I spent two weeks with the OnePlus 15R, and it's forever raised my expectations for smartphone battery life

Date:
Sat, 09 May 2026 14:00:00 +0000

Description:
Even with a missing telephoto lens, the OnePlus 15R's massive new battery makes it unbeatable in its category.

FULL STORY ======================================================================OnePlus 15R: two-minute review Even though the competition among the latest mid-range phones has never been hotter, OnePlus offerings have certainly held their own against those from Samsung , Apple , and Google . The OnePlus 13R managed to hit a home run in practically every area, from battery life to performance,
so constructing a successor was always going to be a tall order (to avoid confusion, there was no OnePlus 14R).

For the OnePlus 15R, the company has gone in a slightly different direction. Dont get me wrong, its an amazing phone, but it lacks the one big upgrade
that was added in the 13R: a telephoto lens. While that fact alone is sure to turn some potential adopters towards triple-sensor phones like the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro and Xiaomi 15T Pro , know that there is a trade-off at play with the OnePlus 15R.

By doing away with the telephoto lens, OnePlus has given the 15Rs battery a boost. It boasts a larger 7,400mAh cell than its predecessor, which can
easily see most users through two days at a time, and it certainly means that you wont have anything to worry about over a single day. As someone who uses their phone for a lot of things, including checking up on social media, hotspotting to other devices, and listening to audiobooks and podcasts, I prefer having the larger battery. Latest Videos From (Image credit: Future) Plus, the phone's 50MP main camera still takes amazing shots, especially during the daytime. Colors look amazing, and the upgraded 32MP front camera does the rare thing of capturing selfies that Id actually want to share online. OnePlus 15R at Amazon for 506.10 There are other welcome upgrades, too, including a move to the more powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset which rarely buckled in my time using it (even while running more demanding games) and the faster 165Hz refresh rate, which has been pinched straight from the excellent OnePlus 15 .

If it wasnt for the fact that youre only getting four years of software updates (with six years of security patches), then Id be giving the OnePlus 15R a higher score. But for anyone whos happy to upgrade again in roughly
four years time, youll have a blast with this good-looking, long-lasting mid-ranger. OnePlus 15R review: price and availability Starts at $699.99 /
649 for 12GB of RAM and 256GB storage Although cheaper than its predecessor
in the UK, the phone is $100 more expensive in the US It's not available in Australia The OnePlus 15R is available in two storage configurations, 256GB and 512GB (both of which come with 12GB RAM), and is currently sold in the
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It starts at $699.99/ 649, but that price jumps up to $799.99 / 729 if you want the extra internal storage, which may be more tempting to those who prefer to avoid cloud storage costs.

Oddly enough, depending on where youre buying the OnePlus 15R, its either slightly cheaper than its predecessor or significantly more expensive. The OnePlus 13R had a starting price of 679 in the UK, making the 15R just a tad more cost-effective as an upgrade. But for buyers in the US, youre looking at an extra $100, which feels utterly absurd. I fully understand that price increases are, unfortunately, becoming the norm in the current economic climate (just take a look at the Samsung Galaxy S26 range), but this is such
a massive increase for a mid-range phone that the 15R risks pricing itself
out of affordability entirely.

So, if you are in the US and you want a decent mid-range phone that doesnt cost a fortune, you might be better suited with the iPhone 17e or Nothing Phone (4a) Pro . Value score: 4 / 5 OnePlus 15R review: specs Easily the most eye-catching of all the OnePlus 15R's specs is its 7,400mAh battery, which is one of the largest phone batteries you can get outside of China. The 15R's cell is even slightly bigger than the 7,300mAh equivalent found within the flagship OnePlus 15.

Here are the specs for the OnePlus 15R in full: Swipe to scroll horizontally

Dimensions:

163.41 x 77.04 x 8.3mm

Weight

213g/219g

Chipset:

Snapdragon 8 Gen 5

Operating system:

OxygenOS 16

RAM:

12GB

Storage:

256GB/512GB

Display:

6.83-inch 1272 x 2800 AMOLED, 165Hz

Cameras:

50MP wide, 8MP ultra-wide, 32MP front

Battery:

7,400mAh

Charging:

80W wired charging OnePlus 15R review: design Image 1 of 3 (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) Same design language as the OnePlus 15 and OnePlus Nord 5 More durable build than before One of the best things I can say about the OnePlus 15R is that, when you hold it in your hand for the first time, theres nothing about it that suggests it costs anything less than the current crop of flagship smartphones. It packs an aluminum frame and a glass rear panel, which feels very premium it reminds
me a great deal of the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE , a phone that also punches
above its weight on the design front.

From a visual standpoint, the OnePlus 15R is a departure from the OnePlus
13R, especially as the round camera bump has been ditched for a slightly more rectangular one. But this aesthetic aligns with OnePlus' most recent phones.

Both the OnePlus 15 and OnePlus Nord 5 opted for a more professional look versus their respective predecessors. Their camera bumps and chassis adhere
to a single color, making the marble-like aesthetic of the OnePlus 12 feel like a lifetime away. If I'm being completely honest, I did find the overall look of the Nord 5 to be a tad mundane, but this approach feels far more at home on the 15R because of one thing: the Mint Breeze colorway.

This lighter green option, which Ive had in for review, is just stunning. Although I do have a penchant for any tech that comes in green, I think the injection of color here makes the overall look of the OnePlus 15R more exciting than the Charcoal Black option. Its a similar story with the Ultra Violet OnePlus 15, and I only hope that more companies follow suit.

All of the OnePlus 15Rs good looks arent just for show, however, as the phone is now a great deal more durable than before, boasting IP66, IP68, IP69, and IP69K certifications. While that might sound like a lot of jargon, it basically means that the 15R can do a lot more to withstand the elements than its predecessor, which is great to see in the mid-range market.

I do, however, think that the slightly larger build of the 15R can make
things a bit difficult when reaching for the top of the display. This wont be an issue for everyone, but I did find myself having to rely on both hands fairly often to comfortably use the device, although its nowhere near as cumbersome as something like the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra , with its 6.9-inch screen. Design score: 4.5 / 5 OnePlus 15R review: display (Image credit: Future) The 6.83-inch screen is larger than the 13R's Screen brightness peaks at a slightly lesser 3600 nits Ill never fully understand the urge for phone manufacturers to go bigger when it comes to displays, but for whatever
reason, OnePlus has decided to ditch the 6.78-inch norm of the last two R-series phones and adopt a 6.83-inch panel instead. Like I said before, the slightly larger build now means that the OnePlus 15R is just a bit too big to be comfortably used one-handed (something like the Honor Magic 8 Pro s 6.71-inch panel hits the sweet spot for me), but theres still a lot to like about this display.

The larger panel makes the phone great for a bit of entertainment, and Ive really enjoyed using the OnePlus 15R to catch up on the latest season of Invincible , as it depicts the shows colorful visuals with eye-catching intensity. Plus, with more room for having multiple apps open side by side, OnePlus Open Canvas multitasking software works like a charm here.

When it comes to screen brightness, there is a slight downgrade at play, but
I dont think its a dealbreaker for the phone. Instead of the 4,500 nits of peak brightness possible on the OnePlus 13R for HDR content, the 15R now tops out at 3,600, but I never found myself squinting at the screen when trying to take a picture outdoors or check train times. Plus, its still a brighter display than you'll get on a lot of phones in this price range (the iPhone 17e, for instance, can only reach 1200 nits). (Image credit: Future) What is more impressive, and something Im far happier to have as a trade-off on
screen brightness, is the 165Hz refresh rate pinched from the flagship
OnePlus 15. The faster speed here is perfect for gaming, and for a fast-paced title like Call of Duty : Mobile , it just goes that extra step in drawing
you into the action. It also makes everything from social media scrolling to web browsing feel that much smoother.

As a final note, the OnePlus 15R's screen itself is also very responsive,
with a great feeling of cohesion between the fast refresh rate and the
onboard chipset to the point where using the phone never really feels like a mid-range experience. I think that if you were to hand the 15R to someone without providing any background information, they would just assume that its a flagship device, which is a great compliment. Display score: 4.5 / 5
OnePlus 15R review: software (Image credit: Future) OxygenOS remains one of the best Android overlays Four years of software updates, six for security patches One thing I always love about reviewing OnePlus products is that I
get to step back into the OxygenOS platform, which is a big step up compared to some other Android overlays that are filled to the brim with bloatware and unintuitive designs. From a software perspective, its like getting into a comforting warm bath everything just works as youd hope, and because the experience isnt filled with pre-installed third-party apps, theres very
little friction from the jump.

As a new dad, I now have to rely on my phone a lot more than usual for
getting work done during small pockets of time throughout the day, and to
that end, the OnePlus 15R has been very helpful via its Open Canvas software. If you havent used it, just know that Open Canvas is one of the best examples of multitasking done right on Android, and the whole thing shines
particularly on the OnePlus Pad 3 , but its still just as good on a smartphone.

You can have one app on top of another in a 50/50 split or, as I prefer to have it, a 90/10 split that allows me to swap between two mostly full-screen apps in just a tap, which is very helpful for writing in Google Docs while checking my review notes in Google Keep. When in this mode, Ive also been
able to open a windowed version of WhatsApp to quickly respond to a message, all without ever closing the multitasking setup. It all works seamlessly, and its right up there with what Samsung provides through One UI.

When it comes to artificial intelligence, OnePlus suite of AI features isnt quite as robust as Samsungs Galaxy AI platter, but I feel that its definitely a step up from Honor AI, which feels as if its constantly thrust at the user and just isnt very good at what it attempts to do. By comparison, OnePlus AI does a few things quite well, but theres still plenty of room for
improvement. (Image credit: Future) OnePlus Mind Space, which isnt too dissimilar to Essential Space found on the Nothing Phone (4a) and (4a) Pro, acts as a hub for notes, screenshots, and voice recordings, all of which can then be analysed by the onboard AI to provide more detailed information. For instance, a quick photo of my desk, which features a mouse mat with Stormtroopers on it, led the AI to tell me all about the Star Wars universe and what it entails.

I do think that theres a lot of potential here, but I would like to use Mind Space as a means of collecting interesting articles Ive come across online, and when I attempted to do just that with the dedicated Plus Key, which activates Mind Space, it could only collect a single screenshot and wouldnt save the link to the article either. Thankfully, the AI tools available when browsing the web are a lot better.

For when Im pushed for time, I find AI article summaries to be incredibly helpful for staying in the loop with the latest tech launches, and the style that OnePlus employs is easily among the best out there. It works very quickly, and it does a great job of highlighting key points in either a detailed or concise format. What I most appreciate, however, is that it never feels as if OnePlus is pushing you to use these AI features. Theyre readily available for when you need them, but theyre also easily ignored if you have no taste for the software, which is an approach that a few other
manufacturers could definitely take note of.

In terms of support over time, OnePlus promises a total of four years worth
of software updates and six years of security patches to extend that
lifecycle a bit further. Four years isnt bad, but it pales in comparison to the six years of support that you'll get with the Samsung Galaxy A57 or
Google Pixel 10a , so its worth having a think about how long youre comfortable with waiting before your next upgrade. Software score: 4 / 5 OnePlus 15R review: cameras (Image credit: Future) 50MP wide angle, 8MP ultra-wide, and 32MP front camera Last year's telephoto lens is gone Although the OnePlus 15R comes out swinging in most other categories, the one area where theres been an undeniable step backwards is in the camera department. One of the big additions to the OnePlus 13R was the inclusion of a 50MP 2x telephoto lens, which was great for capturing subjects that were just out of reach for the main camera. Alas, that telephoto lens is nowhere to be seen on the 15R, which I can only assume is a trade-off for its much larger battery.

Whats left is a 50MP (f/1.8) wide-angle lens and an 8MP (f/2.2) ultra-wide, both of which are identical to the ones found on the 13R. The only part of
the camera set-up thats had any kind of upgrade is the selfie camera, which has jumped from 16MP to 32MP. With that kind of reality facing potential adopters, the 15R is certainly not a must-buy for anyone who already owns the 13R, and if youre interested in smartphone photography above all, then you
may want to buy that older handset anyway, now that it can be found for less. For most people, however, I think theyll get on just fine with what the OnePlus 15R has to offer.

Not too dissimilar to the latest Google Pixel phones, Ive always found
OnePlus eye for color to be very attractive, and here its backed up by the large megapixel count of the main camera to produce very sharp pictures that look great on the 15Rs display.

Taking the phone down to a nearby canal during a sunset, you can see just how well the camera handles the dynamic range across the sky, as well as in the reflections across the water. Ive taken plenty of phones down to that same spot, and rarely has that location looked better than it does here. (Image credit: Future) Even though the 2x zoom within the camera app is a digital crop, the phone still captures enough data in these shots that they look
great on the surface. I just dont recommend zooming in any further beyond that, otherwise the composition starts to fall apart unless theres a ton of natural light available.

On sunny days, even though its just an 8MP sensor, the ultra-wide camera can hold its own against the main lens with great-looking shots. Its only when things get a bit cloudy that you notice the color is slightly muted by comparison.

Taking a few pictures during a night out around London Waterloo, I was impressed to see that the 15R did a great job of recreating the color palette around me in a fairly natural way, although I definitely recommend sticking
to 1x in low light, as these shots can get a tad blurry under a microscope, but they look solid enough when viewed from a full perspective.

Something I definitely have to compliment OnePlus on is its understanding of what makes a selfie camera great. Ive seen this before in the OnePlus Nord 5, as its 50MP front-camera is one of the best Ive ever used, and its a similar experience with the 32MP alternative found on the 15R. Much like the main camera, the colors are so good that I can overlook my sleep-deprived expression and enjoy these photos for what they are.

Again, I completely understand why the removal of the telephoto lens might be enough for some to write off the OnePlus 15R, but I have still enjoyed my
time with its cameras. Camera score: 4 / 5 Cameras samples Image 1 of 12 (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) OnePlus 15R review: performance (Image credit: Future) The Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset can handle almost any task 3D games aren't an issue here Before writing this review, I wrote a separate piece on how the OnePlus 15R feels like another entry in the growing sector of all-rounder phones that, despite costing less than the latest flagships, manage to hit a certain bar of quality across the board, and won't leave the majority of users wanting for anything. One of the main reasons why I felt that to be the case here was because of the performance offered by the phone's Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset.

Skipping two generations of Snapdragon chipset ahead of its immediate predecessor, the OnePlus 15R feels every bit like a flagship phone in
everyday use. Scrolling through apps is as smooth as youd want it to be, and when running multiple apps at one time through Open Canvas, the phone never buckled under the pressure. Gaming is a similarly fluid experience, and its only further emboldened by the phone's 165Hz refresh rate. Running through a few rounds of Call of Duty: Mobile , the game felt like it was meant for this type of handset, as the large screen gives you a good view of the battlefield while the chipset keeps everything running without any signs of tearing or stuttering.

The only instance where I could see a noticeable gap between the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 and the even more powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 was when loading in larger areas in Honkai: Star Rail . This is quite a demanding game for those who havent played it, but I was impressed to see that, outside of those moments, the combat and exploitation ran to a high standard on the OnePlus 15R. Performance score: 5 / 5 OnePlus 15R review: battery (Image credit: Future) The 7,400mAh cell can run for at least two days No wireless charging Saving the best for last, the OnePlus 15R boasts something of an anomaly when it comes to batteries in the mid-range category. Although the proliferation
of silicon-carbon tech has paved the way for larger batteries, its typically been flagship phones that have benefited from this innovation, with the Oppo Find X9 Pro and the OnePlus 15, for example, packing 7,500mAh and 7,300mAh batteries, respectively. Following in their footsteps, the OnePlus 15R has a gigantic 7,400mAh cell to draw on, something that you simply wont find on any other mid-range phone right now.

I mentioned earlier that it appears as though OnePlus made the decision to do away with the telephoto lens on this phone so it could go all in on battery, and as someone who would prefer not to have to deal with any battery anxiety during a day out, even if I am in the minority here, its a trade-off Im happy to accept. After all, if youre dead set on having a triple camera set-up, there are plenty of alternatives out there, including the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE, Nothing Phone (4a) Pro, and the Xiaomi 15T Pro.

With this kind of longevity in the tank, I had no issues with getting the OnePlus 15R to last at least two days between charges. On a more relaxed day, when working from home and only accruing an hour and a half of screen time, plus several hours of Spotify playback, the phone only dropped to 74%. As an iPhone user who is constantly having to keep one eye on how much battery is left, I cant tell you how freeing it felt to not have to worry about
endurance at all, and it allowed me to use the OnePlus 15R unencumbered.

The phone's 80W charging speed remains unchanged from the OnePlus 13R, but thats fine by me given that its still much further ahead than most phones
(the 45W speed of the S25 FE seems glacial by comparison). From my testing, you can get from 0% to a full battery in 1 hour and 25 minutes. If youre really pressed for time, then youll be glad to know that I clawed back 67% after just 50 minutes, which is more than enough to get you safely through an entire day.

It would have been nice to see OnePlus add wireless charging into the mix, as it would have paired well with the idea of the 15R being a battery beast, but its not the worst omission, given how fast the wired charging is here.
Battery score: 4.5 / 5 Should you buy the OnePlus 15R? Swipe to scroll horizontally OnePlus 15R scorecard

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

The OnePlus 15R is great-value for UK buyers, but its price is harder to justify in the States.

4 / 5

Display

The larger display looks great but the peak brightness is lower than before.

4.5 / 5

Design

A sophisticated and very well built phone that looks exceptional in green.

4.5 / 5

Software

OxygenOS works brilliantly, but you're only getting four years of software updates.

4 / 5

Cameras

The main sensor does a great job in all settings, but the telephoto lens is missed.

4 / 5

Performance

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 is a beast for mid-range value, making short work of
3D games.

5 / 5

Battery

The 7,400mAh cell is unmatched on the mid-range market. No wireless charging is a letdown though.

4.5 / 5 Buy it if You want a phone that lasts two days With the OnePlus 15R
in tow, you wont have to worry about racing back to a power outlet for a battery top-up. You want a 165Hz screen for gaming While its not a necessity, a 165Hz refresh rate is a wonderful luxury that really takes mobile gaming to the next level. You need a smooth operating system OnePlus OxygenOS is right up there with One UI and Googles stock Android, as its thankfully free of bloatware and clunky design choices. Dont buy it if You need a telephoto lens The removal of the telephoto lens definitely makes the OnePlus 15R less appealing to photographers. You need wireless charging Although you do get
80W wired charging, the lack of wireless charging on a phone at this price feels odd. You want a phone for the long haul The limited amount of software updates compared to what Samsung and Google provide is a letdown. Also consider Still on the fence about the OnePlus 15R? Here are some contemporaries worth checking out: Swipe to scroll horizontally Header Cell - Column 0

OnePlus 15R

Nothing Phone (4a) Pro

Apple iPhone 17e

Price

$699 / 649

$499 / 499

$599 / 599

Storage

256GB / 512GB

128GB / 256GB

256GB / 512GB

Screen size

6.83-inch 1272 x 2800 AMOLED, 165Hz

6.83-inch AMOLED, 144Hz

6.1-inch 1170 x 2532 Super Retina, 60Hz

Chipset

Snapdragon 8 Gen 5

Snapdragon 7 Gen 4

Apple A19

Battery

7,400mAh

5,080mAh

4,005mAh

Charging

80W

50W

40W

Cameras

50MP wide, 8MP ultra-wide, 32MP front

50MP wide, 8MP ultra-wide, 50MP telephoto, 12MP front

48MP wide, 12MP front

OS

OxygenOS 16

Nothing OS 4.1

iOS 26 Nothing Phone (4a) Pro The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro is another solid all-rounder that leaves you wanting for very little, but it packs a more eye-catching look than the OnePlus 15R, can be bought for less, and even has
a telephoto lens for zoom photography. The chipset isnt quite as speedy as
the 15Rs Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, but its powerful enough for most users.

Read our full Nothing Phone (4a) Pro review Apple iPhone 17e Even though its only got one rear-facing camera, theres a lot to like about the iPhone 17e. Apples mid-range phone now packs MagSafe charging, the super-fast A19
chipset, and 256GB storage as standard. Theres also the far more scratch-resistant Ceramic Shield 2 glass on the front, which, alongside
Apples lengthy update cycles, should allow the 17e to last you for quite some time.

Read our full Apple iPhone 17e review How I tested the OnePlus 15R I used
the OnePlus 15R over a period of two weeks for this review. This involved using the phone during a trip to London and a trip to Cambridge, alongside visits to local cafes to have the phone operate as a hotspot for my laptop.

To test the screen, I streamed Avengers: Infinity War and Invincible over Disney Plus and Prime Video, respectively, and for gaming performance, I tapped into Call of Duty Mobile and Honkai: Star Rail . First reviewed May 2026 OnePlus 15R: Price Comparison Low Stock 549 499 View 649 506.10 View 649 529 View 649 529.48 View 729 629 View Show more We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices powered by



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