OnePlus 15 vs OnePlus 13: Two numbers, one year apart
The OnePlus 15 is right around the corner. This latest flagship smartphone shapes up to be a real powerhouse and a threat to all the big boys. The phone will feature the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 silicon, a fast and bright screen, and some tweaks to the camera system, plus one of the largest batteries in the industry.
How does it compare to the previous model, which is oddly two numbers behind, and are there any reasons to upgrade if you already have the OnePlus 13? We'll try to answer these questions in this preliminary comparison. Most of the info is based on leaks and rumors, but fret not, we'll update the article the moment OnePlus 15 goes official and enters our lab.
OnePlus 15 vs OnePlus 13 expected differences:
| OnePlus 15* | OnePlus 13 |
|---|---|
| New camera housing design (similar to Pixel 10 Pro Fold) | Circular camera bump |
| Slightly smaller 6.78-inch AMOLED screen | 6.82-inch display |
| 1-165Hz LTPO panel | 1-120Hz dynamic refresh rate |
| New Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset | Snapdragon 8 Elite silicon |
| Triple 50MP camera system, different apertures | 50MP main, 50MP telephoto 3x, 50MP ultrawide cameras |
| Huge 7,300 mAh battery (silicon-carbon) | Smaller 6,000 silicon-carbon battery |
| 120W wired fast charging | 100W wired fast charging |
| Better IP69 dust and water protection | IP68/IP69 |
| Ultrasonic under-display fingerprint reader | Ultrasonic fingerprint scanner as well |
Table of Contents:
Design and Size
Design change
The OnePlus 15 popped up in some leaked marketing materials, so we have a pretty good idea of how the new phone will look like. There's a change in the design, mainly in the area of the camera bump on the back.
While the OnePlus 13 relies on a circular camera housing, the new phone takes cues from the Pixel 10 Pro Fold (or at least the square camera bump on the back looks oddly familiar to the one on the Google's latest foldable).
The dimensions are still a mystery but there's one post on Weibo claiming the phone will be 8.1 mm thick and between 211 and 215 grams heavy (depending on the back material).
| OnePlus 15* | OnePlus 13 |
|---|---|
| Thickness 8.1 mm | Thickness 8.9 mm |
| Dimensions - | Dimensions 162.9 x 76.5 |
| Weight 211 or 215 grams | Weight 210 g or 213 g |
The OnePlus 15 is expected to use a new type of "aerospace-grade nano-ceramic metal" midframe, claimed to be stronger than titanium, stainless steel, and aluminum, but at this point there are no other sources corroborating this information.
The new model will feature 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, you can see one of the official colors of the OnePlus 15 in the leaked marketing materials, and it's the most interesting one as well. It's called Sand Storm. There are three more hues rumored—purple, titanium, and black.
Display Differences
The display of the OnePlus 15 will most likely feature a couple of upgrades compared to its predecessor. For starters, the diagonal is slightly smaller at 6.78 inches, and the refresh rate can go up to 165 Hz. Rumor has it that it will be a Super AMOLED panel made by BOE using X3 material, capable of shining with 1800 nits of typical brightness, and featuring 1.5K resolution.
For comparison, the OnePlus 13 comes equipped with a 6.82-inch LTPO panel with a 1-120 Hz refresh rate and a resolution of 1440 x 3168 pixels. The brightness should not be all that different; in our display test, the OnePlus 13 managed 2326 nits at 20% APL, which is one of the best results we've ever had. So, we're optimistic about the OnePlus 15. Stay tuned for display tests.
For comparison, the OnePlus 13 comes equipped with a 6.82-inch LTPO panel with a 1-120 Hz refresh rate and a resolution of 1440 x 3168 pixels. The brightness should not be all that different; in our display test, the OnePlus 13 managed 2326 nits at 20% APL, which is one of the best results we've ever had. So, we're optimistic about the OnePlus 15. Stay tuned for display tests.
| OnePlus 15* | OnePlus 13 |
|---|---|
| Size 6.78" | Size 6.82" |
| Brightness 1800 nits (typical) | Brightness 1600 nits (typical) 4500 nits (peak) |
| Refresh rate 1-165Hz | Refresh rate 1-120Hz |
*based on leaks and rumors
We expect the bezels around the screen of the OnePlus 15 to be quite narrow—according to the latest piece of information, something in the vicinity of 1.15 mm. The phone will feature the same ultrasonic under-display fingerprint as its predecessor—the OnePlus 13.
Performance and Software
Snapdragon Elite Gen 5?
Thanks to an official post by OnePlus India, we have information about the silicon inside the OnePlus 15, and it's not the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2! Qualcomm made another unexpected name change, and now the upcoming chipset is called the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. If you think it's confusing, you're not alone.
Qualcomm made a detailed post explaining the naming scheme to clear the confusion but long story short, we're not back on track with the "Gen" labels but the "Elite" will remain as well because Qualcomm says its chips are "elite" now. The OnePlus 13 features the first iteration of the Snapdragon Elite silicon, which is a benchmark for Android phones, so it will be very interesting to see the new Qualcomm chip next to its predecessor.
| OnePlus 15* | OnePlus 13 |
|---|---|
| Chip Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 | Chip Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite |
| Process 3nm | Process 3nm |
| RAM, Storage 12/256GB 12/512GB 16/256GB 16/512GB 16/1TB LPDDR5X RAM UFS 4.1 storage | RAM, Storage 12/256GB 12/512GB 16/256GB 16/512GB 16/1TB 24/1TB LPDDR5X RAM UFS 4.0 storage |
OnePlus offers a wide range of RAM and storage configurations, but they vary from region to region. Last year there was even a 24 GB RAM version of the phone. The OnePlus 15 will most likely mimic the more conservative storage options, starting at 12GB of RAM coupled with either 256GB or 512GB of storage.
There will be a 16GB version with the same two storage options but offering an additional 1TB version for the storage-hungry out there.
The OnePlus 15 will launch running OxygenOS 16, based on Android 16, and we expect the same 4-year software support cycle as the on the previous two generations.
Camera
50MP triplet
The redesigned camera system of the OnePlus 15 seems to be housing cameras not that different from those inside the OnePlus 13, at least according to the latest info. We have more or less the same Sony LYT-700 50MP sensor under a lens with a slightly different aperture of f/1.8.
The ultra-wide camera looks exactly the same on paper—it's another 50MP sensor, the focal length is 15 mm, and the aperture is f/2.0. There's no information about the sensor size, but judging from the one on the OnePlus 13, we will most likely get the 1/2.75" Samsung JN5.
Telephoto duties are given to yet another 50MP sensor (possibly the same JN5) under a lens with an optical zoom of 3.5x. We have no information on whether or not it's a periscope system, but we think it might be.
Telephoto duties are given to yet another 50MP sensor (possibly the same JN5) under a lens with an optical zoom of 3.5x. We have no information on whether or not it's a periscope system, but we think it might be.
| OnePlus 15* | OnePlus 13 |
|---|---|
| Main 50 MP, f/1.8 24 mm | Main 50 MP, f/1.6 23 mm 1/1.43" |
| Ultrawide 50 MP, f/2.0 15 mm | Ultrawide 50 MP, f/2.0 15 mm 1/2.75" |
| Telephoto 50 MP, f/2.8 3.5X zoom (113mm) | Telephoto 50 MP, f/2.6 3X zoom (73mm) 1/1.95" |
The camera score of the OnePlus 13 is 145 (out of 158), which is quite good (with 28 out of 29 in the zoom part of the test). We're optimistic about the camera performance of the upcoming OnePlus 15 but we have to test it and give you a camera score, along with some real-life side-by-side samples.
Battery Life and Charging
Wait what?!
The battery race is on, and it seems that the silicon-carbon tech is winning at the moment (check out our explainer article on the subject). The OnePlus 13 brought the Glacier battery (the company's own version of the tech) to the States with the impressive 6,000 mAh capacity. Well, guess what? The OnePlus 15 will most likely topple that, as we expect a massive 7,300 mAh battery inside this future stamina champion.
| OnePlus 15* | OnePlus 13 |
|---|---|
| Battery size 7,300 mAh | Battery size 6,000 mAh |
Charging speeds 120W wired 50W wireless charging USB-C 3.2 | Charging speeds 100W wired 50W wireless charging USB-C 3.2 |
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 is expected to support up to 120W of wired charging power, but it might be restricted in the US or in Europe due to regulations.
The OnePlus 13 supports 100W wired, and both phones support up to 50W wireless, but you will need a proprietary wireless charger to get to these speeds.
The OnePlus 13 supports 100W wired, and both phones support up to 50W wireless, but you will need a proprietary wireless charger to get to these speeds.
Specs Comparison
Here's a quick specs comparison between the OnePlus 15 and the OnePlus 13. Follow the link for a more detailed one on PhoneArena.com.
| OnePlus 15* | OnePlus 13 |
|---|---|
| Size, weight 8.1 mm thickness 211-215 grams | Size, weight 162.9 x 76.5 x 8.9 mm 210-213 grams |
| Screen 6.78" OLED 1-165Hz | Screen 6.82" OLED 1-120Hz |
| Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon Elite Gen 5 3nm | Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite 3nm |
| Versions: 12/256GB 12/512GB 16/256GB 16/512GB 16/1TB LPDDR5 | Versions: 12/256GB 12/512GB 16/256GB 16/512GB 16/1TB 24GB/1TB LPDDR5 |
| Cameras: 50MP main 50MP ultra 50MP 3.5X zoom 32MP front | Cameras: 50MP main 50MP ultra 50MP 3X zoom 32MP front |
| Battery: 7,300 mAh | Battery: 6,000 mAh |
| Charging: USB-C 120W wired 50W wireless | Charging: USB-C 100W wired 50W wireless |
*based on leaks and rumors
Summary
The OnePlus 15 is shaping up to be a real beast. The real question here, however, is are there enough reasons to upgrade if you already have the OnePlus 13? There's a new and faster chipset on board of the latest flagship, a bigger battery, and faster charging.
The camera system is pretty similar, and the display might be faster and brighter. But whether or not these upgrades are superficial or bring some real-life advantages, we still don't know. Stay tuned for tests and a final verdict soon.
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