I have spent the last three weeks living with the OnePlus 15, and not just for casual testing.
I took it on a full family trip that covered Center Parcs, Disneyland Paris, and Legoland. That gave me long days outside, low light moments, heat, water, crowds, rides, and all the chaos that really shows what a phone can do.
I loved the OnePlus 13, so the OnePlus 15 had a high bar waiting for it. This one arrived early enough for proper testing, which OnePlus always deserves credit for. And with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, a new camera engine, and a huge battery, I had high expectations when I picked it up.
There is a lot to talk about, so let me walk you through everything I found.
OnePlus 15 Specs and First Impressions
The OnePlus 15 is packed. The kind of packed that would normally create a messy compromise, yet somehow still comes together well. Inside, you get the new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, up to 16GB of LPDDR5X memory, up to 512GB of UFS 4.1 storage, triple 50MP rear cameras, a 32MP front camera with autofocus, and a 6.78-inch LTPO display running at 165Hz.
There is also an IP66, IP68, IP69, and IP69K rating. You can hit it with high-pressure water, take it out in a storm, or drop it in a hot tub accidentally. The IP69K rating technically covers high-temperature jet spraying, too, which is overkill for most people but good to know it’s there.
Then there is the 7,300mAh silicon nanostack battery with 120W wired charging and 50W wireless charging. This alone had me curious before anything else.
Everything here looked promising before I even turned it on.
OnePlus 15 Design and Build Quality
Last year’s OnePlus 13 had one of my favorite form factors. It walked a line that felt comfortable, slimmer, and well-balanced. The OnePlus 15 moves away from that shape. This phone is larger and thicker, and you feel the extra size in the hand.
The Infinite Black model has a matte finish that resists fingerprints but shows marks and scuffs quickly. Nothing permanent, it just needs regular wiping if you like a spotless back panel. A case solves that instantly, and the official OnePlus case includes magnets so you can snap it onto third-party chargers without any fuss.
There are two other colors, Sand Storm and Ultra Violet. Sand Storm has a fiberglass panel that feels unique in person.
Despite the bigger footprint, the phone still feels solid and premium. It also has an underwater photography mode that helps push water out of the speaker afterwards, which I somehow ended up needing during this trip.
OnePlus 15 Display: Bright, Fast, and Reliable
The display is one of the best parts of this phone. It hits 165Hz with a 1.5K resolution and 450 pixels per inch. It also reaches 1800 nits in high brightness mode and goes all the way down to 0.5 nits at night.
This thing never dimmed in bright sun, even during long days outside. The new vapour chamber clearly helps here because the screen stayed stable instead of dropping brightness the moment the phone warmed up.
The under-display ultrasonic fingerprint reader has been quick and accurate, and if you’re wondering, it does arrive with a factory screen protector.
Mine picked up scratches early on, so I peeled it off, but the bare glass has been flawless since.
This screen is genuinely amazing for gaming, scrolling, and video.
OnePlus15 Performance With Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
The OnePlus15 is the first phone I have used with the new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, and the speed was obvious. Animations stay smooth, apps open instantly, and nothing slows down during long days of shooting photos, navigating parks, or using maps.
I dropped the animation scale to 0.5 in the developer settings, which is something I always do. That made the phone feel lightning fast.
The new cooling system keeps heat under control, so the frame rate stays steady in games. I saw consistent 120fps gameplay with no drops in the titles that support it. Call of Duty Mobile ran perfectly, and games like MLBB held 120fps for long sessions without any wobble at all.
PUBG Mobile also pushed high frame rates around the 115fps mark. Clash of Clans pulled me back in for longer sessions than planned. My son jumped in too, which turned into a family competition by the end of the holiday. WiFi 7 also helped when I was back home on my upgraded network.
OnePlus 15 Battery Life: A Standout Feature
Battery life is where the OnePlus 15 surprised me the most. The 7300mAh silicon carbon battery is a monster. On Disney and Legoland days, I was using the phone all day for maps, photos, videos, notes, and everything else you would expect.
Two days on a single charge was normal. I even pushed into a third day during lighter use.
Charging is fast. You can reach full in less than 40 minutes with the 120W charger. There is also bypass charging that helps reduce heat during gaming by powering the phone directly.
OnePlus claims 80 percent battery capacity after four years. I can’t verify the long-term claim, but if it ends up true, that would be impressive.
OnePlus 15 Cameras: Good, Yet Missing Something
I need to be honest here. I preferred the camera system on the OnePlus 13.
The OnePlus 15 uses a triple 50MP setup with the new DetailMax processing. The photos are good, no question. You can take amazing shots in the right lighting. But when I compared them with the images from the Oppo Find X9 Pro, the Oppo shots looked more consistent.
Some of my OnePlus photos missed focus and required retakes. Others looked a little softer when I zoomed in, which surprised me given the new DetailMax processing. The general output is good, but a few shots felt like they were missing that last bit of clarity.
The front camera is solid, and the video features are strong, like 4K at 120fps with Dolby Vision and support for LOG recording with LUT previews.
I still captured every family moment during the trip. Those memories look great, and that matters most. But for the camera crowd, the OnePlus 15 is not an automatic winner.
OnePlus 15 Software, AI Features, and OxygenOS 16
OxygenOS 16 feels clean and quick. I enjoyed using it, although the search gesture sometimes delayed the keyboard a little.
The new Plus Button replaces the physical slider and adds a screen capture shortcut and a 60-second voice memo. These all go into the Mind Space, which uses AI to organize information. AI pulls dates, times, and details from screenshots and can create reminders or calendar notes automatically.
There are extra AI tools like AI Portrait Glow, AI scanning for presentation decks, YumSee for on-device menu translation, and a couple of creative bits inside the PlayLab that let you tweak photos or turn stills into short clips. None of it feels intrusive. You can ignore most of it or use it as needed.
Watch the Video
If you want to follow the story behind these impressions, there’s a full breakdown of my time with the OnePlus 15 over on YouTube.
My Thoughts After Three Weeks
This phone does so much right. The battery life alone will make a lot of people happy. The display is fantastic. The performance is absurdly good. And OxygenOS stays clean in all the ways that matter.
I did miss the old OnePlus 13 shape. I also missed the consistency of the Hasselblad-tuned cameras. The camera system on the OnePlus 15 is good, but it never became the standout feature for me.
Still, once you look at the full package, the OnePlus 15 has a lot going for it. It never slowed down with anything I threw at it. It survived water. It handled long days outside. It stayed cool. It gave me two full days of use on one charge. That sort of reliability adds up quickly when you are out with kids and hopping between parks.
If you like big batteries, fast performance, and a clean Android experience, this is an easy phone to enjoy. I walked away impressed, even with the camera caveats.
More From Pete Matheson
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