The OnePlus 15R is about to get a version we didn’t expect

Beyond the color swap, nothing changes inside. And that means the 15R is still lined up to offer a solid mid-range experience, at least based on what OnePlus has confirmed so far.

The phone is set to run on Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 5. It’s not the top-tier Elite chip, but it’s still a strong performer that should handle everything most people throw at it. The battery situation is also pretty wild. Even though it doesn’t get the enormous 8,300mAh Chinese-market battery, the OnePlus 15R still comes with a huge 7,400mAh cell.

And a 7,400mAh battery isn’t something you see every day – it actually edges out the 7,300mAh pack inside the full-on OnePlus 15 flagship and easily tops what big names like Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro Max, Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Ultra, and Google’s Pixel 10 Pro offer.

Still, battery capacity never tells the whole story. Real-world endurance can be very different, and we'll know exactly how it holds up once we’ve spent time with it. Charging sits at 100W wired, which lines up perfectly with what OnePlus usually delivers.

The screen should come in at 6.8 inches with a super-fast 165Hz refresh rate – the same high-end spec as its flagship sibling. What genuinely caught my eye, though, is how much OnePlus is pushing durability this time. The company is teasing full flagship-level protection: IP66, IP68, IP69, and even IP69K.

On the software front, the phone will ship with OxygenOS based on Android 16. OnePlus also confirmed that Google’s Gemini AI will be baked in and serve as the main assistant out of the box.

As for pricing, the OnePlus 15R is expected to hover around $599, assuming OnePlus follows the same pricing strategy it used with the OnePlus 15 – meaning no price increase.

Positioning in the mid-range space

Much like the 13R before it, the OnePlus 15R is shaping up to be another standout in the mid-range lineup. Based on what’s already confirmed, it has enough power and features to compete with – and possibly outperform – phones like the Pixel 9a or Samsung’s Galaxy A56 5G. Still, we’ll need to do hands-on testing before making any real calls, and with launch day so close, we won’t have to wait long.

A potential hit if OnePlus nails pricing and availability

If you ask me, the OnePlus 15R has all the ingredients to make a splash globally. A lot will come down to two big factors: how accessible the phone is and whether OnePlus keeps the pricing aggressive.

But judging by how heavily OnePlus is teasing the phone in the US, it seems likely that the 15R will be available right away when it launches on December 17. And if carriers pick it up – which would instantly boost its visibility – I wouldn’t be surprised if plenty of people choose it as their next daily device.