This is the OnePlus 15, and it’s easily one of the most controversial flagship launches in recent times. OnePlus has made some very interesting choices this year. The display resolution is lower now. The camera sensors have gotten smaller all around. This is not OnePlus being lazy. There’s an actual method to this madness. Here’s why.
Design and Build
The device features metal sides across all models and a matte finish on the back, making it resistant to fingerprints and smudges. Its design includes a flat front and back with rounded edges and corners, typical of 2025 flagship phones. While the smaller OnePlus 13S had an appealing design, the larger screen on this model makes it less ergonomic, highlighting a preference for last year’s curved vegan leather back.
Charging and Battery Improvements
The segment describes the included accessories, such as a red USB Type-A to Type-C cable and a 120W charger. It highlights that, despite being slimmer and maintaining a similar weight, its battery capacity has increased by 20% to 7,300 mAh. Charging performance is impressive, with the phone reaching 50% charge in 17 minutes and a full charge in 40 minutes. Additionally, the phone supports 50W wireless charging and reverse wireless charging.
Connectivity and Features Overview
The device supports bypass charging for efficient power management. It now features an improved IP69K rating, providing resistance against high heat and high-pressure water. Additional hardware upgrades include an IR blaster, NFC, Bluetooth 6, and Wi-Fi 7. The ultrasonic fingerprint scanner is optimally placed for convenience. The USB Type-C port supports USB 3.2 Gen 1 with video output capabilities. The traditional alert slider has been replaced by a new shortcut button called the plus key.
Shortcut Button and Speaker Upgrades
The segment explains how to program a device to perform multiple actions using the memo clip feature. A single tap captures and saves a screenshot, a long press records a voice note, and a double tap retrieves all saved items. This data is accessible globally via Gemini for future queries. Additionally, the speakers have been improved to deliver balanced, loud, and clear audio.
Display Specs and Gaming Performance
OnePlus 15 haptics feel weaker compared to last year. The phone features the first 165 Hz 1.5K OLED panel on a phone, which is a slight downgrade from 2K to 1.5K resolution, reducing pixel density from 510 PPI to 450 PPI. The LTPO display supports variable refresh rate, is 10-bit, and very bright, reaching nearly 2,000 nits for outdoor visibility, while dimming to a single nit in low light. It also offers 2160 Hz high-frequency PWM dimming for those sensitive to OLED flicker. The bezels are slim and symmetric, enhancing media and gaming experiences. Gaming features include super resolution and frame generation options.
The phone is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, delivering a 20% performance boost over last year. Games run smoothly at max settings. The OnePlus 15 runs warmer than other devices with the same chip, reaching up to 50°C, but offers the most stable performance due to conservative tuning that reduces peak temperatures and throttling. This results in a more consistent gaming experience over extended periods. The phone runs Colour OS 16 based on Android 16, providing smooth day-to-day performance.
Software and OS Updates
The OnePlus device running Oxygen OS 16, which promises four major Android version updates. While this update plan is not the best in the industry, it is considered adequate. A notable downgrade is in the camera optics: the primary sensor is now a smaller 50-megapixel Sony IMX 906 compared to last year’s larger Lite 808 sensor. Despite the smaller sensor, the phone still captures good images even in low-light conditions.
Camera Specifications and Quality
The camera capabilities of a smartphone that is solid but positioned below more expensive flagships. The 50 MP ultra wide uses the Omni Vision OV50D sensor, which is smaller than last year’s, and the periscope zoom features a 50 MP Samsung JN5 sensor offering a 3.5x zoom with improved image processing. Video performance remains strong, supporting 10-bit log recording up to 4K at 120 fps on primary and telephoto lenses, 4K 60 fps on the ultra wide, and regular video up to 8K at 30 fps.
The selfie camera captures clean 4K 60 fps video and performs reasonably well for still photos at 32 MP. Despite some optical downgrades this year, these changes align with the broader strategy following OnePlus’s merger with Oppo.
Expected Price of the OnePlus 15 in India
OnePlus is yet to announce the price of the OnePlus 15 in India. The company reduced the device’s pricing in China from 4,499 Yuan (approximately Rs 55,000) to 3,999 Yuan (about Rs 49,700).
What do you think, is it an upgrade or a downgrade? Comment Below!!
Also Read: Samsung Galaxy S25: Compact and Powerful