Battery beast
The design of the OnePlus 15 is so bland it’s almost as if OnePlus didn’t have any say during the ideation of the device. The result is that the OnePlus 15 doesn’t look like any other OnePlus phone, and the cameras aren’t as good as last year. You miss out on all the Hasselblad extras as well. The AMOLED panel may not be as high a resolution, but it absolutely doesn’t make a difference in daily use. The only thing the OnePlus 15 gets right is battery life; thanks to a much bigger 7,300mAh battery, the phone lasts up to two days.
Pros
- Huge battery lasts two days with medium use
- Great internals
- Good AMOLED panel
- IP68 and IP69 dust and water resistance
Cons
- Design doesn’t stand out as much as last year
- I don’t like the cameras
- Misses out on Hasselblad integration
Still the best all-rounder
The OnePlus 13 is what I’d buy right now; the phone has a better design, great cameras with Hasselblad tuning, powerful internals that show no signs of slowing down, and reliable battery life. While it costs the same as the OnePlus 15 in the U.S., that isn’t the case in all other global markets, and I’d recommend getting the OnePlus 13 if you need a new phone.
Pros
- Cameras take fabulous photos
- Elegant design that’s better to hold and use
- Internals are just as powerful
- Battery lasts a day and a half
- IP68 and IP69 dust and water resistance
- Better overall value
Cons
- Battery doesn’t last as long
OnePlus 15 vs. OnePlus 13: Design
I just don’t like the design of the OnePlus 15; it is antithetical to OnePlus’ long-established design ethos, and isn’t exciting in the least. It’s just a generic slab of a phone, and I don’t get how we got this design to follow the OnePlus 13. I’ll admit that I wasn’t a fan of the OnePlus 13 either when I saw the renders, but that changed as soon as I got my hands on the device.
The OnePlus 13 has a much-better in-hand feel, and I continue to like the unique leather texture at the back, along with the bright blue hue and the distinctive camera island — the OnePlus 15 doesn’t have any of that. The only thing in favor of the phone is that it is just as light as the OnePlus 13 in spite of a bigger battery.
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You don’t get the alert slider on the OnePlus 15, with the phone instead switching to a button. As someone who used the alert slider on every single OnePlus phone and always thought of the feature as a key differentiator, this is yet another signal that the OnePlus 15 is intentionally hobbled. Yes, the button has better configurability, but I don’t want that — I need a way to reliably change between ring and vibrate modes, and a toggle was the ideal way to do that.
Anyway, both phones get IP68 and IP69 dust and water resistance, and the OnePlus 15 switches to an ultrasonic in-screen module.
OnePlus 15 vs. OnePlus 13: Panel
A lot has been said about how the AMOLED panel on the OnePlus 15 is a downgrade because of the lower 1.5K resolution. It’s clear that the individuals saying this haven’t actually used the phone, because it doesn’t really matter — the panel is just as detailed, and I didn’t see any difference when using it alongside the OnePlus 13.
The OnePlus 13 gets a higher 2K resolution panel, and it is just as bright, with vibrant colors out of the box. You can’t go wrong with either device, and there’s decent onboard sound as well.
OnePlus 15 vs. OnePlus 13: Hardware and battery
OnePlus is positioning the OnePlus 15 as a gaming phone, but it failed to address thermal throttling issues. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 runs even hotter than the Snapdragon 8 Elite in my testing, and the only way to control the thermals is to throttle the chipset aggressively, which the OnePlus 15 does.
It gets noticeably hotter as well, exceeding 50 degrees Celsius (122 F) in my testing, and there’s plenty of throttling during extended gaming sessions. The heat extends to the back and even the mid-frame, making it uncomfortable to hold the device reliably. So while you get better framerates in select titles, there’s also a greater potential to overheat.
And although the OnePlus 13 launched a year ago, I don’t see any issues with the hardware at all — it holds up just as well. It also tends to overheat, but it isn’t quite as extreme as the OnePlus 15, and it handles demanding games with ease.
The only category where the OnePlus 15 has a definite edge is the battery life. Thanks to a massive 7,300mAh battery, the phone manages to last up to two days on a full charge — the only other device that did a better job was the Find X9 Pro. This isn’t to say that the OnePlus 13 is any less of a powerhouse; the phone still lasts a day and a half, but it doesn’t have the same battery longevity.
OnePlus 15 vs. OnePlus 13: Cameras
With almost every new phone, you get better cameras; if anything, it’s a given that this is the only area where there’s a tangible difference these days. That isn’t the case with the OnePlus 15; the phone has a trio of 50MP cameras, but they have smaller sensors than the OnePlus 13, and that just doesn’t make sense to me.
What’s just as annoying is that the OnePlus 15 misses out on Hasselblad tuning. This is something that I enjoy using on OnePlus phones, and while I get devices like the OnePlus 13R not having it, but for the OnePlus 15 to also miss out is just an egregious omission. Thankfully, the OnePlus 13 doesn’t have this shortcoming.
The OnePlus 15 takes good photos and videos in its own right, but the OnePlus 13 does a better job in challenging situations, and I like the color science of that device.
OnePlus 15 vs. OnePlus 13: Software
I’m not going to talk too much about the software, as both the OnePlus 15 and OnePlus 13 now run the Android 16-based OxygenOS. Unlike Samsung’s phones, you don’t get any new software features on the OnePlus 15, and the UI itself is nearly identical to that of iOS 26.
I don’t get why the interface isn’t called ColorOS, because it is identical to what you see on the Find X9 and X9 Pro — the only difference is the name. The UI has good fluidity, and I like the new design, even if there isn’t much in the way of originality left. Nothing much has changed when it comes to software updates either, with both phones slated to get four Android OS updates and six years of security updates.
OnePlus 15 vs. OnePlus 13: Which should you buy?
I’ll make this easy: if you live in North America, you should get the OnePlus 15. There’s a clear shortage of good phones in the region, with just the Pixel 10 and Galaxy S25 serving as viable alternatives to the OnePlus 15.
There’s also the fact that the OnePlus 13 costs the same as the OnePlus 15 in the U.S., so you’re not really shelling out anything extra to get the newer phone. I’d still consider waiting to see if the OnePlus 13 goes on sale, because in that scenario, it is a better phone. Other than that, the OnePlus 15 is what I’d suggest.
In every other country, the OnePlus 13 continues to be the better choice; it doesn’t cost as much, while still delivering a better camera system, sleeker design that’s great to hold, and terrific internals. If anything, the only thing you’re missing out by not getting the OnePlus 15 is the battery life, but it isn’t like the OnePlus 13 is a slouch in this regard — my unit still manages to last a day and a half.
Battery beast
It should be clear by now that I don’t like the phone. I think OnePlus messed up with the device, and unless you live in North America, you shouldn’t buy this phone.
Still the best all-rounder
The OnePlus 13 continues to be my recommendation; I like the design and tuning of the cameras better than the OnePlus 15, and I don’t see any difference between the two in day-to-day use. With the phone set to go on sale, it is poised to be an even better value.