OnePlus was winning 2025. Then everything fell apart

Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. Learn more. OnePlus was winning 2025. Then everything fell apart 15 minutes ago The end of the year is always a good time for reflection - an opportunity to look back at what went right, what went wrong, and how you can improve things for the new year ahead. If anyone at OnePlus is reflecting on the company’s 2025, I don’t know how they can view it as anything but a train wreck. For the last few years, OnePlus has been a steady, driving force in the Android space. Its phones have consistently delivered excellent performance, fast charging, distinctive designs, great software, and strong value. But as 2025 draws to a close, OnePlus is at risk of that all falling apart. After starting 2025 on an incredibly high note, the rest of the year was disastrous for the company, marked by bad decision after bad decision. What exactly went wrong with OnePlus in 2025? A lot. How would you grade OnePlus's 2025? From the incredible OnePlus 13 series ... Let’s rewind a bit to January 7, 2025. It was on this day that OnePlus launched the OnePlus 13 and OnePlus 13R globally. They were among the first major Android releases of the year, and even here in late December, they still stand out as two of 2025’s top Android phones. The OnePlus 13 felt like a turning point for OnePlus. Where past OnePlus flagships had been consistently good (great, even), the OnePlus 13 was the first one to do everything right. Its design was unique and exciting; the cameras were outstanding; the performance was excellent; and the battery life and charging were unmatched. The OnePlus 13 pushed the needle forward while companies like Samsung coasted along with recycled specs and designs. And on top of all that, OnePlus won the value fight, too, with the OnePlus 13 retailing for $400 less than the Galaxy S25 Ultra. While there’s no such thing as a perfect smartphone, the OnePlus 13 got damn close. It was a similar story for the more budget-minded OnePlus 13R. While not as impressive an overall package as the OnePlus 13, the 13R was still a huge success. For $600, the phone delivered flagship-like performance, display quality, hardware, and battery life. Hell, the cameras were pretty decent, too. My colleague Rushil Agrawal said the 13R was “as good as $600 phones get” in his OnePlus 13R review , and I fully agree with him. Crafting an Android phone in that $500-$600 price range is far easier said than done, but OnePlus made it look easy with the 13R. The OnePlus 13 and OnePlus 13R quickly became two of the most impressive releases from OnePlus in years, and it made us excited about how the company would follow up on them. OnePlus had created two near-perfect foundations to work from, so surely the next generation of OnePlus phones would keep the momentum going, right? ... to the disappointing OnePlus...

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