The hopes of a standout phone from the East, making its way to the US market, have received yet another blow. OnePlus recently introduced a compact flagship phone in China and sparked some wishes across the oceans, but the company has shattered those expectations for enthusiasts in the US and Europe.
Celina Shi and Spenser Blank, marketing officers for the company’s Europe and US operations, respectively, have told The Verge that the OnePlus 13T won’t be making its way to these regions. Notably, the company is gearing up to launch the phone in India as the OnePlus 13s in the coming weeks.
What makes it special?
OnePlus 13T is the brand’s first small phone in years, following the one-off OnePlus X that was launched a decade ago. Now, it’s a small phone by Android standards only, because the OnePlus 13T is still taller, wider, and thicker than the iPhone 16, but only by a smidgen.
We’re talking about differences in the range of 71.7mm vs 71.6mm for width, and 8.15mm vs 7.80mm at thickness. The OnePlus phone, however, serves a few conveniences that defy its small size and dwarf the competition.
It offers a massive 6,260 mAh battery that supports 80W fast charging and a 6.32-inch (bigger than iPhone 15) OLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and 1,600 nits peak brightness. There are two 50-megapixel cameras at the back and a 16-megapixel sensor for selfies and video calling duties.
Why isn’t it coming to the US?
OnePlus hasn’t technically explained why it isn’t bringing the exciting phone to the US shelves, but market factors may have a role to play here. The company recently hiked the price of its $330 OnePlus Watch 3 to $500 due to tariff-related disruptions, but has since readjusted it to $350 for the US market.
The company’s track record with its budget-focused Nord series phones has been somewhat similar. The biggest share of those phones is sold in Asian markets, and barely a few variants arrive Stateside.
In the OnePlus 13T’s case, the situation is somewhat disheartening, but not entirely surprising. Interestingly, prior to the phone’s launch commitment in India, the company released a report in collaboration with Counterpoint Research, showing how there is a strong market demand for compact powerhouse smartphones.
Another tricky part is the US market’s carrier-first sales strategy and the dominance of big players like Apple and Samsung. The competition is uphill, even in the small-sized-phone segment, as the iPhone 16 and Samsung Galaxy S25 offer a smaller footprint than the OnePlus 13T across all axes.
Carrier deals, trade-in benefits, and aggressive discounts leave an even tighter breathing room for new players like OnePlus, even though their phones are no less competitive. It would be interesting to see if OnePlus alters course down the road.
