Forget Samsung S25 Ultra: This OnePlus just topped the Galaxy in meaningful ways
on Google. When I first learned about the OnePlus 15 Kerry Wan/ZDNET In the process, the OnePlus 15 loses its traditionally slim and contoured form factor. At this point, it looks and feels more like an iPhone Pro Max or Google Pixel XL model, as several friends and family in Korea expressed to me. Fans…
In the process, the OnePlus 15 loses its traditionally slim and contoured form factor. At this point, it looks and feels more like an iPhone Pro Max or Google Pixel XL model, as several friends and family in Korea expressed to me. Fans of originality will be disappointed.
For what it’s worth, OnePlus is making a big deal about its display engineering, though perhaps not in the area that users demand attention to. With the OnePlus 15, the bezels measure just 1.15mm, allowing you to see less of the black bordering around the four corners and more screen. At the same time, the display resolution has dropped from the previous version’s 2K panel to a new 1.5K panel.
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I’d like to think that the dip in resolution is what enables the phone to operate at a consistently smooth 165Hz refresh rate without consuming as much power — much like how traditional monitors tend to have the same give-and-take behavior. That was the case when I spent hours doomscrolling through blogs about APEC during the week I was traveling, and playing graphics-intensive mobile games on the flights to and back.
A left-side Plus Key can be mapped to various functions, including turning on Mind Space to store screenshots and voice memos.
Kerry Wan/ZDNET
What about camera performance? As I’ve learned time and time again, one phone simply can’t have it all. After various camera shootouts in Seoul, my verdict is two-fold. First, it’s hard to ignore the fact that every single camera sensor on the OnePlus 15 is inferior to the OnePlus 13. I’m talking smaller sensor sizes and less capable camera tech.
In lieu of hardware upgrades, the company is hoping that its improved AI software processing and Qualcomm’s ISP will serve your captured subjects justice.
This works, but only to a certain capacity — and if you’re a fan of oversharpening. For general wide and ultrawide shots, I found that images taken with the OnePlus 15 appear well-saturated and have higher contrast than those from previous models. Fortunately, HDR capturing isn’t as aggressive as what I get from Samsung and Google; there’s a good balance of detail and color between subjects and luminating backdrops.
At the same starting price of $899, the OnePlus 15 is the definitive option for mobile gamers, power users, and tech enthusiasts to close out the year. You’ll just have to settle for silver when it comes to camera optics.
There’s one last thing to mention. At the time of writing, OnePlus is unable to sell the 15 in the US as it’s pending FCC approval, which has been temporarily halted due to the government shutdown. Here’s what OnePlus’ Spenser Blank, Head of Marketing and Communications, tells ZDNET:
As is the case with every smartphone manufacturer, the United States’ Federal Communications Commission certifies OnePlus devices before they are sold in the U.S. As a result of the government shutdown, device certifications have been delayed. Subsequently, U.S. sales for the OnePlus 15 will be postponed until they have been secured. The OnePlus 15 has already finished all the required tests from the FCC’s recognized labs and the certification application has been formally submitted. We are hopeful that approvals can be generated quickly and as a result, we can bring the OnePlus 15 to our customers in the U.S. expeditiously.
People who are interested in purchasing the OnePlus 15 in the U.S. should visitOnePlus.com/us, enter their contact information, and they will be notified when the device is on sale. The OnePlus 15 will be available for purchase in Canada starting November 13, as scheduled, atOnePlus.com/ca_en.
