OnePlus 15 Hands-On Review: Built for Gamers, Tuned for Power

The flagship race in 2025 has been all about pushing boundaries with bigger cameras, higher refresh rates, and longer-lasting batteries. And now, the OnePlus 15 has arrived. It’s a little late to the game, but it brings a few surprises that make it stand out, especially for gamers. With a 165Hz refresh rate, a massive 7,300mAh battery, and the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chip, this phone seems built for endless gaming sessions.

But right from the start, it doesn’t feel like a direct successor to the OnePlus 13. Instead, it feels more like a spiritual successor to the Ace 5 Pro. You notice it in the camera setup, the haptic feedback, even the screen resolution it’s a different direction entirely. Rather than chasing photography benchmarks, OnePlus is doubling down on what gamers actually want. So this isn’t just another flagship. It’s a statement of intent.

Design and Build

Design-wise, the OnePlus 15 looks sleek yet familiar. It comes in three colors black, purple, and titanium each giving off a slightly different vibe in hand. The design has shades of its Oppo cousin and feels nearly identical to the OnePlus 13T.

The square camera module in the top left corner keeps things clean and symmetrical. It’s compact and doesn’t stick out awkwardly, so the phone still feels balanced. At 8.7mm thick and weighing a bit over 220 grams, it’s solid without feeling too bulky. The power button and alert slider are positioned comfortably on the sides, maintaining that classic OnePlus feel.

Overall, it’s not a radical redesign, but it’s refined, polished, and practical. You can tell OnePlus aimed for a device that feels confident in your hand, whether you’re gaming or just scrolling.

Display: Built for Gamers

This is where things get interesting. The OnePlus 15 trades the OnePlus 13’s 2K display for a 6.78-inch BOE third-gen Oriental panel with a 1.5K resolution but bumps the refresh rate all the way up to 165Hz. That decision has already sparked plenty of debate, but when you actually use the phone, it makes sense.

The display looks crisp and fluid, and at normal viewing distances, it’s nearly impossible to tell the difference between 1.5K and 2K resolution. What you can feel is the smoother touch response and extra hour of standby time that comes from the lower resolution. For gamers, that trade-off is worth it.

The ultra-narrow 1.15mm bezels give it a 94.5% screen-to-body ratio, making everything from games to videos feel immersive. The 3840Hz PWM dimming ensures minimal flicker in low light, keeping your eyes comfortable during long sessions. And since it’s a flat screen, there are no accidental edge touches or color tint issues. Everything about this display screams gaming optimization.

Performance and Gaming

Under the hood, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 powers the OnePlus 15, paired with LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 storage. Built on a 3nm process, this chip brings serious performance. Everyday use feels effortless, but the real story is in gaming. The 165Hz refresh rate and adaptive cooling make even demanding titles like Genshin Impact run smoother than ever.

Not every game supports 165Hz yet only select eSports titles like PUBG Mobile, Call of Duty, and Arena Breakout can fully use it but the difference is noticeable. Controls feel tight, input lag is minimal, and frame drops are rare. During long sessions, the phone does get warm, especially around the camera area, but it never becomes uncomfortable.

This is clearly a phone designed with gamers at its core. OnePlus made a few trade-offs for this level of performance, but they make sense if you value consistent frame rates and long playtime.

Battery and Charging

The 7,300mAh battery is another standout. Combined with 120W wired charging and 50W wireless charging, this setup means you’re almost never out of power. From 0 to 100%, the phone charges in about 25 minutes fast enough to plug in between matches and jump right back in.

The slightly lower display resolution and efficient chip also help stretch battery life. Even with heavy use, it comfortably lasts through a full day, and gamers can easily hit 8-9 hours of active use. The accompanying OnePlus Ace 6, launched alongside it, packs an even bigger 7,800mAh battery with the same charging speeds.

Camera System

The biggest compromise here is the camera. Gone is the Hasselblad branding from the OnePlus 13. Instead, OnePlus went with Oppo’s Lumo Image System, signaling a shift away from co-branded tuning toward in-house control.

On paper, the camera setup might look modest: a 50MP main sensor, a 3.5x periscope telephoto, and a 50mm equivalent ultrawide lens but the results are still solid. The main camera delivers balanced shots with good color accuracy and detail, while the zoom lens offers respectable clarity up to 5x. The ultrawide performs decently, though not as sharp as top-tier flagships.

Clearly, this isn’t a camera-first phone. It’s designed to be good enough without stealing focus from the performance and gaming experience.

Software and Experience

Running on OxygenOS 15, the interface remains clean, fast, and responsive. The 165Hz refresh rate makes animations feel buttery smooth, and multitasking is a breeze. OnePlus has also introduced a few gaming-focused tweaks like a new Game Space layout and better resource management to keep temperatures in check.

There’s also improved haptic feedback during gaming, especially in shooters and racing games. Audio performance is strong too, with dual speakers offering clear, punchy sound and effective stereo separation.

Verdict

The OnePlus 15 is a clear evolution of OnePlus’ design philosophy performance first, photography second. By dropping the 2K display and Hasselblad camera partnership, the company doubled down on what gamers actually care about: fast response, endurance, and smooth visuals.

This isn’t a phone trying to be everything for everyone. It’s a flagship built for a specific crowd of people who play hard, multitask heavily, and want battery life that can go the distance. If you spend hours playing mobile titles and value power over photography, the OnePlus 15 will make a lot of sense.

OnePlus didn’t just create another flagship; it created a purpose-built machine. And in a market filled with camera-centric devices, that’s a bold move one that might just pay off.

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