OnePlus 15 vs iQOO 15 – The Ultimate 2025 Flagship Comparison

The smartphone market in 2025 has reached a point where flagship devices don’t just compete on specifications—they compete on pure user experience. This year, multiple premium phones have been launched back-to-back, and with aggressive pricing and powerful hardware, buyers are more confused than ever.

Out of all the new launches, two phones have generated the maximum curiosity: the OnePlus 15 and the iQOO 15. Both devices are positioned as performance-driven flagships in the ₹65,000–₹70,000 range. And as expected, thousands of users are asking the same question:

“Which one should I buy — the OnePlus 15 or the iQOO 15?”

In this comprehensive article, we’ll do a complete experiential comparison of OnePlus 15 vs iQOO 15, not just a spec-by-spec rundown. You already know the specifications from launch events and unboxing videos. Here, we’ll talk about real usage, actual feel, and experience after testing both devices intensively.

Let’s begin.

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1. Introduction – Why the OnePlus 15 vs iQOO 15 Comparison Matters

Flagship smartphones have evolved dramatically. A few years ago, raw hardware like processor speed, megapixel count, or battery wattage dominated the conversation. But in 2025, the story has changed.

Today, every flagship is fast enough. Every flagship has an excellent display. Every flagship has great cameras.
So the real differentiator is experience.

If you’re spending ₹65,000–₹70,000 on a premium device, you’re not buying just specs — you’re buying:

• a refined user interface
• a stable, optimized performance
• premium build
• great battery life
• meaningful camera performance
• long-term software support

This is where the OnePlus 15 vs iQOO 15 comparison becomes extremely interesting.

Both phones check all the boxes on paper, but which one feels better to use every day?

Let’s begin the deep dive.

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2. Design & Build – Two Different Personalities

Both devices look modern and premium, with flat sides, flat screens, and very slim bezels. In-hand, both feel like proper flagships — solid, slim, and refined. But they take very different design paths.

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2.1 OnePlus 15 – Refined and Elegant

The OnePlus 15 embraces minimalism.
Its design language screams premium:

• Clean, elegant lines
• A refined camera module
• Attractive color options (especially the Sand Storm finish)
• A fiberglass back on some variants
• Gorilla Glass Victus 2 (VS2) protection on the front
• IP68 + IP69K protection (rare for smartphones)

The device feels mature — almost like a luxury product.

If you love subtle, professional-looking design, the OnePlus 15 will strongly appeal to you.

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2.2 iQOO 15 – Bold and Gamer-Centric

iQOO retains its bold personality.
The design is sporty, youthful, and performance-driven.

• Flat frame with sharp edges
• A bright, aggressive camera module design
• The signature Monster Halo Light at the back
• Fiberglass back
• IP68 protection

Where OnePlus looks classy, the iQOO 15 looks energetic and gaming-inspired.

If you enjoy RGB, gaming-style aesthetics, or want a phone that visually stands out, iQOO 15 is your pick.

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Verdict – Design & Build

OnePlus 15 wins for premium refinement.
iQOO 15 wins for bold, gaming-focused aesthetics.

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3. Display Comparison – Brightness vs Smoothness

This is one of the most interesting parts of the OnePlus 15 vs iQOO 15 comparison. Both phones have exceptional displays but shine in different ways.

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3.1 Display Specifications Overview

Feature	OnePlus 15	iQOO 15
Size	6.78-inch	6.85-inch
Resolution	2K	1.5K
Refresh Rate	165Hz (faster)	144Hz
Peak Brightness	High	Extremely High (one of the brightest in market)
HDR Support	Dolby Vision, HDR10+	Dolby Vision, HDR10+
Panel Type	LTPO AMOLED	LTPO AMOLED

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3.2 Brightness – iQOO Dominates

The iQOO 15 has one of the brightest displays in the world right now.

Outdoors, in direct sunlight, the difference is immediately noticeable:

• Text appears crisper
• Colors pop more
• Everything is readable even under harsh light

If outdoor visibility is your priority, iQOO 15 easily wins.

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3.3 Smoothness – OnePlus Dominates

The OnePlus 15’s 165Hz refresh rate delivers unmatched smoothness.

You feel it:

• While scrolling
• In animations
• In UI transitions
• And especially in gaming

The fluidity is next-level compared to the iQOO 15.

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3.4 Color & Calibration

Both devices offer:

• 10-bit color
• HDR support
• Accurate color tuning

But OnePlus tends to offer slightly more natural tones, while iQOO leans sharper and more vibrant.

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Verdict – Display

• iQOO 15 wins for brightness and outdoor visibility
• OnePlus 15 wins for smoothness and 165Hz refresh rate
• Overall, iQOO slightly edges out because brightness matters more for everyday use

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Multimedia includes speaker quality, audio experience, video playback, and haptic feedback.

4. Multimedia & Haptics

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4.1 Speaker Quality – OnePlus Wins

Side-by-side tests show:

• OnePlus has fuller, richer sound
• Bass is deeper
• Highs are clearer
• Stereo effect feels wider

The iQOO 15 is loud, but the OnePlus 15 sounds more premium.

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4.2 Video Experience

Because of iQOO’s extreme brightness, HDR videos look:

• Brighter
• More punchy
• More immersive outdoors

Inside a room, both look excellent.

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4.3 Haptic Feedback – iQOO Wins

The iQOO 15 has one of the best haptic motors in the industry.

The feedback is:

• Sharp
• Precise
• Slightly stronger

OnePlus is good, but slightly mushier in comparison.

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Verdict – Multimedia & Haptics

• Sound: OnePlus wins
• Haptics: iQOO wins
• Video brightness: iQOO wins
  Overall, it’s a tie — depends on what’s important to you.

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5. Performance – Benchmarks, Gaming & Optimization

This is the most debated part of the OnePlus 15 vs iQOO 15 comparison.

On paper, both phones offer insane performance. But real-world usage reveals differences.

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5.1 Processing Power

Both phones use:

• Top-tier flagship processors
• High clock speeds
• Excellent GPU performance

But OnePlus has better real-world optimization.

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5.2 Why OnePlus Performs Better in Real Usage

OnePlus uses:

• Smarter task scheduling
• Better workload balancing
• More efficient GPU tuning
• Faster RAM speed

During intensive testing:

• App switching felt faster
• Heavy apps opened slightly quicker
• Background tasks ran smoother

These differences are small but noticeable.

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5.3 Gaming Performance – OnePlus Clearly Wins

Here’s where the 165Hz panel matters.

OnePlus 15 can run games like:

• COD Mobile
• Brawl Stars
• Genshin Impact

at 165 FPS, something iQOO 15 cannot match.

Genshin Impact also runs at:

• Native 120 FPS on OnePlus
• But capped lower on iQOO

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5.4 Thermals & Stability

Stability tests show:

• OnePlus maintains performance longer
• iQOO heats up more during long sessions
• OnePlus has better sustained FPS

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Verdict – Performance

OnePlus 15 outperforms iQOO 15 in real-world usage, stability, and gaming.

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6. RAM, Storage & Thermal Management

iQOO uses:

• LPDDR5X Ultra+ RAM (10,667 Mbps)

OnePlus uses:

• LPDDR5X Ultra RAM (9,600 Mbps)

So technically, iQOO has faster RAM.

But actual memory management is more efficient on OnePlus thanks to better software optimization.

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7. Battery Life & Charging

Both phones come with very large batteries.

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7.1 Battery Capacity

• iQOO 15: 7000 mAh
• OnePlus 15: 7300 mAh

OnePlus has the larger battery.

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7.2 Screen On Time

Actual real-world SOT:

• OnePlus 15: 9.5 – 10 hours
• iQOO 15: 8.8 – 9 hours

So OnePlus offers nearly 1 extra hour.

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7.3 Charging Speeds

Feature	OnePlus 15	iQOO 15
Wired Charging	120W	100W
Wireless Charging	50W	40W

Both charge insanely fast, but OnePlus again wins.

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7.4 Thermals & Efficiency

OnePlus:

• Runs cooler
• Charges cooler
• Game thermals are more stable

iQOO:

• Tends to warm up faster
• Performance drops sooner under load

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Verdict – Battery & Charging

OnePlus 15 clearly wins in battery life, charging speeds, and thermals.

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8. Software Experience – OxygenOS 16 vs OriginOS 6

This is arguably the biggest difference between the two phones.

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8.1 OriginOS 6 (iQOO 15)

Pros:

• Much cleaner than FunTouchOS
• Smooth animations
• Modern UI
• Good optimization

Cons:

• Still pushes unwanted notifications at times
• App Store notifications appear frequently
• Contains bloat-like elements (Glance, etc.)
• Not as refined as OxygenOS

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8.2 OxygenOS 16 (OnePlus 15)

Pros:

• Cleanest UI among Android skins
• No unwanted notifications
• Minimal bloat
• Excellent AOD and lockscreen customization
• Fluid animations
• Better AI integration
• MindSpace journal is promising and useful
• Feels polished and premium

Cons:

• Not many

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8.3 Software Updates

Feature	OnePlus 15	iQOO 15
Major Updates	4 years	5 years
Security Updates	6 years	7 years

iQOO wins in update commitment.

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Verdict – Software

• For pure experience → OnePlus 15 wins
• For long-term updates → iQOO 15 wins, but experience still isn’t as refined

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9. Camera Comparison – Photos, Portraits, Video

This is a critical part of the OnePlus 15 vs iQOO 15 comparison.

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9.1 Photo Quality

iQOO produces:

• Great portraits
• Excellent edge detection
• Natural bokeh
• Good 50mm & 3x zoom shots

OnePlus produces:

• Better skin tones
• More accurate colors
• Better HDR
• Superior dynamic range

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9.2 Portraits – iQOO Wins

Thanks to Vivo’s experience with portraits, the iQOO 15 is significantly better in:

• 2x portraits
• 3x portraits
• 3.5x zoom portraits

Face separation and background blur are outstanding.

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9.3 Low Light

OnePlus handles:

• Color accuracy
• Shadows
• Noise reduction

better than iQOO.

iQOO sometimes pushes brightness too much.

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9.4 Video Recording – MASSIVE Difference

iQOO lacks:

• 4K 120 FPS
• Dolby Vision video
• HDR video
• LOG video

OnePlus offers all of the above.

This is a huge advantage for videographers or content creators.

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Verdict – Camera

• Portraits: iQOO 15 wins
• Everything else: OnePlus 15 wins (especially videos)

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10. Network, Wi-Fi, Connectivity

OnePlus has:

• A dedicated Wi-Fi chip, which reduces latency
• Lower ping in games
• More stable Wi-Fi connections

iQOO performs well but lacks these extras.

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11. Pricing & Value for Money

Device	Launch Price
iQOO 15	₹72,999 (increased vs previous gen)
OnePlus 15	₹68,999

With bank offers:

• OnePlus comes down to ₹65,000–₹66,000
• iQOO comes down to ₹67,000–₹68,000

So pricing is almost similar.

But considering the experience, OnePlus feels like the better value.

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12. Final Verdict – OnePlus 15 vs iQOO 15: Which One Should You Buy?

Let’s cut to the chase.

If your priority is:

• Best-in-class display brightness
• Amazing portrait photography
• A more fun, gaming-centric design
• Long-term updates

→ Buy the iQOO 15.

However…

If you want:

• A premium, refined flagship
• Better battery life
• Better audio
• Better software experience
• Better stability
• Better performance
• Better videos
• Better thermals
• No bloatware

→ The OnePlus 15 is the clearly superior device.

Winner: OnePlus 15

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13. FAQ – OnePlus 15 vs iQOO 15

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Final Words

The 2025 flagship battle is intense, but the OnePlus 15 edges out the iQOO 15 in most real-world aspects. It’s more polished, more refined, and more consistent. iQOO 15 is excellent, but OnePlus 15 is simply the better all-rounder.

If you have any questions about the devices, drop them in the comments — happy to help!

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