The OnePlus 15 launches in the US this week – and its battery is insane

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ZDNET’s key takeaways

• The OnePlus 15 will probably be launched outdoors of China on Nov. 13.
• That is OnePlus’ first cellphone after the tip of the Hasselblad partnership.
• The worldwide mannequin will even get a 7,300mAh battery capability.

The OnePlus 13 launched earlier this 12 months, however the firm is already prepping to quickly launch its successor. After its China launch on Oct. 27, the OnePlus 15 is ready to launch within the US and different markets on Nov. 13. 

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Forward of the launch, OnePlus has confirmed a number of specs of its upcoming flagship. If we go by its China mannequin, the OnePlus 15 might put different flagship telephones to disgrace.

OnePlus 15 could have an all-new design

Whereas it has been a pattern currently, the upcoming OnePlus cellphone will not seem like its predecessor. From a redesigned digital camera module to a brand new end on the again, it will not be something just like the OnePlus 13. Forward of the worldwide launch, OnePlus has shared a number of photos of its subsequent flagship cellphone, together with a brand new “sand storm” coloration variant.

The OnePlus 15 digital camera module borrows design components from the Asia-exclusive OnePlus 13T (OnePlus 13S in India). It sports activities a textured end on the again for improved grip, which needs to be good, however I will miss the OnePlus 13’s fake leather-based again. Nonetheless, the brand new model appears nice from the photographs. I simply hope it has a fingerprint-resistant coating to some capability.

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The OnePlus 15 additionally contains a fiberglass again housed in a ceramic-coated metallic body. It’s claimed to be more durable than both aluminum or titanium, two supplies generally present in competing handsets. Just like the Oppo Discover X9 Professional, it additionally will get a customizable Plus Key, which is able to sit in an identical place because the Action Button on an iPhone, permitting customers to set quick-press shortcuts and entry Plus Thoughts.

The smoothest show but?

The OnePlus 13 already sports activities certainly one of my favourite smartphone screens, because of its excessive brightness ranges and AquaTouch characteristic. Its successor now will get a good increased refresh charge, slimmer bezels, and sure a extra immersive content material consumption expertise.

In response to teasers shared by the corporate, the OnePlus 15 will characteristic 1.15mm skinny symmetrical bezels on all 4 sides — slimmer than even the iPhone 17 Professional. It helps a 165Hz refresh charge — a characteristic we have seen on LCD-equipped smartphones. Nevertheless, this could 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% improve in coloration accuracy. Additionally it is mentioned to scale back energy consumption by 10% and supply a 30% longer lifespan in comparison with the earlier technology.

The corporate is touting the OnePlus 15 as the primary Android device to assist true hardware-level 1-nit minimal brightness, licensed by TÜV Rheinland Good 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 OnePlus 15 is powered by Qualcomm’s strongest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SoC, which guarantees improved video efficiency, effectivity beneficial properties, and higher on-device personalised AI options. This processor is claimed to supply as much as a 25% improve in single-core workloads and as much as 20% in multi-core situations.

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. OnePlus has confirmed that the US variant of its new cellphone will pack a 7,300mAh battery with assist for 80W quick charging (as an alternative of the China mannequin’s 120W Tremendous Flash Charging) and a 50W Wi-fi Flash Charging.

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These battery and fast-charging numbers are industry-leading. For reference, the Galaxy S25 Extremely packs a mere 5,000mAh battery, whereas the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL comes geared up with a 5,200mAh capability. If the efficiency effectivity holds up, the OnePlus 15 may be very prone 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 digital camera, the partnership ended this September. As an alternative, the OnePlus 15 will characteristic the OnePlus DetailMax Engine, “designed not simply to seize the world however to disclose it in solely actual and clear methods,” in line with OnePlus co-founder Pete Lau.

The brand new OnePlus digital camera processing is alleged to be “designed from the bottom as much as ship the clearest and most actual photographs on a smartphone. It harnesses the complete potential of computational imaging to current scenes as they really are, with out over-beautification or distortion.” 

On his Weibo put up, he added, “The second you zoom in on a photograph, you will perceive why I am assured you will love the outcomes.”

When will the OnePlus 15 be launched?

The OnePlus 15 is now obtainable to buy in China. It was launched within the house market on Oct. 27, alongside the region-exclusive OnePlus Ace 6. The worldwide launch of the OnePlus 15 will happen on Nov. 13.

Whereas the US value is but to be introduced, the OnePlus 15 prices 4,899 Chinese language Yuan, which roughly interprets to $689, £515, and AU$1,050. It begins with 12GB of reminiscence and 256GB of storage and goes as much as 16GB of reminiscence coupled with 1TB of storage.

It will likely be fascinating to see if OnePlus brings all its variants to the worldwide market. Keep tuned to ZDNET for the most recent updates.

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