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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The OnePlus 15 is launching in China quickly, and most specs might carry over to the US.
- Rumors level to a a lot bigger battery, a smoother show, and improved cameras.
- A possible international launch might occur shortly after, with mid-November being the anticipated date.
The OnePlus 13 was already probably the most underrated and finest value-for-money flagships of this yr.
Its successor goals to proceed the custom by providing flagship efficiency at a extra reasonably priced value. Whereas the OnePlus 15 remains to be a couple of weeks away, it’s all set to launch in China subsequent week.
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Forward of the launch, the corporate has confirmed a number of specs, which look promising. If we’re to go by what we all know to this point, the OnePlus 15 may put different flagship telephones to disgrace.
OnePlus 15 will characteristic an all-new design
Whereas it has been a development recently, the upcoming OnePlus cellphone will probably not appear to be its predecessor. From a redesigned digicam module to a brand new end on the again, it will not be something just like the OnePlus 13. To this point, OnePlus has shared a number of photos of its subsequent flagship cellphone, together with a brand new “sand storm” colour variant.
The OnePlus 15 digicam module will borrow design parts from the Asia-exclusive OnePlus 13T. Whereas publicly shared photos counsel that its sand storm variant will characteristic a textured end for improved grip. I beloved OnePlus 13’s fake leather-based again and hoped for the corporate to stay to it, however the brand new model appears to be like nice, too. I simply hope it has a fingerprint-resistant coating to some capability.
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OnePlus has additionally confirmed that the upcoming mannequin will sport a fiberglass again, housed in a ceramic-coated steel body. It’s mentioned to be more durable than both aluminum or titanium, two supplies generally present in competing handsets. The upcoming OnePlus cellphone may even get a customizable Plus Key, which is able to sit in the same place because the Motion Button on an iPhone, permitting customers to set quick-press shortcuts.
The smoothest show but?
The OnePlus 13 already sports activities considered one of my favourite smartphone screens, due to its excessive brightness ranges and AquaTouch characteristic. Its successor is alleged to get a fair larger refresh fee, slimmer bezels, and a extra immersive content material consumption expertise.
In response to the teasers shared by the corporate, OnePlus 15 will characteristic 1.15mm skinny symmetrical bezel on all 4 sides — that is slimmer than even the iPhone 17 Professional. It’s confirmed to sport a 165Hz refresh fee — a characteristic we’ve seen on LCD-equipped smartphones. Nonetheless, this is able to be one of many first mainstream flagship telephones to characteristic a 165Hz OLED panel.
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OnePlus has co-developed a brand new X3 luminescent materials with BOE, which is claimed to ship a 13% enchancment in excessive brightness mode (HBM) and an 11.8% enhance in colour accuracy. It’s also mentioned to scale back energy consumption by 10% and supply a 30% longer lifespan in comparison with the earlier era.
The corporate is touting the OnePlus 15 as the primary Android system to assist true hardware-level 1-nit minimal brightness, licensed by TÜV Rheinland Sensible Eye Safety 5.0 Gold. It stays to be seen if these numbers will translate to a real-life benefit, however the show specs appear promising.
These battery numbers are getting wild
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset.
Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET
The OnePlus 15 will likely be powered by Qualcomm’s strongest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SoC, which guarantees improved video efficiency, effectivity beneficial properties, and improved on-device personalised AI options. This processor is claimed to supply as much as a 25% enhance in single-core workloads and as much as 20% in multi-core eventualities.
Whereas the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is touted to be extra environment friendly than earlier than, OnePlus can be pairing it with an enormous battery on its subsequent flagship cellphone. The OnePlus 15 will probably sport a 7,300mAh battery with assist for 120W Tremendous Flash Charging and a 50W Wi-fi Flash Charging.
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These battery and quick charging numbers are industry-leading. For reference, the Galaxy S25 Extremely packs a mere 5,000mAh battery whereas the Google Pixel 10 Professional XL comes geared up with a 5,200mAh capability. If the rumored numbers are true, the OnePlus 15 may be very more likely to final greater than a day on a single cost.
The most important query mark
After years of partnering with Hasselblad to refine the colour tuning of the OnePlus digicam, the partnership ended this September. Instead, the OnePlus 15 will likely be changed by the OnePlus DetailMax Engine, “designed not simply to seize the world however to disclose it in totally actual and clear methods,” in accordance with OnePlus co-founder Pete Lau.
The brand new OnePlus digicam processing is alleged to be “designed from the bottom as much as ship the clearest and most actual images on a smartphone, it harnesses the total potential of computational imaging to current scenes as they honestly are, with out over-beautification or distortion.” On his Weibo publish, he added, “The second you zoom in on a photograph, you may perceive why I am assured you may love the outcomes.”
When will the OnePlus 15 be launched?
The OnePlus 15 is confirmed to launch in China on October 27, alongside the region-exclusive OnePlus Ace 6. It is going to be unveiled at an occasion beginning at 7 p.m. Beijing Time (7 a.m. ET). There isn’t any phrase on the worldwide launch and availability but, however leaks counsel the OnePlus 15 may arrive in worldwide markets as quickly as mid-November — two months sooner than OnePlus 13. Keep tuned to ZDNET for the most recent updates there.
