Top 5 Reasons to Avoid the OnePlus 15 in 2025 – The Flagship That Lost Its Soul

The OnePlus 15 launched with fireworks: Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, 165 Hz QHD+ display, 7300 mAh battery, 120 W charging, and a price that still undercuts Samsung and Apple. On paper, it’s the ultimate 2025 flagship killer.

But after using it as our only phone for a full week in Mexico — shooting 4K vlogs, gaming for hours, surviving 30-hour travel days — we walked away disappointed. It’s not broken… it’s just no longer special.

Here are the five biggest red flags that make the OnePlus 15 easy to skip this year, even at ₹84,999.

1. The Camera Is a Clear Downgrade – Goodbye Hasselblad Magic

OnePlus quietly killed the Hasselblad partnership and replaced it with an in-house “Detail Max Engine.” The result?

• Low-light photos are flat, noisy, and soft — noticeably worse than the OnePlus 13 and miles behind the Oppo Find X9 Pro (same price bracket)
• You have to manually switch to Action Mode every time you photograph moving subjects — no auto detection in 2025
• Night video looks grainy and washed out
• Smaller main sensor (1/1.56″) than rivals → less light gathering

Real-world example: During Mexico City’s Día de Muertos night parade, the OnePlus 15 produced murky, lifeless shots while the Oppo Find X9 Pro (same chipset) delivered vibrant, detailed ones.

If photography matters even a little, this is the single biggest reason to walk away.

2. It’s Basically an Oppo Find X9 Pro with Worse Cameras

OnePlus and Oppo are now the same company under the hood. The OnePlus 15 shares:

• Same display panel
• Same battery tech
• Same MindSpace AI
• Same ultrasonic fingerprint sensor
• Same OxygenOS/ColorOS base

…yet costs almost the same while delivering inferior cameras and only a marginally higher refresh rate (165 Hz vs 120 Hz — you won’t notice outside gaming).

Why pay nearly the same for the weaker twin?

3. Heavy & Chunky – The “Never Settle” Slim Dream Is Dead

• 215 g — heavier than the Galaxy S25 Ultra (209 g) and almost as heavy as some foldables
• Thick camera bump + squared edges = it wobbles on tables and feels dense in hand

After using ultra-light phones like the Motorola Edge 70 (159 g) and Honor Magic V5 (189 g), the OnePlus 15 feels like a brick from 2022. One-handed use for more than 20 minutes? Your pinky will complain.

4. Half-Baked AI Features That Feel Rushed

OnePlus went all-in on AI, but several features launched unfinished:

• Motion Cues (anti-motion-sickness blue dots) → often completely static, useless in moving cars
• MindSpace → 3–4 second delay before it captures anything
• AI photo unblur → works ~60 % of the time, sometimes makes things worse
• Occasional video playback stutter right after recording 4K

These aren’t deal-breakers, but they scream “shipped before ready.”

5. Price Creep Killed the “Flagship Killer” Spirit

₹84,999 / $999 base price That’s only ₹5,000–8,000 less than the Oppo Find X9 Pro with better cameras, or the Vivo X200 Pro with superior low-light and zoom.

The old OnePlus mantra was “same specs, half the price.” In 2025, it’s “same price, weaker cameras.” The value equation is gone.

When the OnePlus 15 Still Makes Sense

You SHOULD buy it if:

• You’re a hardcore gamer (165 Hz + best cooling outside Red Magic)
• You want the longest battery life on any slab phone
• You don’t care about low-light photography

But for 90 % of buyers? There are better options.

Better Alternatives Right Now

Final Verdict

The OnePlus 15 is objectively fast, long-lasting, and smooth. But it no longer feels like OnePlus. The soul — that perfect balance of price, performance, and photography — has been traded for gaming specs most people won’t fully use.

Skip it unless you’re a die-hard gamer who never shoots in low light. Everyone else: wait for a price drop, or just buy the Oppo Find X9 Pro and get the superior version.

Avoid Score: 7.8 / 10 – Great phone. Wrong brand.