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OnePlus 15 US Pre-Orders Go Live: Price, Specs, Massive Battery & OnePlus 15R Update

December 5, 2025
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OnePlus 15 US Pre-Orders Go Live: Price, Specs, Massive Battery & OnePlus 15R Update

As of December 5, 2025, OnePlus 15 US pre-orders are finally live with aggressive launch deals, a record-breaking 7,300 mAh battery, fresh reviews, a worrying password bug report, and big leaks around the upcoming OnePlus 15R.

OnePlus 15: What’s new today (December 5, 2025)?

The OnePlus 15 has had a staggered, slightly chaotic rollout, but as of December 5, 2025, the picture is finally coming into focus:

  • US pre‑orders are open after an FCC-related delay, with shipments currently slated for December 22. [1]
  • Early reviews now range from glowing battery praise to pointed criticism of its cameras and thermal behavior. [2]
  • A new Malaysian review dropped today, diving deep into gaming performance and thermals. [3]
  • In India, the OnePlus 15R—a cheaper sibling—is confirmed for a local launch event in 11 days, with fresh Geekbench leaks revealing its core specs. [4]
  • A Reddit-reported password bug has hit the headlines, raising questions about software reliability on at least some units. [5]

If you’ve been waiting to decide whether to preorder the OnePlus 15—or hold off for the 15R—today’s news matters.

US pre-orders are finally live after FCC drama

The OnePlus 15’s US launch was pushed back thanks to a prolonged US government shutdown that stalled FCC approvals. After weeks of uncertainty, OnePlus opened US pre-orders on December 4 at 11 a.m. ET, with sales running directly through its website. [6]

Key details:

  • Pre‑order window: Open now via OnePlus.com in the US. [7]
  • Config options in the US:
    • 12GB RAM + 256GB storage – $899.99
    • 16GB RAM + 512GB storage – $999.99 [8]
  • Color options: Infinite Black, Ultra Violet, and Sand Storm (the dune-like matte finish everyone’s talking about). [9]

According to PhoneScoop, current shipping estimates from OnePlus’ site show the phone “ships in 18 days,” putting deliveries around December 22 and, for now, only the 16GB/512GB variant is listed as available. [10]

Launch offers: free watch or buds, trade-in bonuses & discounts

OnePlus is clearly leaning on aggressive launch promos to stand out in a crowded flagship market this holiday season.

Across coverage from SFGate, 9to5Google and Techaeris, here’s what US buyers can expect when ordering directly from OnePlus: [11]

Free gift (pick one, limited stock):

  • OnePlus Watch 3 (43mm) – bundled with the 512GB model
  • OnePlus Buds Pro 3
  • OnePlus AIRVOOC 50W Magnetic Charger
  • OnePlus 15 phone case

Trade‑in incentives:

  • Guaranteed $100 instant credit for any phone in any condition
  • Additional $100 cashback when your purchase includes a trade‑in
  • Higher bonuses (up to several hundred dollars) for recent flagships

Other perks:

  • Up to 30% off accessories when you bundle with the phone
  • Student discount around 5% (Techaeris notes this in its launch breakdown). [12]

Taken together, the promos can shave a serious chunk off the effective price—especially if you’re trading in an older device.

The hardware story: huge battery, gaming-first display and Mind Space AI

On paper, the OnePlus 15 looks like a gaming-first flagship wrapped in a minimalist chassis.

Core specs

From OnePlus’ official specs and multiple reviews, this is what you’re getting: [13]

  • Display: 6.78‑inch LTPO AMOLED, 1.5K (2772 × 1272), up to 165 Hz refresh (165 Hz in supported games, 1–120 Hz adaptive otherwise)
  • Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
  • RAM / Storage: 12GB/256GB or 16GB/512GB (LPDDR5X + UFS 4.1)
  • Battery:7,300 mAh dual‑cell silicon‑based pack
  • Charging: Up to 80W wired (US cap), 50W wireless, plus reverse charging [14]
  • Cameras (rear): 50 MP main + 50 MP ultrawide + 50 MP periscope telephoto (3.5x optical) [15]
  • Front camera: 32 MP
  • Software: OxygenOS 16 based on Android 16, with Mind Space and deep integration with Google Gemini AI. [16]
  • Durability: IP68/IP69 rating in some markets and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 up front. [17]

OnePlus is heavily marketing the device as “the first flagship globally with a 7,000+ mAh battery” and claims it’s the largest battery in a consumer smartphone in North America right now. [18]

Battery life: the OnePlus 15’s biggest win

Battery life is the one area where almost every review agrees the OnePlus 15 is spectacular.

  • SFGate’s hands‑on testing found the 7,300 mAh battery regularly stretching close to two full days of use, even with the fast Snapdragon chip and bright display. [19]
  • NotebookCheck measured battery life as a significant step up over the OnePlus 13, noting that the huge battery “lets you work for days on end” in lighter workloads. [20]
  • Nasi Lemak Tech’s review today reports about 30 hours in a standardized test, calling it the longest‑lasting phone they’ve tested so far. [21]

Charging performance is nearly as impressive: SFGate clocked just over 30 minutes to refill the battery using OnePlus’ 80W wired charging (the US‑limited spec), while the phone also supports 50W wireless charging for those who prefer going cable‑free. [22]

If endurance is your top priority, the OnePlus 15 is shaping up to be the battery phone of this generation.

Performance & gaming: blazing fast, but watch the thermals

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is a monster chip, and nearly every reviewer reports excellent real‑world performance:

  • SFGate describes the phone as smooth and glitch‑free, with popular titles capable of hitting 165 fps either natively or via frame interpolation. [23]
  • Nasi Lemak Tech tested heavy hitters like Genshin Impact, Zenless Zone Zero and Wuthering Waves, generally seeing frame rates in the 45–60 fps range at high settings, with a good overall feel. [24]
  • NotebookCheck notes that games can reach 165 fps, but warns the device throttles under sustained load and can get quite hot, sometimes even shutting down under stress tests. [25]

In simple terms: the OnePlus 15 is fast enough for anything, but sustained gaming at max settings may come with heat and throttling trade‑offs. OnePlus’ elaborate cooling system—featuring a large vapor chamber, graphite layers and even aerogel around the chip—looks great in marketing, but early testing suggests it can’t fully tame the chip under extreme loads. [26]

Camera: vacation‑ready, but not the photography king

The camera story is where opinions really diverge.

On the positive side:

  • SFGate’s reviewer came away impressed, highlighting sharp detail, vivid fall landscapes and surprisingly strong low‑light performance, calling the OnePlus 15 a great travel camera that consistently produced rich, detailed shots. [27]
  • Several international reviews, including NotebookCheck, describe the triple‑camera system as “good” rather than groundbreaking, with solid everyday photos and usable zoom. [28]

On the critical side:

  • PhoneArena published a pair of articles arguing that OnePlus has stepped back from true flagship‑grade imaging, calling the 15 more of a “sidegrade” with a scaled‑down camera system compared to Oppo’s Find X9 Pro template. [29]
  • In a separate deep dive, PhoneArena points out that the ultrawide camera is unusually narrow at 116°, closer to a “wide-plus” than a true ultrawide, making it feel less dramatic than rivals like the Galaxy S25 Ultra or Pixel 10 Pro. [30]

In practice, that means:

  • If you mostly shoot people, pets, food, and scenery, you’ll probably be happy.
  • If you’re a camera nerd expecting OnePlus 9‑era magic or Pixel‑level computational photography, you might find the ultrawide and overall imaging ambition a bit underwhelming.

New bug report: password failure beyond the lock screen

The most worrying story of the day is a Reddit‑originating bug report that’s now being picked up by mainstream tech media in India.

ABP Live highlights a case where a user’s brand‑new OnePlus 15 accepts their password on the lock screen but rejects the exact same password for anything requiring deeper system authentication—such as restarting, changing the PIN, or unlocking App Lock‑protected apps. [31]

Key details from the report:

  • The phone was only a few days old and used as the main device for under 48 hours.
  • There was no root, bootloader unlocking, or unusual tinkering—just normal apps from the Play Store. [32]
  • The user suggests the phone behaves as if it has two conflicting encryption states, making secure use nearly impossible.

At the time of writing, there’s no widely reported official response from OnePlus, and this appears to be a single, but serious, anecdotal case. Still, it’s a reminder that brand‑new software—even on premium phones—can ship with nasty edge‑case bugs that may require firmware fixes.

If you’re planning to preorder, it’s worth:

  • Enabling cloud backups (Photos, contacts, messages) early.
  • Keeping an eye out for OxygenOS 16 updates in the first weeks after launch.

OnePlus 15R: mid‑range sibling gearing up for India

While the main OnePlus 15 is grabbing headlines globally, the OnePlus 15R is starting to make waves—especially in India.

Here’s what we know today:

  • Launch date (India): India Today reports a launch event scheduled in 11 days, on December 17, with pricing likely positioned below the main 15 based on previous “R” models. [33]
  • Leaked specs: Gadgets360 notes a Geekbench listing showing a Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset, 12GB RAM, and OxygenOS 16, along with an IP69K rating for dust and water resistance. [34]
  • Camera downgrade: PhoneArena expects the 15R to drop one of the rear cameras (likely the telephoto), signaling a stronger shift toward upper mid‑range positioning. [35]

In short, the 15R looks set to be a slightly more affordable, still‑powerful alternative, especially attractive in markets like India where ultra‑flagship prices are harder to swallow.

How reviewers are splitting on the OnePlus 15

As of December 5, the critical consensus is split but consistent in a few areas:

Strong positives

  • Battery life: Class‑leading or close to it, thanks to the 7,300 mAh pack. [36]
  • Display & smoothness: Fast 165 Hz panel with excellent brightness and responsive touch, especially appealing for gamers. [37]
  • Value: At $899.99–$999.99 plus heavy preorder perks, it undercuts some rivals like the Pixel 10 Pro XL in pure sticker price. [38]

Mixed or negative points

  • Thermals & throttling: Under sustained heavy load, the phone can heat up and throttle more than some competing flagships. [39]
  • Camera ambition: Good everyday camera, but the narrow ultrawide, the end of the Hasselblad partnership, and incremental improvements make it feel less “flagship‑killer” than earlier OnePlus generations. [40]
  • Materials debate: The Sand Storm variant uses a fiberglass‑reinforced back rather than glass; some reviewers love the durability and grip, others see it as cost‑cutting. [41]

Should you preorder the OnePlus 15 today?

You should consider preordering now if:

  • You want the longest‑lasting mainstream Android phone available today.
  • You’re a mobile gamer who values a 165 Hz panel, high touch‑sampling, and aggressive cooling, and you’re okay dialing back some settings if heat becomes an issue. [42]
  • You plan to stack trade‑in and preorder bonuses, bringing the effective price far below $899.

You might want to wait if:

  • Camera performance is your absolute top priority and you’re eyeing devices like the Pixel 10 Pro or Galaxy S25 Ultra, which still seem ahead in pure imaging. [43]
  • You’re concerned about early‑run bugs and want to see how quickly OnePlus responds to reports like the password failure incident. [44]
  • You’re in India or another 15R market and prefer a cheaper variant with slightly toned‑down hardware but a friendlier price tag. [45]

For many users, the OnePlus 15 looks like a battery‑first flagship with gaming flair, wrapped in a stylish body and sold at a relatively aggressive price—especially with launch deals factored in. Whether that’s enough depends on how much you care about cameras, long gaming sessions, and early software stability.

Don't buy the OnePlus 15 (buy this instead)
Watch this video on YouTube.

References

1. 9to5google.com, 2. www.sfgate.com, 3. nasilemaktech.com, 4. www.indiatoday.in, 5. news.abplive.com, 6. 9to5google.com, 7. 9to5google.com, 8. www.sfgate.com, 9. www.sfgate.com, 10. www.phonescoop.com, 11. www.sfgate.com, 12. techaeris.com, 13. www.oneplus.com, 14. www.oneplus.com, 15. www.sfgate.com, 16. www.sfgate.com, 17. www.notebookcheck.net, 18. www.oneplus.com, 19. www.sfgate.com, 20. www.notebookcheck.net, 21. nasilemaktech.com, 22. www.sfgate.com, 23. www.sfgate.com, 24. nasilemaktech.com, 25. www.notebookcheck.net, 26. www.oneplus.com, 27. www.sfgate.com, 28. www.notebookcheck.net, 29. www.phonearena.com, 30. www.phonearena.com, 31. news.abplive.com, 32. news.abplive.com, 33. www.indiatoday.in, 34. www.gadgets360.com, 35. www.phonearena.com, 36. www.sfgate.com, 37. www.oneplus.com, 38. www.sfgate.com, 39. www.notebookcheck.net, 40. www.phonearena.com, 41. www.sfgate.com, 42. www.oneplus.com, 43. www.phonearena.com, 44. news.abplive.com, 45. www.indiatoday.in

Mateusz Brzeziński

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