If I tell you that OnePlus is going to take a big risk with its new phone OnePlus 13s, what will you guys think? Well, talking about OnePlus, they did a survey and 88% of Market Preference.
Market Preference
The people said that people in India need a compact flagship phone with a screen size of 6.5 inches or less. But the fun fact is that in India, 90% of the phones launched in 2024 had a screen size of 6.5 inches or more. Because if we talk about it, there is a small mentality in India that if it is big, it is better, that is, bigger is always a better thing.
Because of this, India’s one of the most successful phones that were sold in the past, all had a screen size of 6.6, 6.7, even some phones went with a screen size of 6.9 inches.
Even if I talk about a company like Samsung, one of its best-selling phones also has a screen size of 6.5 inches. And if we talk about Galaxy S25, one of its best-selling phones was also S25 Ultra. Well, this is a fact.
But if we talk about it, can compact phones, mini phones really be so successful in India or can they prove to be a failure?
OnePlus Strategy
First of all, let’s listen to the OnePlus take. OnePlus says that there is a demand in India, so they are launching this phone in India. But OnePlus 13s has already been launched in China under the name of OnePlus 13T and OnePlus has officially confirmed that they are bringing this phone to India by changing its name. And yes, this phone is not going to North America and Europe. That is, OnePlus is also testing with it that this phone can only be launched outside of the compact flagship or China.
Because it is not that OnePlus only launches compact flagship phones. Apple’s iPhone comes in 16, which you get to see with a screen size of 6.1 inches. In a screen size of less than 6.5 inches, Xiaomi launched Xiaomi 14 last year, they also launched Xiaomi 15 this year. And while following this trend, OnePlus is also trying to find a way to launch a new flagship phone here.
Market Challenges
But there is a small problem, what used to happen before that people used to say that they would like to buy a small phone. That is, whenever you put a poll or ask people, people will always demand that we like small phones, it is handy in the hand, it is good to run, it is fun. Because of this, many people’s preference goes to small phones.
But when people want to buy a phone, people’s demand changes. Because literally when they use it, then many people who have got used to the big screen of the big phone, because of which playing games in it, consuming multimedia, they like it a lot. And because of this, many people go after big phones.
But this does not mean that companies do not launch at all. Google Pixel also tries here and other companies also launch their small screen phones from time to time. But no one got such a major success. And because of this, companies also struggle to make a small phone.
Small Phone
I mean, I talked to some companies, they said that they can make a small phone, there is no problem with it. But the problem comes in selling it. Because people don’t buy it.
In the past, a company like Asus also launched a phone that had a screen size of less than 6 inches. But you know that Asus phones are not sold here in India.
Along with this, I saw the world’s smallest 5G phone, it comes from a company called Balmuda, in which they launched a screen size of 4.9 inches. Although these types of phones are available in some countries, but being able to do it successfully in India is still a tricky part.
I knew one more problem here. If you go to manufacture a small phone, then technically the cost of the component will be the same and people will expect you to give it at a low price.
That is, in the eyes of the people, a big phone is better, so they are ready to pay more for it. But if we go to sell any compact phone and ask for more money for it, then there can be a problem.
That’s why many companies are in danger of making a compact flagship phone. Because in some cases, the cost of making a compact phone is more.
Pricing and Features
If I go around and come to OnePlus 13S, then I can tell you a special thing. OnePlus 13S is going to be a very good flagship phone, which has a Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, a 6.3-inch display. And yes, this time the biggest compromise that was made in the compact phone, in which the battery was sacrificed, is not there.
This time we got to see a new innovation in the battery this year, which is the silicon carbon battery. Because of which it is possible to get a big battery in a compact size.
Because earlier it used to be that if you want a bigger battery, then take a big phone and if you take a small phone, then you will not get so much backup of the battery.
But one special thing is that if you see OnePlus this time, it will also do some cost cutting. And if you see OnePlus, then it will also control its pricing for OnePlus 13S.
Pricing
I have heard that OnePlus is still planning for it, how to buy it for less than Rs. 50,000. And I have also heard that OnePlus tried to take it out in Rs. 45,000 with offers.
Because OnePlus is also taking this phone at a little risk. And it knows that if this phone wants to be successful in India, then it can play on pricing. If they have reduced the price according to the compact phone, then this phone can run in India. And there will be many people who will like to buy it in India.
After the offer discount, if the price of its base model comes up to Rs. 45,000, then it can be a very big thing. However, as of now, OnePlus is deciding its pricing and there is still some time in the launch.
Cost-cutting
Along with this, an important thing is that OnePlus has also done cost cutting in it. And that is done in cameras where there is no ultra wide angle lens, only telephoto zoom lens is put. Due to which OnePlus is playing a little strategy here.
If you have seen, then OnePlus should position this phone for iPhone 16E. Because let me tell you one thing, even if iPhone 16E is a new phone here, which is not so special. It is an iPhone with a single camera, it comes with the same old design.
But I would like to tell you one thing, when this phone was launched here, then this phone was literally sold here. And this phone was sold here. So to say that if a company like Apple can pull off its product, then OnePlus will also try to pull off this product with a 13S.
However, there will be one thing about its pricing, that OnePlus has given 45,000, but what else would they do in it? Because I would like to tell you one thing, this phone is with Snapdragon 8 Elite. And the price of 8 Elite is almost 180 to 190 dollars, it reaches to about 16,000 to 17,000 rupees.
Due to which OnePlus has to see what things they integrate in this phone, how good experiences people get.
Market Impact
There is one interesting thing with this, that if this product of OnePlus becomes successful in the market, then OnePlus will make its phones more compact, smaller and will take it to different countries in the market.
Along with this, if OnePlus hits a small phone, then many companies can also try to jump on the compact flagship. Because the compact flagship market exists, but it is small. And many companies still have no idea how to track this market.
But seeing the OnePlus, other companies can also jump here. See, personally, if I tell my opinion, the market exists for a small phone, people like to buy a small phone.
Because people often ask me in DM that we want to buy a small phone and we don’t want to do gaming etc. That’s why many people have to tell Google Pixel, some people have to tell iPhone.
Display
Because there are not many phones in the market from 6 inches to 6.1, 6.2 inches, there are only limited phones and most of the phones are in the premium side.
If you come in the meter-inch category, 90% of the phones, even more than 95% of the phones, become bigger than 6.5 inches. And the companies that make a phone above 6.5 inches, they make it because people in this price category consume a lot of content.
Which means that the consumption of content has increased here, gaming has increased, and it is not fun on a small screen. That’s why people like to buy a big phone.
That’s why if you look at it, the big and premium phones are the ones with the proper flagship, a lot of technology is put in them, a lot of things are left.
Even with this current, the size of the phone becomes a little bigger, and the big screen is obviously its factor.
Galaxy’s S25 Ultra is a good example, in which a lot of cameras have been put in it, and S-Pen has also been put in it, and the size of the phone has also been increased.
OnePlus knows anything, that’s why OnePlus 13 is not making it a replacement for OnePlus 13. OnePlus 13 will be their premium phone, which will have a Hasselblad, a big screen, all the technology will be put in it.
But in 13S, what will they do? That here Hasselblad has also been removed, a camera has been removed, a small phone has been made, and we will see how OnePlus sells this phone in the market.
Success Factors
Look, the simple thing is that if you have seen the plus point of the phone, then it is a compact phone, but the phone has to perform well, there should be no heating, there should be no heat, there should be a good battery backup, and the cameras should be good and the performance should be good.
If OnePlus takes out all these brands, and if it undercuts in 50,000, then maybe the phone can also be successful in the market.
Personal Opinion
It is worth seeing that the debate has been going on for many years about small phones and big phones, and many people also say that it is better if it is big, but if this mentality is challenged by OnePlus, then it will be worth seeing how it works here.
By the way, if the era of compact flagship phones has come, then I will be excited, I will enjoy running small phones because it is fun to keep in the pocket, but when it comes to data, there is a bulwark of bigger phones than small phones in the market.
