iPhone 17 Pro Should Steal These Two Amazing OnePlus 13 Features
OnePlus 13 and iPhone 16 Pro
The first flagship of 2025. OnePlus 13passed with honor. It delivers flagship performance, a versatile camera setup, and all-day battery life—all at a more affordable price than premium flagship phones. After using the OnePlus 13 with my iPhone 16 Pro, I discovered two features that Apple’s next $999 flagship should borrow from this $899 Android.
To be clear from the start, I’m not talking about features that on paper win with bigger numbers – like more RAM or better benchmark scores. Instead, these are experimental features that greatly improve day-to-day work. For those upgrading from iPhone to OnePlus 13, these features will make a noticeable difference.
1. Aqua touch display
OnePlus 13 Aqua touch display
Have you ever tried using your iPhone in the rain or by the pool? It’s almost impossible to use, as drops of water on the screen often register false touches, and then you have to look for a dry cloth to wipe the screen. During light rain or while recording moments by the pool, your iPhone stops responding. Despite the IP rating, it lacks functionality for use when exposed to water.
OnePlus has solved this problem with the Aqua Touch display, first introduced in the OnePlus 12 and improved in the OnePlus 13. More affordable OnePlus 1R and OnePlus 13R there is also this function.
Aqua Touch 2.0 display technology allows you to register precise finger touches on the screen, even when it’s wet. This feature comes in handy when I need to change the music in the shower, a task that is tedious on my iPhone. It also operates without oily hands, making the display more practical for everyday use.
The Aqua Touch display on the OnePlus 13 also includes a glove mode, allowing you to use the phone with wool or sheepskin gloves up to 0.5cm thick. This is a great feature for cold climates, and the iPhone 17 Pro can benefit greatly from such functionality.
2. Silicon-carbon battery.
OnePlus 13 screen
My iPhone 16 Pro’s battery life has deteriorated over time due to software updates. Apple appears to still be perfecting battery optimization for its Apple Intelligence features. That being said, battery life hasn’t been a strong point of the iPhone in recent years. The last iPhone that worked reliably for me all day was the iPhone 13 Pro Max. But there is a promising solution that Apple could consider.
All the latest Android flagships I’ve tested, including Vivo X200 Pro, Oppo Find X8 Proand OnePlus 13 use silicon-carbon battery technology. This is one of the biggest updates to 2025’s flagship Android smartphones, as the use of a silicon carbide anode allows brands to fit larger batteries into smaller spaces. They also provide greater energy density and increased resilience in extreme weather conditions.
Beyond these benefits, a silicon-carbon battery will likely provide greater longevity and less battery degradation over time—both of which could benefit the iPhone 17 Pro.
I first used this technology on Honor Magic 6 Pro and Magic V3and was surprised by the battery life of these smartphones. This was significantly better than the competition. Since then, more phones have been equipped with silicon-carbon batteries, and it seems like the best thing to happen to phones in years.
Will the Apple iPhone 17 Pro use these features?
iPhone 15 pro
It’s unlikely that the iPhone 17 Pro will feature an Aqua Touch-like display or use silicon-carbon battery technology. So far there have been no rumors in this direction.
Given that the iPhone 16 Pro remains plagued by persistent issues such as glare and iOS-related bugs, I’m not too optimistic that Apple will fix these issues with the iPhone 17 Pro. However, adding these features can greatly benefit and delight iPhone users.
2025-01-12 05:00:14