The OnePlus 13 is one of my favorite Android phones released this year. OnePlus handsets have been among the better Android options for some time now, but the OnePlus 13 strikes a particularly special balance in its design, performance, cameras, and software. Because of that, you might think that I’m eagerly looking forward to OnePlus’s next flagship Android phone, the OnePlus 15. We’ve had tons of news about the OnePlus 15 over the last few days, and a lot of what we’ve heard sounds quite promising. But despite all of that, I still have this concern that the OnePlus 15 will lack what makes its predecessor so special. And if you love the OnePlus 13 like I do, I think you’ll find yourself in a similar boat. How are you feeling about the OnePlus 15? 49 votes I'm looking forward to it. Everything we've heard so far sounds great. 35 % Not great — I'm worried about no more Hasselblad. 33 % I'm undecided and waiting until we learn more. 33 % Other (let us know in the comments). 0 % The Hasselblad elephant in the room Joe Maring / Android Authority That concern largely stems from OnePlus’s decision to end its longstanding partnership with Hasselblad, starting with the OnePlus 15. Since the OnePlus 9 series, every flagship OnePlus handset has featured cameras tuned and co-developed by the legendary camera brand Hasselblad. Bringing in Hasselblad’s expertise was immediately noticeable in the transition from the OnePlus 8 to the OnePlus 9, and it was the clear tipping point where OnePlus cameras went from just OK to legitimately great. While the frequency at which OnePlus flaunted that partnership quieted over the years, the significance has never gone away. If anything, it’s only gotten better with age and subsequent smartphone releases. The OnePlus 13 is an outstanding all-around phone, but for my personal use, the camera is a huge reason why the OnePlus 13 stayed in my pocket for so long earlier this year. The camera sensors are high-quality and take sharp, focused photos, but the real magic lies in OnePlus and Hasselblad’s image processing. Pictures from the OnePlus 13 consistently feature an unmistakable visual style, one that favors deep contrast and bold, distinct colors (as you can see in the gallery above). Photos taken by the OnePlus 13 aren’t true-to-life, but they evoke a feeling of character that’s absent from any Samsung Galaxy or Google Pixel camera. This is precisely why I love shooting with the OnePlus 13. While it’s a less reliable camera phone compared to the Google Pixel 10 Pro, there’s something fun and exciting about using a camera with such a decided and specific approach to colors. Unfortunately, the OnePlus 15 is being set up to offer a significantly different camera experience. OnePlus confirmed earlier this month that the OnePlus 15 would not continue the Hasselblad partnership, instead opting to be the first phone to utilize OnePlus’s in-house DetailMax Engine for image processing. OnePlus’s primary focus with the DetailMax Engine appears to be on image clarity and accuracy, with OnePlus co-founder Pete Lau saying, “The message was consistent: our users want images that are clear and real. Most don’t care about technical jargon, but they know the first thing they do is pinch to zoom in on their photos. That’s where the camera really gets judged.” Joe Maring / Android Authority There’s nothing inherently wrong with OnePlus’s focus on zoom quality with this new image engine, but it also doesn’t instill much confidence that the company is concerned with replicating the rich style and character its Hasselblad cameras have produced — especially with other comments from Lau about how the DetailMax Engine will produce “the clearest and most real photos on a smartphone.” And it’s not just the color science we stand to lose with the OnePlus 15. It also seems likely that Hasselblad-branded camera modes, such as Master Mode and XPAN, may not carry over from the OnePlus 13 to the OnePlus 15. XPAN in particular is one of the most unique and creatively satisfying camera features on a smartphone today, and the possibility of losing that on the OnePlus 15 — on top of a radically different approach to color tuning — is a hard pill to swallow. A mixed bag of upgrades and downgrades OnePlus I mentioned at the top of the article that much of what we’ve heard about the OnePlus 15 sounds promising, and outside of the camera concerns, there is a lot to look forward to. From a design standpoint, OnePlus’s new “Sand Storm” finish sounds really exciting. At least this version of the phone will feature a unique micro-arc oxidation technique to make the phone’s mid-frame harder than both aluminum and titanium — a potentially huge boon for durability. Simultaneously, it also has a fibre-glass backside that should give it a silky in-hand feel. We also know that the OnePlus 15 will feature Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, which is likely to be the smartphone chip to beat for the next year. An early review of the OnePlus 15 confirmed that it has a much faster 165Hz refresh rate (up from 120Hz on the OnePlus 13). Meanwhile, another rumor teased a gigantic 7,800mAh battery for the OnePlus 15 — topping the already impressive 6,000mAh battery in the OnePlus 13. Don’t want to miss the best from Android Authority? Set us as a favorite source in Google Discover to never miss our latest exclusive reports, expert analysis, and much more. to never miss our latest exclusive reports, expert analysis, and much more. You can also set us as a preferred source in Google Search by clicking the button below. What’s interesting is that, as good as all of this sounds, the OnePlus 15 may also have a couple of spec downgrades compared to the OnePlus 15. While the display refresh rate is increasing, the resolution is reportedly decreasing, going from 2K on the OnePlus 13 to 1.5K on the OnePlus 15. We’ve also heard that the OnePlus 15 might have a downgraded haptic motor compared to the OnePlus 13, which would result in worse-feeling vibrations. These things aren’t deal-breakers on their own, but when you add them together with the camera uncertainty (not to mention another rumor about a lower-quality telephoto sensor), it all comes together to make the OnePus 15 look like more of a sidegrade to the OnePlus 13 than a true upgrade. Is this the OnePlus 15 you were hoping for? To be fair to OnePlus, I don’t think the OnePlus 15 will be an outright failure or anything of the sort. A different camera approach and some oddly chosen specs are far from the end of the world, and I still imagine the OnePlus 15 will be a highly rated and received smartphone. However, OnePlus’s shift in camera philosophy and the outsizing of other specs seem to suggest that the OnePlus 15 will focus more on the company’s power-user audience, whereas the OnePlus 13 felt like a OnePlus phone for the masses. I imagine some folks may be excited about a OnePlus 15 that prioritizes frame rates and a gargantuan battery over the camera experience, but I’m not one of them. And yet, that doesn’t mean I want the OnePlus 15 to be a flop. I am eager to use the OnePlus 15 when it launches. I hope OnePlus’s DetailMax Engine shuts down all the concerns I have about it right now. I want the OnePlus 15 to be great. But with what we currently know about the phone, both from official OnePlus statements and the rumor mill, I think my concern about the OnePlus 15 compared to the OnePlus 13 is warranted. And looking through comments on some of our OnePlus 15 articles, I know I’m not alone in this. The OnePlus 15 is scheduled to be released (at least in China) on October 27. Follow