OnePlus 13s Debuts with Exclusive Gemini Lock Screen Shortcut, Outpacing Google Pixels

OnePlus 13s debuts with a Gemini feature not even Pixels have

The OnePlus 13s is a compact flagship launched in India and is similar to the OnePlus 13T from China. OnePlus just launched the OnePlus 13s in India, joining its siblings, the OnePlus 13 and OnePlus 13R, in the flagship segment. While the phone is notable as it marks the company's foray back into sensibly-sized flagship smartphones, it's also the first phone to debut a lock screen shortcut for Gemini, a feature that isn't even present on Pixels! Right out of the box, you can spot the Gemini shortcut on the OnePlus 13's lock screen. The shortcut references Gemini as "Digital assistant from Google," but the icon makes it clear that it is Gemini. Triggering the shortcut launches Gemini, so there's no doubt about what this is. What makes this lock screen shortcut interesting is that it's not present on Google's own Pixel devices. On Pixel devices, you get the usual shortcut choices of Camera, Do Not Disturb, Flashlight, Home, Mute, QR code scanner, and Video camera. The options remain the same on Android 15 and Android 16 -- only the UI changes. Google has been testing another pill-shaped button for invoking Gemini from the lock screen, but this lock screen shortcut on the OnePlus 13s is better integrated and doesn't feel out of place. You can still access Gemini on the lock screen with the "OK Google" or "Hey Google" wake word, or by long pressing the power button (unless you've changed the setting back to the power menu). Beyond this change, the OnePlus 13s is also the first device from OnePlus to feature OnePlus AI, including OnePlus AI Plus Mind as well as Gemini integration for OnePlus apps. The OnePlus 13s is similar to the OnePlus 13T from China, with key differences being the battery capacity (smaller 5,850mAh for 13s vs 6,200mAh for 13T) and the front-facing camera (32MP AF for 13s vs 16MP FF for 13T). Of course, the OnePlus 13T in China runs Color OS without Google apps, while the OnePlus 13s runs Oxygen OS 15 with Google apps. Other notable specifications include the Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC, 12GB LPDDR5X RAM, UFS 4.0 storage, 80W SuperVOOC charging (but no wireless charging), 50MP primary camera and 50MP 2x telephoto camera, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, and NFC. The phone's most notable feature is its (relatively) small size. It has a 120Hz 6.32-inch FHD+ display in a body that is about the size of the iPhone 16 Pro and weighs just 185g. The OnePlus 13s isn't coming to the US, but at least the (relatively) compact phone is being made available in a market other than China. In India, you can get the OnePlus 13s for Rs. 54,999 (~$640) for the 256GB storage variant and Rs. 59,999 (~$700) for the 512GB storage variant.

OnePlus 13s just got this useful Gemini feature -- and not even Google Pixels have it

The OnePlus 13T, the Chinese version of the OnePlus 13s (Image credit: OnePlus) The OnePlus 13s is the first device to feature a lockscreen feature for Gemini that not even the best Android phones have access to. When the OnePlus 13s released in India, it was noticed that the phone features a new lock screen shortcut option that allows users to directly access Google Gemini. The 13s' Settings refers to this shortcut as "Digital Assistant from Google," but a shared screenshot from Android Authority shows a logo that is clearly Gemini's star icon. You can still access Gemini on many recent Android phones' lockscreen by using your voice, so there's an argument that the shortcut isn't entirely necessary. But this shortcut opens up the full app, letting you access your existing chats rather than starting a new query. This isn't the only AI feature coming with the OnePlus 13s, as it is the first device to feature new OnePlus AI features like OnePlus AI Mind, a space to collect screenshots, memos and more for easy future access, and Gemini integration with OnePlus apps. In terms of other hardware, the OnePlus 13s also comes with a 6.32-inch display, a 50MP main camera, a 50MP 2x telephoto lens and a 32MP selfie camera, making it an impressively specced, yet compact, flagship phone compared to other Android phones launched this year. All of this is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset and 12GB of RAM, alongside a surprisingly large 5,850 mAh battery. The fact that we haven't seen a similar lock screen shortcut for Gemini on Google's own Pixel phones already is interesting, as current Pixels only offer the usual shortcut options, such as the flashlight or camera. Google added a Gemini lock screen button in the Android 15 beta, as spotted by Android Authority, but it wasn't present in the final Android 15 release. We could see this change return as part of the ongoing Android 16 rollout, but so far, the only change noticed in the current beta is in the overall look of the UI, thanks to Google's new Material 3 Expressive design language. Unfortunately, the OnePlus 13s is currently only available in India and there's no indication that it will launch globally. However, while we might not see the device on store shelves over here, we would hope that Google still takes some ideas from it and incorporates them into its Pixel series, and that OnePlus introduces this option on its other phones soon.