Whatever you do, don’t buy a OnePlus phone right now

Although they haven’t always been perfect, OnePlus phones have been among our favorite Android handsets over the last few years. The OnePlus 13 is almost a year old, but it still stands out as one of the better Android phones you can buy — thanks to its excellent design, superb cameras, and outstanding battery life.

We’ve talked a lot about the OnePlus 13 throughout 2025, and I’ve recommended buying it in multiple articles, as well. But at this point in late October, you absolutely should not buy a new OnePlus phone.

Similar to previous OnePlus releases, the OnePlus 15 is launching exclusively in China before expanding to global markets (including the US). Last year, the OnePlus 13 was released in China on November 1, 2024, before its international release on January 7, 2025. However, OnePlus may dramatically shorten that China-only window for the OnePlus 15, as reports indicate an international release on November 13 for this year’s phone.

Assuming the November launch rumors are true (which they appear to be), it doesn’t make sense to buy the OnePlus 13 now when the OnePlus 15 is likely just a few days away.

In general, buying a new phone when you need it, rather than basing it around a new product launch, is the right advice. Indeed, you can always wait around for the “next big thing” to be released and end up never upgrading. But when we’re at this point in a phone’s life cycle, with its predecessor right around the corner, hanging on just a bit longer is a smart move.

As for the OnePlus 15 itself, the phone has already proven somewhat controversial.

On the one hand, the OnePlus 15 has some really impressive spec upgrades. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 should be a performance beast, the 7,300mAh battery is a massive upgrade over the 6,000mAh battery in the OnePlus 13, and the new 165Hz refresh rate is one of the fastest on a phone today.

Unfortunately, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. The 165Hz refresh rate comes at the expense of a lower display resolution, from QHD+ to just 1.5K. More importantly, with the Hasselblad partnership dead and OnePlus being tight-lipped about its camera sensors, we’re likely looking at a camera downgrade for the OnePlus 15 compared to the OnePlus 13.

If the OnePlus 15 is such a mixed upgrade, is it really worth waiting for when the OnePlus 13 is still available — and still an excellent overall Android phone? Absolutely.

Once the OnePlus 15 is released globally, you’ll have two options. If you like the changes OnePlus made compared to the OnePlus 13, then go ahead and buy the OnePlus 15. It’s bound to be an excellent handset for gaming and battery life, and for some folks, it’ll be a better choice than the OnePlus 13.

But if you don’t like what you see from the OnePlus 15 and would rather pick up the OnePlus 13, you should still wait to do so.

At the time of publication, OnePlus is selling the OnePlus 13 at a $100 discount. That’s not a bad deal, but OnePlus will almost certainly offer more substantial savings once the OnePlus 15 has its global release. You could buy the OnePlus 13 now, but waiting another couple of weeks could be the difference in you saving another $100 or $200 on your purchase.

That’s why buying a OnePlus phone is a bad idea right now. Even if you don’t have any intention of buying the OnePlus 15, there’s no sense in buying a OnePlus 13 today when it’s likely to cost you significantly less just a few days from now.

I know waiting isn’t fun, but trust me — it’ll be worth it.