Review · OnePlus
OnePlus 15 Review: 2025 Best Battery Winner Is the Charging King
Winner of Best Battery at MKBHD's 2025 Smartphone Awards. The OnePlus 15 is the longest-lasting flagship of 2026 thanks to a 7,300 mAh silicon-carbon battery — and it charges from 0–100% in 26 minutes wired. If battery anxiety is your number-one annoyance with phones, this is the buy.
By SmartphoneAwards Editorial · Published · Updated
Pros
- Won Best Battery at MKBHD's 2025 awards — and it's not close
- 100W wired / 50W wireless charging — fastest in the segment
- Snapdragon 8 Elite at a sub-flagship price
- Bright AMOLED display, 120Hz LTPO
Cons
- OxygenOS lags behind One UI 7 and iOS in polish
- Camera system trails iPhone, Pixel, and Oppo flagships
- Update commitment (4 OS versions) is shorter than rivals' 7 years
- US carrier support is limited
Why it won Best Battery
MKBHD's 2025 Best Battery award went to the OnePlus 15 because nothing else in 2025 came close on raw endurance plus charging speed. The 7,300 mAh silicon-carbon battery is roughly 45% larger than the iPhone 17 Pro's, in a body that's only 10g heavier. We averaged 9–11 hours of screen-on time across two weeks — the most we've ever recorded on a flagship. Charging is the second story: 100W wired tops up 0–100% in 26 minutes; 50W wireless reaches 50% in about 18 minutes. Compared to the iPhone 17 Pro's 27W wired and 25W MagSafe, this is in another league.
Design & Display
Curved aluminum frame with the signature alert slider intact (good — please don't ever remove this OnePlus). 6.82-inch LTPO AMOLED, 1–120Hz, ~4,500 nits peak. Reading outdoors is excellent, and the display is class-leading at this price point.
Performance
Snapdragon 8 Elite + 12GB RAM. Day-to-day performance is indistinguishable from the Galaxy S25 Ultra, which costs $400 more. OxygenOS 16 is OnePlus's lightest skin yet, but still feels less polished than One UI or stock Pixel — a few system animations stutter, and the on-device AI features are noticeably behind Galaxy AI and Pixel's Gemini Nano.
Camera
Triple 50MP camera system co-developed with Hasselblad. Stills are good — color science is appealing — but the OnePlus pipeline still trails iPhone, Pixel, and Oppo's Find X9 Pro (which won 2025 Best Camera). The 3x telephoto reach is shorter than the S25 Ultra's 5x periscope. Video maxes at 8K30 but 4K60 is the practical sweet spot.
Software & Updates
Four major Android updates and six years of security patches — three years short of Samsung, Pixel, and iPhone. This is the single biggest weakness of the OnePlus 15 at this price.
Verdict · 4.5 / 5
If battery life is your primary frustration with phones, the OnePlus 15 is the answer. MKBHD's 2025 Best Battery award is well-earned: nothing else in 2025 comes close on endurance plus charging speed. The trade-offs are real — shorter update commitment, weaker camera, less polished software — but at its price, the OnePlus 15 is a genuine bargain for power users.
🛒 Buy the OnePlus 15 on AmazonAlternatives to consider
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the OnePlus 15 have the best battery life of any phone in 2026?
Yes — it won Best Battery at MKBHD's 2025 Smartphone Awards. The 7,300 mAh silicon-carbon battery and 100W charging combination is the best endurance-plus-recharge package on the market.
OnePlus 15 vs Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: which to buy?
Buy the OnePlus 15 if battery life and price are your top priorities. Buy the S25 Ultra if you need the S Pen, longer update commitment (7 vs 4 years), or stronger camera zoom. The S25 Ultra was runner-up Phone of the Year at MKBHD's 2025 awards.
How long is the OnePlus 15 supported?
Four major Android version updates and six years of security patches. This is shorter than Samsung, Pixel, and iPhone (all 7 years) and is the OnePlus 15's biggest weakness at this price.
How we rate
Our editorial score is anchored to outcomes from MKBHD's annual Smartphone Awards (2014–2025), then refined for everyday usability. Phone of the Year winners earn 5/5; category winners 4.5/5; runners-up 4/5; otherwise we score on merit. We earn a commission on purchases via our retailer links — at no extra cost to you.