OnePlus 15 review: A flagship built for gamers first and photographers second

Flagship season always arrives with the same chaotic energy as a festive rush. Everyone turns up with bright lights and bold claims, yet only a few manage to stand out. This time, OnePlus is the first to break cover with the OnePlus 15, a phone that sets out to redefine its place in the premium landscape. I have lived with it for three weeks, and it is clear that this is not a timid upgrade. It is loud, confident, and occasionally divisive.

OnePlus has always treated its number series as the definitive guidebook on what a flagship should be. The 15 continues that tradition, although not without reshuffling a few long-term partnerships. The Hasselblad era is officially over. In its place is the in-house DetailMax Engine, which leans heavily on computational photography. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 arrives with the swagger of a tech-world gym bro, eager for you to notice its new muscles. Add a 165Hz panel and a renewed focus on gaming, and the intentions become very clear. This phone wants to be fast.

But specifications tell only part of the truth. Personality is found in the details, and that only comes through once you use the device long enough. After two solid weeks, here is the full picture.

Design and Build

The OnePlus 15 takes a noticeable turn in design. Gone is the circular camera module introduced with the OnePlus 11. In its place is a more rectangular layout that instantly feels familiar if you have seen the Oppo Find X9 or the OnePlus 13s. It is clear OnePlus is entering a new visual era, especially now that Hasselblad is no longer in the frame.

This time, the company moves away from curves and embraces a flatter and more traditional silhouette. Surprisingly, it remains comfortable in hand. What it loses in distinctive looks, it gains in practical feel.

My Infinite Black review unit deserves special praise. The matte finish resists fingerprints, although white streaks from fingernails can occasionally appear. They wipe off easily enough. The rest of the hardware stays predictable. The Plus Key is back, the ports sit where you expect them to, and the USB-C 3.2 port is a welcome inclusion for a phone in this price range.

The IP rating takes a dramatic leap. The phone is certified for IP66, IP68, IP69 and IP69K. It can survive dust, immersion, high-pressure water, and even industrial water jets. That alone is a statement of intent.

Display

The display on the OnePlus 15 is a highlight. It is a 6.78-inch AMOLED panel with a 2772x1272 resolution, which OnePlus describes as 1.5K. This is technically a downgrade from the 2K panel on the OnePlus 13, but the company says 2K and 165Hz cannot currently coexist due to power constraints.

The 165Hz refresh rate, however, comes with a giant invisible footnote. Most of the system still runs between 60Hz and 120Hz. App support is scarce. Only the home screen, menus, and a few games can actually stretch to 165Hz. The rest of the time, that number is little more than a marketing badge.

Touch response is a different story. The sampling rate sits at 3200Hz, and the improvement is immediate once you start gaming. The screen feels fast, sharp, and fluid.

HDR10+ and Dolby Vision support are available from the moment you switch on the phone. Content from Netflix looks excellent, especially in darker scenes where AMOLED strengths shine. The panel peaks at around 1185 nits during HDR playback in real-world measurements. Outdoors, the screen remains usable even under harsh sunlight.

Performance and Software

This is where the OnePlus 15 flexes. It is the first phone in India with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, and the benchmark numbers confirm the jump. Both RAM variants use LPDDR5X, with the 16GB version getting the Ultra grade. Storage is UFS 4.1 for both.

The broader industry backdrop matters here. Memory prices are rising due to growing AI data centre demand, which explains part of the price hike in the OnePlus 15.

During testing, the phone delivered 3.7 million on AnTuTu and crossed 11,000 in Geekbench multi-core. The numbers are strong and show a clear generational leap.

In real life, though, the differences are subtle. The phone is fast, but so are most modern flagships. Browsing, switching between apps, and handling background processes are nearly instantaneous. Video editing is exceptionally quick. A 1-minute 4K clip exported in under a minute on the Edits app.

OxygenOS 16, based on Android 16, remains light, clean, and responsive. OnePlus is offering 4 OS updates and 6 years of security patches. It is respectable, although Samsung and Google still lead this area.

Gaming

Gaming is the star of the OnePlus 15. It consistently outperforms rivals during long sessions.

In BGMI, the phone runs at 120FPS in the Smooth and Ultra Extreme modes and stays around 118FPS even during chaotic fights. The other flagships tested dipped noticeably under similar conditions.

Call of Duty: Mobile technically supports 165FPS, but at the moment, this applies only to Team Deathmatch. Battle Royale refuses to go beyond 120FPS. When 165FPS does work, the phone feels incredibly smooth and the high sampling rate becomes obvious.

Genshin Impact maxes out at 60FPS, as usual. OnePlus claims the phone can use frame interpolation to bump this to 120FPS, but this was not available at testing time.

Cameras

The camera system is where the compromises become most obvious. The loss of Hasselblad matters less than the actual hardware downgrade. The OnePlus 13 had stronger sensors, and low-light performance on the 15 takes a noticeable hit.

The rear setup consists of: • 50MP Sony IMX906 primary • 50MP ultra-wide (OmniVision 50D) • 50MP telephoto with Samsung JN5 sensor and 3.5x optical zoom

The 32MP Sony IMX709 handles selfies.

In daylight, the OnePlus 15 performs very well. Colours look pleasant, dynamic range is controlled, and details hold up during close inspection. During my tests in Gardens by the Bay in Singapore, it maintained consistency even in scenes that mixed bright exteriors with shaded interiors.

Low light is more complicated. The smaller sensors produce noise faster, and the DetailMax Engine cannot completely mask the hardware limitations.

The telephoto lens performs best at 3.5x. Portraits look natural, with reliable edge separation. Zooming beyond that rapidly becomes AI-dependent, and results are acceptable only for buildings and distant subjects.

Video performance is where the phone redeems itself. You get 4K 120fps recording with Dolby Vision support, plus LOG capture for creators who prefer to colour grade. The phone can even preview LUTs in the viewfinder, which is a rare and welcome touch.

Battery and Charging

The 7,300mAh silicon carbide battery is the most impressive feature of the OnePlus 15. This thing refuses to quit. Even with heavy usage that includes Maps, WhatsApp, social apps, and constant notifications, the phone comfortably lasts a day and a half.

During a two-hour gaming and benchmarking session, the battery dropped to only 65 percent, which is remarkable.

Wired charging is blisteringly fast. The 120W charger fills the phone in roughly 35 minutes. Wireless charging reaches 50W via AirVOOC, but you need a magnetic case because the phone lacks built-in magnets.

Price and Availability

The OnePlus 15 is available on Amazon India in two configurations. An HDFC Bank offer knocks Rs 4,000 off, and early buyers receive the OnePlus Nord Buds 3 as a freebie. There is also a 180-day replacement guarantee and a lifetime display warranty to address any potential green-line problems.

Variants and Prices: • 12GB + 256GB: Rs 72,999 • 16GB + 512GB: Rs 79,999

Verdict

The OnePlus 15 starts at Rs 72,999, and yes, the price jump hurts. But component costs are rising everywhere, and this is the new normal. The real question is whether the OnePlus 15 delivers a flagship experience. The answer is yes. The performance is stellar, gaming stability is unmatched in this segment, the battery life is extraordinary, and the software is as smooth as ever. The display is great too.

For anyone who prioritises speed, battery, smoothness, and gaming, the OnePlus 15 is one of the strongest premium options available in India today.