The author is anticipating the OnePlus 15 more than the Galaxy S26.
In a smartphone world where Apple, Samsung, and Google are keen on playing it safe, the OnePlus 15 has a chance to shine with a slew of feature the US users have never seen
I am enthusiastic about the OnePlus 15 launch globally, and I anticipate it will stir up the US market.
While Apple and Samsung dominate the US smartphone market, with Google also competing, OnePlus has a chance to introduce innovation and challenge these brands.
OnePlus is likely the most accessible Chinese brand in the US, adding to the excitement around the OnePlus 15.
OnePlus 15: Subscribe for $50 Off
OnePlus is offering subscriptions for its upcoming OnePlus 15 flagship. By signing into your OnePlus account, you'll receive a $50 discount code by email. There's also a chance to win a OnePlus Pad 3.
Reserve at OnePlus
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OnePlus is offering subscriptions for its upcoming OnePlus 15 flagship. By signing into your OnePlus account, you'll receive a $50 discount code by email. There's also a chance to win a OnePlus Pad 3.
Reserve at OnePlus
OnePlus is offering subscriptions for its upcoming OnePlus 15 flagship. By signing into your OnePlus account, you'll receive a $50 discount code by email. There's also a chance to win a OnePlus Pad 3.
OnePlus is offering subscriptions for its upcoming OnePlus 15 flagship. By signing into your OnePlus account, you'll receive a $50 discount code by email. There's also a chance to win a OnePlus Pad 3.
I will discuss the features of this flagship, starting with the least intriguing. Many Chinese phone brands favor curved screens. Despite the trend toward flat designs, numerous Asian brands continue producing curved phones.
In Asia, particularly China, curved designs symbolize luxury, but they are delicate and unwieldy, especially when a case is used.
The OnePlus 15 abandons curved screens for a modern flat design on its screen, sides, and back, aligning with current trends. Flat screens improve user experience by being more durable and easier to use.
The phone features aluminum and glass, with a micro-arc oxidation (MAO) coating on the frame for increased durability, reportedly 3.4 times stronger than aluminum.
The Sand Storm color is stylish, but other features are more exciting.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip is essential for modern Android flagships, but the new 3D vapor chamber cooling system is more notable.
Cooling solutions are crucial when components are tightly packed in smartphones. While flagships will use the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, the cooling system will distinguish them.
I'm eager to test the OnePlus 15 under heavy use with a FLIR camera to compare its heat management against the previous model and other phones using the same chip.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra's performance drops significantly when it heats up, and its peak and sustained performance differ greatly.
The OnePlus 15 includes a new UAV-grade gyroscope, similar to those in drones, which can significantly enhance competitive gaming.
Display and camera quality are very important. Smartphone displays have advanced to the point where even budget phones offer great screens.
The OnePlus 15 uses BOE's X3 material for its 6.78-inch screen, ensuring brightness and efficiency. This LTPO panel provides a variable 1-120 Hz refresh rate and an option to increase it to 165 Hz for smoother action, ideal for gaming.
While most US flagships are capped at 120 Hz, the OnePlus 15 lets users experience the difference of 165 Hz.
The camera system warrants discussion. The OnePlus 13 has a solid camera system, scoring 145 out of 158 in our benchmark, suggesting the OnePlus 15 will improve upon that.
Despite ending its Hasselblad partnership, the OnePlus 15 has an enhanced main sensor, upgrading from the Sony LYT-808 to the IMX906, and a telephoto camera with 3.5x optical zoom. I anticipate a score exceeding 150.
As other companies develop silicon batteries, Apple is reintroducing an external battery pack for the iPhone Air. The OnePlus 15 will feature batteries with nearly double the capacity of the iPhone Air.
This is a major enhancement, offering US users access to silicon-carbon battery technology. Silicon-carbon batteries enhance energy storage relative to graphite, though silicon's instability requires resolution. The amount of silicon in anodes increases with each generation.
OnePlus' Silicon NanoStack incorporates 15% silicon in the anode, leading to a 7,300 mAh capacity in an 8.1 mm thick phone.
Another area where Apple, Samsung, and Google lag is charging speed. Their flagships take over an hour to fully charge, while Oppo, Honor, Huawei, Vivo, and OnePlus models charge in half the time.
The OnePlus 15 will allow US consumers to experience the convenience of rapid charging.
The most exciting aspect of the OnePlus 15 could be its price.
If OnePlus prices the US version of the OnePlus 15 competitively, it could be transformative.
With leading brands increasing flagship prices, a competitively priced alternative could stand out, particularly given the aforementioned upgrades.
The Chinese pricing for the OnePlus 15 is attractive, with the base 12/256GB version starting at CNY 3,999 (about $562). However, this excludes import taxes, logistics, and other costs.
The OnePlus 13 started at $899 for the 12/256GB version. If OnePlus can lower the OnePlus 15's price to $799, it could become an alternative to the iPhone 17, Galaxy S25, or Pixel 10, potentially surpassing them in many aspects.
What are your thoughts? Would you consider purchasing the OnePlus 15, and at what price?