On October 31, OnePlus unveiled the OnePlus 13 in China. Celebrating the brand's ten-year milestone, the latest device is striking in both its performance and its pricing. After the official launch, Li Jie, the President of OnePlus China, shared that the OP13 has already seen impressive initial sales figures.
OnePlus 13 Sales Success
Li Jie disclosed that the company sold over 100,000 units within just 30 minutes of the launch, marking a new record for OnePlus flagship devices. This suggests that the OP13 is being well-received in the Chinese market. The previous model, the OnePlus 12 with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, was priced at 4,299 CNY (around $600). In contrast, the OnePlus 13 with the same specifications has launched with a higher price of 4,499 Yuan (about $630).
Price Justification
When asked about the price increase for flagship Android smartphones this year, Li Jie mentioned that as the usage cycle of phones extend and users are replacing devices less often, a higher price can be interpreted as offering better value. “Our goal is to create exceptional products,” he stated. He emphasized that OnePlus uses a reasonable and standard pricing approach instead of relying on extreme pricing tactics to boost market growth.
Factors Behind Rising Costs
Li Jie also pointed out several important reasons for the increased costs associated with the OnePlus 13. Firstly, the expenses related to chip manufacturing have gone up. He highlighted that the Snapdragon 8 Elite provides outstanding performance, but this performance comes with a higher price. Secondly, the costs for memory and storage have also hit new highs. These elements combine to increase the overall cost of the product. “This challenge is faced by everyone,” he remarked. Interestingly, the iQOO 13, which uses the same chip, has not experienced a price hike!
The OnePlus 13 series is also set to enter the global market shortly. There are rumors that the OnePlus 13 and OnePlus 13R could be launched globally in January 2025. Additionally, it is anticipated that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3-equipped OnePlus Ace 3 will be introduced in December. It’s probable that the Ace 5 will be marketed as the OnePlus 13R outside of China.
