OnePlus 15 vs iPhone 17 Pro Max: A worthy rival!
The recently released OnePlus 15 has set its sights on the best Apple can deliver - the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
The OnePlus 15 has been launched globally! The company's latest and greatest attempt is an absolute monster, bringing many upgrades and pushing the smartphone boundaries.
From its huge 7,300 mAh battery to the fastest silicon in the industry, the OnePlus 15 has a lot going on and is promising a lot of things to be excited about. Now, Apple has already lifted the curtain before its latest iPhone 17 series, bringing its own slew of changes to the lineup.
Will the OnePlus 15 be good enough to compete with the big boys? Today we're gonna compare it to the best that Apple can offer, the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
OnePlus 15 vs iPhone 17 Pro Max differences:
| OnePlus 15 | iPhone 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|
| New camera housing design (similar to Pixel 10 Pro Fold) | New "extended plateau" camera design |
| Slightly smaller 6.78-inch AMOLED screen | Bigger 6.9-inch display |
| 1-165Hz LTPO panel | 1-120Hz ProMotion dynamic refresh rate |
| New Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset | Apple A19 Pro chipset |
| Triple 50MP camera system, different apertures | 48MP main, 48MP telephoto 4x, 48MP ultrawide cameras |
| Huge 7,300 mAh battery (silicon-carbon) | Smaller 5,088 battery (eSIM only model) |
| 80W (up to 100W) wired fast charging | Wired, PD3.2, AVS, 50% in 20 min |
| Better IP69 dust and water protection | IP68 |
| Ultrasonic under-display fingerprint reader | FaceID biometric system |
Table of Contents:
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Design and Size
Design change
Both Apple and OnePlus opted for a visual redesign this generation. The square-ish camera bump on the back of the OnePlus 15 looks suspiciously similar to what you can find on the back of the new Pixel 10 Pro Fold, but it might just be a coincidence. Other than that, we're talking about the same glass-and-metal sandwich design, with flat sides, front and back.
It's a popular design choice and a unification that the big three (Google, Apple, and Samsung) found themselves in. Now it seems that OnePlus is joining this party with the OnePlus 15. The dimensions are different between these two phones, as the screen size is also different. The iPhone 17 Pro Max is bigger and heavier, that's the price to be paid for the 6.9-inch screen.
| OnePlus 15 | iPhone 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|
| Thickness 8.1 mm | Thickness 8.8 mm |
| Dimensions 161.4 x 76.7 mm | Dimensions 163.4 x 78 mm |
| Weight 211 or 215 grams | Weight 233 grams |
Speaking of the iPhone 17 Pro Max, this device has brought its fair share of changes to the table, introducing the new "extended plateau" camera housing that has been polarizing fans ever since. Apple ditched the titanium frame for an aluminum unibody design.
The OnePlus 15 features the same IP69 dust and water resistance rating as its predecessor. Check out our IP69 explainer article to learn more about the current highest IP protection in smartphones.
Color-wise the OnePlus 15 can be bought in Sand Storm, Ultra Violet, and Infinite Black. The Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max is available in Silver, Cosmic Orange, and Deep Blue.
Display Differences
In terms of display tech, the OnePlus 15 features some upgrades. The refresh rate is now 165Hz, and the phone uses a BOE panel with X3 material for the display. This brings some brightness improvements compared to the previous generation as well as efficiency gains. The resolution is the same 1.5K as the previous couple of generations.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max, on the other hand, features a slightly bigger 6.9-inch OLED panel with a resolution of 1320 x 2868 pixels and around 460 PPI pixel density. In our display test, the phone managed to produce 2689 nits of brightness at 20% APL - one of the highest results we've ever recorded, so the OnePlus 15 has a benchmark to beat.
| OnePlus 15 | iPhone 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|
| Size 6.78" | Size 6.9" |
| Brightness 1800 nits (typical) | Brightness 1600 nits (HBM) 3000 nits (peak) |
| Refresh rate 1-165Hz | Refresh rate 1-120Hz |
In terms of brightness, the OnePlus 15 manages to outshine the iPhone 17 Pro Max. The latter is better in dim conditions as the minimum brightness is under 1 nit. Both displays are doing a good job with color accuracy, and both look great in person.
The same ultrasonic fingerprint reader from last generation is found under the screen of the OnePlus 15 and it works great. In comparison, Apple and the iPhone 17 Pro Max rely on the FaceID tech and no fingerprint scanner.
Performance and Software
Snapdragon Elite Gen 5 versus A19 Pro
The OnePlus 15 is the latest bearer of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, a promising contender in the never-ending fight to overthrow Apple's A-silicon.
Apple relies on its in-house developed A19 Pro silicon, and even though the company was at the top of most of the synthetic benchmarks, the new Snapdragon might give it a serious run for its money. Some early benchmarks even put the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in front of the A19 Pro. Let's get to the benchmarks.
| OnePlus 15 | iPhone 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|
| Chip Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 | Chip Apple A19 Pro |
| Process 3nm | Process 3nm |
| RAM, Storage 12/256GB 16/512GB LPDDR5X RAM UFS 4.1 storage | RAM, Storage 12/256GB 12/512GB 12/1TB 12/2TB LPDDR5X RAM NVMe storage |
The situation is inconclusive and we don't have a clear winner. The iPhone 17 Pro Max wins in the single-core test, while the OnePlus 15 is ahead multi-core performance. The same goes for the GPU benchmark. The initial run goes to the iPhone, but the Pro Max throttles quite a lot and the OnePlus 15 is able to finish on a better footing.
When it comes to RAM, iPhones have always been doing things a bit differently because of the closed ecosystem and better optimization. That's why 12GB of RAM on the iPhone 17 Pro Max might not sound like a lot, but it's more than enough.
OnePlus offers a wide range of RAM and storage configurations. Last year the company even launched a 24GB version of the OnePlus 13. The global version of the phone, however, comes in two flavors - a base 12/256GB variant, and a 16/512GB option.
The onboard storage is another interesting aspect—Apple offers a 2TB version of its iPhone 17 Pro Max model, and even though it's quite expensive, the option is there. The OnePlus 15 caps at 512GB.
The OnePlus 15 launched running OxygenOS 16, based on Android 16, and offers the same 4-year software support cycle as the previous two generations. Apple made a big overhaul and change of the nomenclature with iOS 26. The iPhone 17 Pro Max will be supported until 2031.
The onboard storage is another interesting aspect—Apple offers a 2TB version of its iPhone 17 Pro Max model, and even though it's quite expensive, the option is there. The OnePlus 15 caps at 512GB.
The OnePlus 15 launched running OxygenOS 16, based on Android 16, and offers the same 4-year software support cycle as the previous two generations. Apple made a big overhaul and change of the nomenclature with iOS 26. The iPhone 17 Pro Max will be supported until 2031.
Camera
Very similar on paper
The OnePlus 15 features a very similar camera system to its predecessor, consisting of three 50MP cameras. The main camera uses a Sony IMX906 sensor under the main F/1.8 lens, coupled with two 50MP cameras on ultrawide and telephoto duties.
Apple relies on a very similar setup in its iPhone 17 Pro - three 48MP cameras are on duty at the back, while the front features a redesigned 18MP selfie camera which can take horizontal and vertical photos without the need to physically turn the phone.
| OnePlus 15 | iPhone 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|
| Main 50 MP, f/1.8 24 mm | Main 48 MP, f/1.8 24 mm 1/1.28" |
| Ultrawide 50 MP, f/2.0 15 mm | Ultrawide 48 MP, f/2.2 13 mm 1/2.55" |
| Telephoto 50 MP, f/2.8 3.5X zoom (113mm) | Telephoto 48 MP, f/2.8 4X zoom (100mm) 1/2.55" |
The camera score of the iPhone 17 Pro Max is 156 (out of 158), which is near the top in our composite camera benchmark score. The OnePlus 15 managed 151, which is a decent score and an upgrade compared to the last generation but still a bit short if we put the iPhone into the equation. But scores are just numbers on a paper (or a screen). Time to see some real-life, side-by-side samples.
Main camera
We managed to snap some quick samples while the sun was setting and the results are quite interesting. The OnePlus 15 produces quality images, but tends to overexpose the frame a bit in a pursue to resolve more detail. The iPhone 17 Pro Max handles the low-light images a tad better, with more natural colors and exposure as well. But both look quite good, to be honest.
Zoom Quality
When it comes to zoom, the OnePlus 15 seems to have a slight advantage, the sample looks crisper and more detailed. The iPhone 17 Pro Max also does a good job, but next to the OnePlus 15, the image looks a bit soft and not that detailed.
Ultrawide camera
The ultrawide samples are pretty similar in quality - the level of detail is good, exposure and dynamic range are comparable, as well. There's a yellowish tint to the iPhone 17 Pro Max sample, it looks considerably warmer next to the image taken with the OnePlus 15.
Selfie
Selfie shots are nearly identical, it's funny how sometimes the scores are absolutely reflected in the samples. Both display pleasant colors, nice details and good exposure. Kudos to OnePlus for making a good selfie camera to rival the all-new 18MP selfie on the iPhone.
Battery Life and Charging
7,300 mAh?!
We now live in the silicon-carbon battery era, and OnePlus was one of the first companies to bring that tech outside China. The previous generation featured a 6,000 mAh cell inside, and get this - the OnePlus 15 now comes equipped with a huge 7,300 mAh battery.
This doesn't mean it will necessarily top our battery test, but the writing's on the wall (spoiler - it did). The iPhone 17 Pro Max comes in two flavors, depending on the presence or absence of a physical SIM slot. The eSIM model features a 5,088 mAh battery, while the nanoSIM version has a 4,823 mAh one on board.
We've tested the EU model with a physical SIM and a smaller battery and got a 7h 46m battery estimate, putting the phone at 36th place among phones tested in the past two years. Let's see how the OnePlus performed.
This doesn't mean it will necessarily top our battery test, but the writing's on the wall (spoiler - it did). The iPhone 17 Pro Max comes in two flavors, depending on the presence or absence of a physical SIM slot. The eSIM model features a 5,088 mAh battery, while the nanoSIM version has a 4,823 mAh one on board.
| OnePlus 15 | iPhone 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|
| Battery size 7,300 mAh | Battery size 5,088 mAh (eSIM only model) 4,823 mAh (physical SIM) |
Charging speeds 80W (up to 100W) wired 50W wireless charging USB-C 3.2 | Charging speeds Wired, PD3.2, AVS, 50% in 20 min 25W wireless MagSafe/Qi2 USB-C 3.2 |
PhoneArena Battery and Charging Test Results:
You can't beat physics, as we like to say. The 7,300 mAh battery inside the OnePlus 13, coupled with the efficient screen and chipset, skyrocketed the phone to the top of our battery benchmark table. The results are impressive across the board.
OnePlus is at the forefront when it comes to charging, up there with Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, and Honor. The speeds the company offers are pushing 100W. The OnePlus 15 supports 80W (up to 100W) globally and charges from zero to full in 45 minutes.
Companies such as Samsung, Google and Apple are notoriously conservative when it comes to charging speeds. The iPhone 17 Pro Max features a tad faster charging compared to its predecessor and in our test was able to fill its battery from zero to full in 1 hour and 16 minutes.
Companies such as Samsung, Google and Apple are notoriously conservative when it comes to charging speeds. The iPhone 17 Pro Max features a tad faster charging compared to its predecessor and in our test was able to fill its battery from zero to full in 1 hour and 16 minutes.
Specs Comparison
|
|
| OnePlus 15 | Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max |
Design
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| 161.4 x 76.7 x 8.1 mm | 163.4 x 78.0 x 8.75 mm (~9.9 mm with camera bump) |
| Weight | |
| 211.0 g | 233.0 g |
Display
| Size | |
|---|---|
| 6.8-inch | 6.9-inch |
| Type | |
| AMOLED, 165Hz | OLED, Variable 1-120Hz |
Hardware
| System chip | |
|---|---|
| Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SM8850-AC (3 nm) | Apple A19 Pro (3 nm) |
| Memory | |
| 12GB (LPDDR5X)/256GB (UFS 4.1) 16GB/256GB 12GB/512GB 16GB/512GB 16GB/1TB |
12GB/256GB 12GB/512GB 12GB/1TB 12GB/2TB |
| OS | |
| Android (16) | iOS (26.x) |
Battery
| Type | |
|---|---|
| 7300 mAh | 5088 mAh |
| Charge speed | |
| Wired: 80.0W Wireless: 50.0W |
Wired: 40.0W Wireless: 25.0W |
Camera
| Main camera | |
|---|---|
| 50 MP (OIS, PDAF) Aperture size: F1.8 Focal length: 24 mm Sensor size: 1/1.56" Pixel size: 1.0 μm |
48 MP (Sensor-shift OIS, PDAF) Aperture size: F1.8 Focal length: 24 mm Sensor size: 1/1.28" Pixel size: 1.22 μm |
| Second camera | |
| 50 MP (Ultra-wide) Aperture size: F2.0 Focal Length: 16 mm Sensor size: 1/2.88" Pixel size: 0.61 μm |
48 MP (Ultra-wide, Sensor-shift OIS) Aperture size: F2.2 Focal Length: 13 mm Sensor size: 1/2.55" Pixel size: 0.7 μm |
| Third camera | |
| 50 MP (Telephoto, Periscope, OIS, PDAF) Optical zoom: 3.5x Aperture size: F2.8 Focal Length: 80 mm Sensor size: 1/2.76" Pixel size: 0.64 μm |
48 MP (Telephoto, Periscope, OIS, PDAF) Optical zoom: 4.0x Aperture size: F2.8 Focal Length: 100 mm Sensor size: 1/2.55" Pixel size: 0.7 μm |
| Front | |
| 32 MP | 18 MP (Time-of-Flight (ToF), Autofocus, HDR) |
Connectivity & Features
| Bluetooth | |
|---|---|
| 6.0 | 6.0 |
| WLAN | |
| a,b,g,n,ac,Wi-Fi 6,Wi-Fi 7 Wi-Fi Direct, Hotspot 802.11 a, b, g, n, ac, ax | a,b,g,n,ac,Wi-Fi 6,Wi-Fi 6E,Wi-Fi 7 Wi-Fi Direct, Hotspot 802.11 a, b, g, n, ac, ax |
| USB | |
| Type-C, USB 3.2 | Type-C, USB 3.2 |
| Sensors | |
| Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor | Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Barometer, Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor |
| Hearing aid compatible | |
| M3/T4 | |
| Location | |
| GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, Galileo, BeiDou, Cell ID, Wi-Fi positioning | GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, Galileo, BeiDou, QZSS, NavIC, Cell ID, Wi-Fi positioning, Emergency SOS via satellite (SMS sending/receiving) |
| Other | |
| NFC | NFC, Ultra Wideband (UWB) |
See the full
OnePlus 15 vs Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max specs comparison
or compare them to other phones using our
Phone Comparison tool
Summary
OnePlus coined the term "flagship killer" back in the OnePlus One days. Since then the company has moved into a different area and now occupies the ultra-premium smartphone segment. The OnePlus 15 is a great phone with the fastest silicon and one of the biggest batteries in an Android to date, resulting in the best battery life in a smartphone. The screen is super bright, and the camera system - quite good.
Will it be enough to challenge the iPhone 17 Pro Max when push comes to shove? With its price of 1,149 euros, the OnePlus 15 is not a cheap phone. It rivals the iPhone 17 Pro Max in pricing as well, so it will be a tough sell. Furthermore, the phone is currently not available in the US, due to certification woes amid the government shutdown. This further takes some momentum away and makes OnePlus' job more difficult.
Will it be enough to challenge the iPhone 17 Pro Max when push comes to shove? With its price of 1,149 euros, the OnePlus 15 is not a cheap phone. It rivals the iPhone 17 Pro Max in pricing as well, so it will be a tough sell. Furthermore, the phone is currently not available in the US, due to certification woes amid the government shutdown. This further takes some momentum away and makes OnePlus' job more difficult.
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