OnePlus 15 launches globally, but there’s some bad news for US availability

OnePlus launched the OnePlus 15 in China last month, and history suggested that we would have to wait until the new year for a wider launch. Thankfully, OnePlus just bucked this trend by launching its flagship phone globally today.

Unfortunately, OnePlus says the US government shutdown has resulted in a delayed OnePlus 15 release date:

As is the case with every smartphone manufacturer, the United States’ Federal Communications Commission certifies OnePlus devices before they are sold in the US. As a result of the government shutdown, device certifications have been delayed. Subsequently, US sales for the OnePlus 15 will be postponed until they have been secured. The OnePlus 15 has already finished all the required tests from the FCC’s recognized labs and the certification application has been formally submitted. We are hopeful that approvals can be generated quickly and as a result, we can bring the OnePlus 15 to our customers in the U.S. expeditiously.

OnePlus added that US consumers interested in buying the device can enter their contact details on OnePlus.com to be notified when the phone is available for purchase. This delay won’t affect other markets, including Canada, where sales kick off today.

The OnePlus 15 nevertheless brings a couple of major upgrades over the OnePlus 13. One of the most notable improvements is the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, which is backed by a cooling system consisting of a 3D vapor chamber, an “aerogel” cooling layer, and a white graphite layer. Interestingly, OnePlus claims that the phone offers “industry-first” always-on 120fps gaming with “no frame drops at all.” It’s unclear whether OnePlus is using frame interpolation and/or super-resolution to deliver this level of performance. This claim is also limited to just one game, namely Mobile Legends Bang Bang, while BGMI and PUBG Mobile achieve “almost always-on 120fps” gameplay.

Another significant upgrade is the 7,300mAh silicon-carbon battery (15% silicon content), with OnePlus claiming this is the biggest battery in a consumer smartphone in North America. That’s a big jump from the already impressive 6,000mAh battery seen on the OnePlus 13. OnePlus claims the battery will maintain 80% of its effective capacity after four years. The company told us that this equates to 1,400 charging cycles.

For what it’s worth, the OnePlus 15’s Chinese product page notes that the battery will retain 80% effective capacity after five years. The claim is predicated on a charging cycle every 1.35 days. This suggests that we’re looking at ~1,350 charging cycles based on these calculations. That would suggest improved longevity compared to the OnePlus 13 (1,000 charging cycles), but still short of the company’s lithium-ion batteries (1,600 cycles).

Once you’ve depleted the battery, you can get back up to speed with 120W wired charging outside North America. Meanwhile, North American consumers will have to settle on still-brisk 80W wired speeds. Fortunately, these users still get an 80W SuperVOOC charger in the box. Don’t care for cables? Then you can use 50W AirVOOC wireless charging. Just don’t expect integrated magnets for Qi2 MPP wireless charging.

The OnePlus 15’s 6.78-inch screen might divide long-time fans. Expect a 165Hz refresh rate, but this comes at the expense of display resolution. Yes, OnePlus has chosen to drop the resolution from QHD+ to 1.5K resolution (2,772 x 1,272). The company previously claimed that this resolution downgrade was necessary because there were no QHD+ 165Hz screens on the market, while adding that the OnePlus 15’s screen was actually more expensive than the OnePlus 13 display.

In any event, the display delivers 1,800 nits for high-brightness mode and continues a recent trend of offering just one nit of minimum brightness. You’re also getting 3,200Hz touch sampling, which should make for more responsive gaming. OnePlus is also switching from its in-house Ceramic Guard display protection to Gorilla Glass Victus 2.

There’s no other way to say this, but OnePlus has largely downgraded the OnePlus 15’s camera hardware compared to the OnePlus 13’s shooters. The phone still offers a triple 50MP rear camera setup, but the rear camera sensors are now smaller across the board. The main and telephoto cameras also see slightly smaller apertures. In any event, you’re getting a 50MP IMX906 main camera (f/1.8, 1/1.56-inch), a 50MP 3.5x JN5 periscope camera (f/2.8, 1/2.76-inch), and a 50MP OV50D ultrawide shooter (f/2.0, 1/2.88-inch). The periscope camera in particular has a longer reach than the OnePlus 13’s 3x shooter. Meanwhile, a 32MP IMX709 RGBW camera is on tap for selfie images and video calls.

The phone also lacks Hasselblad branding for the first time since the OnePlus 8 series, with OnePlus using a so-called “DetailMax Engine” instead. Furthermore, it now offers 26MP photos as part of the Ultra Clear Mode, as well as 10 Clear Burst photos a second (up from six), improved low-light snaps, LOG video recording (with live LUT previews), continuous zoom in portrait mode, 4K/120fps Dolby Vision capture, and a dedicated underwater mode.

Another potentially divisive decision is the addition of a remappable shortcut button in lieu of the long-standing alert slider. I’m not a fan of the alert slider, as I think a remappable button is far more practical, but it’s certainly a departure from previous OnePlus flagships. So I can understand if long-time fans are bummed about this switch.

As for design, the phone brings a flat screen, a flat frame, a squircle camera bump, and more rounded corners. OnePlus isn’t compromising ingress protection, either, as the OnePlus 15 is rated for IP66, IP68, IP69, and IP69K ratings. We’ve already told you that IP69 ratings are mostly a gimmick, but this should still give you some peace of mind.

Expect OxygenOS 16 atop Android 16, and this Android skin brings a number of additions, starting with Plus Mind. This feature lets you hit the Plus Key or perform a three-finger swipe to save “anything on your screen” to your Mind Space repository, complete with suggested actions based on the saved content. Plus Mind also has Gemini integration, so you can directly reference saved content in Google’s assistant.

Other notable software additions include an AI Recorder app with transcriptions and summaries, an AI Portrait Glow feature akin to Google Photos’ portrait lighting functionality, AI Scan to turn real-world items into a document (e.g., whiteboard notes), and Car Sick Mode. The OnePlus 15 offers four major OS updates and six years of security patches. That’s not on par with Samsung and Google, but it’s certainly not the worst update policy on the market.

Other hardware features include Bluetooth 6.0, an infrared blaster, an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor, USB 3.2 Gen 1 connectivity, and Wi-Fi 7.

OnePlus 15 pricing and availability

Keen on the latest OnePlus flagship? You can expect an $899.99 price tag for the 12GB/256GB model. Meanwhile, the 16GB/512GB option will be available for $999.99. The phone will be available in the US via Amazon, Best Buy, and OnePlus.com. The phone will be available in Sandstorm (with a fiberglass back), Infinite Black (with AG glass and matte finish), and Ultra Violet color options.

Needless to say, you’ll have to wait a little longer to get your hands on the device in the US due to the government shutdown. But the fact that the shutdown has since been lifted suggests that you won’t have to wait very long.