The OnePlus 15 has arrived within the US as an $899 flagship cellphone with a brand new design, new digicam system, the most recent in Qualcomm chipsets, and an enormous battery. this cellphone from a distance, it sells itself as a tool that is likely to be good for nearly everybody. Nevertheless, as soon as you’re taking a more in-depth look, the OnePlus 15 is like every other cellphone – it has some large strengths and in addition some areas that may make you pause.
We’ve been testing the OnePlus 15 for a number of weeks now, placing it by means of our each day routine and doing the whole lot in our energy to attempt to run down this insane battery. We failed there, however we did have some enjoyable and still have lots to share.
OnePlus despatched us the Infinite Black coloration with 16GB RAM and 512GB storage. That is the highest tier mannequin that jumps the value to $999. That is our OnePlus 15 assessment.
What do it is advisable know concerning the OnePlus 15?
Battery life is pure madness in a great way. For those who want nothing else from a cellphone aside from one that can final you for a real 2 days on a single cost, then you possibly can cease studying this assessment now and do no matter it takes to purchase the OnePlus 15. There is no such thing as a cellphone within the US that can final so long as this one will. I promise you that I’m not in any respect exaggerating to make a headline, however am truly astonished at how lengthy this cellphone can final on a cost.
OnePlus is utilizing a stacked battery know-how that takes two 3650mAh cells to provide a mixed capability of 7300mAh. For comparability, the Galaxy S25 Extremely has a big 5000mAh battery and the Pixel 10 Professional XL tops it at 5200mAh. The OnePlus 15 sits at 7300mAh!
Throughout my testing, I simply stopped desirous about battery life, stopped taking screenshots of battery percentages, and usually simply by no means considered what the standing of this cellphone’s battery was after about 3 days of use. It simply didn’t matter. There was no approach I used to be going to kill this cellphone in a single day regardless of how arduous I attempted. The battery is just too large and I can’t discover greater than 5 hours in a day to have the display on.
And after I did hit that 5-hour display on time mark, I used to be nonetheless going to mattress with 40+%. I even went to mattress a number of days with lighter use and had 60% or extra remaining. The dream of a 2-day cellphone has been realized with the OnePlus 15.
Ought to it is advisable cost this cellphone, like different OnePlus telephones, this one prices extremely shortly over wired or wi-fi connections. It comes with an included quick charger within the field that hits 80W wired speeds. You probably have a OnePlus wi-fi charger, you would hit 50W on it. Once more, you received’t have to cost this cellphone typically, however when you do, you’ll be again to 100% in nicely beneath an hour.
Battery life warriors, your cellphone is right here.
This show is simply nice. OnePlus is utilizing a 6.78″ OLED show on the OnePlus 15 that drops the decision barely to 2772×1272, however will increase the height refresh charge to 165Hz. The OnePlus 13 had a real 1440p decision. There’s Gorilla Glass Victus 2 overlaying it, a typical 1-120Hz refresh charge when doing virtually the whole lot exterior of gaming, peak brightness ranges that can blind you, low brightness ranges that’ll meet the darkest second, and viewing angles which can be nearly as good as any show.
This can be a actually good show, which isn’t stunning while you look again at so many OnePlus shows earlier than it. OnePlus is aware of how vital the display expertise is on its telephones and so they’ve delivered one other spectacular panel right here. I simply haven’t any complaints. This show is easy, a pleasure to swipe on, and actually has no flaws. Colours may be punchy, plus you can even dial them again with a “Pure” mode. Actually, what extra may you ask for in a flagship show?
Efficiency cooks, as anticipated. With the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, 16GB of LPDDR5X Extremely+ RAM, 512GB of UFS 4.1 storage, and this quick show, there isn’t something you’ll do to this cellphone that can sluggish it down. OnePlus has optimized the software program to be quick, the {hardware} is all prime tier, and there’s a vapor chamber in case you begin gaming and the cellphone wants to chill itself. Mainly, OnePlus constructed this cellphone to be a gamer’s dream cellphone and so they most likely delivered that.
For me, I’m a typical smartphone consumer that dabbles in Chrome, Instagram, some Pokemon video games, Gmail, and reddit, so I’m not precisely pushing it to its limits. For my use, the cellphone by no means heated up, by no means slowed down, and by no means dropped a body. I didn’t count on it to, simply saying that it dealt with my workload with out breaking a sweat.
Design is a very nice change. Earlier within the 12 months, OnePlus launched a cellphone referred to as the OnePlus 13s that by no means arrived right here, however caught our eye for its up to date design language. OnePlus has wanted to change issues up in design for a number of years now, in order we watched that cellphone come and go with out with the ability to contact it, we quietly held out hope for a design refresh within the OnePlus 15. We bought one!
The OnePlus 15 has a brand new squared-off design, a digicam field that appears quite a bit just like the one on Google’s Pixel Fold line, and a few new colours which can be delicate but contemporary. OnePlus despatched us the Infinite Black (matte black) model, however let’s be trustworthy, the Sand Storm colorway is the one most ought to get. This Infinite Black is good, that Sand coloration is simply so distinctive.
However general, you get an identical boxy really feel such as you’ll discover on the Pixel 10 Professional XL, with mild curves at every edge to make the cellphone comfy to carry. OnePlus additionally moved the digicam field to the middle sufficient, permitting for virtually no wobble when sitting on a desk. Button placement is right, there’s nice steadiness to the cellphone in hand, and the burden hasn’t bothered me at 215g. This isn’t a light-weight cellphone (and shouldn’t be with that huge battery inside), but it surely additionally hasn’t introduced any fatigue.
OnePlus is certainly following present cellphone design traits and that’s OK with me. I really like the look of this cellphone. It meets the second, is the refresh this model wanted, and it feels unbelievable within the hand.
Digital camera is kind of the combined bag. OnePlus’ partnership with Hasselblad has come to an finish, so this OnePlus 15 has given them a contemporary begin in cameras. This cellphone runs their in-house DetailMax digicam tech that comes from OPPO. On this cellphone for {hardware}, OnePlus is utilizing three 50MP sensors to cowl extensive, ultra-wide, and telephoto. On paper, all of them sound like completely acceptable sensors for a flagship-level cellphone. In software program, you get a sturdy digicam app that’s straightforward to make use of, with Professional and evening and portrait modes, HDR controls, and virtually every other digicam setting you possibly can consider. You’ve excessive effectivity picture codecs, QR code scanning, portrait distortion correction, bitrate controls for video, grid strains, and so forth. It’s all right here. The digicam app is superb.
As for digicam outcomes, they’ve been very combined and the present picture processing from OnePlus will not be in a approach that I favor. The digicam system is actually succesful. I believe it has a extremely stable portrait mode, it’s excellent indoors and spectacular in low gentle, and might take a stable panorama picture. Nevertheless, the processing is heavy-handed in each distinction and sharpening, to the purpose that it’s all so excessively dramatic.
Have a look at these first three digicam samples, all of that are indoors in a close-up fashion meals shot. These would possibly look enjoyable on Instagram in 2010 when everybody was over-using filters, however these pictures don’t have filters! These are point-and-shoot, straight out of the pocket, captures. When testing, I run the whole lot because it was delivered to me out of the field and these are the outcomes. Each coloration is exaggerated. Each edge is highlighted to the purpose that the bread on a sandwich seems prefer it’s floating. There’s depth, however a lot in order that the pictures virtually look 3D, which I don’t need. Once more, all of it seems like a filter was utilized, but there wasn’t.
So in these kinds of pictures, this digicam is bizarre and I don’t prefer it. However then the following set of samples I’ve, I believe you would possibly agree that this digicam can do some cool stuff. Have a look at this Halloween evening shot – so good. The zoom on the Timbers match of the goalie is so clear and completely vibrant for that sort of shot. The indoor portrait of my cat is nearly as good as any I’ve taken, even when it did soften a few of his cheek hair. The panorama basketball hoop picture is kind of good as nicely, though the shadows within the rafters have been somewhat too decreased. However I solely know that as a result of the comparability shot I took with the iPhone 17 Professional could be very way more pure with correct shadows.
This digicam is so succesful at instances! After which it’s not. These are most likely issues OnePlus will work on as they get all of this early suggestions from testers. The promise of digicam processing enhancements is a tricky one, although, as you by no means know if it’ll occur or if it’ll actually enhance.
No Qi2 or magnets built-in. I didn’t count on OnePlus to construct Qi2 magnets or the usual into this cellphone, let’s not get that twisted. Nevertheless, I actually want they might strive, though I get that their charging know-how is superior when it comes to velocity to Qi2. Nonetheless, can’t we not less than get some built-in magnets?
I’ve the Pixel 10 collection unfold throughout my desk, an iPhone, and all the magnetic equipment I can get my arms on. The charger subsequent to my mattress is Qi or MagSafe, my pockets is, and I plan so as to add extra as life goes on. However after I began this assessment of the OnePlus 15, I needed to resolve some issues. Do I unplug all of my magnetic chargers and swap to a wired setup or do I slap a magnetic case on the cellphone and proceed that approach? I went with the case, however I don’t like instances – I like to carry cellphone {hardware}, particularly when reviewing it and I simply couldn’t with this cellphone.
Now, I get that this criticism is sort of foolish and received’t be the expertise for a lot of. You’ll purchase it, put a case on it, after which do magnets by means of the case. I simply want OnePlus would catch-up and embody them for these of us who wish to reside life caseless.
Haptics really feel like a downgrade. Once more, right here I’m nitpicking, however going from the OnePlus 13 to the OnePlus 15, I can’t assist however level out that the haptics are simply not nearly as good. Whereas not unhealthy, the haptics within the OnePlus 13 are the very best in any cellphone in historical past. There’s this bump or thock that’s so satisfying as you sort or affirm an motion by gesturing. It was simply one in all my favourite elements of final 12 months’s OnePlus cellphone. For the 15, OnePlus has modified one thing or the texture simply doesn’t come by means of prefer it did. I’ve messed with all the vibration settings on this cellphone too and might’t get it to really feel just like the 13. The one motive I deliver this up is as a result of the 13 was that good and I used to be so trying ahead to that contact expertise once more on this cellphone, but they simply didn’t fairly ship. I’d most likely put the haptics within the class proper under the Pixel 10 Professional, which continues to be good, simply not on the prime.
Notification system is past irritating. OnePlus has made some actually baffling selections round notifications on its telephones. These are unhealthy sufficient that somebody like me, an Android nerd, can’t reside with them for lengthy. I’ll do my greatest to elucidate this example, as a result of this may not have an effect on you in any respect, I simply suppose you need to know the way OnePlus is doing issues. And I have to deliver it up, as a result of Android (once more, to me) is greatest as a notification hub that leads you into apps. OnePlus’ present software program is failing at that.
For one, lock display notifications are borderline damaged. On every other Android cellphone, you begin your session from the lock display, have a look at notifications, after which resolve if it is advisable work together with them earlier than unlocking. However you possibly can virtually all the time begin the following transfer by swiping down on notifications to see fast actions, to answer to somebody, and so forth. In OxygenOS, swiping down on the lock display now simply hides notifications. Like, it simply removes all of them to the underside to….I don’t even know. It’s a bonkers UX determination. If you wish to work together with a notification on the lock display, you must faucet the tiniest little arrow to increase. *Deep sigh and exhale* – Ugh. Ugh, once more.
Making issues worse, in case you do unlock your cellphone as a result of coping with lock display notifications is unattainable, that unlock motion could clear them out of your lock display. In different phrases, in case you are within the behavior of leaving notifications in place with a purpose to take care of them later, however nonetheless need them to be there, OnePlus has determined to clear them for you, not less than from the lock display. Like, whhhhhaaat?
One other challenge I’ve is when you’re actively utilizing your cellphone and a notification pops-up on display as a banner. On virtually every other cellphone, you possibly can swipe down on that to increase the notification with a fast reply field or to learn the remainder of the notification earlier than swiping it again away. Not on OnePlus telephones. OnePlus has determined that swiping down on these banners will open the complete app expertise in a pop-up floating app. It’s so terrible and pointless. And there’s no solution to flip it off! So slightly than you getting a textual content message, doing a fast pull right down to reply, after which again to what you’re doing, OnePlus is forcing the app to completely open as a pop-up that you just then should swipe away one way or the other or faucet a button to shut it.
I’m nonetheless going! Within the notification pulldown, OnePlus will allow you to separate notifications right into a separate panel from Fast Settings, identical to Apple does and that Samsung will now allow you to do as nicely. However if you wish to maintain the previous mixed expertise that’s nonetheless the very best, OnePlus has made the expertise awkward. So in case you have a number of notifications and also you swipe into the notifications space, OnePlus auto-expands the highest notification. You may swipe up on it to increase the notifications to the complete display, however in case you have sufficient notifications that they take up your complete display house, the underside “Clear” or “X” button will get in the best way and stays in the best way! Working round that button, with a purpose to both not clear all notifications or to swipe the correct approach to have the ability to take care of it’s not a straightforward activity.
OnePlus has basically damaged all the acquainted swiping strikes you make with Android notifications and altered them to be worse than you possibly can think about. Samsung has executed some bizarre shit with notifications in current One UI updates, however they’re nonetheless much better than no matter OnePlus is doing. Google nonetheless will get it proper. Even Apple, whose notification system has all the time been the worst on the earth, is best than this in some methods.
Did I simply write 600+ phrases on OnePlus’ damaged notification system? Sure. Android telephones are hubs for notifications and if an organization breaks the fundamentals there, a cellphone can immediately develop into a nuisance in your life. OnePlus must revisit these selections and return to the fundamentals.
Software program is usually fairly good. All of that apart, the remainder of the software program expertise is usually good. You’ve OxygenOS 16 on prime of Android 16 and is a pores and skin that could be a pleasure to take a look at. Settings are acquainted and sturdy, there’s a fast search shortcut from the house display that I take advantage of continually, Fast Settings have the brand new fashion of expanded controls for issues like brightness and quantity, and there’s a ton to customise.
As we watch Google slowly trickle out extra customization instruments to the Pixel line, OnePlus has had all of them already. You may change icon styles and sizes, transition animations, completely different swipe gestures on house screens, and the animation for the fingerprint unlock. You may tweak colours and clocks and quite a few vibration settings. You may schedule cellphone reboots, alter the darkish theme, and create clones of apps.
General, I nonetheless suppose OxygenOS is an effective Android pores and skin, I simply want OnePlus to repair its notification points.
Software program replace promise is borderline low. On a associated observe, OnePlus is committing to 4 years of OS updates for the OnePlus 15, in addition to 6 years of safety updates. Google and Samsung are each doing 7 years of every, so this degree of help is a step under. I’m nonetheless unsure how many individuals are ever going to maintain their telephones for 7 years to see the updates that Google and Samsung are promising, however ought to they resolve to, OnePlus will not be an possibility.
I suppose there may be AI right here. OnePlus has baked in AI options, however I couldn’t inform you about a lot of it. I take advantage of the AI Search on some degree, as a result of I continually search this cellphone. The opposite stuff consists of an AI Author, translate, after which some recording instruments. Oh, there’s a Thoughts House factor that could be a lot like Nothing’s Essential Space, solely much less useful and with much less options. This isn’t an AI-forward cellphone like Google’s Pixel line and that’s tremendous. I’m not criticizing OnePlus for having a lackluster AI presence, as a result of I truly suppose most AI is shit, I’m simply mentioning that you just purchase a OnePlus 15 for therefore many different issues.
Who should purchase the OnePlus 15?
That actually is the query to be answered as a result of this isn’t the cellphone for everybody, not less than I don’t suppose it’s. It’s for heavy cell players. It’s for many who want (or need) true 2-day battery life. It’s for many who admire fashionable smartphone design and who need software program filled with so many options that you just’ll frequently uncover new capabilities. It’s not going to be for photographers or those that take as many photos as they presumably can. The digicam system simply doesn’t ship at this level. It’s undoubtedly not for many who begin their smartphone classes from the lock display. It’s additionally not for many who plan to maintain their cellphone for greater than 4 years.
The OnePlus 15 ought to go up on the market quickly within the US and you should purchase it for as little as $899.
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