The end of the year is typically a busy time for Android brands, with major players launching their flagship devices to align with the release of new Snapdragon chips. That includes OnePlus, which has now fully unveiled the OnePlus 15 in China following a series of teasers that revealed most of the key details. The device is expected to go global “soon,” with reports pointing to a launch as early as November.

Aside from skipping the 14 moniker, almost everything about the OnePlus 15 feels new. If you had to sum it up in a few words, it would be refreshing, faster, and bigger.

OnePlus 15 Goes All Flat

Starting with design, the OnePlus 15 marks a major departure from the OnePlus 13. It features flat sides and panels in a metal chassis, ditching the tapered edges. The corners are rounder, and the back drops the signature circular camera hump. In its place is a squarish island housing the sensors, arranged vertically for the left lens, with a separate section for the third camera and LED flash.

Even longtime OnePlus fans may find it hard to recognize the 15 as a OnePlus device. However, this design language, which is somewhat inspired by the iPhone, was first introduced with the 13T and 13s last year, so some users may already be familiar. The phone comes in Sand Storm, Ultra Violet, and Infinite Black finishes.

Elsewhere, the OnePlus 15 is slightly shorter and thinner, though it weighs nearly the same as its predecessor. Part of the change in form factor is due to the smaller 6.78-inch AMOLED display made by BOE. The panel offers a higher 165 Hz refresh rate, up from 120 Hz. However, this comes with a trade-off of having a lower resolution of 1272 x 2772 pixels (450 ppi) compared to 1440 x 3168 pixels (510 ppi) on the OnePlus 13. For most users, the difference in sharpness will likely be minimal or unnoticeable.

The device retains rugged IP68 and IP69K dust and water resistance, with the latter protection now rated for immersion up to 2 meters. The front is protected by unspecified Gorilla Glass, while the back uses OnePlus’ custom Crystal Shield glass.

OnePlus 15 Gets Beefier Internals

While the Xiaomi 17 Pro was the first Android phone announced with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SoC, the OnePlus 15 joins the ranks with the same chip. It features new Oryon cores and the Adreno 840 GPU. Configurations start at 12 GB RAM and 256 GB storage, going up to 16 GB and 1 TB in higher variants.

Battery capacity has also increased, with the OnePlus 15 packing a massive 7,100 mAh cell, up from 6,000 mAh in the OnePlus 13. Actual battery life remains to be tested. Wired charging speeds have been bumped to 120 watts, up from 100 watts, while wireless charging remains at 50 watts, still faster than most competitors.

With the 15, OnePlus is dropping Hasselblad branding for its cameras. The new flagship uses the in-house Lumo imaging system, shared with Oppo. The camera setup has been slightly reworked. The main 50 MP sensor is smaller and now features f/1.8 aperture and 24 mm optics. The 50 MP telephoto lens also has a smaller sensor but offers 3.5x zoom, equivalent to 80 mm, with f/2.8 optics. The 50 MP ultrawide sensor is also smaller and has a narrower field of view.

While the smaller sensors may suggest a downgrade, overall image quality is expected to improve, so that’s something we’re eager to test. The 32 MP front-facing camera remains unchanged.

The OnePlus 15 runs Android 16 with ColorOS 16 on top (or OxygenOS 16 internationally). It’s still unclear how many Android OS upgrades it will receive, but last year’s OnePlus 13 was promised four years of major updates and security updates.

OnePlus 15 Pricing and Release Date

OnePlus begins shipping the OnePlus 15 today in China, starting at CNY 3,999 (~$562 / €482) for the base model. Pricing in other regions will vary. For reference, the OnePlus 13 currently retails at $899 in the US.

The company has not yet confirmed the international launch date, but reports suggest a November 13 announcement followed by immediate availability. If true, this could steal some momentum from Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S26, which is only expected early next year.

• Check OnePlus 13 offer (Amazon)

Are you planning to buy the OnePlus 15 when it launches globally in November or December? Would you skip the Galaxy S26 for it? We’d love to hear your thoughts.