The OnePlus 15R is finally in the house, and I’ll be honest, this is the phone I’ve been looking forward to testing the most. If you’ve followed OnePlus for a while, you already know why. The R-series has always been that sweet middle ground where OnePlus packs in near-flagship hardware without making you seriously rethink your spending choices.
Over the years, it’s almost become a pattern. The R model ends up being the phone most regular buyers gravitate towards because it delivers around 90 per cent of the flagship experience without the flagship tax. But this year, something feels different. The OnePlus 15R doesn’t feel like it’s just trying to be the sensible alternative anymore. Even at first glance, it’s clear that OnePlus wants this phone to be taken seriously, not as a trimmed-down version of the OnePlus 15, but as a product with its own identity.
Before getting into how it feels to use, here’s a quick look at what you get inside the box. The retail package includes the OnePlus 15R in Mint Breeze, an 80W SuperVOOC charger, a USB Type-A to Type-C cable, a protective case, a SIM ejector tool, and the usual quick guide. It’s a familiar OnePlus unboxing, but still reassuring to see the fast charger included.
Design-wise, the OnePlus 15R sticks to a flat-edged look, and honestly, I’m glad it does. The Mint Breeze colour really stands out in person without looking flashy. It has a calm, premium finish that works well under different lighting. If green isn’t your thing, there’s a Charcoal Black option that looks more understated, and a Violet variant for those who want something more expressive.
The phone has a smooth matte back, a solid metal frame, and a square camera module with two lenses sitting neatly inside. It’s clean, symmetrical, and doesn’t try too hard. What impressed me more than the aesthetics, though, is the durability. The OnePlus 15R comes with IP66, IP68, IP69, and even IP69K ratings. That’s the same level of protection you get on the OnePlus 15. It covers everything from dust resistance and water immersion to high-pressure water jets, which is frankly overkill for most people, but reassuring nonetheless.
This is where things get genuinely exciting. The OnePlus 15R is officially the world’s first smartphone powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5. OnePlus says it worked closely with Qualcomm to tune this chip, and based on early usage, I’m expecting meaningful gains in efficiency and sustained performance.
Using it reminded me of the early days of OnePlus, when the brand would squeeze absurd performance out of mid-range hardware. The difference this time is that they’re doing it with Qualcomm’s second-best processor. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 still sits at the top, but the 8 Gen 5 already feels plenty flagship in everyday use.
On top of that, you get a dedicated Touch Response Chip and a new G2 Wi-Fi chip. Both are meant to improve touch latency and network stability. This should make a real difference for gamers, streamers, and anyone who spends unhealthy amounts of time scrolling through Instagram Reels. The phone supports 120FPS gameplay in supported titles and uses a 165Hz display panel, which is the same one found on the OnePlus 15.
Flip the phone over and you’ll notice a dual-camera setup, and no Hasselblad branding in sight. That’s because OnePlus is shifting to its own in-house imaging pipeline called the DetailMax Engine. This is a clear change in direction for the R-series.
What that means in practice is that photos from the 15R have a slightly different character compared to previous models. Whether that turns out to be a genuine upgrade or just a different look will only become clear with proper testing, but early samples give a decent sense of where OnePlus is headed.
One feature that immediately stood out to me is 4K video recording at 120FPS. That’s something you usually see reserved for premium flagships, not R-series phones. Content creators are going to love having that option.
On the software side, the phone runs OxygenOS 16, and all of OnePlus’s new AI features are built in. The one I’m personally happiest about is Plus Mind, which has quietly become one of my favourite additions on recent OnePlus phones. It’s actually useful and doesn’t feel like an AI checkbox feature.
Now here’s where things get really interesting. The regular OnePlus 15 packs a 7,300mAh battery, but the 15R bumps that up to 7,400mAh. On paper, that difference looks small, but battery life isn’t just about capacity. Efficiency plays a huge role.
With the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 onboard, I’m expecting better endurance than last year’s R model and possibly even an edge over the OnePlus 15. OnePlus says this is the biggest battery they’ve ever put in a phone, and that alone tells you what kind of users they’re targeting this time. This phone is clearly built for people who push their devices hard.
The company even describes the 15R as “built to play and never, ever stop”, and that sets expectations pretty clearly.
Pricing for the OnePlus 15R will be revealed on December 17, when the phone officially launches in India. If OnePlus sticks to its usual aggressive pricing strategy, this could easily become the go-to option for a massive chunk of buyers.
The phone is expected to sit below the OnePlus 15, which starts at ₹72,999, with reports suggesting a price point around ₹45,000. After spending some time with it, the OnePlus 15R feels like OnePlus trying to re-establish the R-series as the smart buy. A full review is coming soon, with proper gaming tests, battery numbers, thermal results, and a lot more real-world data.