OnePlus 15 Review: This is Not Normal!

Summary

The OnePlus 15 packs impressive performance upgrades with the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chip, faster RAM, a durable matte finish, and a massive 7,300 mAh battery, all while maintaining a sleek design. It boasts standout features like a custom Wi-Fi chip, touch response improvements, and fast charging. However, its camera performance disappoints with smaller sensors and lower-quality photos compared to its competitors. Despite this, the phone remains fast, smooth, and affordable, making it an appealing choice for performance enthusiasts, though its camera shortcomings are a major drawback.

Takeaways

• 😀 The OnePlus 15 packs a lot of 'extra stuff,' including new chipsets, better storage, and improved design, making it a huge upgrade over its predecessor.
• 😀 The phone includes the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, offering 20-40% more performance than the previous generation.
• 😀 OnePlus 15 features up to 16GB of ultra-fast LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.1 storage, making it one of the most powerful phones in terms of memory and speed.
• 😀 The design of the OnePlus 15 is simpler and more squared-off, with a matte finish on both the back and sides, reducing fingerprints and scratches.
• 😀 The phone has a durable ceramic coating thanks to microarc oxidation, making it resistant to scratches and damage from everyday use.
• 😀 The OnePlus 15 is rated IP69K for dust and water resistance, allowing it to withstand high-pressure water jets and be submerged for long periods.
• 😀 The phone boasts an impressive 7,300mAh silicon-carbon battery, delivering up to 8 hours of screen-on time and excellent battery longevity.
• 😀 It features fast charging at 80 watts in the U.S. (100 watts in other regions) and 50W wireless charging, which is notably faster than most competitors.
• 😀 OnePlus 15 includes two custom chips for improved Wi-Fi and touch response, with the latter enabling an extraordinary 3,200Hz touch sampling rate for smoother gaming.
• 😀 The OnePlus 15 display offers a variable refresh rate of up to 165Hz for gaming, though it mostly runs at 120Hz during regular use. However, it sacrifices some resolution, dropping from 1440p to 1272p.

Q & A

What is the biggest improvement in the OnePlus 15 compared to its predecessor?

The OnePlus 15 introduces significant improvements, including a new Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chip, faster UFS 4.1 storage, 12GB or 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM, and a redesigned matte finish that resists fingerprints. Additionally, it boasts a massive 7,300mAh battery and fast charging capabilities, along with custom Wi-Fi and touch response chips.

What is unique about the matte black finish of the OnePlus 15?

The matte black finish on the OnePlus 15 is impressive because it resists fingerprints better than typical matte finishes and is more durable. Thanks to a ceramic coating, the phone's surface doesn't show smudges, and the scratches that do appear can be wiped off easily. The coating prevents damage, as it’s harder than most materials other than diamond.

How does the OnePlus 15’s battery compare to other flagship phones?

The OnePlus 15 features a 7,300mAh silicon-carbon battery, which is significantly larger than most flagship phones, including the Galaxy S25 Ultra. This large battery allows for 7 to 8 hours of screen time on a single charge, and aggressive background task management ensures it lasts throughout the day with ease. Fast charging is also included, with 80W charging in the U.S. and 100W in other countries.

What advancements does the OnePlus 15 bring in terms of water and dust resistance?

The OnePlus 15 is certified with multiple high IP ratings: IP66, IP68, IP69, and even IP69K. This means the phone is highly resistant to dust, water, and high-pressure water jets up to 80°C, making it far more durable in extreme conditions compared to typical smartphones.

What is the significance of the custom chips in the OnePlus 15?

The OnePlus 15 features two custom chips—one for Wi-Fi (G2) and one for touch response. The G2 chip occasionally pulls higher speeds than other devices on the same network, while the touch response chip enables an impressive 3200Hz touch sample rate, offering a more responsive and fluid experience, particularly in supported games.

How does the OnePlus 15’s display perform in terms of refresh rate?

The OnePlus 15’s display supports up to 165Hz refresh rate, but this is only fully utilized during gaming. In regular use, the refresh rate varies between 1Hz and 120Hz, depending on the task. The dedicated touch response chip helps deliver smoother interactions during gaming and general use, with an ultra-responsive 3200Hz touch sample rate.

What are the main drawbacks of the OnePlus 15?

While the OnePlus 15 excels in many areas, it has some notable drawbacks. The display resolution is slightly lower than the OnePlus 13 (1272p vs 1440p), and the camera system has been downgraded in terms of sensor size and performance. Additionally, OnePlus has removed the alert slider, which many users miss, and the haptic motor is technically downgraded, though still feels good.

How does the OnePlus 15’s camera system perform?

The camera system on the OnePlus 15 is a significant disappointment. Despite having a triple 50MP setup, including a telephoto zoom and an ultra-wide lens, the cameras produce images with more noise, dull colors, and less detail than expected. The main sensor is the same as a budget phone, and there’s no Hasselblad partnership this time, which results in a lack of advanced features and quality.

What is the price of the OnePlus 15, and how does it compare to other phones?

The OnePlus 15 is priced at $899 for the base model with 12GB of RAM, and $999 for the upgraded version with 16GB of RAM. This pricing is competitive given the performance and features, though it falls short of the premium flagship range, especially considering its camera issues.

How does the OnePlus 15’s software and user experience compare to previous models?

The OnePlus 15 runs OxygenOS, which has evolved into a version that resembles ColorOS and even iOS in some ways. While the software has changed, it remains fast and customizable. Users can adjust AI features and default behaviors to suit their preferences, ensuring a smooth and tailored experience despite software shifts.