OnePlus 15 smartphone overview – They hold churning out the hits!

REVIEW – When somebody asks me what model of Android cellphone I like to recommend, I say OnePlus instantly, with no hesitation. I really feel like they provide you extra worth on your greenback, and I take pleasure in their design philosophy greater than Samsung’s. The latest OnePlus flagship has simply been revealed, and I’m right here to let you know all about it. Let’s check out the brand new OnePlus 15.

⬇︎ Leap to abstract (professionals/cons)
Worth: $899.99 – $999.99
The place to purchase: OnePlus

What’s it?

The OnePlus 15 is the newest flagship Android smartphone from OnePlus.

What’s included?

• OnePlus 15 smartphone
• 80W SUPERVOOC Energy adapter
• Kind-A to Kind-C charging cable
• Fast Begin Information
• Security Data and Guarantee Card
• Display screen Protector (pre-applied)
• SIM Tray Ejector
• USB Dongle (Kind-A to Kind-C)

Try my unboxing video:

Tech Specs

Design and options

You’re in all probability questioning what’s going on with the mannequin numbers and why OnePlus skipped from the 13 to the 15. The reason being that the quantity fourteen is unfortunate in Chinese language as a result of when it’s pronounced, it sounds just like the phrase demise. Yikes, I don’t blame them for skipping it. Thriller solved!

The brand new OnePlus 15 is accessible in 3 colorways. There’s Infinite Black, Extremely Violet (restricted inventory), and Sand Storm, which is the model that I obtained. The Sand Storm shade provides this cellphone a slight navy vibe.

The again cowl of the Sand Storm model of the cellphone and the digicam module are each product of fiberglass, whereas the body (sides) is product of MAO (Micro-Arc Oxidation)- handled steel. In keeping with OnePlus…

This eco-friendly, plasma-based electrochemical course of—derived from aerospace engineering—creates a ceramic-grade coating on the steel floor. The result’s a mid-frame that’s 3.4 occasions tougher than an aluminum mid-frame and 1.3 occasions as powerful as a titanium mid-frame, offering distinctive safety towards each day put on and tear.

Not like conventional anodizing processes that require acidic chemical compounds, MAO is extra environmentally pleasant, aligning with OnePlus’s dedication to sustainable innovation. This fusion of utmost sturdiness, a uniquely clean and cool-to-the-touch really feel, and cleaner manufacturing makes OnePlus 15’s development a testomony to considerate, forward-thinking engineering.

The brand new look is an apparent change from the OnePlus 13 and OnePlus 12, which each featured spherical digicam modules. It’s been changed by a vaguely acquainted sq. digicam module (a minimum of for iPhone individuals). I kinda miss the spherical module… However the brand new type is nowhere close to a deal breaker.

The highest fringe of the cellphone has audio system, a microphone, and a built-in IR blaster that you should utilize with the included app to regulate TVs, lights, and extra.

On the other finish, you’ll discover the SIM card tray, a USB-C port, extra speaker slots, and one other microphone.

The proper rail/facet has a one-piece quantity rocker button on the high and the ability button beneath it. Each buttons have glorious tactile suggestions.

The left facet options the brand new Plus Key, a programmable button that allows you to carry out actions comparable to saving to the Thoughts House app, controlling sound and vibration, enabling don’t disturb, launching the digicam, turning on the flashlight, recording audio, translating speech, and taking screenshots. However in contrast to the Motion Button on iPhones, there doesn’t look like a method to configure it to launch a selected app, which is a little bit of a letdown.

In hand, the OnePlus 15 is light-weight (noticeably lighter than my iPhone 16 Professional Max) but a strong cellphone. After I carry out my patented Gadgeteer Squeeze check™, it doesn’t creak, crack, or rattle.

Show

The OnePlus 15’s show may be very good. It’s splendidly flat, in contrast to the earlier OnePlus 13’s show, which had rounded edges. After I evaluate it to my iPhone 16 Professional Max, there isn’t a lot distinction at max brightness. I’ve zero complaints concerning the brightness, crispness, and vividness of the OnePlus 15’s show.

It’s additionally quick and responsive when tapping and scrolling by means of lengthy pages of textual content.

Players (I’m not one) will probably be joyful to listen to that the OnePlus 13’s show can attain 165Hz for video games like Name of Obligation: Cell, Brawl Stars, and Conflict of Clans that help native 165fps. With the brand new 360° Cryo-Velocity Cooling System, which integrates a 5,731 mm2 3D vapor chamber for core warmth dissipation, an aerospace-derived aerogel insulation layer that minimizes floor warmth switch, and a white graphite again cowl for uniform thermal distribution, the cellphone will keep cooler throughout lengthy gaming classes.

And like earlier telephones that I’ve reviewed from OnePlus, the 15 comes with a pre-installed display screen protector, which I want was commonplace throughout all cellphone manufacturers. I’m nonetheless kicking myself for not putting in a display screen protector on my iPhone 16 Professional Max the minute I unboxed it as a result of it appeared to get a scratch immediately 🙁

Digital camera

OnePlus determined to not proceed working with Hasselblad for its digicam module for the 15, however after taking many photographs with this new cellphone, I’m not unhappy. I’ve been utilizing the OnePlus 13 for fairly a little bit of my product pictures in my critiques and since switching to the 15, I’m not noticing a lot of a distinction within the high quality. I’m nonetheless joyful and really feel that the OnePlus 15 is a strong shooter in most environments, besides possibly night time pics, the place it might use a little bit of enchancment.

OnePlus 15 picture samples

Click on the pictures beneath to see the full-sized model (these are straight out of the cellphone with no edits).

Person interface and apps

OnePlus makes use of OxygenOS as its working system for its telephones. It’s inventory Android with an additional layer of options, much like Samsung’s One UI. The OnePlus 15 runs Android 16/OxygenOS, so it has the newest and best options.

With regards to bloatware, OnePlus doesn’t fill their telephones with a bunch of pointless apps as another cellphone makers are inclined to do, in order that’s an enormous plus, for my part.

Since I’m primarily an iPhone consumer, I like utilizing a few of the cool options OnePlus presents, like Sensible Sidebar and cut up display screen. After I return to the iPhone, I miss these two options a lot.

The Sensible Sidebar is a small slide-out launcher window that you could customise together with your most used apps. Utilizing the sidebar makes it simpler to make use of the Open Canvas characteristic, which lets you cut up the display screen to run two apps on the similar time. I actually want the iPhone had this characteristic! I do know it’s not as helpful as a folding cellphone just like the OnePlus Open, however it may be fairly helpful.

A characteristic price noting is the Share with iPhone characteristic. Share with iPhone is an AirPlay-like characteristic that means that you can wirelessly share recordsdata with an iPhone by touching the highest edges of the telephones collectively. Nevertheless, you should set up an app on the iPhone for this characteristic to work. The primary time you faucet the 2 telephones collectively, a notification seems on the iPhone that prompts you to obtain and set up the O+ Join app. Then, the OnePlus cellphone creates a hotspot for the iPhone to connect with earlier than receiving the recordsdata.

There’s additionally an O+ Join app on your desktop (Home windows and Mac) that allows you to simply copy recordsdata forwards and backwards between the cellphone and the pc. That is nice for individuals who have a Mac as a result of you possibly can’t use AirDrop to repeat pics to your pc like you possibly can with an iPhone to a Mac. It’s a must to soar by means of hoops with particular apps while you’re coping with Android and Macs. The O+ Join desktop app makes it a lot simpler.

OnePlus additionally has an iPhone dynamic island copycat characteristic known as Reside Alert Capsules. These capsules seem relying on the app you’re utilizing. I’ve seen them when taking part in YouTube movies and music.

I additionally observed that the management panel on the OnePlus appears nearly an identical to the iPhone’s management panel.

Face unlock and fingerprint unlock

In my OnePlus 12 overview, I talked about how joyful I used to be that the cellphone let me unlock it with my face (like Face ID on the iPhone), even in whole darkness. However I used to be tremendous aggravated that the identical couldn’t be stated for the OnePlus 13 and now the OnePlus 15 is lacking that characteristic too 🙁 Meaning once I’m checking my cellphone in the course of the night time or below the covers early within the morning, I’ve to make use of a numeric code to unlock the cellphone.

Why don’t I exploit my fingerprint to unlock the cellphone? Effectively, that’s a characteristic that nearly NEVER works for me on any cellphone. One in every of my mates all the time says that I’m an alien… however I believe it’s as a result of I’ve dry fingertips. I efficiently registered a fingerprint throughout setup, however since then, unlocking with my finger has labored about 1 time in 10. Face unlock works nice so long as it’s not in whole darkness. <sniff>

Total efficiency and battery life

I don’t like placing a bunch of efficiency graphs in my critiques as a result of I don’t suppose graphs and specs precisely mirror what it appears like to really use a cellphone. That stated, I’ve no complaints concerning the OnePlus 15’s efficiency. All my favourite apps launched rapidly, and scrolling by means of webpages and apps felt clean and zippy. I’m not a gamer, so I didn’t check this cellphone with any video games. It doesn’t matter what apps I attempted, I couldn’t discover a method to decelerate this cellphone.

Now, let’s discuss battery life.  The OnePlus 15 has freaking crazy-good battery life because of its 7300 mAh battery. I had zero issues getting by means of greater than a full day utilizing the OnePlus 15 for all of my regular duties (e mail, studying ebooks, watching YouTube movies, Marco Polo video chat classes with relations, texting, a couple of calls, Instagram scrolling, snapping photos, quick movies, and many others. On days once I didn’t do a lot with the cellphone, I might simply get by means of two days on one cost!

And when the battery must be topped up, this cellphone fees loopy quick utilizing a cable and the included 80W SUPERVOOC charger. Plugging it in for a couple of minutes offers hours of use, which is unbelievable! When you choose wi-fi charging, it tops up rapidly that manner too. Higher nonetheless, the OnePlus instances even present MagSafe magnets, so you should utilize the cellphone with MagSafe chargers and equipment.

Players will probably be joyful concerning the Bypass Charging options which permits the cellphone to be powered instantly from the outlet whereas gaming. This bypasses the battery to reduce warmth technology to make sure constant efficiency throughout marathon gaming classes. It additionally helps protect long-term battery well being. Even when you’re not a gamer, OnePlus engineered the battery to keep up over 80% of its well being after 4 years of use.

Making and receiving calls with the OnePlus 15

Making and receiving calls is unquestionably my least-used perform on any smartphone lately, however I examined this characteristic and had no points with both facet of the calls that I positioned or answered. Quantity ranges and readability on each side of the decision had been fantastic.

OS and safety replace promise

OnePlus retains the identical promise that they made with the earlier cellphone mannequin. The OnePlus 15 can have 4 years of OS updates and 6 years of safety updates.

Last ideas

The OnePlus 15 is an impressive flagship that delivers on each entrance: a flat, vibrant show, a refined digicam system, and really wonderful battery life. I completely love every little thing about it. The efficiency is snappy, the software program is clear, and the considerate extras like Sensible Sidebar and Open Canvas make each day use a pleasure. When you’re coming from a OnePlus 12 or older, the improve is a no brainer. Get one now! 😉 Nevertheless, when you’re already rocking a OnePlus 13 that’s nonetheless in nice form, the real-world expertise between the 2 is remarkably related. The OnePlus 15’s contemporary look, flat show, and even higher battery are welcome enhancements, however they don’t drastically change how the cellphone feels in your hand or the way it performs each day. For many, the OnePlus 15 is a unbelievable selection, however for present OnePlus 13 homeowners, the improve is extra about aesthetics and longer battery life than a revolutionary leap in options.

What I like concerning the OnePlus 15

• Flat show
• Good digicam
• Wonderful battery life
• Snappy efficiency
• Additional little options like Sensible Sidebar, Open Canvas, and Gestures

What must be improved?

• Repair face unlock in order that it really works in whole darkness, prefer it did on the OnePlus 12

Worth: $899.99 – $999.99
The place to purchase: OnePlus
Supply: The pattern of this product was offered at no cost by OnePlus. OnePlus didn’t have a ultimate say on the overview and didn’t preview the overview earlier than it was printed.

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