OnePlus 15 review

OnePlus changes the core design language of its flagship device every few generations, and the 15 is time for a refresher. The circular camera module, slim frame, and curves at the front and back edges make way for a more block-like design. You still get rounded corners (arguably a bit more rounded now), and a screen size that’s very nearly the same as on the OnePlus 13. There’s a distinct change in how it looks, and I quite like it for its more contemporary styling.

ALSO SEE: Oppo Find X9 Pro Hasselblad Teleconverter Kit review

There are three colour options for the OnePlus 15, and they each have something noteworthy to them. The black is said to reflect very little light thus giving a particularly dark shade which also rejects fingerprints rather nicely, while the violet gets a dual-texture coat which changes the way light reflects depending on the angles.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Ali Pardiwala (@alipardiwala)

The sand storm gets a ceramic-like texture for the frame and camera module which is said to be a bit more durable than the others, as well as makes the phone a hint slimmer and lighter. I was frequently tempted to go sans protective case, but better sense prevailed. Another major visual element - there’s no Hasselblad logo at the back since OnePlus hasn’t continued with that partnership for the OnePlus 15.

There are some changes in the display on the OnePlus 15 as compared to its predecessor; it’s a bit smaller at 6.78 inches, and also slightly lower in resolution with a 2772x1272-pixel layout. Notably though, it’s a higher refresh rate display than most of what’s available right now in the smartphone space, with a 165Hz peak refresh during gaming with supported titles, or 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate for regular UI functions.

OnePlus states that the lower resolution was a necessity to achieve the higher refresh rate, and to be fair it’s still a pretty sharp screen for most requirements. The peak brightness caps at 1800 nits, which is user accessible in this case.

In terms of functions and physical features, the OnePlus 15 is the full suite with USB Type-C and wireless charging, a dual-SIM tray along with eSIM support, a stereo speaker setup, and proper buttons for everything. 

Notably, the alert slider makes way for the plus key, which heavily borrows from the action button found on iPhone devices. You can set it up for a custom requirement as per your needs, including triggering Mind Space AI features, switching between ring modes (my personal pick), and launcher shortcuts for torch, camera, recorder, translation, and more.

ALSO SEE: Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold review

Coming to the specifications, the OnePlus 15 goes pretty much all-out for an Android device in late 2025. The phone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, and comes with 12GB LPDDR5X Ultra or 16GB LPDDR5X Ultra+ RAM (‘Plus’ is the highest current spec for smartphone RAM around). There’s also either 256GB or 512GB of UFS4.1 storage (no 1TB variant this time).

Powering the OnePlus 15 on the software front is OxygenOS 16, based on Android 16. It’s a consistent, fresh, and stable software package for the device, with a decent set of new features focused on AI and getting better performance on a day-to-day basis. 

The look and feel of the OS gets slight improvements too, but it remains a fairly performance-oriented approach to Android which is light on the extra bits. OnePlus’ own additions are useful if you do use them, and entirely ignorable if you don’t (many apps can be disabled or uninstalled) so you won’t find yourself combating too many unwanted apps and notifications.

The camera is where things become a talking point for OnePlus, given that the brand has typically struggled to deliver photography capabilities that match up to competing devices from brands such as Vivo, Oppo, and Xiaomi. It may then be surprising that OnePlus has paused its long-standing partnership with Hasselblad and gone back to a homegrown camera system. It’s called the DetailMax engine and it puts a focus on computational tricks to deliver the promise of better pictures.

Of course, at its core the camera system is backed by decent hardware - three 50-megapixel cameras at the back (primary, ultra-wide, and periscope telephoto) and a 32-megapixel camera at the front. Sensor size on the primary camera is slightly smaller as compared to the OnePlus 13, but the brand promises better results on the back of the claimed improvements in the engine.

You also get up to 3.5x optical zoom, up to 7x lossless-quality digital zoom, and 0.6x (116-degree field-of-view) ultra-wide photos. The processing power of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 enables up to 8k video recording (or 4k at 120fps), native 480fps slow-motion video recording, and support for Dolby Vision HDR. On paper, it’s a capable setup.

The DetailMax engine and its methodology for getting the best out of the hardware also sounds impressive, but in practice you still get a somewhat inconsistent overall experience with photography. That’s not to say the cameras on the OnePlus 15 are bad; they can actually deliver decent shots in most situations. 

ALSO SEE: Apple iPhone Air review

You might occasionally notice the computational bits get the colours and lighting conditions wrong - especially in tricky situations where there’s a lot of light filtering - but it gets it right (or close enough to right) in most conditions. Don’t expect pro-grade results, but you’ll get images that are good enough for capturing memories and posting on social media. Sharpness and definition are usually on point, with colour reproduction the only inconsistent bit on occasion.

Despite OnePlus’ attempts to establish itself as a camera specialist, it fortunately hasn’t forgotten about the bits that it’s actually good at. Strong performance has always been the brand’s forte, and that’s where the OnePlus 15 continues to showcase its consistency and credentials in the flagship smartphone space.

A solid hardware and software combination ensures that the OnePlus 15 remains the phone to beat in terms of sheer performance. Expect smooth functioning with just about everything from running many apps at a time, to operating demanding and graphically-intensive apps and games. You’ll see it in the form of smooth and quick animations, rapid unlocking and jumping into apps as well as switching between running apps, and just about nothing that will provide even small bouts of irritation. The OnePlus 15 is top-of-the-line stuff.

ALSO SEE: OxygenOS 16 Preview

This also translates in gaming, which OnePlus has renewed its focus on with the 15. The ‘Gaming Core’ system is optimised to deliver better performance with gaming, thanks to features such s a new CPU scheduler which allows optimal use of the processing power, and dedicated chips for touch responsiveness and Wi-Fi connectivity. It does translate into more stable gameplay, including with frame rates and the ability to go to higher performance settings without compromising on graphics quality and frame-rate consistency.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Ali Pardiwala (@alipardiwala)

While 120Hz refresh rates are the standard and some devices go up to 144Hz, the OnePlus 15 supports 165Hz gaming with some supported titles, so the new spec is practically useful. The performance capabilities are also backed by aerogel cooling technology, which works as advertised to keep the phone at manageable temperatures even under heavy load. Get the 16GB/512GB variant and you’ll find yourself set for a while.

Battery life is another big leg up for the OnePlus 15, thanks to a considerable step up in capacity. The OnePlus 15 has a 7300mAh battery, which is considerably more than what most flagship devices offer. Of course, the cutting-edge hardware and specifications draw on more power so you may not see the capacity actually going towards exceptional battery life, but at least you can be assured that it’ll run for competitive durations without compromising on the capabilities.

Charging for me was fairly infrequent as compared to other flagship devices, and I was often able to get up to two full days of use between charges even with borderline heavy usage and depending on the screen-on time. That said, I don’t think I’ve had to charge the phone in less than a day-and-a-half out of necessity. 

I usually went from about 50 percent to full just to keep things secure, and this usually didn’t take more than 30-35 minutes. Even a full charge takes just about an hour with the 120W fast wired charging kit included in the box. The dual-cell design allows for safe charging at this speed, and while you might feel the phone getting a bit warmer, it’s never uncomfortably so.

The typical obsession with camera capabilities on flagship smartphones means that a disproportionately large deal is made of any phone’s camera performance, and OnePlus isn’t immune to that. The brand continues to try its best with this as such, even if the results don’t always match up to that of the competition. However, the renewed focus on performance, charging speed and battery life, and specialised features for gaming are a subtle hint that this is what you should buy a OnePlus 15 for.

For the casual photographer like me, the OnePlus 15 works just fine, has features that you’ll typically need, and delivers decent results with minimal effort. Where it truly delivers is what matters to me the most - performance. I want a phone that doesn’t annoy me with illusions, unnecessary software intrusions, or visible hiccups due to sub-par hardware. The OnePlus 15 is that phone.