The OnePlus 13T is launching soon in China. So soon that there is a possibility it might have already launched by the time you read this report.
But that is okay. The 13T, which is confirmed to be a compact phone with all the bells and whistles of a high-end flagship, isn’t launching anywhere else just yet. But there’s a chance it might not remain a China-exclusive for long. It might be headed to India-and maybe other markets-very soon. Whether as is, or in some other form, remains to be seen.
Before we get into how we know this, we would like to clarify that there is no official confirmation from OnePlus on if and when the OnePlus 13T is launching globally, India included. But a new survey that OnePlus has commissioned on the demand for compact phones with flagship features in India is something of a giveaway for what could be the beginning of a full-blown marketing campaign for it (or maybe some other phone, we don’t know yet), the kind we associate with big-ticket smartphone launches these days.
The survey, which has been done by research firm Counterpoint, seeks to find if customers in India want a compact smartphone in 2025 and, if yes, what is their most basic need in terms of specs and features. Evidently, they do. The report is long and full of jargon, but here’s the gist of what you should really care about:
– 74 percent of Indian users prefer compact smartphones
– 68 percent say the market doesn’t offer many good compact phones at the time of writing
– Over 50 percent won’t compromise on performance or battery life, even in a smaller phone
– Compact means 6.0-6.5 inches ideally. 55 percent say ease of use with one hand is a big reason they want smaller phones
– Apple, Samsung, and OnePlus are the top brands people trust for compact phones
– 88 percent would buy a compact phone if it had high-end features
OnePlus would have you believe the 13T is the answer to all your compact phone needs. For all we know, it might be, given its stellar hardware. In fact, the specs suggest, it’s nothing but a smaller OnePlus 13. OnePlus has put the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite in a chassis that boasts a screen real estate of just 6.32-inches (the OnePlus 13, at 6.82-inches, is “massive” in comparison) and, somehow, also managed to squeeze a 6260 mAh battery (which is 260 mAh bigger than the 13’s) inside it, possibly using silicon-carbon technology.
The timing of the Counterpoint survey feels far too convenient to be a coincidence. With the OnePlus 13T already confirmed as a compact flagship, the sudden focus on India’s craving for smaller, high-performance phones seems like a subtle but strategic teaser. OnePlus may not have officially announced its global launch plans, but the signs are stacking up. It’s likely just a matter of when, not if, the OnePlus 13T makes its way to the Indian market.