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December 9, 2025 • 28 mins

Welcome back to the show.

Today we’re taking a closer look at one of the most extreme flagship phones released this year — a device that pushes performance and battery life to almost absurd levels. It’s bold, it’s powerful, it’s unapologetically overbuilt… but it also has one surprising weakness.

Let’s talk about the OnePlus 15.

The OnePlus 15 arrives with the kind of specifications that feel almost excessive. This isn’t just a fast phone — it’s a phone built to outrun every benchmark anyone might throw at it. At the center of the device is the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, paired with a generous amount of high-speed RAM. Together, they create an experience so fluid and so responsive that most everyday tasks barely tap into the device’s real potential.

But raw speed isn’t the only thing that stands out.

The hardware design has been completely reworked. The new matte finish feels premium, understated, and intentional, and the advanced ceramic-based coating gives the phone an impressive resistance to scratches — far beyond what most glass or aluminum bodies can handle. Add to that an IP69K water-resistance rating, one of the toughest durability standards available, and the OnePlus 15 becomes a device designed not just to perform, but to last.

The biggest surprise, though, is the battery.

OnePlus has packed a massive 7,300 mAh cell inside this phone — a capacity that dwarfs typical flagships. And unlike many premium manufacturers that have moved away from including chargers, this model ships with a fast charger right in the box. It’s a refreshing, almost nostalgic reminder of when buying a high-end phone meant getting everything you needed to use it at full power on day one.

But with all this praise, there’s one major drawback that overshadows the otherwise impressive package: the camera system.

Despite the performance upgrades and durability enhancements, the camera quality is a noticeable step backward from both its predecessor and competing devices in the same price range. The images lack the vibrancy, detail, and dynamic range expected from a modern flagship, and the tuning feels inconsistent. It’s a strange compromise, especially considering how aggressively the rest of the phone is engineered.

The result is a device that feels like a powerhouse in nearly every category except the one that matters most to many users: photography. The OnePlus 15 is for those who prize speed, battery life, durability, and value — but not necessarily camera performance.

If you enjoy exploring the best — and the flaws — of today’s tech, be sure to join me again for the next episode. There’s always more innovation to uncover, and always a few surprises along the way.


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