OnePlus seems to be at a turning point with the OnePlus 15. The company has really found its true hardware chops since around the OnePlus 12 forward. With last year’s OnePlus 13, they also seemed to have rediscovered the software personality that we all loved from the OEM’s early days.
We now have the OnePlus 15 and that hardware and software have both evolved again. As we go through this full review, you’ll see the company still has pops of heritage, but many aspects of the physical and coded design are heavily influenced by a certain non-Android phone maker. While that may sound jarring, let’s dive into the details to see just how much of a negative all this ended up being.
Editorial note from OnePlus pertaining to the availbility in the United States: As is the case with every smartphone manufacturer, the United States’ Federal Communications Commission certifies OnePlus devices before they are sold in the U.S. As a result of the government shutdown, device certifications have been delayed. Subsequently, U.S. sales for the OnePlus 15 will be postponed until they have been secured.
The OnePlus 15 has already finished all the required tests from the FCC’s recognized labs and the certification application has been formally submitted. We are hopeful that approvals can be generated quickly and as a result, we can bring the OnePlus 15 to our customers in the U.S. expeditiously.
People who are interested in purchasing the OnePlus 15 in the U.S. should visit OnePlus.com/us, enter their contact information, and they will be notified when the device is on sale. The OnePlus 15 will be available for purchase in Canada starting November 13, as scheduled, at OnePlus.com/ca_en. — Spenser Blank, Head of Marketing & Communications, OnePlus North America
Design and Specs
As mentioned, the kinda chunky, but comfortable, foundations we’ve had since the OnePlus 11 is now gone. Immediately after removing the OnePlus 15 from the box, I missed both this “in-hand feel” and the almost trademarked round camera module. Instead, we have an industrial design that can very easily, and has been, mistaken for an iPhone 16 Pro Max.
You now have a very square, aluminum chassis with hard edges and angles. Even the new camera array is a similar square housing with the sensors inside the bump. What isn’t disappointing is the fit and finish. OnePlus 15 really found its stride here from a materials and engineering aspect. This phone feels premium and sturdy all around.
I wanted to hate this new design, but I’ve grown to really like it. It’s allowed the screen size to stay roughly the same 6.8” of the previous OnePlus, while making it much smaller of a phone footprint. I can almost use the OnePlus 15 one-handed, much like I do the much smaller Pixel 9 Pro.
Another big change is the notification slider that has been synonymous with the OnePlus brand since its inception. It saw another brief omission back on the OnePlus 10T and was promptly brought back with the 11 series. This replacement feels more permanent for future devices being swapped for the Plus Key. I’ll dive more into this in the software side, but it’s essentially a customizable shortcut key for various core features.
Internally, the OnePlus 15 moves the needle following the company’s usual bang for buck philosophy. This is showcased by using a triple-chip architecture to make sure all your processes run as smooth as possible. You have the first phone with the Snapdragon Elite Gen 5 mobile processor. This onboard chip sets a new standard for power and efficiency for Android phones. It increases performance by 20% while staying 35% more efficient.
The phone rounds out this powerful new SoC with dedicated chips for both touch response and Wi-Fi. These are pretty self explanatory giving each function its own chip to not bog down the Snapdragon any more than needed for ongoing tasks like internet connection and screen touches.
Display
The OnePlus 15 screen panel is one of the best I’ve ever held. This industry-first 1.5k display is capable of 165Hz when needed and has fantastic sharpness and viewing angles. At just under 6.8-inches, this new tech makes the screen perfect for anyone needing a mobile gaming device. This makes the visuals capable of full 165 frames per second to make sure you don’t miss a single second of playtime.
This is assisted by the touch response chip as well. Most other flagships can only muster 1440Hz of touch sampling rates, but the new engine in the OnePlus15 allows for up to 3200Hz. The turbocharged responsiveness gives this phone a true competitive edge in UI transitions and especially to mobile gamers.
Last, we need to just talk about how much real estate the screen encompasses. The new OnePlus 15 design allows for almost full screen to screen coverage of the front of the phone. It creates and immersive interaction that makes using this phone day to day a real treat.
With a 165Hz display, 7300mAh battery, and triple-chip engine, the OnePlus 15 blends power, speed, and endurance into a phone that’s built to handle everything your day, and games, can throw at it, even as it borrows a few cues from Apple’s design and software style.
Cameras
Another big departure from the last few generations of OnePlus flagships, is the lack of Hasselblad partnership for photo processing. The OnePlus 15 is the first device to use the DetailMax Engine, in favor of Hasselblad. I had my reservations with this move, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised in the resulting photo quality of this phone.
I’ve taken photos in more varied environments than I normally would for a phone review, and the OnePlus has nailed it. It’s so good, I think I’ve grown to liking these photos more than my coveted Pixel 9 Pro. The images are sharper, the zoom is slightly better, and the overall results are just very good.
I’ve dropped my full gallery below to check them out, but from stadiums at noon to night shots in a hazy bar, the results have been flagship worthy. Kudos to the OnePlus and DetailMax Engine teams for pulling this switch off without a consumer downgrade.
Software
The OnePlus 15 is the company’s first release running Android 16 with OxygenOS 16. This is something I’ve grown to have a love hate relationship with during my testing. Let’s start with, none of my opinions in this department are signs of bad performance or lack of design. I simply have reservations about some of the obvious impersonation going on from the latest offerings from iOS. On full software support, the OnePlus 15 will be supported for 4 years of OS updates starting with OxygenOS 16 out of the box, and 6 years of security updates.
It’s hard to ignore that OxygenOS 16 is borrowing heavily from Apple’s new Liquid Glass design language. I’d honestly say that OnePlus has done a better job in making it feel consistent, but it’s still there and in your face. Personally, I find it jarring coming from other Android phones that the company has made so many tweaks to just general OS elements just to make it favor Apple’s OS instead.
The app tray, home screen, and quick settings menu are all mimicking that UI more than a more “stock” Android on the OnePlus. OxygenOS started leaning this way with the version 15 update earlier this year, but I felt it kept more personality and vibes from previous OnePlus software.
All that said, OxygenOS 16 has grown on me and is blazing fast on the OnePlus 15. Windows snap in and out of view. Transitions are buttery smooth, even when the phone is taxed with numerous apps or games. I’ve found I like the way the universal search implements the AI first, and then goes to the web if needed. Many parts of the operating system refresh makes a ton of sense and are a joy to use, despite my personal preference of Android builds closer to AOSP stock.
Speaking of AI, that new Plus Key defaults to the new Mind Space app. This allows users to click the Plus Key and save the contents of the “screenshot” into the Mind Space application for further analysis and searching. You can even interact with the snapshots via AI prompts for questions surrounding the content.
My initial reaction was this was a gimmick, but I found it worked well into my workflow as a hybrid of Pixel’s Screenshot tool and Pocket save for later type apps. I can easily stage website snippets into Mind Space for later research. Interacting thru prompts with Gemini for screenshots have been a very useful implementation of how AI can work in my usage.
AI is also present in many other forms. You can use it to help rewrite texts and emails. Additional elements are AI translations, AI Voice Transcripts from text messages or text based files, and AI Voice Recorder that takes down your live conversations.
Lastly, we have to talk about the other feature that grows the weird infatuation with Apple in this release cycle. OnePlus has an existing app called O+Connect that has always allowed you to share files with iOS users, but this year it expands to file transfers, notification sync, and screen mirroring to Macs. The even more shocking is it support based functionality with Apple Watches and allows them to sync to the wearable app O+Health much like the OnePlus Watch 3.
Battery Life
Let’s start this with the internal specs and move to the real world results. OnePlus has moved in from traditional lithium-ion battery packs and replaced them with new silicon, carbon-based cells. This creates a more efficient and easier to cool pack for your power banks.
The OnePlus 15 pairs this with a massive, 7300 mAh sized battery. As you might have guessed, this makes for a hard to kill battery experience. I’ve been averaging 2 days of heavier usage and up to 3 days of lighter screen on times. That’s insane!
I logged lighter use as anything under four hours of screen on time, and heavy use as over four hours. Battery life is very subjective to things like heat and cell signal strength, but I have no doubts in saying this is the best Android phone available for battery life in 2025. You should get more than a full day when needed, unless you’re some kind of maniac mobile gamer.
When you do need to charge, in typical OnePlus fashion, it won’t take long. And, they still include the fantastic 80Watt SUPERVOOC cable and charging adapter in the box! It takes less than a shower to get this thing from 20% to full power again.
It even supports the crazy fast 50Watt AIRVOOC wireless charger from last year’s launch. You’ll need one of the optional magnetic cases from OnePlus, but having this on the 15’s spec sheet just rounds out how well this device performs.
Final Thoughts
Pinnacle Selection represents our highest honor, one reserved for products that stand out in design, performance, and overall value.
Products earning this distinction exemplify excellence across the board, delivering an experience that truly rises above the rest.
When you see the badge, you’re looking at the best of what’s available in its category.
The OnePlus 15 is the best phone the company has ever produced. I don’t think that’s up for debate. The slim, metal design brings it truly into the premium smartphone category. Combining that fit and finish with the Triple Core engine, 7300mAh battery, and 165hz screen, and you have a phone that should be capable of laptop level performance for most people.
The only elephant in the room is the new design language and many hours of engineering that were focused on obvious copying of Apple. And interconnectivity with them as well. It’s not a dealbreaker by any means. There’s a ton of features that make this the best Android phone of 2025 on paper, but many will take these interesting choices made by the OnePlus team to heart.
If you are one of the people that have to have this powerhouse of an Android phone, you can snag the OnePlus 15 now from the company’s website. Full pricing and deals are below.
The handset pricing for the OnePlus 15 differs between the United States and Canada based on storage configuration and currency:
United States Pricing (USD)
- 12G+256GB Variant: The price is $899.99 USD. This configuration is exclusively available in the Infinite Black color.
- 16G+512GB Variant: The price is $999.99 USD. This variant will be offered across all colorways.
- General Note: Pricing in the United States is subject to change due to current market conditions.
Canadian Pricing (CAD)
- 12G+256GB Variant: The price is CA $1,299.99. This configuration is only available in the Infinite Black color.
- 16G+512GB Variant: The price is CA $1,399.99. This variant will be offered across all colorways.
Offer details:
- Pick 1 FREE gift: (Limited stock; first come, first serve)
- OnePlus Watch 3 43mm worth CA$399.99, for 512GB variant only.
- OnePlus Buds Pro 3 worth CA$269.99
- OnePlus AIRVOOC 50W Magnetic Charger worth CA$109.99
- OnePlus 15 Phone Case
- Trade-in offer:
- Save up to CA$1249 with eligible trade-ins.
- Guaranteed CA$150 instant credit when you Trade-in ANY phone, in ANY Condition
- Guaranteed CA$150 Cash Back bonus when you buy with trade-in
- Student Discounts:
- 5% off for students only
- Bundle offer:
- Up to 30% off on phone accessories
Accessory Pricing
Accessory pricing is standardized across the US and Canada but listed in the respective currencies:
- The OnePlus 15 Sandstone Magnetic Case is priced at $24.99 USD / $44.99 CAD.
- The OnePlus 15 Hole-Pattern Magnetic Case is priced identically to the Sandstone case at $24.99 USD / $44.99 CAD.
- The premium OnePlus 15 Aramid Fiber Magnetic Case is priced at $39.99 USD / $59.99 CAD.
