OnePlus 13R lived up to its performance billing – which it certainly did.

First reviewed January 2025

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The Google Pixel 9 Pro is £100 off its regular price and Amazon is including a free Fitbit Versa 4. The smartwatch promises 6+ days of battery life, fast charging (12 minutes is enough charge for a day), plus it can offer detailed readings on your sleep and exercise. Note that you need the Premium subscription to get the best out of it. Google Pixel 9 Pro £100 offfree Fitbit Versa 4 Read our review 16/256GB - £1,000 at Amazon UK 16/512GB - £1,070 at Amazon UK ...

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Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Tags: | Comments: Off

Last week we looked at the flagship rosters from Samsung and Google. Samsung’s phones are no longer on sale, but Google’s are – and their prices have even gone down. The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL was $950/$1,050 for the 128/256GB model. This week these same capacities are now $100 cheaper, meaning that the XL is the same price as the respective Google Pixel 9. Google Pixel 9 Pro XL $250/$250/$150 off Read our review 16/128GB - $850 at Amazon US 16/256GB - $950 at...

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Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Tags: | Comments: Off

2024 is almost over and some of the best phones that launched this year are on sale right now. We haven’t seen the vanilla Google Pixel 9 in a while – since its £100 discount a month ago – but it comes back with a bang. More specifically, the vanilla model is £200 off right now. Actually, if you have a Prime Student subscription, you can knock another 10% off the price. Google Pixel 9 £200 offPrime Students get 10% off Read our review 12/128GB - £600 at Amazon UK ...

Oppo Find X8 review: admired from afar
6:00 pm | December 15, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Oppo Phones Phones | Tags: | Comments: Off

Oppo Find X8: Two-minute review

Oppo is back! The new Find X8 series is the company's return to form, at least in regions like the UK and Europe, where patent disputes and the like led to a two-year absence for the company. No longer.

The Find X8 line is Oppo's latest flagship phone family; it promises the best smartphone hardware the company can muster, paired with its latest Android-based ColorOS user experience.

While the Oppo Find X8 Pro is the headline-grabbing entry now topping the company's current smartphone portfolio, it launches alongside the more modest – but still unquestionably potent – standard Oppo Find X8. Despite a true global rollout for the X8 Pro, however, the base X8 is proving a little harder to come by outside of key Asia Pacific markets, at the time of writing.

If you can get your hands on one, though, you'll be pleased you did, as hardware-wise, it sports the same exceptional MediaTek chipset as the X8 Pro, the same cutting-edge silicon-carbon battery tech, the same rapid 80W charging, and a like-minded flagship-class display and camera setup.

Oppo Find X8 review back angled chair

(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

There are some great details throughout the experience served up by the Find X8: a physical alert slider, newfound compatibility with an ecosystem of magnetic accessories, and hardier IP69-certified protection against water compared to your average high-end handset, to name a few key features. This is also one of the first and only Android phones that supports wireless file transfers directly with iPhones, AirDrop-style (at the time of writing).

Depending on your conscience, Oppo's clear 'appreciation' for Apple's famed smartphones runs unapologetically deep within the Find X8. Beyond the new MagSafe-like upgrade, ColorOS 15's Live Alerts capsule looks to be a direct lift of the iPhone's Dynamic Island, and you'll find wallpapers that look as though they came straight out of iOS.

Provided that doesn't put you off (or you see it as a bonus), the Find X8 otherwise presents itself as an incredibly well-rounded smartphone brimming with style, features, power, and camera prowess that should have similarly-priced rivals worried.

Oppo Find X8 review: Price and availability

Oppo Find X8 review front angled handheld plants

(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
  • Priced from equivalent to $980 / £770 / AU$1,520
  • On sale from November 21, 2024
  • Limited international availability compared to rivals

Perhaps the most challenging aspect of the Oppo Find X8 is that in spite of its clean design and promising hardware and feature set, you'll struggle to find the phone on sale outside of Oppo's retail channels across the Asia Pacific region. You'll readily find the X8 on sale in markets like China, India, Indonesia, Japan, and the Philippines, but if you're anywhere else, you'll have to consider importing.

In the likes of the UK, Europe, and Australia, it's only the pricier Find X8 Pro that's available, while Oppo's presence in the US is outright non-existent.

Using the Find X8 Pro's UK pricing and the standard X8's Indian pricing for guidance, the more modest of Oppo's latest duo starts at equivalent to $980 / £770 / AU$1,520 for the 12GB RAM / 256GB storage model. Internationally, there's also a 16GB / 512GB variant, which based on Indian pricing is about 12.5% more expensive.

Pricing places it in line with the non-Pro iPhone 16, Pixel 9, and base Galaxy S24, which considering the hardware on offer, makes it a compelling alternative.

  • Value score: 4 / 5

Oppo Find X8 review: Specs

Oppo Find X8 review: Design

Oppo Find X8 review back angled handheld

(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
  • Straight sides, flat display
  • Physical alert slider
  • IP68/69-certified against dust and water

The Find X8 Pro is all pillowed glass and rounded metal, which stands in stark contrast to the standard X8. At certain angles, you'd be forgiven for mixing up the Star Grey Find X8 (pictured) with an iPhone 15 Pro or 16 Pro rendered in Natural Titanium. There's definite aesthetic overlap, with both phones sporting flat displays and straight sides, plus just enough rounding along the edges to ensure they don't feel too sharp in the hand.

The X8 stands out with its prominent 'Cosmos Ring' circular camera module, which gives the impression of four cameras on the phone's back (one simply houses autofocus sensors), so as to better tie-in with the quad-camera-toting X8 Pro's design.

Oppo Find X8 review Cosmic Ring macro

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Tolerances are tight (the phone boasts symmetrical 1.45mm bezels around the display), and the metal buttons along the right side of the frame have the perfect amount of give and click. The phone's available colorways are tasteful in their execution; I particularly liked the Shell Pink finish.

Not only does the Find X8 look and feel like a beautifully crafted piece of kit, but it's got some tricks up its sleeve too. For one, it continues Oppo's use of the three-step physical alert slider we were initially introduced to on OnePlus phones; this lets you toggle between ring, vibrate, and silent sound profiles.

The X8 range is also the first to support the new Oppo Mag accessory line, which allows the MagSafe-style attachment of new magnetic accessories, like a 50W AirVOOC wireless charger and a 5,000mAh power bank; both are enabled by way of a new Oppo Mag case (sold separately). Original? No. Convenient? Yes.

Oppo Find X8 review Alert Slider

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Durability-wise, the promise of not only IP68, but IP69 certification, means the X8 is built to withstand more than your average smartphone. When it comes to water ingress, it can handle up to 1.5m of water for 30 minutes, as well as pressurized jets of water up to 80ºC.

Add to that Gorilla Glass 7i on the front and back (creator Corning's newest mid-range toughened smartphone glass), and "Swiss SGS and Military Grade certification, tested to whole-phone drop resistance and MGJB 150.18A MIL-STD impact standards," to quote Oppo's press release, and despite its premium finish and good looks, the Find X8 is also built to be a tough nut to crack.

  • Design score: 4.5 / 5

Oppo Find X8 review: Display

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(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
  • Similar viewing experience across Find X8 range
  • Great colors, contrast and detail
  • LTPS, rather than LTPO means less dynamic refresh rate

It's nice that, beyond size, you're not really getting an inferior viewing experience by opting for the more modest Find X8 over the Pro model. Unlike Apple – who maintains a 60Hz refresh rate cap on its non-Pro iPhones – the Find X8 packs in similar ProXDR AMOLED tech as on the full-fat X8 Pro.

An impressively high 460ppi (pixels per inch) means the X8 delivers sharper visuals than the Pro model, outstanding panel-wide brightness of 1,600nits, and a whopping peak brightness of 4,500nits. Paired with the vibrancy and contrast afforded by OLED tech, not to mention Dolby Vision support, this is a great display on which to enjoy HDR content, and it copes well against bright conditions.

Oppo Find X8 review screen macro

(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

From a practical standpoint, Oppo's Splash Touch helps iron out erroneous screen taps, whether your fingers are wet or you're using the Find X8 in the rain, while the in-display optical fingerprint sensor is pleasingly responsive, if a little too close to the bottom bezel, from a comfort standpoint.

As far as customizing the X8's viewing experience goes, be sure to enable 'High' resolution mode to leverage the panel's native pixel count; otherwise, everything is rendered in Full HD+ out of the box. You also have the option to force 120Hz at all times (or lock things down to 60Hz), but I found that the Find X8's Auto mode wasn't afraid of prioritizing super-smooth 120Hz visuals most of the time anyway, stepping down for apps like Spotify, Instagram, and some games.

Oppo Find X8 review screen resolution settings

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The phone's display settings include three preset color space profiles, as well as a fine-grain color temperature control. There's also automated (TÜV Rheinland-certified) eye comfort adjustment (which includes 3,840Hz PWM dimming below 70nits, beating out equivalent tech from the likes of the OnePlus 12 and Xiaomi 14 series), as well as image resolution and color upscaling, as part of Oppo's 'O1 Ultra Vision Engine'.

The only real fly in the ointment, display-wise, is the use of LTPS tech, in place of the more advanced LTPO panel used by the X8 Pro. The main effect of this is less dynamic refresh rate adjustment; moving in steps between 60Hz, 90Hz and 120Hz, where the Pro model can scale more gradually between 1Hz to 120Hz, which is designed to help improve battery performance.

  • Display score: 4.5 / 5

Oppo Find X8 review: Software

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(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
  • 5 years of OS & 6 years security updates
  • Launches with ColorOS 15 atop Android 15
  • AirDrop-like wireless file transfer support with iPhones

The company's latest ColorOS 15 (running atop Android 15) is arguably one of the snappiest user experiences around, thanks to some smart behind-the-scenes technical refinements; not to mention it's brimming with neat tricks that you won't find anywhere else.

'Share with iPhone,' as the name suggests, adds AirDrop-like wireless file transfers with the latest and best iPhones; something we haven't seen from any other Android phone maker to date. The feature is also set to become more seamless, with NameDrop-style proximity-based initiation coming in a future software update.

Speaking of updates, Oppo is promising five years of OS and six years of security update support across the Find X8 series, which, while not industry-leading, is decent, and helps up the Find X8's long-term value too.

Oppo Find X8 review Share with iPhone

(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Oppo's Theme Store is there to help redress ColorOS, with system-wide themes, as well as more granular alterations; including new fonts and wallpapers (some are paid). There's also deeper control over the look and feel of everything, from app opening speed to whether a swipe down on the home screen grants access to quick settings and notifications, a global search bar or The Shelf: a dedicated widget dashboard, cribbed from OnePlus' user experience.

The company's desire to emulate Apple's famed smartphones is a little too heavy-handed in places, though. While undeniably useful and elegant, the Live Alerts capsule is a carbon copy of the Dynamic Island introduced on the iPhone 15 Pro line, and even the default wallpapers look as though the development team copied iOS 14's homework.

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Oppo Find X8 review Live Alerts capsule

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Oppo Find X8 review Live Alerts capsule expanded

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Google's Gemini is the AI assistant of choice on the Find X8 series, however, Oppo offers up its own AI tool set too; with a focus on productivity and image manipulation.

Provided you're happy to use Oppo's own Documents and Notes apps, the inbuilt AI Assistant serves up one of the most comprehensive skill sets of its kind and, in testing, the results generally impressed.

You have a suite of options, like formatting rough notes, cleaning up rambling prose, refining the tone of your copy (similarly to Samsung's Galaxy AI), continuing or expanding upon your existing copy, and the option to make it more succinct too. It's not foolproof but it's a great starting point that's only going to improve with time.

Oppo Find X8 review AI Assistant

(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Dive into the native Photos app and you'll find the AI Editor, which can upscale images, do a competent job when tasked with object removal, and has a handy reflection removal feature (which has its uses but could be better). Perhaps most impressive of all, the AI Editor also has an unblur option to rival that of the best Pixel phones.

Just note that, depending on the feature, you will need to be comfortable with off-device cloud processing.

Oppo Find X8 review AI Studio

(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

We've also been seeing an uptick in AI image-generation tools on smartphones from the likes of Xiaomi, Google, and, most recently, Apple, with the arrival of Apple Intelligence. The Oppo Find X8 features the company's AI Studio app.

Arguably a more locked-down experience than the text-to-image generation of Google's Pixel Studio, for example, Oppo's AI Studio gives you a range of pre-defined portrait or scene scenarios to remix your images with, using AI. The former requires you to upload a photo of a person (or persons) from your camera roll, before spitting out four results at a time, while the latter simply dresses any image you give it in the trappings defined by the prompt.

It takes a few minutes to process each request and your usage is limited by an in-app currency called 'Stars'. You accrue more Stars through actions like consecutive daily logins but right now, at least, Oppo isn't charging an additional subscription or the like for any of its devices' AI functionality.

There are some fun and interesting options in there, and the results generally hit their mark. It serves as a great way to introduce people to the concept of AI image generation and the fact that it's siloed from the rest of the phone's AI-based tools feels like a considered move too, but I suspect this is just the beginning for Oppo's AI efforts.

  • Software score: 4 / 5

Oppo Find X8 review: Camera

Oppo Find X8 review camera

(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
  • 50MP main, ultra-wide & 3x telephoto cameras
  • 32MP front-facing camera
  • Hasselblad image tuning and exclusive features

Across both the Find X8 and X8 Pro, you're getting the same 50MP ultra-wide and 3x telephoto (with a compact triple-prism design and optical image stabilization, or OIS) cameras, as well as the same Sony-made 32MP front-facer. Beyond the absence of a 6x telephoto, the standard X8 also uses a smaller primary 50MP Sony LYT700 sensor, in place of the larger LYT808 leading the Pro model's camera array.

Even with the technical downgrade, the Find X8 still proves to be an impressively competent and versatile camera phone in its own right.

Oppo Find X8 camera samples

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Oppo Find X8 camera sample selfie Portrait Mode

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Front camera w/ Portrait mode

Oppo knows how to make exceptional camera phones, most notably with last year's Oppo Find X7 Ultra; one of the best camera phones of the moment. The company's partnership with famed camera brand Hasselblad continues on the Find X8's HyperTone system too; with custom image processing, portrait mode tuning, and the brand's signature ultra-wide X-Pan capture mode.

There's a consistency across the rear sensors that grants confidence when shooting with the Find X8, which isn't guaranteed from certain rival devices. Low noise, impressive low light performance and solid dynamic range (even from the ultra-wide), mean you're unlikely to find fault with stills captured in most conventional shooting scenarios.

White balance did sometimes wobble, but colors were otherwise faithfully captured; with nice skin tones and excellent subject separation in portrait shooting (you can also adjust the virtual aperture after capture, to alter the amount of bokeh on display).

Oppo Find X8 review camera UI

(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

The ultra-wide takes over when capturing macro shots, while the AI Telescope Zoom feature activates between 10x and 60x, filling in the holes in image data competently, especially in well-lit scenes. The only confusing aspect of the X8's zoom is that the interface still gives you a 6x magnification button, even though results are simply cropped; unlike on the X8 Pro, with its 6x secondary telephoto sensor.

The 32MP selfie snapper is functional, with that HyperTone Image Engine doing a lot of the heavy lifting for what is otherwise an uneventful sensor. Front-facing Portrait mode does, at least, demonstrate the same great image segmentation around a subject's hair and clothing, for example.

Oppo Find X8 review camera modes

(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Oppo augments the photography experience with extras like Lighting Snap; its take on an advanced 7fps burst mode, where every shot captured when you hold down the shutter button gets run through the full HyperTone imaging pipeline, delivering far less blur than you'd get from the likes of Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra under the same conditions.

If you're looking for a phone that captures good video, the Find X8 also boasts great 4K 60fps recording in Dolby Vision across all of the phone's sensors (including the selfie snapper).

  • Camera score: 4 / 5

Oppo Find X8 review: Performance

Oppo Find X8 review gaming

(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
  • 3nm MediaTek Dimensity 9400 chipset
  • Up to 16GB LPDDR5X RAM + RAM Expansion up to 12GB
  • Up to 512GB UFS 4.0 storage (outside of China)

The production timeline of the Oppo Find X8 series meant that both phones were ready for market before Qualcomm's newest flagship mobile chipset – the Snapdragon 8 Elite – was ready to be integrated into the phones' development cycle. Instead, Oppo opted for MediaTek's latest Dimensity 9400 SoC, paired with up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of fast storage, and the results are pretty stellar.

In artificial benchmarking, the Find X8 proves to be one of the highest-performing entrants I've ever tested, across the likes of Geekbench 6 and GFX Bench. Real-world multitasking and gaming performance are understandably excellent too, with titles like Zenless Zone Zero defaulting to 'high' graphical settings. That said, the phone's comfortable being pushed much further.

Although the official numbers state that TSMC's second-gen 3nm process grants the Dimensity 9400 35% faster CPU performance and 40% greater CPU efficiency, 42% faster GPU performance and 44% greater GPU efficiency, and 35% greater AI efficiency, the tangible benefits are that the Oppo Find X8 is equipped to handle anything and everything today's mobile experience asks of the average smartphone with aplomb, whilst also being incredibly well future-proofed.

Oppo reportedly worked with MediaTek on its Trinity Engine to better optimize how the chipmaker's hardware interfaced with its devices' user experience and features.

Oppo Find X8 review Performance Booster

(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

What's more, a revised cooling system, which includes a new thermal gel between a reworked graphene sheet and vapor chamber, means sustained performance – especially when gaming – is superb. In a 30-minute session against an otherwise similarly-specced Snapdragon 8 Elite device I had to hand, the Find X8 delivered the more consistent performance, with less heat build-up and fewer stumbles.

While hard to test for, Oppo also promises that the X8's triple antenna design has optimized for high-performance gaming over WiFi.

  • Performance score: 5 / 5

Oppo Find X8 review: Battery

Oppo Find X8 review charger

(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
  • 5,630mAh battery
  • 80W wired + 50W wireless charging
  • The latest silicon-carbon battery technology

From a technical standpoint, the Find X8's battery is pretty state-of-the-art. Switching from traditional lithium-polymer to silicon-carbon (or Si-C) has allowed Oppo to install a significantly more dense power plant than would otherwise be possible within the phone's dimensions. The result is a whopping 5,630mAh cell in what remains an impressively unobtrusive sub-200g device.

With a battery capacity larger than the likes of the mighty Galaxy S24 Ultra's – well on its way to Asus ROG Phone levels of capaciousness – a consistent peak screen-on time of 7 hours provides more than a day's use without breaking a sweat, even if that is less than expected, going by the sheer amount of power the battery promises to hold.

Where Oppo's phones stand apart from usual suspects, like Apple, Google, and Samsung, is with fast charging. The Find X8 can refill from zero to 65%, charge in 30 minutes flat, and fully replenish in under 55 minutes, thanks to support for the included 80W 'SuperVOOC 2.0' charger; that's almost twice the wattage of the next-fastest charging phone from that aforementioned trio (at 45W).

What's more, the X8 supports up to 50W wireless charging with a compatible charger too.

  • Battery score: 4 / 5

Should you buy the Oppo Find X8?

Buy it if...

You want an Android that behaves like an iPhone
Oppo isn't being all that subtle about some of the inspiration behind the Find X8's design and features, but at least it's an incredibly good imitation, with bonus functionality you don't get from Apple's phones.

You want an understated gaming phone
Top-tier performance that doesn't buckle under pressure (or extended use) makes the Find X8 a pretty great phone for gaming, even if it lacks some of the features and trappings associated with this particular smartphone sub-category.

Don't buy it if...

You aren't willing to import it
For as good a phone as the Find X8 is, it's hard to come by, outside of a select run of Asia-Pacific markets, so unless you're willing to import, you'll likely go for a more accessible device in your region.

You want that secondary telephoto sensor
The Find X8 has a great camera that relies on AI to grant a zoom range beyond its physical means, but the X8 Pro gets that fourth telephoto sensor for superior optical zoom.

Oppo Find X8 review: Also consider

Apple iPhone 16
The Find X8 takes a lot of cues from Apple's iPhones, but the newest iPhone 16 comes in a broader range of colors, supports a far larger accessory ecosystem and is more widely-available, globally; with a similar price and similar performance.

Google Pixel 9
Google's latest 'non-Pro' entry packs a brighter display, protected behind tougher Gorilla Glass, whilst also offering up a cleaner user experience with longer software support.

How I tested the Oppo Find X8

Oppo Find X8 review hero

(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
  • Review test period = Three weeks
  • Testing included = Everyday usage, web browsing, social media browsing, video streaming, gaming, photography
  • Tools used = Geekbench 6, Geekbench ML, GFX Bench, native Android stats

I used the Oppo Find X8 as my main device for almost a month. It was my main camera, my means of checking social media, and my go-to phone for gaming for the duration of the review period.

I used a gamut of industry-standard benchmarking apps to test qualities like CPU and GPU performance, while also keeping tabs on battery drain (with timed tests for things like streaming Netflix and gaming at a fixed brightness), and screen-on time too.

I used the included in-box charger as the sole means of recharging the phone, and tried all the AI-supported features that Oppo has added here, plus all the key features found within the wider ColorOS user experience.

As a reviewer with 13 years of experience, and having reviewed Oppo phones for years, I felt confident assessing and scoring the Oppo Find X8 relative to other phones out right now, and in the context of the wider smartphone market.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed December 2024

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Rode Wireless Micro review: DJI-beating audio for smartphone creators?
3:42 pm | December 11, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Camera Accessories Cameras Computers Gadgets | Tags: | Comments: Off

Rode Wireless Micro: one-minute review

Rode's Wireless Micro is its smallest-ever wireless mic system, designed squarely for smartphone content creators, especially vloggers. It's the audio giant's simplest wireless mic yet: you can be up and running within seconds and recording smartphone-beating audio quality, all the while being cable-free and discreet.

It's a complete kit that includes two mics (also called transmitters) with magnetic attachments, plus one receiver, all of which are stored in a charging case – these components are available in black or white finishes. Additionally, you get two windshields plus a charging cable, though neither of those fit in the case.

Collectively, the mics, receiver and charging case are a featherweight 3.6oz / 102g, with each mic weighing just 0.42oz / 12g and measuring 40 x 20 x 17mm. It's a properly tiny kit, and even though the mic units are physically larger than the rival DJI Mic Mini's, the whole kit is much smaller, and purpose-built for smartphones.

If you're looking for a compact, dedicated wireless mic that'll deliver excellent audio for your smartphone vlogs, the Rode Wireless Micro is hard to beat.

Rode Wireless Micro kit on a wooden table

The Rode Wireless Micro kit is tiny and weighs just 102g all told. (Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)

Rode Wireless Micro: price and release date

  • $149 / £134 / AU$259 for the compete kit with 2x mics, receiver and charging case
  • Receiver available in USB-C and Lightning versions
  • Available now, in black or white finishes

The Rode Wireless Micro's list price is $149 / £134 / AU$259, and for that you get a compact charging case with two transmitters (mics, with magnetic attachments), plus one receiver, all in black or white. Also in the box are two wind shields and the necessary charging cable. You'll need to select which version of the receiver you need, USB-C or Lightning, because the connector is built-in.

Unlike the rival DJI Mic Mini, the components are not available separately, and I think Rode is missing a trick here, because not every user needs two mics. However, probably nine out of 10 users will want the complete kit, and for those the Rode Wireless Micro is excellent value.

Rode Wireless Micro transmitter in the hand, wooden table background

The transmitters (mics) are tiny and pack Rode's patent-pending acoustic chamber, though they don't have internal storage or Bluetooth connectivity (Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)

Rode Wireless Micro: specs

Rode Wireless Micro kit laid out on a wooden table

The Rode Wireless Micro is available as a complete kit only, with charging case, one receiver, two mics, charging cable and windshields (Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)

Rode Wireless Micro: Design

  • The whole kit weighs just 102g and fits in a tiny charging case
  • Components are available in black or white finishes
  • Receiver has a USB-C or Lightning adapter built in

Rode has designed the Wireless Micro to be the most straightforward user experience possible for smartphone content creators, and it's done an excellent job of it – you couldn't hope for an easier-to-use and more reliable wireless mic.

The mics and receiver are automatically paired by virtue of living in the same charging hub. You simply plug the receiver into your phone and then follow the message that flashes up on your phone's screen.

If you have Rode's free app installed (available for iOS and Android) you'll be taken to the app, where you can pair the mics and receiver, and choose to how route the receiver input: split for left and right channels, or merge audio into one channel. You can also update the mic's firmware through the app and check sound levels.

For me, using a Google Pixel 6, I needed to select the wired mic option in my phone's video menu in the camera app (it otherwise automatically selects the phone's built-in mic). But once those options are all sorted, setup is complete and away you go.

You can be up and running in seconds after plugging the receiver into your smartphone's charging port, and armed with a wireless mic system that takes care of all the audio levels for you – Rode says its Intelligent GainAssist technology gets "perfect audio every time".

Rode Wireless Micro attached to phone and Rode's app on display

(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)

The mics can clip onto clothing, or attach magnetically with a strong hold through thin clothing, and they're available in black or white, so you can choose the finish that's likely to blend in with your clothing better.

The connection type is built in to the receiver, so you need to select the USB-C or Lightning version at the time or purchase, and there's full compatibility with both Android and iPhone models. The DJI Mic Mini, on the other hand, has a slot to fix the USB-C or Lightning connector into place, so you only need one receiver even if you use both connection types (though the Lightning adapter is a separate purchase).

The DJI Mic Mini also features Bluetooth connectivity, and you can therefore bypass the receiver altogether for 16-bit audio (although a receiver provides a stabler connection and, in the Mic Mini's case, 24-bit audio), whereas the Wireless Micro relies on its receiver.

Wind shields are built into the mics as part of Rode's patent-pending acoustic chamber design, plus there are additional furry windshields in the box that clip around the receiver for clearer outdoor recording on breezy days, although these additional windshields won't fit into the charging case.

Rode Wireless Micro transmitter attached to a bright orange jacket

It's been a couple of decades since my hair looked like this (Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)

Rode Wireless Micro: Performance

  • Transmission range is over 100m
  • 7 hours operating time, charging case can provide another two charges
  • No noise reduction, but Intelligent Gain Assist gets you clear vocals

My experience with the Rode Wireless Micro has been as headache-free as I could hope for. Once I had the Rode app installed (though you don't have to use the app to use the mic), I was up and running and capturing high-quality 24-bit audio with my Google Pixel 6 phone in a matter of seconds.

Rode says the Wireless Micro's transmission range is over 100m, which is harder than you might think to fully test in the real world; how often – and indeed, why – would you need to record audio onto a phone camera from over 100m away?

The upshot is that for vlogging, the Wireless Micro provides a stable and reliable connection, with an operating time for each mic being around seven hours.

That operating time can be extended through the charging case, which features a 490mAh battery and can charge a transmitter an additional two times, effectively delivering an overall operating time of 21 hours. In short, with a charged case you'll have enough juice for a weekend of vlogging.

Rode Wireless Micro transmitter in the hand, wooden table background

The Rode Wireless Micro has a patent-pending acoustic chamber design (Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)

If you want to know a few of the technicals, the Wireless Micro features 24-bit audio, a 20Hz to 20kHz frequency range, a maximum 135db SPL, a 73db signal-to-noise ratio and an A-Weighted equivalent noise of 21dBA. For reference, those specs are roughly similar to those of the Rode Wireless ME, a pricier wireless mic that also works with cameras.

Rode's 'Intelligent GainAssist' tech automatically controls audio levels for well-balanced sound, enhancing vocals, and freeing you to focus on creating. You miss out on noise reduction, but unless you're in particularly loud environments it's not a problem – I've been able to get clear recordings of my voice in a noisy soccer stadium, even if the animated crowd added to the video's feel.

I've recorded vlogs in a range of scenarios; indoors, outdoors, and in noisy environments, and I've been very happy with how crisp my voice sounds. Put simply, if you want better audio without the fuss, this Rode mic is sure to delight.

Should I buy the Rode Wireless Micro?

Buy it if…

You’re looking to up your the audio quality of your smartphone videos
The latest smartphones are delivering better and better audio quality, especially with features such as speech enhancement, but the Wireless Micro will give you next-level audio quality. If you vlog, you need a mic like this.

You want a simple wireless mic for smartphones

The Wireless Micro is as simple as it gets: plug in the receiver, which is auto synced to the mics from the charging case, select the wired mic option, and you're connected. It's a matter of seconds.

You want a discreet wireless mic system

The receiver sits flush against the profile of your phone, completely out of the way, while the mics themselves are small and discreet, and available in two colors to blend in with clothing.

Don’t buy it if…

You need a mic for cameras too

The Wireless Micro is for phones only. If you think you might also use cameras to create content then the DJI Mic Mini, or alternatives, are probably the better bet.

You want some degree of manual control and audio-level monitoring

With its simplicity come restrictions – there's no real way to manually adjust audio levels, while you can't easily monitor levels while recording, as you can with larger receivers that feature an LCD display.

You want to buy components separately

At the time of writing, the Wireless Micro is only available as a kit. If you lose or break one of the mics, or switch between Lightning and USB-C connections, you'll need to buy the whole package again.

Rode Wireless Micro: also consider

DJI Mic Mini
The Wireless Micro's obvious rival is the Mic Mini, which is a more versatile tool in that you can use it with cameras as well as phones, plus it features Bluetooth connectivity, and you you can dial in audio levels manually using the receiver. However, the Mic Mini's receiver is bulkier, and more awkward to keep connected to a phone. The Mic Mini could have more staying power, but the Wireless Micro is superb for those only using their phones.

Read our DJI Mic Mini review

DJI Mic 2

If you're operating at a pro level and want audio quality a cut above the Wireless Micro's, and are prepared to do a little work in the editing suite, then the pricier Mic 2 is the better bet, especially if you're shooting with cameras as much as you are phones. However, if you shoot exclusively with a phone and want a simple option that's ready in seconds, you'll appreciate the simplicity that comes with the Rode Wireless Micro.

Read our DJI Mic 2 in-depth review

Rode Wireless Micro kit on a wooden table

(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)

How I tested the Rode Wireless Micro

  • Used regularly for over a month in quiet and noisy environments
  • Tested alongside the rival DJI Mic Mini
  • Paired primarily with a Google Pixel 6

There aren't a lot of ways in which you can test the Rode Wireless Micro: it handles audio levels, clipping and vocal enhancement automatically, and that's it appeal for most users. The mics and transmitter are auto-synced through the charging case, you plug the receiver into your phone, and away you go.

I did however make sure to test the audio quality of the Wireless Micro in mixed environments – the quiet indoors, the still outdoors, in wind, and in noisy environments. I was also reviewing the DJI Mic Mini at the same time, and so was able to run comparison tests to see which came out on top.

Almost all tests were done by pairing the Wireless Micro to my Google Pixel 6.

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