I compared a $560 refurbished flagship to new mid-rangers, and it wasn't close
A refurbished flagship just exposed how far mid-range phones still lag behind.
This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
Don't sleep on the OnePlus 13 when it is this affordable. | Image by PhoneArena
Most people won’t even consider a refurbished phone, but right now, that hesitation might be costing you a much better deal.
At $500 to $700, phones like the Pixel 10a, Nothing Phone (4a) Pro, and Galaxy S25 FE promise solid value, and deciding to spend your money on one makes a lot of sense—they’re new, predictable, and easy to recommend.
But there’s another option out there that many people overlook—refurbished flagships. You could get a much better deal if you opt for one of those instead of a brand-new midranger, and right now, the OnePlus 13 is looking rather appealing.
Thanks to refurbished deals on Back Market, this former $900 flagship can now be found for around $559, which puts it right in the middle of mid-range territory in terms of pricing.
Back Market specializes in refurbished devices that are professionally tested, graded, and sold with a warranty. Listings are typically labeled by condition, from “Good” to “Excellent,” so you know what to expect in terms of wear.
In other words, this isn’t the same as buying used from a random seller.
The main difference between the OnePlus 13 and current midrangers shows up when we look at the performance.
The OnePlus 13 runs on the Snapdragon 8 Elite, which is still one of the most powerful chips available on Android. Compared to the chips inside the Pixel 9a or Nothing Phone (4a) Pro, the 8 Elite offers, well, elite levels of performance, and it is in an entirely different class.
In our performance benchmark tests, the OnePlus 13 delivered much higher GPU results than any mid-range rival, and it also fared better under prolonged stress to the chip. Even the Galaxy S25 FE and OnePlus 15R, which sit on the higher end of the mid-range spectrum, can’t match its raw power.
So if you thought that new means better, think again.
When a phone comes with a 6,000 mAh battery, one naturally has pretty high expectations about the battery life. The OnePlus 13 does have good battery life, but not dramatically better than the OnePlus 15r or the Pixel 9a, for example.
Another area where the OnePlus 13 excels—like many other OnePlus phones—is the charging speed.
Most mid-range phones still take around an hour and a half to fully juice up. The OnePlus 13 does it in just 43 minutes, reaching 86% in 30 minutes. Wireless charging is also faster than most competitors, which either don’t support it at all or offer much slower speeds.
This is one of those upgrades that can affect your experience with the phone massively, as it saves you precious time.
While some mid-rangers have slightly brighter displays, like the OnePlus 15R and the Pixel 9a, they still can’t match the OnePlus 13 when it comes to resolution. The OnePlus 13 features a 1440p OLED display with excellent color accuracy, all while having similar brightness as the best in the game.
That higher resolution translates to sharper text and a sharper image, which makes watching movies and TV shows on your phone that much better.
The OnePlus 13 arguably has a better camera system than any current mid-range phone. It offers a more versatile setup with capable ultrawide and telephoto cameras, which you typically cannot find on a phone at this price range.
That said, this isn’t a perfect camera system.
Rivals like Google’s Pixel 9a may still have an edge in terms of consistency and computational photography, but the overall camera performance is comfortably above most mid-range phones.
Here’s the important part of this whole comparison.
The Galaxy S25 FE starts at $650, the OnePlus 15R costs $700, and both the Pixel 10a and Nothing Phone (4a) Pro sit at around $500. Right in the middle of that range, you can find the OnePlus 13 for about $559 refurbished.
For roughly the same price, you’re getting a flagship chip instead of a mid-range one, significantly faster charging than anything else in this segment, a higher-resolution and more premium display, and a more versatile camera system.
The higher-end midrangers are more than good enough these days. But if you are not hell-bent on purchasing a brand-new phone, getting a refurbished OnePlus 13 is a hard deal to beat right now.
It delivers flagship-level performance and features at a mid-range price, and aside from a camera system that isn’t class-leading, there aren’t many real compromises to consider. For the same money, most Android mid-rangers simply can’t compete.
At $500 to $700, phones like the Pixel 10a, Nothing Phone (4a) Pro, and Galaxy S25 FE promise solid value, and deciding to spend your money on one makes a lot of sense—they’re new, predictable, and easy to recommend.
Thanks to refurbished deals on Back Market, this former $900 flagship can now be found for around $559, which puts it right in the middle of mid-range territory in terms of pricing.
What is Back Market?
Back Market specializes in refurbished devices that are professionally tested, graded, and sold with a warranty. Listings are typically labeled by condition, from “Good” to “Excellent,” so you know what to expect in terms of wear.
Flagship performance vs mid-range chips
The main difference between the OnePlus 13 and current midrangers shows up when we look at the performance.
The OnePlus 13 runs on the Snapdragon 8 Elite, which is still one of the most powerful chips available on Android. Compared to the chips inside the Pixel 9a or Nothing Phone (4a) Pro, the 8 Elite offers, well, elite levels of performance, and it is in an entirely different class.
In our performance benchmark tests, the OnePlus 13 delivered much higher GPU results than any mid-range rival, and it also fared better under prolonged stress to the chip. Even the Galaxy S25 FE and OnePlus 15R, which sit on the higher end of the mid-range spectrum, can’t match its raw power.
Battery life is solid, but not the best
When a phone comes with a 6,000 mAh battery, one naturally has pretty high expectations about the battery life. The OnePlus 13 does have good battery life, but not dramatically better than the OnePlus 15r or the Pixel 9a, for example.
Charging speeds that mid-rangers still can’t touch
Another area where the OnePlus 13 excels—like many other OnePlus phones—is the charging speed.
Most mid-range phones still take around an hour and a half to fully juice up. The OnePlus 13 does it in just 43 minutes, reaching 86% in 30 minutes. Wireless charging is also faster than most competitors, which either don’t support it at all or offer much slower speeds.
This is one of those upgrades that can affect your experience with the phone massively, as it saves you precious time.
A better display than the entire segment
While some mid-rangers have slightly brighter displays, like the OnePlus 15R and the Pixel 9a, they still can’t match the OnePlus 13 when it comes to resolution. The OnePlus 13 features a 1440p OLED display with excellent color accuracy, all while having similar brightness as the best in the game.
That higher resolution translates to sharper text and a sharper image, which makes watching movies and TV shows on your phone that much better.
Camera: good, but not the main reason to buy it
The OnePlus 13 arguably has a better camera system than any current mid-range phone. It offers a more versatile setup with capable ultrawide and telephoto cameras, which you typically cannot find on a phone at this price range.
That said, this isn’t a perfect camera system.
Rivals like Google’s Pixel 9a may still have an edge in terms of consistency and computational photography, but the overall camera performance is comfortably above most mid-range phones.
The price
Here’s the important part of this whole comparison.
The Galaxy S25 FE starts at $650, the OnePlus 15R costs $700, and both the Pixel 10a and Nothing Phone (4a) Pro sit at around $500. Right in the middle of that range, you can find the OnePlus 13 for about $559 refurbished.
For roughly the same price, you’re getting a flagship chip instead of a mid-range one, significantly faster charging than anything else in this segment, a higher-resolution and more premium display, and a more versatile camera system.
Why the refurbished OnePlus 13 is a better deal
The higher-end midrangers are more than good enough these days. But if you are not hell-bent on purchasing a brand-new phone, getting a refurbished OnePlus 13 is a hard deal to beat right now.
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