Joe Maring / Android Authority
I recently reviewed the OnePlus 15R and, spoiler alert, I came away very disappointed in the phone. OnePlus’s R series has typically provided great options in the mid-tier/value flagship space, but the 15R breaks that trend. It removes OnePlus’s iconic alert slider for an annoying AI button, has downgraded cameras compared to the 13R, and no wireless charging — all on top of a steep $700 price tag.
The OnePlus 15R isn’t the worst Android phone you can buy, but it’s also incredibly easy to find something much better — even from OnePlus itself. If you’re thinking about buying the OnePlus 15R, here are five other Android phones you should buy instead.
What do you think is the best OnePlus 15R alternative? 23 votes OnePlus 13R 9 % OnePlus 13 35 % Samsung Galaxy S25 FE 22 % Nothing Phone 3 22 % Google Pixel 10 13 % Other (let us know in the comments) 0 %
OnePlus 13R
Rushil Agrawal / Android Authority
Perhaps the easiest OnePlus 15R alternative to recommend is its predecessor, the OnePlus 13R. One of the biggest draws to the OnePlus 15R is its battery life, with the 7,400mAh battery easily lasting two and a half days on a single charge. While the OnePlus 13R’s 6,000mAh battery may not be as impressive on paper, it’s still outstanding, lasting about two days in our testing. The 13R has the same 55W wired charge speeds as the 15R, and neither phone has wireless charging, so there’s no trade-off there.
The OnePlus 13R also holds its own on the performance front. Although the OnePlus 15R beat the 13R in our benchmark tests, both phones are extremely performant in real-world use. And as far as gaming chops are concerned, the 15R and 13R are pretty evenly matched.
In other areas, the OnePlus 13R actually pulls ahead. The 13R has a higher-quality primary camera than the 15R does, plus a dedicated telephoto camera — something the 15R completely lacks. And if you love OnePlus’s alert slider, only the OnePlus 13R has it. The OnePlus 15R ditches it for an AI button that’s just a pain to use.
Making all of this better is the price. Even at its $600 retail price, the OnePlus 13R is a significantly better value than the $700 OnePlus 15R. And given that the 13R is just about a year old, you should be able to find it on sale for even less. Without question, the OnePlus 13R is still the best value flagship OnePlus has to offer.
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