OnePlus 15R vs OnePlus 15: Main differences to expect
OnePlus 15 is still hot out of the oven, but we are already hearing rumors about its offshoot, the OnePlus 15R, which is obviously coming soon as openly declared on OnePlus' official website. LIke previous "R" models, we expect that this one will come with some hardware compromises, all with the goal of achieving a more affordable price tag.
How would that upcoming phone compare against the OnePlus 15, and what could be the major differences between the two?
Well, despite information being fairly scarce, there are some rumors and leaked information outlining the OnePlus 15R. Let's compare the two and see if you should wait for the value flagship or go with the standard OnePlus 15 instead.
Well, despite information being fairly scarce, there are some rumors and leaked information outlining the OnePlus 15R. Let's compare the two and see if you should wait for the value flagship or go with the standard OnePlus 15 instead.
OnePlus 15R vs OnePlus 15 expected differences:
| OnePlus 15R | OnePlus 15 |
|---|---|
| Same-ish flat design language | Premium flat aluminum design |
| Similar IP69/IP69K durability | Exceptional durability IP69/69K |
| A 6.8-inch display with likely slightly lower brightness and/or 120Hz | 6.8-inch OLED display, can run up to 165 Hz in some scenarios |
| Dual camera, likely main and ultrawide | A standard triple camera |
| A ~7,300 mAh battery | A 7,300 mAh battery in the back |
| Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, slightly slower | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, faster |
Table of Contents:
Design and Size
The flagship and the… affordable version
The OnePlus 15 is the company's proper flagship for this year, and it follows closely the design trends set by the Oppo Find X9 Pro. The design language is pretty simple: flat edges, right angles, and zero curves, except for the top and bottom corners. Very modern and very rudimentary.
The same design would most certainly get inherited by the OnePlus 15R. It's honestly illogical to consider the phone getting styled differently than the mainline phone.
In terms of materials, both devices will also likely end up sharing an aluminum frame with Gorilla Glass Victus 2 backs. The same applies to the endurance and protection against the elements: the OnePlus 15R will most certainly score the highest levels of protection, IP69/69K, just like the OnePlus 15. This should give you peace of mind when handling the phone.
| OnePlus 15R | OnePlus 15 |
|---|---|
| Thickness ~8.1 mm | Thickness 8.1 mm |
| Dimensions 161.4 x 76.7 mm | Dimensions 161.4 x 76.7 |
| Weight ~211 grams | Weight 211 grams |
Size-wise, it's normal to expect that the OnePlus 15R could be slightly thicker than the OnePlus 15, likely within fractions of a millimeter. There's also the chance that the OnePlus 15R could very well have the same size as the flagship phone.
In terms of colors, it seems the OnePlus 15R will be available in at least two colors, black and green. Meanwhile, the OnePlus 15 came in Sand Storm, Infinite Black, and Ultra Violet, but we do hope the OnePlus 15R plays it bolder with a wider and more vibrant color selection.
Display Differences
In terms of display qualities, we'd expect the OnePlus 15R to cut some corners.
For example, the OnePlus 15 came with a 6.8-inch OLED display with 1.5K resolution, up to a 165 Hz refresh rate in games, and a very high brightness that we clocked in at nearly 3,500 nits. A decent display, all things considered.
Now, the OnePlus 15R will likely employ the same 6.8-inch OLED, but might drop the 165 Hz refresh rate support and run at only 120 Hz maximum (which is still plenty). The maximum brightness would also probably be lower here, but even if it maxes out at around 3,000 nits, it would still be pretty impressive.
| OnePlus 15R | OnePlus 15 |
|---|---|
| Size 6.8" | Size 6.8" |
| Brightness ~3000 nits (peak) | Brightness 3400 nits (peak) |
We'd also expect an optical fingerprint scanner to be embedded in the display of the OnePlus 15R, while the OnePlus 15 comes with a fast and accurate ultrasonic one.
Performance and Software
A slight downgrade
What would power the OnePlus 15R?
Well, we are hearing reports about a Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset, a slightly less powerful version of the top Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 that's powering the OnePlus 15. Reports indicate the 8 Gen 5 is around 15% behind in synthetic benchmarks, which means one thing and one thing only: it's still a mighty fast performer!
Honestly, I'd trade the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for the lower-spec'd chip if it means less thermal throttling during gaming and better efficiency and, therefore, even better battery life.
| OnePlus 15R | OnePlus 15 |
|---|---|
| Chip Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 | Chip Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 |
| Process 3nm | Process 3nm |
| RAM, Storage 12/256GB 16/512GB LPDDR5X RAM UFS 4.0 storage | RAM, Storage 12/256GB 16/512GB LPDDR5X Ultra/Ultra+ RAM UFS 4.1 storage |
The OnePlus 15 comes with 12GB/16GB LPDDR5X Ultra/Ultra+ RAM, which is among the fastest ones around, as well as UFS 4.1 storage. We don't hold our breath for the same super-fast memory, but we suppose we'd get the same 12GB/256GB and 16GB/512GB storage configurations.
Camera
We've lost a camera, chief
The OnePlus 15R will apparently lose a camera, as revealed on the official OnePlus website. Sound logic suggests that one would be the telephoto, which is often the first one to get axed when cost-cutting measures go into effect.
This would leave us with two cameras, likely a 50MP main and an ultrawide, either a 50MP one (like on the OnePlus 15) or an 8MP, like on the OnePlus 13R.
Meanwhile, the OnePlus 15 comes with three 50MP cameras. The telephoto one now has a decent 3.5X optical zoom and allows you to go up to 100X, but the ultrawide is a bit too narrow, standing at 16mm equivalent. The standard is around 13mm on most flagships, so the ultrawide is a bit useless in this particular setup.
| OnePlus 15R | OnePlus 15R |
|---|---|
| Main 50 MP | Main 50 MP, f/1.8 24 mm 1/1.56" sensor size |
| Ultrawide 50/8 MP | Ultrawide 50 MP, f/2.0 16 mm |
| - | Telephoto 50 MP, f/2.8 3.5X zoom (80mm) |
Battery Life and Charging
Another exceptional performer
One key takeaway about the OnePlus 15 is that it has exceptionally great battery life and is the best-performing phone in our custom battery tests that we've ever measured. That's due to the large 7,300 mAh silicon-carbon battery in the rear, which is the largest one ever fitted on a phone that officially hits the US market.
Could the OnePlus 15R change that?
We'd likely see a slightly larger or the same-sized battery in the OnePlus 15R, and we hope that the upcoming phone reiterates the strong battery performance of the mainline OnePlus flagship this year.
| OnePlus 15R | OnePlus 15 |
|---|---|
| Battery size ~7,300 mAh | Battery size 7,300 mAh |
Charging speeds 80/100W wired 50W wireless charging | Charging speeds 80W wired 50W wireless charging |
The OnePlus 15 comes with 80W wired and 50W wireless charging as well. No Qi2 here, so no magnetic attachments and no support for MagSafe accessories.
Specs Comparison
|
|
| OnePlus 15R | OnePlus 15 |
Design
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| 161.4 x 76.7 x 8.1 mm | |
| Weight | |
| 211.0 g | |
Display
| Size | |
|---|---|
| 6.8-inch | 6.8-inch |
| Type | |
| OLED, 120Hz | AMOLED, 165Hz |
Hardware
| System chip | |
|---|---|
| Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 (3 nm) | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SM8850-AC (3 nm) |
| Memory | |
| 12GB (LPDDR5X)/256GB (UFS 4.0) | 12GB (LPDDR5X)/256GB (UFS 4.1) 16GB/256GB 12GB/512GB 16GB/512GB 16GB/1TB |
| OS | |
| Android (16) | Android (16) |
Battery
| Type | |
|---|---|
| 6000 mAh | 7300 mAh |
| Charge speed | |
| Wired: 100.0W | Wired: 80.0W Wireless: 50.0W |
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 | 50 MP (OIS, PDAF) Aperture size: F1.8 Focal length: 24 mm Sensor size: 1/1.56" Pixel size: 1.0 μm |
| Second camera | |
| 8 MP (Ultra-wide) Aperture size: F2.2 Focal Length: 16 mm Sensor size: 1/4" Pixel size: 1.12 μm |
50 MP (Ultra-wide) Aperture size: F2.0 Focal Length: 16 mm Sensor size: 1/2.88" Pixel size: 0.61 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 |
|
| Front | |
| 16 MP | 32 MP |
See the full
OnePlus 15R vs OnePlus 15 specs comparison
or compare them to other phones using our
Phone Comparison tool
Summary
For what it's worth, the OnePlus 15R will likely be yet another battery champ that will drop some important features in order to achieve that on a tighter budget.
For example, we will be losing a telephoto camera and won't necessarily get the fastest Qualcomm chip around.
Should that be an issue? Of course not! If those above are important for you, just get the regular OnePlus 15, or go with the Oppo Find X9 Pro if you want an even better experience.
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