OnePlus 15 vs Galaxy S25 Ultra: Samsung has been coasting on idle for far too long
The OnePlus 15 is the latest device that comes from the company that urges you to never settle, and this time around, it comes along with a faster new chip, a decent triple camera, and a huge 7,300 mAh silicon-carbon battery.
There is a lot of competition in the Android space already, and one of the absolutely best all-around devices in the upper premium bracket is none other than the Galaxy S25 Ultra, Samsung's S Pen-equipped trooper that excels in more ways than one.
Should you consider getting the OnePlus 15 if you're already using the Galaxy S25 Ultra, or is it the other way around?
Well, we've put the OnePlus 15 through the paces of our in-house display, camera, performance, and battery life tests to gauge how well it compares to the competition, and in particular, the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Let's see if you should consider the OnePlus 15 or stick with your Galaxy S25!
OnePlus 15 vs Galaxy S25 Ultra differences:
| OnePlus 15 | Galaxy S25 Ultra |
|---|---|
| Design | |
| New flat design with redesigned camera bump | Titanium device with rounded corners and flat screen |
| Mostly the same size at 8.1 mm | Marginally thicker at 8.2 mm |
| Marginally lighter at 211/215 grams | 218 grams |
| Display | |
| 6.78-inch OLED | 6.9-inch AMOLED |
| 1-165 Hz refresh rate | 1-120 Hz refresh rate |
| No anti-glare coating | Anti-reflective properties |
| Performance | |
| Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, 3nm | Snapdragon 8 Elite, 3nm |
| 12/256GB 16/512GB | 12/256GB 12/512GB 12/1TB |
| Camera | |
| Triple camera (50MP + 50MP ultra + 50MP 3.5X) | Quad camera (200MP + 10MP 3X + 50MP 5X + 50MP ultra) |
| 32MP front | 12MP front |
| Battery & charging | |
| Significantly larger 7,300 mAh silicon-carbon battery | A 5,000 mAh battery |
| 120W wired charging, 50W proprietary wireless | 45W wired, 15W wireless charging |
Table of Contents:
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Design and Size
OnePlus scores some new aesthetics
The OnePlus 15 comes along with a fresh new design language that fully leans into the modern aesthetics, with a completely flat frame, flat front and back glass, and a revamped rear camera island that looks similar to the one on the Google Pixel 9/10 Pro Fold. It's diverging from the looks of the older OnePlus 13, but the change could be all for the better, mind you.
The OnePlus 15 utilizes "aerospace-grade nano-ceramic metal," said to be stronger than titanium, aluminum, or stainless steel. Okay, OnePlus.
Meanwhile, the Galaxy S25 Ultra comes with a titanium design language, one that utilizes rounded corners unlike the right-angled ones on the Galaxy S24 Ultra and prior phones. The frame and the front and back of the phone were both flat, contributing to the trendy flat look. We loved that redesign, and we will see it on the Galaxy S26 Ultra as well.
| OnePlus 15 | Galaxy S25 Ultra |
|---|---|
| Thickness 8.1 mm | Thickness 8.2 mm |
| Dimensions 161.4 x 76.7 mm | Dimensions 162.8 x 77.6 mm |
| Weight 211/215 grams | Weight 218 grams |
In terms of size, the OnePlus 15 is ever-so-slightly more compact than the Galaxy S25 Ultra, and a little lighter, too. The Galaxy S25 Ultra evens things out with an on-board S Pen, though, which opens up a whole new level of features and functionality.
The Galaxy flagship is IP68 water- and dust-certified, but the OnePlus 15 beats that with IP69K water and dust resistance, which can protect it against water jets and makes it immersible in fresh water for up to 30 min).
The OnePlus 15 is available in Infinite Black, Ultra Violet, and the signature color for the lineup, Sand Storm. The Galaxy S25 Ultra can be yours in Titanium Silverblue, Titanium Black, Titanium Whitesilver, and Titanium Gray, which is a diverse but not a very exciting color selection.
Now when it comes to the screen, OnePlus 15 employs a slightly smaller 6.78-inch display than its predecessor, with thin bezels and a new panel made by BOE. It is a 1.5K screen (1272 x 2772 pixels), with high brightness, and finally, a super-smooth 1-165Hz refresh rate. You are unlikely to notice that much of a difference versus a standard 120Hz flagship screen, but hey, it's specs wars over here.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra, on the other hand, packs a 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, which can reach up to 2,600 nits of peak brightness, has all the HDR bells and whistles, as well as a 1-120Hz refresh rate. Another key feature is this one's anti-reflective coating, which prevents undesirable reflections.
| OnePlus 15 | Galaxy S25 Ultra |
|---|---|
| Size 6.78-inch | Size 6.9-inch |
| Brightness 1800 nits (typical) | Brightness 2,600 nits |
| Refresh rate 1-165Hz | Refresh rate 1-120Hz |
In terms of display properties, our measurements reveal that the OnePlus 15 is much brighter than the Galaxy S25 Ultra, with the difference being easily noticeable in real life. The Galaxy S25 Ultra triumphs in terms of minimum brightness. Color accuracy appears to be slightly better on the Galaxy.
We get an ultrasonic fingerprint on the Galaxy S25 Ultra, and the OnePlus 15 has followed suit, too. Both are super-fast and accurate.
Performance and Software
Qualcomm's finest versus Qualcomm's ex-best chip
Inside the Galaxy S25 Ultra, the pretty decent Snapdragon 8 Elite clicks and ticks. It's a finely tuned version intended for Galaxy devices, slightly overclocked in comparison with the garden-variety chip available to other Android makers.
The OnePlus 15 improves on that with the next chapter in Android performance, which will be helmed by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, the successor to the Snapdragon 8 Elite. We know, the naming makes little sense.
What makes sense, however, is the performance, which easily beats both the regular and the souped up Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy by a margin.
| OnePlus 15 | Galaxy S25 Ultra |
|---|---|
| Chip Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy | Chip Snapdragon 8 Elite |
| Process 3nm | Process 3nm |
| RAM, Storage 16/256GB 16/512GB 16/1TB | RAM, Storage 12/256GB 12/512GB 12/1TB |
In the CPU benchmark tests, the OnePlus 15 dominates the Galaxy S25 Ultra in both the single-core and multi-core tests, where it wins by a healthy margin. However, most of that performance edge comes as unnoticeable, as the Galaxy S25 Ultra is already pretty fast.
In the graphics benchmarks, the OnePlus 15 achieves some pretty interesting results. While it doesn't truly shine with a very high peak performance and fps that go out of the charts (it loses to the Galaxy S25 Ultra here), the new Android phone truly impresses in the long run, where it delivers minimal throttling, leading to a very consistent gaming experience.
The OnePlus 15 will come along with 16 GB of RAM, which is the current standard for Android flagships. The Galaxy S25 Ultra is less impressive here, with merely 12 GB of RAM on deck. Not particularly inspiring in terms of the future, that's for sure.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra starts with 256 GB, but is also available with 512GB or 1TB of storage. The OnePlus can be yours in 256 or 512GB of storage.
Android 16 will be the software on deck for either device, with One UI 8.5 or newer for the Galaxy S25 Ultra and OxygenOS 16 for the OnePlus. The Galaxy S25 Ultra comes with seven years of support, while the OnePlus 15 will score at least four, but hopefully more.
Camera
Quad vs triple
The OnePlus 15 comes with triple 50MP cameras, including a slightly longer 3.5X telephoto. Its rival, the Galaxy S25 Ultra arrived with a quad camera, including a 200MP main camera, a 50MP ultrawide, and two zoom cameras, a 10MP 3X telephoto and a 50MP 5X periscope. It performs exceptionally well in our custom camera test.
PhoneArena Camera Score:
In our custom camera test, the OnePlus 15 performs very well, achieving a grand total of 151 points against the Galaxy S25 Ultra's 158 points. The OnePlus 115 definitely turns out to be better in still photography than video, where the Galaxy has both advantages.
Still, we are pleasantly surprised by the OnePlus 15's camera performance; based on the rumors prior to the launch, we had braced for worse.
| OnePlus 15 | Galaxy S25 Ultra |
|---|---|
| Main 50 MP, f/1.8 24 mm | Main 200 MP, f/1.7 24 mm 1/1.1" sensor |
| Ultrawide 50 MP, f/2.0 15 mm | Ultrawide 50 MP, f/1.9 |
| Telephoto 50 MP, f/2.8 3.5X zoom | Telephoto 10 MP, f/2.4 3X zoom (67 mm) |
| Periscope 50MP, f/3.4 5X zoom (111 mm) |
Main camera
At first glance, it appears as if the OnePlus 15 has better dynamics, but the ruse is quickly discovered: it just lifts everything equally so that shadows aren't really shadows anymore, and everything appears slightly overexposed and unnatural. The Galaxy S25 Ultra appears more life-like and true to the scene.
At night, the OnePlus 15 is slightly more detailed and achieves better dynamics, but there's also lots of oversharpening. It's a bit challenging to like the Galaxy S25 Ultra sample photo in this situation, even though it's more realistic.
Zoom quality
There's plenty of detail in both zoom samples, but the OnePlus does slightly better in dynamic range. Some oversharpening and overprocessing can be noticed here, and it's pretty much all in the OnePlus 15 samples.
Ultrawide
One key takeaway here is the fact that the ultrawide of the OnePlus isn't that, well, ultra. It's pretty narrow, actually, and the Galaxy S25 Ultra puts it to shame with how much extra it can fit inside the frame. Kind of beats the purpose of having an ultrawide.
Selfies
Both take good selfies, but the Galaxy is definitely more grounded and similar to real life.
Battery Life and Charging
What a difference!
Well, Samsung has been resting on its laurels for far too long. It's been five years and counting of employing the same 5,000 mAh battery on its Galaxy S Ultra flagships, and it's getting boring now.
The OnePlus 15 gives us a major 7,300 mAh battery at the rear, which is significantly larger than pretty much any other flagship out there right now (except for some exotics like the Oppo Find X9 Pro). That's because it has a silicon-carbon battery, so the density is much greater than a standard lithium-ion.
| OnePlus 15 | Galaxy S25 Ultra |
|---|---|
| Battery size 7,300 mAh | Battery size 5,000 mAh |
Charging speeds 120W wired 50W wireless charging | Charging speeds 45W wired 15W wireless |
What does this mean for battery life, though?
PhoneArena Battery and Charging Test Results:
It's a complete sweep for the OnePlus 15!
The device achieves a mouthwatering 10 hours and 44 minutes in our battery estimate score. This is comprised of the exceptional 30 hours and 6 minutes in our web browsing test, a respectable 12 hours and 37 minutes in the video-streaming test, and a decent 14 hours and 16 minutes in the 3D gaming test. The Galaxy S25 Ultra lags behind, which was kind of expected given its paltry battery.
In terms of charging speeds, the OnePlus 15 scores 120W wired and 50W wireless VOOC charging, beating the Galaxy S25 Ultra in yet another important category. The Galaxy S25 Ultra's 45W wired and 15W wireless charging capabilities can't really compare.
In our tests, the OnePlus 15 charges fully in 45 minutes, while the Galaxy takes 69 minutes. Remember, the OnePlus 15 has a much larger battery, so it's still a feat.
Specs Comparison
|
|
| OnePlus 15 | Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra |
Design
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| 161.4 x 76.7 x 8.1 mm | 162.8 x 77.6 x 8.2 mm (~9.1 mm with camera bump) |
| Weight | |
| 211.0 g | 218.0 g |
Display
| Size | |
|---|---|
| 6.8-inch | 6.9-inch |
| Type | |
| AMOLED, 165Hz | Dynamic AMOLED, 120Hz |
Hardware
| System chip | |
|---|---|
| Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SM8850-AC (3 nm) | Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy SM8750-AB (3 nm) |
| Memory | |
| 12GB (LPDDR5X)/256GB (UFS 4.1) 16GB/256GB 12GB/512GB 16GB/512GB 16GB/1TB |
12GB (LPDDR5X)/256GB (UFS 4.0) 12GB/512GB 12GB/1024GB |
| OS | |
| Android (16) | Android (15), up to 7 OS updates |
Battery
| Type | |
|---|---|
| 7300 mAh | 5000 mAh |
| Charge speed | |
| Wired: 80.0W Wireless: 50.0W |
Wired: 45.0W Wireless: 15.0W |
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 |
200 MP (OIS, Laser and PDAF) Sensor name: Samsung ISOCELL HP2 Aperture size: F1.7 Focal length: 24 mm Sensor size: 1/1.3" Pixel size: 0.6 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 |
50 MP (Ultra-wide, PDAF) Sensor name: Samsung JN3 Aperture size: F1.9 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 |
10 MP (Telephoto, OIS, PDAF) Sensor name: Sony IMX754 Optical zoom: 3.0x Aperture size: F2.4 Focal Length: 67 mm Sensor size: 1/3.52" Pixel size: 1.12 μm |
| Fourth camera | |
| 50 MP (Telephoto, Periscope, OIS, PDAF) Sensor name: Sony IMX854 Optical zoom: 5.0x Aperture size: F3.4 Focal Length: 111 mm Sensor size: 1/2.52" Pixel size: 0.7 μm |
|
| Front | |
| 32 MP | 12 MP (PDAF, HDR) |
See the full
OnePlus 15 vs Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra specs comparison
or compare them to other phones using our
Phone Comparison tool
Also read: OnePlus 15 Review: The underdog is back
Summary
Well, OnePlus isn't settling anytime soon, that's for sure. The latest OnePlus 15 is the perfect example of what the wider Android market in the US could have been right now if more of the global players actively participated. The OnePlus 15 is just a tiny morsel of what you could get in the premium Android segment worldwide, and it's not even the most exciting and capable device out there either.
With exceptional battery life, sensible new design, and a great screen, it condenses the best of OnePlus in a device that feels like a love letter to OnePlus users worldwide, but in the US in particular.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra is a great phone, but it rests on waning laurels. Samsung hasn't really strived too much in the past few years, so its current flagship isn't drastically different than, say, the Galaxy S22 Ultra. Sure, it looks different and is slightly faster, but the general idea hasn't changed much.
Is that a bad thing? Depends on whom you ask.
We definitely love Samsung's software and overall versatility, but the hardware needs to quickly catch up. Otherwise, devices like this here OnePlus 15 will quickly chip away its market share.
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