OnePlus has officially confirmed the OnePlus 15, revealing its name and first specs during the Snapdragon Summit in China.
The company’s next flagship will skip straight past the “OnePlus 14” and launch globally with Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor. Alongside the chip, OnePlus teased its new DetailMax Engine, designed to deliver pro-grade photography without the need for Hasselblad branding.
Why there’s no OnePlus 14
As many expected, OnePlus is avoiding the number “14” due to the number “4” being associated with bad luck in China. OnePlus made the same move back in 2017, when it skipped directly from the OnePlus 3 to the OnePlus 5.
What’s more interesting this year is the timing. The OnePlus 13 name was only confirmed in mid-October 2024 before a China launch later that month and a global release in January 2025. By confirming the OnePlus 15 much earlier, OnePlus could be hinting at an earlier launch window, possibly in December, or even November.
Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 inside
Alongside the name and design, OnePlus talked about the specs. The biggest confirmed upgrade is Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, which promises a 20% CPU uplift, 35% better efficiency, and a 37% boost to on-device AI performance. It’s also the first mobile chip to support the APV (Advanced Professional Video) codec, making it particularly appealing for content creators.
We also know that the phone will feature a 165Hz display in China, but OnePlus is yet to confirm if this will carry over to other regions.
Apparently we’ll hear more in the “coming weeks” so if you’re a OnePlus fan, keep your eyes peeled. Who knows – it might even end up in the best Android phones lineup.
Opinion
Skipping the OnePlus 14 isn’t exactly a surprise if you’ve been following OnePlus for a while. What is exciting, though, is the early confirmation of the OnePlus 15 with Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip. From a hardware standpoint, the mix of raw power, a 165Hz display and OnePlus’ DetailMax Engine could put it in strong contention against Samsung and Google’s next flagships. The only question now is whether OnePlus can deliver on camera performance without Hasselblad’s input.
