According to findings by Mishaal Rahman and Android Authority in the OxygenOS 15 beta, OnePlus 13 may be able to tell you its location even when powered off.

The changelog in the latest OxygenOS 15 beta initially suggested that the OnePlus 12 supported Powered Off Finding, a feature built into Android's Find My Device app. Sadly, this feature did not actually work and the changelog was subsequently edited. However, its existence led to further discovery by Rahman.

The OnePlus 12 cannot use Powered Off Finding because its hardware does not support it. The phone's Bluetooth chip must be specifically made to continue working even after the phone is turned off in order for Offline Finding to work. And the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset in the OnePlus 12 does not have that capability.

But Rahman has heard from Qualcomm, which makes chipsets for Android phones (as well as other devices), and the latest FastConnect 7900 system, which combines Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and ultra-wideband connectivity The company says it has this capability. And this is part of the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip used by OnePlus 13.

Since it is up to the manufacturer to enable the Snapdragon 8 Elite's offline search feature, other phones using this chip may still choose not to use it. However, it appears that at least the OnePlus 13 will, as OnePlus is preparing to do so within its software.

Both the Google Pixel 9 series and the Pixel 8 series before it offer offline search and support iPhone 11 and later (including iPhone SE 2022). While Google and Apple smartphones are generally superior, it can only be a good thing that more brands in the spectrum of best Android smartphones offer this feature as we enter the New Year.

The OnePlus 13 has already been officially announced in China, and we know about its impressive specs: a 4,500-nit peak brightness display, a massive 6,000mAh battery, and 100W/50W fast wired wireless charging. However, a global launch has yet to happen. We expect the OnePlus 13 to launch worldwide early next year.