OnePlus 15 (2026): Launch Date, Expected Price in India, Full Specs, Display, Processor, Camera, Battery, Charging, AI Features, Variants, Colours & Availability

It is January 2026, and the smartphone world has officially gone crazy. While Samsung and Apple are fighting over AI tricks, OnePlus has done something far more practical: they gave us a 7300mAh battery inside a normal-sized phone.

Yes, you read that right. The OnePlus 15 (skipping the unlucky number 14) is here, and it feels like a distinct shift in strategy. The Hasselblad branding is gone, replaced by OnePlus’s own “DetailMax Engine.” The curves are gone, replaced by a flat, industrial design. And the processor is the beastly Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.

Priced at ₹72,999, it sits in the premium territory. But is it just a specs sheet hero, or does it actually deliver in the real world? I’ve been using the OnePlus 15 as my daily driver for two weeks to find out.

1. QUICK SPECS TABLE: The Numbers Game

2. DESIGN & BUILD: Flat is the New Curved

Remember when OnePlus loved curved screens? That love affair is over. The OnePlus 15 embraces the “Flat Era” with razor-thin 1.15mm bezels that look absolutely stunning.

• The Material: The back isn’t just glass; it uses a Nano-Ceramic finish (especially on the Sand Storm variant) that feels like smooth stone and is virtually unscratchable.
• The Camera Module: The circular “toilet seat” design is tweaked. It’s now a rounded square that blends into the frame, looking much cleaner than the OnePlus 12 or 13.
• The Alert Slider: Thankfully, it’s still here on the left side, and it has a new knurled texture for better grip.
• In-Hand Feel: Despite packing a 7300mAh battery, it weighs 215g. It’s heavy, yes, but the weight distribution is excellent. It doesn’t feel top-heavy like the S25 Ultra.

3. DISPLAY: 165Hz Overkill?

OnePlus has bumped the refresh rate to 165Hz. Do you need it? Probably not. Does it feel good? Absolutely.

• Smoothness: Scrolling through X (Twitter) or Instagram is buttery smooth. The LTPO 5.0 tech drops it down to 1Hz instantly when you stop scrolling to save juice.
• Brightness: It hits a peak of 4500 nits (claimed). In real-world usage under the Mumbai sun, it stayed visible without washing out colors.
• Dolby Vision: Watching House of the Dragon on Netflix is a treat. The blacks are inky deep, and the contrast is cinema-level.

6. PERFORMANCE: The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5

This is the first phone in India to debut the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.

• The Benchmarks: It scores over 3.6 Million on AnTuTu. These are laptop-level numbers.
• Gaming Test: I played Genshin Impact at Max Settings/60fps. After 45 minutes, the phone was warm (42°C) but frame drops were non-existent. The new Cryo-Velocity Vapor Chamber (which is massive) does its job well.
• Daily Usage: With 16GB of LPDDR5X Ultra RAM, apps stay open in the background forever. I went back to a YouTube video I paused yesterday, and it was still there.

4. CAMERA: Life After Hasselblad

The 5-year partnership with Hasselblad has ended. Now, we have the “DetailMax Engine.” Is it a downgrade?

• Main Sensor (50MP Sony LYT-900 equivalent): The color science has changed. It’s less “moody” and more vibrant. Reds pop more, and shadows are slightly lifted. It looks more “social media ready” out of the box.
• The Zoom (50MP 3.5x Periscope): This is the star. The 3.5x optical zoom is razor-sharp. Even at 10x hybrid zoom, the AI cleans up text and textures beautifully. It rivals the Pixel 10 Pro easily.
• Low Light: The “Clear Night Engine” is aggressive. It turns night into day, sometimes a bit too artificially. You might want to dial down the exposure manually.

The Verdict on Camera: It’s great, but it lacks the “soul” and unique color calibration that Hasselblad brought. It feels a bit generic, though technically superior.

Read More: Apple iPhone Fold

5. BATTERY & ENDURANCE: The 2-Day Dream

This is why you buy this phone. Period.

• The Tech: Silicon-Carbon (Glacier Battery) technology allows higher density.
• Real World Test:
  • Start: 8:00 AM (100%)
  • Usage: 2 hours 5G navigation, 3 hours gaming, always-on display active, heavy camera use.
  • End: 11:00 PM (48% Remaining)
• The Conclusion: You literally cannot kill this phone in a single day unless you try really hard. For light users, this is a 2.5-day phone.
• Charging: The 120W SuperVOOC tops it up 0-100% in roughly 34 minutes. It’s slightly slower than previous 100W phones because the battery is huge, but 34 minutes for 2 days of power is a fair trade.

6. THE COMPETITION: OnePlus 15 vs The World

We auto-analyzed the segment. The main rivals are the iQOO 15 and the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S26.

The Comparison:

• Vs iQOO 15: iQOO is cheaper and charges faster, but OnePlus has a better build quality, better cameras, and cleaner software (OxygenOS 16 is still better than Funtouch).
• Vs Samsung S26: Samsung will win on Video recording and AI features, but the OnePlus 15 destroys it on Battery Life and Charging speed.

7. FINAL VERDICT: The King of Endurance

Rating: 4.6/5 Stars

The OnePlus 15 is boring in the best way possible. It doesn’t have a folding screen or a titanium gimmicky frame. It just gives you the best processor in the world and a battery that refuses to die.

It is the most practical flagship of 2026.

Buy it if:

1. You have Battery Anxiety: The 7300mAh cell changes your life. You stop looking for chargers.
2. You want Performance: The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is future-proof for the next 4 years.
3. You prefer Flat Screens: No more accidental touches on curved edges.

Skip it if:

1. You miss Hasselblad: If you loved that specific color look, the new processing might look too “digital” for you.
2. You want a Compact Phone: It’s big, and it’s heavy (215g).
3. You need the best Video Camera: The iPhone 17 and Samsung S26 are still better for videography.

8. FAQs (People Also Ask)