OnePlus 13 and iPhone 16 Pro
The first flagship of 2025, the OnePlus 13, passed with great success. It offers top-notch performance, flexible camera setup, and all-day battery life—all at a more affordable price than premium flagship phones. After using the OnePlus 13 alongside my iPhone 16 Pro, I found 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 specs that win on paper with bigger numbers—like more RAM or better benchmark scores. Instead, these are experiential features that greatly enhance the everyday experience. For anyone switching from an iPhone to the OnePlus 13, these features will make a noticeable difference.
1. Aqua Touch Display
OnePlus 13 Aqua touchscreen
Have you ever tried using your iPhone in the rain or by the pool? It’s almost useless as water drops on the screen often register false touches and then you find a dry cloth to wipe the screen. In a light drizzle or when recording moments by the pool, your iPhone is disappointingly unresponsive. Despite the IP rating, it lacks functionality for use when exposed to water.
OnePlus addressed this problem with the Aqua Touch display, which was first introduced on the OnePlus 12 and further improved on the OnePlus 13. The more affordable OnePlus 1R and OnePlus 13R also have this feature.
Aqua Touch 2.0 screen technology allows you to record precise finger touches on the screen even when it is wet. The feature comes in handy when I need to change the music in the shower—a task that’s tedious on my iPhone. It also works without greasy hands, making the screen more practical for everyday use.
The Aqua Touch display on the OnePlus 13 also includes glove mode, allowing the phone to be used while wearing wool or sheepskin gloves up to 0.5cm thick. This is a great feature for colder climates and the iPhone 17 Pro could benefit greatly from this functionality.
2. Silicon-carbon battery
OnePlus 13 display
My iPhone 16 Pro battery life has deteriorated over time with software updates. Apple still seems to be improving battery optimization for Apple Intelligence features. That said, battery life hasn’t exactly been the best option for iPhones in recent years. The last iPhone that held me steady all day was the iPhone 13 Pro Max. But there is one promising solution that Apple could consider.
All recent Android flagships I’ve tested so far, including the Vivo X200 Pro, Oppo Find X8 Pro and OnePlus 13, use silicon carbon battery technology. It’s one of the biggest upgrades to the Android flagships of 2025 because the use of silicon carbide anodes allows brands to pack larger batteries into smaller footprints. They also provide greater energy density and improved resistance to extreme weather conditions.
In addition to these advantages, a silicon-carbon battery is likely to offer better durability and less battery degradation over time – both of which could be beneficial for the iPhone 17 Pro.
I first used this technology on the Honor Magic 6 Pro and Magic V3 and was surprised by the battery life on these smartphones. It was significantly better than the competition. Since then, more phones have adopted silicon-carbon batteries, and it seems to be the best thing to happen to phones in years.
Will the Apple iPhone 17 Pro adopt these features?
iPhone 15 Pro
It is unlikely that the iPhone 17 Pro will incorporate an Aqua Touch-style display or adopt silicon-carbon battery technology. So far, there have been no rumors in this direction.
Since the iPhone 16 Pro still has persistent issues like lens flare and iOS-related bugs, I’m not overly optimistic about Apple addressing these shortcomings with the iPhone 17 Pro. However, adding these features could greatly benefit and please the iPhone crowd.
