OnePlus 15 The OnePlus 15 is a spec-heavy flagship designed for power users, but it's a beast with no bite. The first phone in the US with a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset has incredible battery life and improved durability, but it comes at the significant cost of downgraded cameras and wildly inconsistent performance under stress. OnePlus launched two flagship Android phones in 2025, and this is not the one to buy.
I never thought I’d be here. Well, I did, just maybe not this quickly. Just over 10 months after the Western launch of the brilliant, well-rounded OnePlus 13, the flagship-killing, never-settling brand is back with… another flagship. Yes, really, a second one in 2025. This time, though, instead of creating a jack of all trades (which, to be fair, was a master of most of them), OnePlus is after power users — or at least, I think it is.
The reason I say I think rather than I know is that despite testing this phone for a few weeks, I’m not quite sure how we got to this point. I know the OnePlus 15 is powerful on paper — it boasts the latest chipset, a large battery, ample RAM, and sufficient storage to prove it. But for everything that has improved, it feels like just as much has taken a step backward from a predecessor that is still one of the best Android phones you can buy. Here’s why OnePlus’s most powerful flagship ever might also be its toughest sell.
It’s a mature design, but it’s less fun than usual
Ryan Haines / Android Authority
Unfortunately, the OnePlus 15’s tough sell for me starts with its design. It’s not the phone’s fault, though — it has the unenviable position of trying to follow a phone that I loved. When OnePlus first showed off the OnePlus 13 nearly a year ago, I found myself absolutely enamored with the satin, stone, and faux leather finishes, as well as fine touches like the flat display and textured alert slider, which kept me coming back for more even after I finished my review. So, I think the cards were stacked against the OnePlus 15 even before I took it out of its signature red box.
When I did, though, I wasn’t quite sure what to think of the phone I was holding. On one hand, yes, it feels as durable as any OnePlus phone I’ve ever used. I was sent the Sand Storm finish, which slots in as this year’s version of white (it’s beige-ish), and it’s treated with a micro-arc oxidation technique that shields the otherwise aluminum frame in what OnePlus boasts is a ceramic-grade coating. It surrounds a fiberglass back panel that’s slightly smoother to the touch than the frame, but is finished with a hint of sparkle if you catch the sun just right.
The OnePlus 15 might be more durable than before, but I think it comes at the cost of style.
So far, so good, right? I mean, to this point, you might be thinking that I absolutely love the look of the OnePlus 15. Well, honestly, I love the way that it feels, no doubt, but the actual look leaves me feeling just a bit flat — pun intended, because there’s not much of a curve anywhere on this device. Yes, OnePlus has kept its nicely rounded corners all around the display, but the camera bump now sits a bit industrially on the flat back panel, the display meets the frame at a crisp right angle, and it all just feels a little nondescript.
However, if you’ve seen our video review, you’ll know that my colleague, C. Scott Brown, absolutely loves that about the OnePlus 15. To each their own, I suppose. Personally, I miss the soft touch of the faux leather, the rounded refinement of the camera bump (even if it was pretty big), and, oh yeah, the alert slider. In a move that hasn’t been seen since the OnePlus 10T — far from the only T-series vibe I get from the OnePlus 15 — this phone comes without its iconic volume control. In its place sits a small, pill-shaped Plus Key that feels… a little too familiar.
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