As a Chinese brand, OnePlus skips the number 14 for cultural reasons, though after using the OnePlus 15 and its camera, I’m more likely to suggest the previous model was the lucky one. As a phone, the device is very impressive thanks to its outstanding battery life, gaming features, and superb software experience. Yet, as a camera system, it presents results that don’t feel like a worthy successor.
That doesn’t mean it’s a bad phone — far from it. It’s just that when a brand takes a significant imaging step forward in the previous iteration, cannibalizing resources for the camera next time around feels like an odd strategy to stand out as an alternative to stagnant competitors.
Some of this is software-based, so there’s potential to patch things with updates, but it’s hard to make up for hardware choices that limit the camera’s capabilities to begin with.
OnePlus 15 Review: Design and Build
After years of bold and often beautiful designs, the OnePlus 15 looks… well, pretty ordinary. It’s certainly sleek, but by going with a squared camera module in the corner, it loses some of the identity it carved out over the years through flashy back panels and rounded camera bumps. My Infinite Black review unit has a nice, slightly textured matte finish, except it lacks the fiberglass panel of the Sandstone variant and the visual pop of the Ultra Violet model. All share the same IP68/69 dust- and water-resistant rating.
OnePlus made some waves by being the first Android phone manufacturer to embrace MagSafe with the OnePlus 13, albeit through its own cases rather than built into the device itself. Almost a year later, Google is the one to integrate the technology into its latest devices, with OnePlus choosing not to do so again. The company’s rationale is vague, though it may have at least something to do with the combination of hardware changes inside.
The 7300mAh battery is a key one, standing out for its sheer capacity that delivers in spades. While North America only gets the 80W charger, other markets get the 120W charger. Not only does it charge ridiculously fast, but it also lasts longer than probably any Android phone I can think of. Then there’s the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor coupled with better RAM and OnePlus’ 360 Cryo-Velocity cooling system to improve thermals.
There’s even an aerogel material to insulate the 6.78-inch LPTO display (2772 x 1272). On paper, the display looks like a downgrade from the 2K resolution of the past, but OnePlus says it had no choice. To achieve the maximum 165Hz refresh rate (that only kicks in for gaming), it had to go with a 1.5K display since a higher-resolution option that can hit 165Hz doesn’t exist yet.
Configurations are limited to either 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage or 16GB of RAM and 512GB.
OnePlus 15 Review: Camera Features
The biggest casualty — physically speaking, at least — is the makeup of the camera system. All three rear image sensors are smaller than those in the OnePlus 13. Moreover, Hasselblad is out as a collaborative partner (though it still works with Oppo, OnePlus’ parent company), leaving the new in-house DetailMax Engine to carry on the imaging pipeline.
The main camera has a 50-megapixel (24mm equivalent) Sony IMX906 Type 1/1.56-inch image sensor with f/1.8 aperture. As always, all images are pixel-binned down to 12.5 megapixels unless you shoot in Hi-Res mode. And yet again, OnePlus inexplicably doesn’t allow full 50-megapixel RAW capture in Master mode, leaving you with little flexibility for additional detail when you want to process images yourself.
After going with a more interesting Sony LYT-600 sensor and periscope lens for the 50-megapixel telephoto on the OnePlus 13, the 15 is relegated to a Samsung JN5 Type 1/2.76-inch sensor with an f/2.8 aperture. Apart from the smaller sensor, this also has a tighter aperture than before, and coupled with the 3.5x optical (85mm equivalent) and 7x hybrid zoom (170mm equivalent) options, gathering light in low-light conditions is challenging.
This is all the more interesting since OnePlus used the JN5 sensor for the 13’s ultra-wide camera. Here, the 50-megapixel ultra-wide (16mm equivalent) uses a slightly smaller OmniVision OV50D, a Type 1/2.88-inch sensor with an f/2 aperture and a 116-degree field of view.
The 32-megapixel front camera (21mm equivalent) moves on to the Sony IMX709 image sensor with f/2.4 aperture, autofocus, and electronic image stabilization.
With Hasselblad now gone, OnePlus also loses the ALC coating covering the rear module, supposedly replaced with something else the company doesn’t really talk about.
OnePlus 15 Review: Camera App Changes Only a Little
The software story is one that splits into three directions. On the one hand, much of the camera app remains intact, with menus and options largely standing pat and appearing as they did before. Aside from small visual treatments like replacing the orange trim with yellow, the only other additions are three new film filters available in most modes.
OnePlus removes Hasselblad’s XPan mode and brings in a new underwater mode specially designed to disable the screen’s touch sensitivity and only enable the volume buttons and power button to navigate. Press volume up to take a photo, or hold it to switch lenses. Press volume down to start recording video. Press the power button to turn the screen off or hold it to exit underwater mode. I didn’t get a chance to try this, so I can’t really tell how effective it is, but having used the OnePlus 13 with a waterproof pouch in Maui several months ago, this is a welcome move.
The only catch is that focusing on any subject entirely depends on the camera app’s own subject recognition, which is hard to assess given both distance and speed. I take it this is more to capture a submerged person rather than snorkeling for sea turtles, but I’ll have to reserve judgment until I can see for myself. It’s definitely not for diving, and OnePlus still recommends using a waterproof case and limiting exposure to no more than 30 minutes.
Another notable software change is in the Action mode attached to the main Photo mode, where shooting in burst mode now goes up to 10fps from 6fps previously. I can attest to the speed, though the same slight split-second shutter lag carries over from the previous phone, so you have to time things just right.
OnePlus’s own Dual Exposure Algorithm simultaneously captures a short exposure to freeze a subject, a long exposure to capture other details,, and then mergesmerges them into a photo that doesn’t come out blurry. This was vastly improved in the 13, yet feels like less of a step forward here, owing mostly to the fact that subject detection can’t keep up with some moving subjects. You also have to remember to turn Action mode on in the app, or it reverts after a while if you don’t take a photo with it.
OnePlus 15 Review: Diving Deeper into AI
AI represents another focus in the broader software story. The Plus Key is a button on the left edge that replaces the Alert Slider, a staple on OnePlus phones for years. The button isn’t exclusively an AI one, though OnePlus nudges users in that direction by suggesting it as a shortcut to its Mind Space platform. This works in a very similar way to Nothing’s Essentials platform on the Nothing Phone 3.
The idea is all too familiar, too. Take screenshots of anything you find interesting or want to look into later, make notes, record voice memories (ideas, reminders, scheduling), and save them together in collections. While Nothing integrates its own concept with ChatGPT, OnePlus leans into Gemini. The more information you put into a collection, the more the Google-trained AI can help organize or make sense of it all. At least that’s the practical premise behind it.
The AI Editor in the Photos app also includes some new additions, though they’re more closely tied to OnePlus’ OxygenOS 16 rollout than to this particular phone. AI Recompose, AI Portrait Glow, and AI Perfect Shot join the original four options. The latter two only work when there’s a human face in the photo, so they don’t pack a big punch on a wider set of images.
Of the original ones, AI Eraser gets a little better at not making a mess when removing a person or object, but it can still be hit-or-miss depending on the scene’s complexity. Since all the AI features are cloud-based, they improve over time, but OnePlus offers no on-device alternative. You could always venture over to Google Photos and use Magic Eraser if you feel you need something else for removal.
OnePlus 15 Review: Image Quality
New Processing, New Look
I had the luxury of reviewing the OnePlus 15 at the same time as the Oppo Find X9 Pro and kept the OnePlus 13 handy for comparison’s sake. I’ll delve in further, but am also addressing the cameras as a unit here because certain things diverge, whereas others seem to affect the rear array in similar ways.
The most obvious change is that the color science and processing aren’t quite the same. While good photos are very attainable with this phone, pixel peeping reveals a softness that doesn’t feel right to me. I often switched to 28mm and 35mm crops of the main sensor to gauge variable output. OnePlus did a great job of achieving sharpness with the 13, which didn’t come across as heavy-handed or overly artificial. In this case, it’s like the dial turned back further. Despite the company’s claims that its DetailMax Engine is a prime-time replacement, I had to edit photos far more often with this phone than with its predecessor.
Colors are another reason why. Unless there’s a lot of sun or intense ambient light, image processing tends to lean toward holding back. I’m all for avoiding oversaturation, but when the resulting image looks too muted compared to what my eyes see, there’s a consistent issue. This became more apparent when comparing the same shots to Oppo’s latest flagship, which benefits from the Hasselblad infusion and larger image sensors.
OnePlus’ ProXDR also comes into play here, and while you can turn off HDR in most photo modes, the image signal processor still applies it anyway. Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip offers a lot of power to handle more complex processing, but it also depends on what manufacturers are willing to use. That’s part of the mystery with the 15.
In most cases, when I applied some editing to images, they came out looking more dynamic and interesting, suggesting that all’s not lost from the previous model. Blind tests with friends and acquaintances also proved very telling: they didn’t usually choose photos from this phone as the best among the varying options I showed them. When given an edit, however, even just from the editor in the Photos app, reactions grew more positive.
Telephoto Shots
OnePlus restrains its telephoto camera at a time when competitors are trying to ramp theirs up. Coming from the Vivo X300 Pro, the OnePlus 15 just feels like a laggard. It has a hit-or-miss quality to it, but I’ll tell you, when it hits, it can deliver surprising results. When it doesn’t, however, you’re left wondering why. Putting it on a leash with a smaller sensor and tighter aperture means low-light shots won’t be as good as before, though again, some editing can breathe life into otherwise drab images.
Despite the clear signs, DetailMax still has work to do, but I’m impressed by how it handles white balance, in that it doesn’t necessarily produce overtly warm or cool tones. The issue is that tonality isn’t consistent across the three rear cameras. I could take a shot with the main camera and notice that the color and tone differ from what I get when using the telephoto. Those fish were swimming in a tank that wasn’t that blue. Incidentally, the iPhone 17 Pro was even worse at capturing the proper tone in that fish tank. This doesn’t tend to affect the Portrait mode much at all, but it’s something you’ll likely notice whenever it happens.
The dynamic range is pretty good with the telephoto under the circumstances, including beyond the 3.5x optical zoom. Tap the 7x twice, and you can take it to a 243mm equivalent hybrid zoom. There’s AI involved in the processing at this distance, though it seems to depend on what the scene or subject is. When capturing a floating pigeon, I could see the water render in real time as I took the photo.
When it comes to action shots on either the main or telephoto cameras, OnePlus still can’t match the precision coming from Vivo or Xiaomi, but it’s significantly better than what you’ll get from Apple, Samsung, and Google. Those three pay no real attention to action photography, nor to long exposure images. The OnePlus 15 doesn’t change a whole lot on the latter but there’s room for cool experimentation in that mode. I personally recommend trying the Water and Clouds setting for moving vehicles to create a cool blur effect that works best with vehicles that are early in their acceleration.
Instead of full-res RAW or always pixel-binned images, OnePlus introduces Ultra Clear, an automatic setting that captures daylight photos at 26 megapixels by fusing multiple 12-megapixel frames to widen dynamic range, then uses a full-res 50-megapixel frame to produce the resulting photo. There’s no on/off toggle for this, and it kicks in with either the main or telephoto camera purely based on daylight conditions. It never does well in low light or most indoor photos.
The ultra-wide camera is a nice utility camera to use when you want to add some perspective to a shot, and that’s what this one does best. Details get a bit mushy around the edges, only with good results under decent lighting.
Video Features
OnePlus is clearly placing greater emphasis on video this time, with a new Pro Video mode offering manual control over composition, including the ability to record in log. It effectively replaces the previous Movie mode and comes off as a more efficient and varied recording option. In both the regular Video and Pro modes, you can record 4K footage at 120fps, as well as 24fps for that cinematic look. Despite that, Slo-Mo and Time-Lapse are still available, as is Dual-View Video. For 8K, that’s still only in Video mode.
OnePlus 15 Review: Big Steps Forward, but Not for the Camera
OnePlus does a lot right with its phones. OxygenOS is superb and only gets better as a smooth and customizable Android overlay. The 15 has arguably the best battery life of any phone entering North American shores. It outlasted the iPhone 17 Pro by a full 12 hours with similar usage, and charged back up twice as fast. The battery alone is just unbelievable. It’s a beast of a mobile gaming machine, has a toughness to it that is easy to appreciate, and offers several cool options in the settings. I also didn’t experience the same worrying thermal issues others note about the device, despite using it as my daily driver.
So, as a day-to-day phone, the OnePlus 15 is solid and reliable. I just can’t say that its cameras drive that experience in an impactful way. Coming from an iPhone, Samsung, or Pixel device, there’s real value here despite the camera’s baby steps. You do need to put in more work to get more out of your photos but at least you gain more flexibility in the types of shots you can take compared to those three.
Unfortunately for OnePlus, it’s forced to ask consumers to pay full price to get one since carriers in Canada and the U.S. still don’t carry the company’s devices. Compatibility isn’t the issue at all. This phone works just fine everywhere.
Fortunately, the price hasn’t gone up, making OnePlus’ trade-in program a valuable way to knock down the $900 starting price. It will take a wide range of phones, tablets, and wearables, including those from competitor brands, and you can immediately see the trade-in value through the webhttps://creatorkitdepot.com/. OnePlus offers four years of Android updates and six years of security updates, still trailing behind Samsung and Google, which offer seven years of both.
Are There Alternatives?
I’d say the OnePlus 13 is still a very viable option. It runs OxygenOS 16 for a similar software experience, has three more years of Android updates, and retains top-class battery life. Much like other OnePlus devices, I have every confidence it will work for the long haul. If you want to steer clear of the Samsung-Google Android duopoly in North America, the Nothing Phone 3 is a solid option as well, offering a very competitive camera system in its own right.
The Google Pixel 10 Pro is a marginal upgrade from the previous generation, with AI-driven features taking precedence over any hardware changes (i.e. there are none). The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is about to get a successor made all the more interesting by what the Korean giant chooses to do with the S26 Ultra.
Chinese-branded models, like the Vivo X300 Pro and Xiaomi 15 Ultra, are better choices for photography than anything Google or Samsung offer right now. Honor is set to launch its new flagship, the Magic 8 Pro. For a very similar experience to OnePlus, the Oppo Find X9 Pro feels like the same phone on the software side. Many of the settings I note here are available on it, too. Plus, it has a better camera system.
For iOS users, the iPhone 17 Pro is probably the best option (the iPhone Air has a pedestrian single camera), but I’ve not been overly impressed with its still photography thus far. Great for video, though.
Should You Buy It?
Not exclusively for the camera. If you prioritize battery life, charging speed, raw power, and custom flexibility, the OnePlus 15 won’t disappoint. The camera just doesn’t do enough to build on the successes of the previous model, and unless or until software updates patch things up, it’s hard to recommend it over others.
