OnePlus is teasing a different kind of midrange phone with the 15R — not a watered-down flagship but a device that borrows some of the premium ideas from the OnePlus 15 and repackages them for a lower price. The company is set to unveil the 15R on December 17 in Bengaluru, and early hands‑on and unboxing reports give a clearer picture of what buyers can expect: massive battery life, a stronger front camera, and performance that sits closer to flagship territory than the R-series usually does.
What the 15R brings to the table
At a glance: OnePlus appears to be aiming the 15R at users who want long endurance and polished imaging without the flagship sticker. Reported highlights across previews and leaks include a 7,400‑mAh battery (larger than the OnePlus 15’s 7,300mAh cell), a high‑refresh 165Hz display, and a chipset that many outlets are calling the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 — a tuned variant positioned below the top‑end Elite silicon used in the main OnePlus 15. OnePlus is also said to include the DetailMax Engine from the premium model, which promises better computational photography in a lower‑priced package.
Colors and availability are already being signalled: Charcoal Black, Mint Green (the mint breeze sample several outlets showed), and a showier Electric Violet Ace Edition. OnePlus will stream the launch from Bengaluru and sell the phone through its site and Amazon India.
What’s in the box — and how fast does it charge?
CNET’s early unboxing shows the 15R arriving with a wired charger, SIM tool and a USB‑C to USB‑A adapter — a welcome inclusion in 2025. The charger in that unboxing measured at 55W, which many will appreciate because most makers stopped bundling chargers years ago.
That said, various reports don’t entirely agree on charging specs. Some coverage claims the phone supports up to 80W SUPERVOOC charging, while hands‑on footage suggests the bundled brick is 55W. The split could mean OnePlus supports higher charging speeds but ships a lower‑watt charger by default in some regions — or simply that reviewers saw a retail configuration different from regional marketing claims. Either way, with a 7,400‑mAh cell the real story will be runtime: even modest charging speeds on such a big battery should translate into long days away from the wall.
Cameras: selfies get a real upgrade
One of the clearest upgrades is up front. For the first time in the R line, the 15R is reported to carry a 32MP autofocus selfie camera with 4K video recording at 30 fps — a meaningful step up from prior fixed‑focus, lower‑resolution front cameras. Autofocus on the selfie camera promises sharper portrait shots and better video framing, while OnePlus’s DetailMax computational pipeline should help retain detail.
On rear imaging, the 15R reportedly uses a dual‑camera setup and brings over some processing tricks from the OnePlus 15. Early camera shootouts — notably a side‑by‑side comparison against Google’s Pixel 9a and Apple’s iPhone 16e — show the 15R holding its own in daylight and contrasty scenes. In those tests the OnePlus produced pleasing, accurate shots and benefited from having an ultrawide lens (something the single‑lens iPhone 16e couldn’t match), but the 15R lagged the iPhone in contrast and low‑light detail in several frames. The Pixel in that comparison often captured sharper textures at distance.
If camera performance matters most to you, those early comparisons suggest the 15R won’t dethrone the top‑tier camera phones, but it should be more than competitive for everyday shooting — especially in well‑lit conditions. For readers tracking how phones from Apple and Google compare to midrange contenders, context from recent flagship discussions may be useful when deciding whether to upgrade to a phone like this or hold out for the newest iPhone family or Pixel models — see our deeper look at the iPhone 17 and 17 Pro and the recent Pixel 10 Series pricing and deals for perspective.
A strategy shift: bigger batteries across the lineup
The 15R isn’t an isolated bet. Leaks and chatter around a compact OnePlus 15s (or 15T in China) hint that OnePlus is doubling down on very large batteries and faster charging across multiple SKUs. That suggests the company sees battery life as a differentiator in a market where raw camera numbers and chipset specs are increasingly similar.
Who should care?
If you want phone stamina and a better selfie camera without paying flagship prices, the 15R looks compelling. Camera enthusiasts who prioritize low‑light detail or the absolute best computational processing may still prefer higher‑end iPhones or Pixels. But for most buyers who value long screen‑on time, solid performance and a surprisingly capable camera suite, the 15R looks like a smart middle ground.
Expect more clarity at the December 17 launch when OnePlus posts full specs, pricing and regional charger policies. Until then, the 15R is shaping up as one of the more interesting midrange launches of the season: big battery, pro‑inspired software, and a selfie camera that finally feels like a worthwhile upgrade for social users and vloggers alike.