OnePlus was among the first brands to announce its flagship handset will run on Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip. Now, just over a month after its reveal, OnePlus has unveiled the OnePlus 15.
Considering we hailed the OnePlus 13 as one of the most capable phones in 2025, how does the newly announced OnePlus 15 look set to compare?
Ahead of our review, we’ve compared the specs of the OnePlus 15 to the OnePlus 13 and highlighted the key differences between the two handsets below. Keep reading to see if the OnePlus 15 has a chance at making it into our best Android list.
Price and Availability
At the time of writing, the OnePlus 15 is only available to buy in China although it’s expected to launch in the UK in the coming weeks.
Although we don’t yet know how much the handset will cost in the UK, it currently has a price tag of ￥4899 which roughly converts to around £517. However, considering the OnePlus 13 had an RRP of £999, we’d expect the OnePlus 15 to have a similar price tag.
Despite having a starting RRP of £999 upon its launch, as the phone is nearly one year old it’s possible to nab the handset with a price cut.
OnePlus 15 runs on Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
The OnePlus 15 was among the first wave of smartphones confirmed to run on Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. While we’re yet to review the chip ourselves, Qualcomm promises it should offer state-of-the-art performance, better efficiency and a boost to on-device AI.
In comparison, the OnePlus 13 runs on Qualcomm’s former flagship processor, Snapdragon 8 Elite. We were seriously blown away by Snapdragon 8 Elite’s prowess, and found it to be a huge step up from the previous 8 Gen 3. Not only did the OnePlus 13 perform everyday tasks well without breaking a sweat, but it also sustained performance even during intensive activities including gaming.
For a closer look at the differences between the processors, visit Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 vs Snapdragon 8 Elite.
OnePlus 15 has AI photography features
While both the OnePlus 15 and OnePlus 13 are made up of a trio of rear cameras, the OnePlus 15 benefits from AI tools built-in. These include a tool that brightens a dark image with one click, distractions removal and even a mode that enables you to take photos through a window without worrying about reflections.
Otherwise, the OnePlus 15 retains the 50MP main lens found in the OnePlus 13, which we found was able to take solid shots, although could be inconsistent at times with exact quality.
One Plus 15 has a 7300mAh battery capacity
A big difference between the OnePlus 15 and OnePlus 13 is with its battery capacity. While the OnePlus 13 is fitted with a decent 6000mAh cell, the OnePlus 15’s battery is an enormous 7300mAh.
We found the OnePlus 13 to be very efficient with its battery consumption, as we managed to drain the battery even on our busiest days and with the phone’s settings set to the maximum. With this in mind, considering its battery is bigger and the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip is more efficient, we have high expectations with the OnePlus 15.
Otherwise, the OnePlus 15 also benefits from 120W wired charging speeds, which is a slight improvement on the OnePlus 13’s 100W support. However, you will need to purchase a charger separately to benefit from these speeds.
OnePlus 15 has a 165Hz refresh rate
While we had no issues with the OnePlus 13’s LTPO 1-120Hz refresh rate display, OnePlus offers a huge upgrade with the OnePlus 15 which could put it among some of the best gaming phones. The OnePlus 15 promises to support up to 165Hz refresh rate, enabling super smooth and stutter-free visual effects.
OnePlus 15 has a customisable shortcut button
A new addition found with the OnePlus 15 is its customisable shortcut button. Found on the side of the handset, much like the Action Button of the iPhone series, the OnePlus shortcut button works as a convenient way to capture a screenshot, adjust your phone settings, open AI and more.
While the OnePlus 13 does lack this convenient shortcut tool, we’d argue it shouldn’t necessarily be a dealbreaker when it comes to deciding between the handsets.
Early Verdict
Considering we were impressed with the OnePlus 13, and not only awarded the phone a four-star rating but it also made its way onto our best Android phones list, the OnePlus 15 has a lot to live up to.
Having said that, as Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 promises to be a powerful chip, we can reasonably expect that the OnePlus 15 will be a speedy handset.
We’ll update this versus once we get our hands on the phone.
