| Category | Key Specification |
| Processor | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 |
| Display | 6.85-inch 2K LTPO AMOLED 144Hz Panel, 2600nits (HBM) |
| RAM + Storage | Up to 16GB LPDDR5X Ultra & 512GB UFS 4.1 |
| Software | OriginOS 6 on top of Android 16 |
| Rear Cameras | 50MP Main + 50MP 3X Periscope Tele + 50MP UW |
| Front Camera | 32MP |
| Battery + Charging | 7000mAh + 100W wired + 40W wiress |
| IP Rating | IP68 + IP69 |
The iQOO 15 lands at a time when “affordable flagships” don’t really feel affordable anymore. For the last few years, phones like the iQOO 13, Realme GT 7 Pro and OnePlus 13 stayed safely under ₹60,000, but this generation has pushed past that ceiling, forcing brands to justify the hike in different ways. OnePlus went all-in on a 165Hz display, but the drop in resolution annoyed long-time users. iQOO, meanwhile, decided not to gamble. Instead, they took the already-solid iQOO 13 blueprint and simply polished everything that needed attention.
After using the iQOO 15 for two weeks, it’s clear those tweaks were deliberate. The new Q3 chip is less about chasing headline FPS and more about making games look smoother and more detailed. The camera system also gets meaningful upgrades. So the real question is: does this subtle refinement strategy pay off? In many ways, it absolutely does.
The design is really where the iQOO 15 starts making its case. On spec sheets it looks like a gentle evolution of the iQOO 13, but the moment you pick it up, it feels like a completely more grown-up device. There is a noticeable jump in how premium it feels, and that caught me off guard in the best way.
I have been using the Legend White variant, which leans into a very clean, almost classy look. It is a proper glass sandwich with Schott Xensation Alpha on the front and a glass back that feels more expensive than the price suggests. The frame is metal, likely an aluminium alloy, and it ties the whole thing together with a solid, reassuring feel in the hand.
All that glass and metal does have a consequence. The iQOO 15 is not trying to be a featherweight. My unit weighs around 220 grams, and you do feel that density. However, at roughly 8.17mm thick, it never becomes awkward to hold. The flat sides and the matte finish on the back help a lot with grip, and considering there is a 7000 mAh battery inside, the phone feels surprisingly well-balanced rather than bulky.
Visually, the Legend White version keeps things minimal. It is essentially a clean white slab with shiny metallic edges and a small racing-flag strip near the bottom. If you enjoy simple, uncluttered designs, this will probably hit the spot. For me, it borders on being a little too plain, but the fact that it barely shows fingerprints is a big win.
If you want something slightly different, there is the Alpha Black version with a fibre-glass back. It shaves off a bit of weight and thickness, but the difference is subtle enough that you will only really notice it if you compare them side by side. The one I really wish was available globally is the Lingyun edition from China, with a marble-like rear panel that gives the phone a genuinely distinctive character.
iQOO’s Monster Halo light is back as well, but it has been moved outside the camera module and now sits under the outer ring. The glow is softer and more subdued, to the point where I actually missed a few notifications because it was so faint. Interestingly, once you put on the bundled case, the light stands out a bit more.
In terms of durability, there are no real complaints. The chassis feels solid, there is no creaking or flex, and the phone carries IP68 and IP69 ratings, so dust, splashes and the occasional dunk in water should not be a problem. Overall, the iQOO 15’s design feels more refined, more secure in the hand and noticeably more premium than I expected when I first saw it on paper.
The moment you switch on the iQOO 15, the display makes it very obvious that this phone is aiming for top-tier territory. It uses a 6.85-inch 2K LTPO AMOLED panel with a 144Hz ceiling, and the visual quality hits you instantly. iQOO has gone with Samsung’s M14 OLED, and the clarity and colour accuracy honestly make it feel like something straight out of a much more expensive flagship lineup.
Brightness is where this screen flexes the hardest. It can comfortably hold 2600 nits in HBM and jump all the way to 6000 nits for tiny highlights in HDR scenes. With that kind of range, HDR movies and games pop beautifully, and since this is the first iQOO model with Dolby Vision support, the contrast and tone mapping across Netflix and YouTube look extremely polished. Everyday use also benefits — everything from menus to social feeds feels crisp and punchy.
The 144Hz refresh rate is more of a bonus than a constant. You will mostly see 120Hz across the UI, but a few titles can push the full 144Hz. I tested this with BGMI and Call of Duty Mobile and both ran smoothly at higher frame rates. Because the panel is LTPO, it can drop right down to 1Hz for the Always On Display, which helps keep battery drain under control.
Another small win is the ultrasonic fingerprint sensor. It unlocks quickly, works even with slightly wet fingers and feels more dependable than the optical readers most phones still use.
Where the iQOO 15 takes a step back is audio. The stereo speakers can get reasonably loud, but they do not match the richness or low-end punch you get from bigger flagships like the iPhone 17 Pro Max or Galaxy S25 Ultra. For casual viewing, calls or background videos, they are fine; they just don’t stand out in any way.
Anyone who has followed iQOO’s flagship phones over the years knows that cameras have never been the brand’s strongest claim. The company has usually prioritised raw performance, display technology and gaming features, while treating photography as a supporting act. With the iQOO 15, that behaviour finally changes. This is the first time I have felt the brand genuinely invest in its camera system, and the difference is visible in both hardware choices and the way the images are processed.
The camera setup looks impressive even before you take a photo. The primary sensor is a 50MP Sony IMX921 with optical stabilisation. The telephoto camera is the biggest upgrade in the entire system. It now uses a 50MP 3x periscope based on the Sony IMX882. The ultrawide camera is also a 50MP unit. On paper, it is one of the most balanced triple camera systems iQOO has ever shipped.
Real improvements only reveal themselves when you start shooting, and this is where the iQOO 15 genuinely surprised me. The main 50MP camera produces clean photographs with excellent detail and a much more natural approach to colour. Many older iQOO devices boosted saturation a little too heavily, which often made scenes look artificial. That behaviour has now been toned down. Even in a difficult situation like shooting directly into bright sunlight, the exposure stayed controlled. Skies kept their texture, highlights stayed intact and shadow areas did not collapse into muddy patches. This feels like the most confident tuning iQOO has done until now.
The ultrawide camera keeps up well. It matches the primary camera in colour tone and contrast, which helps the entire system feel more cohesive. Sharpness remains respectable and distortion correction is handled with much more care than before. Edges look straight, buildings do not lean unnaturally and the frame stays accurate. This was a clear weakness in older models, so the improvement feels meaningful.
The standout upgrade is the new 3x periscope telephoto. This is easily the most capable zoom experience iQOO has created. Images at 3x are crisp, stabilised and full of detail. The real surprise is how well the phone performs at longer focal lengths. Up to around 20x or even 30x, the results remain very usable. Even beyond that point, the phone manages to produce images with decent clarity. At 165 mm and even close to 600 mm equivalent, textures remain visible and colours stay surprisingly consistent. This is a huge jump compared to anything the brand has previously offered.
Portrait photography benefits from this stronger telephoto system. The 85 mm portrait mode offers pleasing facial compression and natural tones. The 2x portrait mode from the main sensor also performs well. Skin tones remain clean and believable. Edge detection is accurate and the separation between subject and background looks smooth. Portraits from the 3x telephoto lens feel almost cinematic. You get sharp subject detail and a soft, controlled depth effect that looks much more polished. iQOO has added new portrait style filters too. They are fun and can add some variety, even if they are not transformative features.
Low light performance shows the biggest generation-over-generation leap. The main camera brings in a significant amount of light without producing the waxy textures that many phones fall into. Skin tones remain realistic and finer details stay intact. The phone sometimes takes a moment longer to capture the frame, but the results justify the extra second. The ultrawide camera is the only area where some refinement is still needed. Noise becomes noticeable when you zoom in on night shots, although the overall output is still good enough for social media.
For video, the iQOO 15 can record in 8K at 30 fps, although most people will prefer 4K 60 fps for stability and practicality. Footage in 4K looks clean with solid dynamic range and reliable stabilisation. Motion is handled smoothly and colours look natural. It is a strong video performer for its segment.
The 32MP selfie camera performs well too. HDR is handled intelligently. Even in strong outdoor lighting, the background maintains detail while the face stays properly lit. Skin tones look authentic and not overly softened. The consistency between indoor and outdoor selfies is particularly impressive.
After spending time with the iQOO 15, it is clear that the brand has finally put serious effort into its camera system. It is not the absolute best camera phone you can buy, but it is polished, reliable and far ahead of previous iQOO flagships.
If there is one thing iQOO has been known for since the beginning, it is sheer brute-force performance. Even their so-called entry-level flagships often trade blows with much more expensive devices. The iQOO 15 continues that tradition with a level of confidence that feels very deliberate. It is clear that performance is still the brand’s favourite arena.
At the centre of the phone is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. It is paired with LPDDR5X Ultra RAM and UFS 4.1 storage. The RAM deserves a special mention because the “Ultra” tag is not simply a marketing flourish. It actually runs at a higher clock speed than the standard LPDDR5X modules used in most flagships.
This gives the phone an incredibly responsive feel. Navigating the interface, loading heavy assets, switching between multiple apps or jumping into visually demanding games all feel genuinely instantaneous. During my entire testing period, the phone did not stutter or hesitate once.
Benchmark numbers match what you feel in day-to-day use. The iQOO 15 delivers around 3.89 million on Antutu. On Geekbench, it records 3672 in single-core and 10548 in multi-core. These results place the phone very close to the Realme GT 8 Pro and the OnePlus 15. Realme’s flagship reaches approximately 3.83 million on Antutu with 3611 single-core and 10482 multi-core scores. The OnePlus 15 pushes slightly ahead with 4.06 million on Antutu and 3646 single-core and 11025 multi-core. In simple terms, the iQOO 15 is right in the middle of this pack and competes confidently.
However, benchmarks are only a small part of the story. The iQOO 15 becomes far more interesting once you start gaming. After adjusting a couple of in-game settings, I was able to get consistent 144 Hz output in both BGMI and Call of Duty Mobile. The smoothness is immediately noticeable, but the real highlight is not the high refresh rate. The most surprising improvement is how well the phone handles ray tracing in supported titles.
Ray tracing is known for destroying performance on gaming PCs. Seeing it run comfortably on a phone is genuinely impressive. This capability comes from the new Q3 Supercomputing chip that iQOO is using. It has its own dedicated RT core and works with Vivo’s QNSS Super Rendering Engine. Games that support ray tracing, such as Genshin Impact, gain far richer reflections, more realistic lighting behaviour and deeper shadows. All of this happens without the performance dip you would normally expect.
The Q3 chip also brings two helpful technologies called Game Super Resolution and Lossless Frame Interpolation. Game Super Resolution allows the phone to render scenes at a lower internal resolution and then upscale them to 2K using AI. This significantly reduces the load on the GPU during heavy battles or open-world exploration. Lossless Frame Interpolation inserts artificially generated frames between real ones, which results in smoother motion and a more consistent frame rate. When both features work together, the iQOO 15 delivers an experience that feels very close to a dedicated handheld gaming device.
Thermal performance deserves credit as well. Even after long gaming sessions, the phone maintained comfortable temperatures. iQOO uses an 8K single-layer vapour chamber, and the company claims it is the largest cooling system in the industry. After hours of continuous testing, I can confidently say the phone stayed far cooler than expected.
If you want a device that performs like a top-tier flagship, excels at gaming and stays cool throughout heavy use, the iQOO 15 stands out as one of the strongest performers of 2025.
The software on the iQOO 15 feels like a clean break from everything the brand has done until now. Instead of the familiar Funtouch OS, the phone boots into OriginOS 6 built on Android 16, and that instantly changes the personality of the device.
The overall design direction feels far more refined. The interface leans into a lighter, more airy aesthetic with soft gradients, semi-transparent layers and rounded elements that give the UI a calmer look. Animations feel smoother, transitions flow more naturally and the entire OS carries a sense of polish that older iQOO phones struggled to maintain. Although a few aspects remind you of visionOS or iOS, the general styling still feels unique enough to stand on its own.
Performance within the OS benefits as well. App launches feel quicker, multitasking behaves predictably and background management has noticeably improved. I did not run into random closures or apps resetting themselves, which used to be a mild annoyance on earlier models. Most system apps have already adopted the new design language. The few that have not yet been updated do not interfere with usability.
OriginOS also introduces several thoughtful touches. Photo editing tools feel more capable, and moving data or interacting with other devices in the Vivo ecosystem feels more seamless. These are small changes, but they add up during daily use.
The AI feature set remains fairly basic. You get writing assistance and AI-based photo tools, but nothing that rivals the more advanced experiences offered by Samsung, Google, Oppo or OnePlus.
What stands out is iQOO’s long-term update promise. Buyers get five years of Android updates and seven years of security patches, which gives the software experience a strong sense of longevity.
The iQOO 15 behaves exactly like a phone with a massive 7000 mAh battery should. The extra capacity over the iQOO 13’s 6000 mAh pack is immediately noticeable in daily use. Screen time stretches longer, power drops more slowly and the phone generally feels built for endurance.
Charging, however, sees a slight reshuffle. The wired system now tops out at 100 W instead of 120 W, but in return you get 40 W wireless charging. There is no magnetic alignment, so you need to place the phone carefully on a pad, although the charging speed remains consistently strong. Using the wired charger, the device went from 5 percent to a full charge in under an hour during my testing.
A full battery easily carries the phone through a full day of heavy usage. If you drop the resolution and manage background activity sensibly, reaching close to two days on one charge is very achievable.
After spending a considerable amount of time with the iQOO 15, I kept waiting for a major flaw to appear, and it never really did. The only area that consistently felt behind its competitors is the AI suite. For a 2025 flagship, the AI tools feel quite basic and lack the depth you see on devices from Oppo and OnePlus. To be fair, iQOO has never marketed this phone as an AI pioneer. The focus has always been on performance, day-to-day reliability and strong hardware, so the software limitations are not completely unexpected.
What you do get is a phone that handles the fundamentals extremely well. Performance is consistently top tier, the UI feels polished and responsive, and the camera setup finally steps into territory where it can comfortably compete with other brands in the segment.
The main and telephoto cameras deliver dependable results in almost every lighting condition. The ultrawide camera is the only part of the system that still needs a step up in low light. It performs well enough, but it does not fully match the standard expected from a premium flagship.
If photography is your primary reason for upgrading, the Vivo X300 or Oppo Find X9 will offer a more complete camera package. The OnePlus 15 also remains a strong all-rounder, although its display compromises make the choice a little more complicated.
What makes the iQOO 15 stand out is how well it balances everything. It does not chase one headline feature at the cost of another. Instead, it offers strong performance, reliable software, capable cameras, excellent battery life and premium design in a way that feels cohesive. For many buyers, this is exactly what a flagship should be.
The pricing shift is the one factor that will spark debate. The iQOO 13 launched below ₹60,000 and even dipped close to ₹52,000 during early sale offers. The iQOO 15 starts at ₹72,000 before discounts, which is a significant jump. However, the overall situation is more complicated. Rising component costs, the weaker rupee and higher RAM and storage prices give brands very little room to manoeuvre.
Whether long-time iQOO fans accept the new pricing is something only time will answer. What I can say with confidence is that the iQOO 15 earns its place in the 2025 flagship crowd. If you are planning an upgrade, it absolutely deserves to be on your shortlist.