OnePlus 15 review: The Sultan of Speed

Best Prices Today: OnePlus 15

Outside of the company’s native China, it’s been less than a year since we were introduced to the mighty OnePlus 13, and it’s proven to be an extremely capable entry against this year’s competition. So much so, in fact, that I’d go so far as to say it’s the best-value Android flagship of 2025.

In spite of the 13 having plenty of life left in it, however, OnePlus is a company that, you guessed it… “Never Settles,” and as such, its successor is already here, in the OnePlus 15.

Long-time OnePlus fans will understand the company’s aversion to the number 4, but the company is also framing the numerical jump between generations here as representative of the technical strides its new flagship embodies.

The OnePlus 15 does, indeed, boast a few world-firsts and unique takes in both the hardware and software departments. But to understand whether the collective effect makes it a worthwhile buy, I’ve spent the last few weeks testing and living with the phone to see what it’s all about.

Design & Build

• New design language
• IP66, IP68, IP69 and IP69K rated
• Supports magnetic accessory ecosystem with compatible case

As I mentioned in my ‘OnePlus 15 biggest upgrades’ feature, I didn’t particularly love the look of the OnePlus 13. It was an undeniably premium smartphone, with top-tier fit, but the aesthetic choices OnePlus made – with regard to the phone’s geometry and surface finishes – lacked cohesion. It was convoluted and overcomplicated, fussy and inconsistent, especially in its signature Ocean Blue colourway.

That couldn’t be further from the truth with the OnePlus 15. The design language the company debuted on the OnePlus 13s has now migrated up to its newest flagship. That means flat sides, flat glass front and back, far more heavily rounded corners and a completely reworked rear camera surround.

A decidedly cleaner look, with an air of understated confidence

It’s a decidedly cleaner, more minimalist look, with an air of understated confidence, not least because of the surface finishes OnePlus has opted for, which might be the best out there.

The use of LIPO (Low-Injection Pressure Over-molding) to house the display means a thinner bezel than we’ve ever seen, all the way around the 15, measuring just 1.15mm thick (the last two generations of Apple’s iPhone Pro Max feature 1.36mm bezels).

The eagle-eyed amongst you might notice that the 15 also sports a similar look to Oppo’s new Find X9 and Find X9 Pro, but where these phones are only available in a fairly bland silver or white in most regions, OnePlus’ new flagship sports a trio of colourways with the power to turn heads.

Ultra Violet is the most vibrant finish, with a lavender hue across the frame and back glass, the latter of which colour-shifts against the light thanks to an iridescent coating. Next, you have what OnePlus speculates is the “darkest black ever on a phone,” in Infinity Black, which features a super-matt finish, including an etched AG glass back, that sets it apart from even other all-black phones.

The most technically impressive and signature colour from this year’s lineup, however, is Sand Storm. Like Infinity Black, it sports a super-matt look across the back, frame and camera surround, but in order to achieve this warm grey tone, OnePlus is the first in the smartphone space to employ a process called micro-arc oxidation (or MAO) across the exterior metalwork.

The result is a material that OnePlus claims is 1.3x tougher than titanium and 3.4x tougher than aluminium. The metalwork is cooler to the touch as a result, and this colourway swaps glass for a fibreglass back too.

Despite OnePlus’ claims, I was worried about the durability of this new finish, but after three weeks of constant use, it looks like MAO is also more resilient to the nicks and bumps of everyday use than I expected, not to mention fingerprints don’t linger as badly either.

For a brand that once abstained from getting its phones IP-certified, the OnePlus 15 has been tested against more of the standard’s various categories than any other phone on the market; boasting IP66, IP68, IP69 and IP69K certification (that K means it’s rated to withstand high-pressure, high-temperature water jets). What’s more, it’s been tested to withstand full submersion in fresh water to a lower depth for up to 30 minutes (2 metres, instead of 1.5m), compared to its predecessor.

If you’re still concerned about keeping your OnePlus 15 looking pristine, OnePlus is also launching a trio of cases and an anti-reflective glass screen protector alongside the phone. As with the OnePlus 13, the cases also allow for compatibility with magnetic MagSafe/Pixelsnap accessories (with OnePlus forgoing Qi2 compatibility in order to maintain this phone’s faster 50W AirVOOC wireless charging).

All I would say is skip the Hole Pattern Magnetic Case (pictured) as, in person, it doesn’t accurately match its official product imagery, and despite the included silicone pips for a degree of personalisation, it just looks bad (not to mention the sandy colour of the thin plastic actually clashes with the Sand Storm finish).

Screen & Speakers

• 6.78-inch 1.5K ProXDR LTPO OLED display
• 165Hz peak refresh rate and dedicated touch response chip
• New, more balanced stereo speaker layout

The OnePlus 15’s new, more rounded silhouette technically plays host to a smaller (6.78-inch, down from 6.82), lower resolution (sporting a pixel density of around 450ppi, versus 510ppi) panel, compared to last year’s OnePlus 13, but make no mistake, this is still a large phone with a pleasingly sharp flagship-class screen.

The move isn’t OnePlus trying to surreptitiously cut back on quality hardware – hoping fans won’t notice – instead, you’re getting a new 1.5K ProXDR OLED panel that builds on the gaming prowess of previous entries, with two relevant upgrades.

this new higher frame rate ceiling was the very thing that gave me a competitive edge

Being an LTPO panel, the phone still dynamically ramps its refresh rate up and down between 1 and 120Hz, with most of the UI running at that 120Hz peak as you swipe around, providing a pleasingly snappy user experience, whilst still offering better power efficiency compared to non-LTPO screens. What’s different is that, when applicable, it can shift up to 165Hz, for even more responsive visuals that are tailored for competitive gaming.

Importantly, this 165Hz peak only unlocks with select titles, such as PUBG via frame interpolation, and natively with the likes of COD Mobile, Clash of Clans, Real Racing 3 and a handful more. It’s unclear whether 165Hz support has to be implemented on OnePlus’ side or by developers, but here’s hoping the list of titles grows now that the phone is on sale.

Based on the uncharacteristic winning streak I enjoyed when hopping into Call of Duty on the OnePlus 15 for the first time, I have to assume that this new higher frame rate ceiling was the very thing that gave me a competitive edge. Not to mention, the phone’s display also promises an incredible 3200Hz touch sampling rate (the rate at which the display registers your touch inputs), which is significantly higher than anything I’ve used before; even trumping the fresh-faced Redmagic 11 Pro (which tops out at 3000Hz).

One small gripe that I only really encountered whilst gaming is that OnePlus’ decision to give the 15’s rounded corners larger radii means some UI elements (like those on the – admittedly cluttered – main menu of COD Mobile) come dangerously close to being cut off, or at the very least, tricky to tap on with confidence.

On the flip side, this new panel also boasts a higher panel-wide brightness threshold of 1800 nits (the OnePlus 13 and the likes of the latest iPhone 17 Pro Max share a 1600-nit HBM ceiling), meaning brighter content and easier outdoor viewing. As a frequent user of Android’s native Extra Dim feature, the ability to pair that with the phone’s already-impressive 1-nit lowest brightness output, to achieve an output of just 0.5 nits, is a nice inclusion too.

The OnePlus 15’s display also conceals an impeccably fast and reliable ultrasonic fingerprint sensor that works even when the screen is off, and seemed reassuringly unaffected by water on the display or on my thumb during testing.

The phone’s unique display setup is paired with a reworked audio system, punctuated by symmetrical speaker grilles on the top and bottom of the phone’s frame (when held in portrait). In a side-by-side comparison, you can expect louder output than the OnePlus 13 at equivalent volume levels, with minimal distortion, even at 100%.

The caveat is that, despite the new speaker grille placement, you’re still getting true stereo output, with the down-firing speaker offering far better low-frequency output. While less balanced and a fraction quieter, I actually preferred the OnePlus 13’s audio performance, with the phone serving up a richer, fuller sound and better bass response, compared to the flatter, more balanced speakers inside the OnePlus 15.

Rumour has it, OnePlus has also opted for a smaller, lesser linear motor inside the OnePlus 15, compared to its predecessor, but when comparing both phones’ haptic performance (the O Haptics demo within each phone’s Settings menu made for easy comparison), I genuinely didn’t think they felt any different. Either way, expect a premium, well-tuned, rich haptic experience here.

Specs & Performance

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset
• Up to 16GB RAM & 512GB storage
• Dedicated G2 WiFi chip

Just as the OnePlus 13 was among the first phones internationally to arrive with Qualcomm’s then-new Snapdragon 8 Elite, the OnePlus 15 will likely be the first phone those outside of China come into contact with using the chip maker’s latest top-tier mobile silicon: the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.

Even before I had hands on the OnePlus 15, we’d witnessed just how much of a lead the Gen 5 lorded over the likes of even Apple’s latest A19 Pro chipset, but benchmarks reflect the lead it has on other flagship chips right now.

OnePlus 15 benchmarks

Geekbench 6 multi-core scores highlight around 20% better CPU performance, compared to Snapdragon 8 Elite-powered (like the OnePlus 13), Dimensity 9500-powered (like the Oppo Find X9 Pro), and A19 Pro-powered (like the iPhone 17 Pro) phones. The company also claims the CPU is 35% more power efficient, too.

OnePlus isn’t relying solely on Qualcomm’s hard work to render the 15 a powerhouse, though. Beyond existing RAM expansion – where you can reallocate storage as extra memory within the phone’s settings – those that stump up for the top-tier 16GB RAM model don’t just get regular LPDDR5X RAM, but LPDDR5X ‘Ultra+’ RAM.

OnePlus says it’s the “fastest RAM available in the mobile industry right now,” and with a data transfer speed of around 10,667Mbps, that’s approximately double what’s possible with RAM inside last-gen’s Snapdragon 8 Elite-powered phones, which support RAM at up to 5,600Mbps.

There are a number of other underlying technologies designed to help further the OnePlus 15’s performance lead, which were hard to empirically test, but feel worth mentioning, if only to convey just how deep the company has gone on optimisation for this generation of flagship.

OnePlus’ own CPU scheduler replaces Android’s native CFS (Completely Fair Scheduler) by prioritising certain processes depending on the task at hand. The company claims its solution results in almost 23% fewer instructions needing to be sent to the CPU for a given task, which means faster processing and less power drain.

As well as a faster display and a dedicated chip to support the phone’s outlandish touch response rate, OnePlus has also added its own G2 Wi-Fi chip, made to enhance network performance when dealing with weak connectivity and generally improve connection stability.

While the Snapdragon’s Adreno GPU promises 23% better graphical performance, with 20% better power efficiency, OnePlus’ HyperRendering tech promises 80% more efficient frame generation on top. Meanwhile, custom code that forms part of the company’s OP Gaming Core means the phone is equipped to deliver sustained, stable 120fps gameplay for up to an hour.

With all these impressive-sounding technologies, claims and that COD Mobile winning streak still bouncing around in my mind, I was curious how the OnePlus 15 would handle sustained performance. Unlike Redmagic’s latest offerings, OnePlus’ newest lacks any sort of active cooling solution, and actually packs a vapour chamber (VC) that’s over 40% smaller than the one inside the OnePlus 13, so I had my concerns.

In ‘Balanced’ mode, using 3DMark’s Wild Life Extreme stress test, the OnePlus 15’s performance score dropped by approximately 30% over the course of the 20 minutes of successive runs.

By comparison, the OnePlus 13’s performance dropped by 34% under the same conditions, suggesting that despite its larger vapour chamber, the use of cutting-edge materials inside the 15’s VC – like white graphite and aerogel – paired with the more efficient chipset and the various technologies under the new OP Gaming Core, still grants it an edge where sustained performance is concerned.

Popular titles like Zenless Zone Zero default to ‘High’ graphical settings on the 15, while Call of Duty Mobile launches with ‘Very High’ graphics enabled, on top of that 165fps peak possible frame rate.

Cameras

• 50Mp main, ultrawide and 3.5x telephoto sensors
• 32Mp selfie camera
• First OnePlus phone with DetailMax Engine

One cloud that’s been hanging over the OnePlus 15’s head in the run-up to launch has been concerns over camera performance. Whilst it’s true that, similarly to their vapour chambers, the 15 uses smaller 50Mp sensors compared to the OnePlus 13 – all with smaller apertures to boot – the resultant images are actually just as good, and depending on your tastes, better in some cases.

You could argue that the OnePlus 13 delivered a more honest photographic experience than most of the best camera phones around its launch. In my OnePlus 13 camera review, I attributed this to the company’s Hasselblad partnership and the more subtle and authentically intended image processing that came as part of that.

With the OnePlus 15, that partnership is no more, and in its place, OnePlus has pivoted to fully embrace in-house imaging technologies, which it collectively calls the DetailMax Engine.

While the differences will generally come down to personal taste, rather than which offers the superior image, I prefer the processing decisions the OnePlus 15 makes over its predecessor. Photos appear more processed on the company’s latest phone, and in low light, fine detail might appear a little softer, but the trade-off is less noise, better dynamic range and nicer colour reproduction.

Shots appear more vibrant than what you’d expect from the OnePlus 13, and portrait capture demonstrates better edge detection and subject separation; even if that heavier processing means more pronounced brightening in the shadows and gentler contrast.

Just as Apple did a few years back, and Oppo has done with its latest Find X9 series, the OnePlus 15 can now capture higher resolution stills as standard, at 26Mp, instead of 12Mp, meaning more detail in every shot (but larger file sizes) too.

The Clear Burst feature has been improved as well, moving from 6 to 10 shots per second between generations, whilst also delivering better dynamic range than Classic Burst can render (which shoots more photos per second, but has less data to process with each shot, as a result).

Not only does the new Custom 32Mp IMX709 selfie snapper boast autofocus, but it also uses a new RGBW (‘W’ for white) pixel array, for 60% better light sensitivity compared to the OnePlus 13. The most tangible benefit I found here was better colour reproduction, especially with green tones; something the OnePlus 13’s camera system consistently struggled with.

Despite a different sensor setup, the 15 also gains from the same impressive new 4K 120fps Dolby Vision video capture as the Find X9 and Realme GT 8 Pro, too. Image quality within video capture is generally excellent, although the dynamic range appears a little narrower compared to still photography, and image stabilisation can sometimes be a little ‘sticky’, something OnePlus could likely iron out with a software update.

While OnePlus wouldn’t be my go-to brand for top-tier videography, the trickle of new, more high-end video features, such as LOG recording with LUT-monitoring (i.e. it’s not baked in), does help its case in this department somewhat.

Battery Life & Charging

• 7300mAh battery
• 120W wired + 50W wireless charging
• No power adapter in the box

For a perfectly reasonably proportioned and weighted flagship, the fact that the OnePlus 15 plays host to a 7300mAh battery seems almost laughable. Strides in battery density and silicon carbon (Si-C) tech, however, have meant larger capacities have started to appear in newer phones without really adding bulk.

The OnePlus 13 already delivered superb longevity, but the 15 takes things up a notch, only really outdone but the even larger 7500mAh offering inside the Find X9 Pro.

The fact that it surpassed 16.5 hours of screen-on time per charge as I lived with it was, frankly, mind-blowing

Pair such a big power pack with the phone’s advanced performance, cooling, fast display and the option of bypass charging, and it seems OnePlus was dead-set on making the most competitive flagship phone for gaming on the market, without designing an outright gaming phone.

As you might expect, in artificial tests, the OnePlus 15’s Work 3.0 battery score of 26 hours and 26 minutes is head and shoulders above almost every other phone out there (the Find X9 Pro notwithstanding), and while real-world testing cuts that figure down, it’s still easily the longest-lasting flagship I’ve ever reviewed.

The fact that it surpassed 16.5 hours of screen-on time per charge as I lived with it was, frankly, mind-blowing, and while the Oppo has the potential to last a fraction longer, you have what could potentially operate as a three-day phone with considerate use. It can comfortably run for two days per charge, even with downloading large files, hours of streaming video and some high-intensity gaming.

OnePlus being OnePlus, you also get rapid 120W wired charging that, provided you have a compatible SuperVOOC charger (there isn’t one in the box), promises to refill the phone’s huge tank to 100% in just 39 minutes. I never quite hit that particular number, but with Smart Rapid Charging enabled, despite some noticeable warmth, the phone still charged fully in only 45 minutes (47 with SRC turned off). Unreal for such a large capacity battery.

50W AirVOOC wireless charging promises 50% charge in that same time frame, and OnePlus isn’t gate-keeping fast charging improvements behind its own power solutions, with improved support for PD charging too, now up to 36W.

If you’re worried about degradation, even with faster charging than its predecessor, OnePlus also says it will retain 80% of its original charge after four years of use, and that the battery has been tested to function in temperatures as low as -20°C, for added peace of mind.

Check out our rundown of the best battery life phones for alternatives.

Software & AI

• OxygenOS 16 atop Android 16 at launch
• New AI features, including AI Relight and AI PlayLab
• 4 years OS + 6 years security update support

According to OnePlus, OxygenOS 16 – which the OnePlus 15 runs out of the box – is one of the biggest upgrades to the company’s mobile user experience in years.

Visually, while everything looks familiar to OxygenOS 15, there are a number of visual tweaks and layout changes which elevate OnePlus’ already polished user experience.

New Illuminance Animations (read: fancier UI animations) are apparent when swiping around; there are some decidedly Liquid Glass-inspired elements (such as the lock screen PIN entry), and the experimental new Predictive Back Gesture does a better job of telegraphing where you’ll end up when you swipe back out of a particular screen than standard Android.

Flux Themes, which were introduced with OxygenOS 15, appear here in their new 2.0 incarnation, which offers more customisation and better effects on your lock screen (with motion wallpapers and depth-aware UI elements, like the clock).

The Plus Mind-powered Mind Space – introduced earlier in 2025 – acts as a store for screenshots and voice memos, which OnePlus’ AI processing can then summarise, extract key information from, and even proactively suggest things like calendar entries, based on things like an event poster you might have just captured.

The main upgrade with OxygenOS 16 is Google Gemini integration, meaning you can now ask Google’s assistant to interpret and reference data stored within Mind Space, all with your voice.

It’s a nice upgrade to a burgeoning part of OnePlus’ AI feature set, and while I’m waiting for a way to easily transfer content saved within Mind Space to at least other OnePlus devices before embracing the feature wholeheartedly, it has the potential to be a real boon when it comes to planning and productivity.

I already think OnePlus’ approach to AI-powered tools on mobile is one of the most mindful and genuinely helpful out there. Tools surface dynamically relative to what you’re doing on-screen, and the focus on assistive features only continues to grow.

As well as summarising notes and rewording copy, AI Writer can now generate charts and even mind maps based on input data. The AI Scan app can detect presentation slides via the camera (even when viewed off-angle) and arrange them in a PDF, while AI PlayLab is a new dedicated app that lets users trial some of the company’s more experimental AI features.

Similar to the Pixel 10 Pro series (in the US at least), PlayLab’s PhotoSpell proved great at turning my semantic instructions into edits on a chosen image, while YumSee adds Google Lens-like translation and currency conversion for foreign language restaurant menus (genuinely handy, especially if you travel a lot).

PartyUp is the most unusual of PlayLab’s features, essentially letting you create live photos and videos from stills, animating people in-frame to suddenly cheer or wave.

The already-impressive AI toolset within OxygenOS’ native Photos app gains a feature called AI Portrait Glow, which adds adjustable virtual lighting to portrait shots, so you can reimagine an image, with varying degrees of believability, in testing.

Baked-in video editing controls are also now part of the equation, furthering the OnePlus 15’s potential as a creative tool, letting you add text, music, trim clips and more.

The company’s ongoing promise of four years of OS updates and six years of security updates still lags behind the likes of Apple, Google and Samsung (who all offer 6 to 7 years of both), but should be long enough for most users, and feels fair for the price.

Price & Availability

The OnePlus 15 forgoes a pre-order period and goes on sale immediately in the likes of the UK and Europe from 13 November onward.

While the 15 is on its way to the US market too – and has already undergone FCC testing – current political factors have placed a pause on setting an official release date for the time being, but we do, at least, have pricing.

Most markets outside of China can pick the OnePlus 15 up in one of two configurations: 12GB RAM + 256GB of storage, or 16GB RAM + 512GB (with that higher capacity model also boasting faster memory). The base model clocks in at £849 / €949 / $899.99, while the top-tier variant costs £979 / €1099 / $999.99 (making it fractionally cheaper than its predecessor in the UK).

To sweeten the deal, at least in the UK and Europe, OnePlus is also offering a £100 / €100 discount on the higher-capacity 512GB OnePlus 15 for the first month on sale (until 12 December), so those of you flirting with OnePlus’ fastest phone yet could nab themselves an early deal.

Depending on the market, some colourways may come tied to certain storage configurations, with the Ultra Violet finish being exclusive to the OnePlus US site and Amazon.com (with the other finishes also available in-store and online at Best Buy).

If you’re looking to totally change your phone setup, you could also pair it with a new SIM-only deal.

Should you buy the OnePlus 15?

There seemed to be some concern amongst the OnePlus die-hards in the run-up to launch about the smaller camera sensors and haptic motor, a loss of identity within OxygenOS, and inferior hardware compared to sister brand Oppo’s Find X9 Pro, but the reality is a broadly predictable but welcome new entry to the flagship phone space.

International OnePlus 13 owners might feel a little jilted with the sub-year release turnaround, but while the data highlights the OnePlus 15’s advantages over its predecessor, it’s not a clean sweep (think better bass from the loudspeakers, retention of the physical alert slider, a larger display etc.).

If it’s power you want, this is the phone for you. The OnePlus 15 was, quite literally, designed in a lab to deliver the fastest performance of any OnePlus phone ever, and likely the best performance of any phone on the market right now. From the 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, new vapour chamber tech, to that rapid Ultra+ RAM and the display’s new 165Hz peak, speed is at the heart of the OnePlus 15.

OxygenOS 16 continues to draw a lot of inspiration from iOS, but nothing feels tacked on. The implementation of new features – especially AI-backed tools – is considered and genuinely helpful, while the look and feel has become even more premium.

As I said before, despite the hardware change, the photographic experience on the OnePlus 15 isn’t outright better or worse than its predecessor; it’s just different, although new shooting and editing options do render it a more powerful creative tool, and I’m a fan of the look of shots coming out of the phone’s new DetailMax Engine.

For most, this is a no-holds-barred all-rounder in the current flagship space that’ll likely impress anyone, but especially gamers. If you have concerns over its camera prowess, Oppo’s latest Find X9 Pro delivers an otherwise similar user experience, with beefier optics.

The usual suspects from Apple, Google and Samsung are all there too, but what they offer in more robust product support, their latest phones come with compromises in one area or another that might be too big to ignore. That’s especially true for battery longevity and charging performance, where OnePlus remains among the best in the business.

Specs

• OxygenOS 16 atop Android 16
• 6.78-inch, 19.8:9, 1272 x 2772, LTPO OLED, 1-120Hz w/ 165Hz boost
• Ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset
• 12GB (LPDDR5X Ultra) or 16GB RAM (LPDDR5X Ultra+)
• 256GB or 512GB (UFS 4.1)
• Cameras:
  • 50Mp 1/1.56-inch ƒ/1.8 Sony IMX906 main sensor w/ OIS
  • 50Mp 1/2.88-inch ƒ/2.0 OmniVision OV50D 116º ultra-wide
  • 50Mp 1/2.75-inch ƒ/2.8 Samsung ISOCELL JN5 3.5x telephoto w/ OIS
  • 32Mp 1/2.74-inch ƒ/2.4 Sony IMX709 selfie camera
• Up to Dolby Vision 4K @ 120fps video recording
• Stereo speakers
• Dual-SIM
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6/7
• Bluetooth 6.0
• 7300mAh battery
• 120W SuperVOOC wired charging
• 50W AirVOOC wireless charging
• Magnetic accessory ecosystem
• 161.4 x 76.7 x 81mm (Sand Storm) | 82mm (Ultra Violet / Infinity Black)
• IP66 / IP68 / IP69 / IP69K certified
• 211g (Sand Storm), 215g (Ultra Violet / Infinity Black)
• Colours: Sand Storm, Ultra Violet, Infinity Black

Best Prices Today: OnePlus 15