Pixel 9a or OnePlus 13s? Find the Best ₹50K Flagship of 2025
Date Published:
The OnePlus 13s have now been released officially, and the competition between compact flagship Android phones has become very bracing! The OnePlus 13s and Pixel 9a are two of the best options at this ₹50,000 to ₹55,000 price point.
The Pixel 9a and OnePlus 13s are very different phones. If you're trying to decide which is better for you, we'll help by comparing their features. Now, let’s get started!
Pixel 9a vs OnePlus 13s: Performance And More
If performance is your primary concern, the OnePlus 13s, with its Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite processor and up to 12GB of RAM, will significantly outperform the Pixel 9a with its Tensor G4 processor and 8GB of RAM. The Pixel 9a will be capable of performance in the real world, but simply on a matchup basis of chipsets, the Snapdragon 8 Elite is a much more powerful chipset than the Tensor G4.
The Pixel 9a has 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage on the base model, whereas the OnePlus 13s has 12GB of RAM and 256GB of UFS 4.0 storage on the base model.
As for the battery side of things, both phones have large batteries, with the Pixel 9a having a 5100 mAh battery and the OnePlus 13s having a much bigger 5850 mAh battery. The phones also differ in their rapid charging capabilities, and the OnePlus has a distinct advantage with its 80 W fast charging capability compared to the Pixel 9a's 23 W.
OnePlus 13s vs Pixel 9a: Display And Design
Both devices have 6.3-inch displays, making them compact and fun. The Pixel 9a has a 6.3-inch P-OLED HDR display with a 120 Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 2700 nits; this gives a 422 pixels per inch (ppi). The OnePlus 13s has a 6.32-inch LP-to-AMOLED display running at 120 Hz, but this model has 460 ppi. Both phones offer some display protection, with both supporting a version of Gorilla Glass, with the Pixel 9a offering Gorilla Glass 3 and the OnePlus using Crystal Shield.
Moving onto the designs, the OnePlus 13s has an aluminium frame with a glass back, creating a very premium feel, while the Pixel 9a has an aluminium frame and is using plastic for the back. Both phones have IP protection, with the OnePlus offering IP65, while the Pixel 9a offers IP68 dust and water resistance.
OnePlus 13s vs Pixel 9a: Camera
The main camera has a significant difference in actual lenses. Both phones have similarly dual-camera packages, yet the OnePlus 13s switches the ultrawide for a telephoto. Therefore, the OnePlus 13s has a 50-megapixel wide camera and a 50-megapixel 3x telephoto camera. The OnePlus does not have an ultrawide-angle lens. The Pixel 9a has a 48-megapixel main wide camera and a 13-megapixel ultrawide shooter. Therefore, with the Pixel 9a, you are getting an ultrawide, and with the OnePlus 13s, you are getting a telephoto.
You can choose your camera package based on your personal preferences. Some people may prefer a better zoom for distant subjects, while others might choose an ultrawide lens to capture all of their friends in a larger frame.
Both phones can shoot 4K 60 fps video and 4K from the front-facing camera as well. The OnePlus has a 32-megapixel shooter, and the Pixel 9a has a 13-megapixel selfie camera.
OnePlus 13s vs Pixel 9a: Software and More
Regarding software, the Pixel 9a is currently running Android 15 and is guaranteed to receive seven major Android updates, and it's going to be one of the first few phones to get Android 16 in a few months. The OnePlus 13s is also running Android 15, but OnePlus's OxygenOS 15 is on top of Android 15. The OnePlus is going to get four years of Android OS updates.
Regarding biometrics, both phones use under-display fingerprint readers of the optical variety. The OnePlus will be available in three colours: green silk, black velvet, and black satin. The Pixel 9a will be available in four colours: Obsidian, Porcelain, Iris, and Peony.
