OnePlus
I’m a big fan of OnePlus phones. From the day I got my invite to buy the OnePlus One to happily using the OnePlus 13 for much of 2025, OnePlus’s Android handsets have really resonated with me over the years. The company’s focus on smooth performance, long battery life, fast charging, unique hardware, and opinionated cameras are all things I value in an Android phone, and OnePlus has consistently delivered on them.
And yet, with the OnePlus 15, I find myself feeling rather conflicted. OnePlus did a lot right with the phone, and its commitment to performance, battery, and charging is more evident than ever. But at the same time, OnePlus sacrificed other parts of its identity to the point where I’m not even sure I recognize this as a OnePlus phone.
As a OnePlus fan, what are your first impressions of the OnePlus 15? 97 votes It looks great! Better than previous OnePlus phones. 39 % I'm disappointed, especially compared to the OnePlus 13. 29 % I'm not sure / waiting for reviews. 30 % Other (let us know in the comments). 2 %
Hardware and software that’s moving in the wrong direction
OnePlus
That lack of identity is first seen with the OnePlus 15’s hardware. The OnePlus 13 has one of my favorite Android designs in recent years, thanks mainly to its stylish camera housing and wonderful faux leather back. It was a fantastic evolution of the OnePlus 12 and OnePlus 11 designs (both of which I also liked), and it helped the OnePlus 13 stand out from virtually all of its competitors.
But with the OnePlus 15, OnePlus abandoned its last three years of design work in favor of what can only be described as “just another Android phone.” It’s not offensively bad or ugly, but it also just doesn’t look like anything. The square camera bump is a tired design choice, and the limited color selection is much less vibrant compared to previous years. If the OnePlus logo wasn’t there, you wouldn’t know it’s a OnePlus phone.
The design changes OnePlus settled on feel so uninspired.
That’s also evident in the alert slider, or, rather, the lack thereof. The alert slider has been a staple of OnePlus smartphone design since the beginning, but the OnePlus 15 abandons it in favor of the “Plus Key” — a new hardware button that summons OnePlus’s Plus Mind AI feature.
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