After debuting in China last month, the OnePlus 15 is now officially making its way to the US and the rest of the world ahead of its usual schedule. It’s not just the timing that’s different, as the phone has a brand new look and several other changes that make it a notable departure from the OnePlus 13. Although many of our staff members have lamented some of the changes, on paper, the OnePlus 15 is actually a power user’s dream and, in many ways, upstages the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. All that said, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is just around the corner.
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.
So, should you wait for the Galaxy S26 Ultra, or are you better off buying the OnePlus 15? While we don’t have any official details about the Galaxy S26 Ultra just yet, there are numerous leaks that help paint a fairly clear picture. The answer to the question will depend on what you’re looking for, but for me, the OnePlus 15 is the more exciting of the two.
OnePlus 15 OnePlus 15 MSRP: $899.00 Peak power. The OnePlus 15 is a flagship-level smartphone with very competitive specs: blazing fast chip, excellent display, huge battery + fast charge, and a triple 50MP camera system. See price at Amazon
Why the OnePlus 15 has me more excited
Ryan Haines / Android Authority
I’ll admit it, at first I was torn about which phone I’d recommend. The OnePlus 15 packs the impressive Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, though Samsung’s flagship will likely get a “For Galaxy” edition that might offer slightly better speeds on paper. The OnePlus 15 comes with either 12GB or 16GB of RAM, but rumors suggest Samsung may match that, and it might even offer LPDDR5X RAM. Both phones have plenty of power, so I had to dig deeper to decide which is the better fit.
When I listed out the pros and cons, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra technically had a few more positives, but this isn’t about quantity. The OnePlus 15 stands out in several big ways that outweigh its downsides.
As someone who streams a lot of video in the background while doing chores, I value great battery life. OnePlus 15 should deliver in spades here as we’ve already seen in our early OnePlus 15 battery tests, thanks to its massive 7,300mAh dual-cell silicon-carbon battery, expected to retain 80% health after four years. Even if you do manage to drain it, the phone supports up to 80W wired and 50W wireless charging. That’s a big leap from the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s 45W and even tops the S26 Ultra’s rumored 60W.
... continue reading