The iQOO 15 was recently launched in India as the latest flagship smartphone powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset. iQOO 15 has everything required for a performance-focused smartphone. However, it became significantly more expensive, with a starting price of Rs 72,999. It is comparable to the OnePlus 15. Both phones feature the same chipset.  

Here is a comparison between the two devices to help you make an informed decision before purchasing. 

Performance & Gaming 

Both devices are powered by Qualcomm’s fastest mobile chipset, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. 

What’s Unique in iQOO 15? 

• iQOO 15 integrates the largest 8,000mm2 cooling system in a smartphone in India.  

• It’s also equipped with a self-developed SuperComputing Chip Q3. This provides PC-grade visual enhancements to mobile gaming.  

• The smartphone is also capable of achieving 144fps gaming. 

• Users can push it to its limits with heavy and intensive tasks. 

What’s Unique in the OnePlus 15? 

• Gaming is a major highlight on the OnePlus 15. 

• It gets dedicated technology with new Gaming Technology features such as OP Gaming Core, Performance Tri-Chip, and FPS Max.  

• The smartphone is also capable of achieving 165fps in select games. 

• Both the iQOO 15 and the OnePlus 15 are top performers for regular and heavy usage.  

Verdict  

iQOO 15 has a higher value in the AnTuTu benchmark. It suggests it’s slightly better if you’re very serious about raw performance. 

Cameras 

iQOO 15 

• It features a 50MP triple-camera setup at the back.  

• The setup is a 50MP primary sensor, a 50MP ultra-wide camera and a 50MP OIS periscope telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom.  

• For selfies, you get a 32MP front camera on the iQOO 15. 

• iQOO 15 boosts colours, making the images look more visually appealing. It’s not the best at retaining details, but it does maintain good exposure and dynamic range, delivering vibrant photos.  

Users feel that selfies are not great on the iQOO 15. Most of them appear in soft colours and oversharpened details. 

OnePlus 15 

• It has a similar camera setup, but with 3.5x optical zoom, making it a marginally better option for distant shots.  

• OnePlus 15’s cameras are versatile and fast, delivering social-media-ready results.  

• The smartphone is good for daylight and 3.5x portraits, and the quick shutter makes it easy for point-and-shoot.  

• Its low-light performance isn’t great, though, as the OnePlus 15 offers a darker, more dramatic look, but often with softer, dimmer frames. 

Verdict  

The OnePlus 15 is a better choice if you are detail-oriented. 

Battery 

All the new Android flagships take battery performance to the next level with capacities of 7,000mAh or higher.  

• iQOO 15 has a 7,000mAh battery, while the OnePlus 15 boasts a slightly bigger 7,300mAh unit.  

• Both phones come with 100W fast charging support. 

• iQOO 15 offers 40W wireless charging, and the OnePlus 15 offers 50W. 

• In real-world performance, the iQOO 15 lasts an entire day and more between charges.  

• The OnePlus 15 can go through more than a day. 

Despite the marginal difference, both phones showed a similar performance, with their batteries dropping around the same amount after streaming YouTube and playing games such as BGMI, Call of Duty: Mobile, and Real Racing 3. 

The difference would be minimal, but if you had to pick the ultimate winner, then it would be the OnePlus 15. 

OxygenOS 16 vs OriginOS 6 

iQOO 15 

• iQOO 15 features OriginOS 6, which replaced Funtouch OS.  

• The new software is fluid with several quality-of-life improvements and customisation.  

• Users will get useful AI features such as AI Reflection Remover, AI Image Expander, AI Erase, and AI Colour Adjustment.  

• iQOO 15 offers 5 years of OS upgrades and 7 years of security updates. 

OnePlus 15  

• OnePlus 15 features OxygenOS 16, which leans more heavily into AI with a dedicated MindSpace hub that captures and collects your content in one place.  

• Users will get several customisation features and a transparent-like effect in certain aspects of the UI. 

• OnePlus 15 offers 4 years of OS upgrades and 6 years of security updates. 

Final Thoughts  

Both iQOO 15 and the OnePlus 15 share the same starting price of Rs 72,999 with the same chipset, and similar camera hardware. It makes them almost identical in the core specs. 

• The iQOO 15 offers a brighter and more immersive display, excellent heat management, decent all-around cameras, and longer software support. 

• iQOO 15 is suitable for multimedia consumption and sustained performance. 

• OnePlus 15 stands out with its superior gaming experience, longer battery life, cleaner and more intuitive UI, and slightly better telephoto performance.  

The real differences come down to user priorities. Both are powerful flagships, and your pick depends on whether you value peak brightness and thermal efficiency or gaming-centric features and battery endurance.