A new reader survey of almost 2,100 people indicates a fairly even split in opinion on the OnePlus 15’s shift from QHD+ to a 1.5K panel while going the full volley for refresh at 165Hz. The headline results say it all: If the screen still pretty much looks great overall, 45.1% are OK with the resolution downgrade; 27.7% never cared about QHD+ in the first place, and 27.2% think this is a change that sucks.
Survey results show mixed reactions to OnePlus 15 display shift
Overall, a little more than 7 in 10 respondents either embrace the downgrade or are neutral toward QHD+.
That divide mirrors a general trend among high-end phones: A lot of people care more about perceived smoothness, outdoor brightness, color accuracy, anti-reflective performance, and battery life than they do about absolutely as many pixels as can be crammed into a display. Analyst notes by Display Supply Chain Consultants have consistently flagged costs and power issues at the bleeding edge, mileage many research firms may set as a pace according to reports from places like Counterpoint Research that have long found fluidity and longevity generally outstrip resolution as purchasing drivers.
The 27.2% disapprovers are no meaningless minority, and they’re angry because expectations had been set. Recent OnePlus flagships — particularly the Pro line — made QHD+ a marquee spec, so to remove that option on paper represents a step back, even if the real-world difference isn’t marked for many retinas.
Why OnePlus reduced display pixels to enable 165Hz refresh
OnePlus has claimed that it will be impossible to carry through a QHD+ panel at 165Hz, and in fact the new display is more expensive than OnePlus 13’s display despite the lower resolution. The engineering trade-offs are simple: driving ~25–30% more pixels at higher refresh rates calls for greater memory bandwidth, stronger display drivers, and more power — both heat and battery drain start stacking up really quickly as pixels and hertz pile on.
On the feel side, that jump to 165Hz practically cuts frame time in half again, coming down to about 6.06ms versus 8.33ms at 120Hz — all of that motion blur and extra touch-to-screen latency are getting trimmed away fast.
Gaming-focused phones have been doing just this balance for a very long time now, coupling super high refresh rates and sub-QHD resolutions. Assuming the OnePlus 15 also relies on aggressive variable refresh (edging down when static) and optimized rendering paths, it could claw back a lot of efficiency despite the lofty ceiling.
How big a difference does it make in the real world?
The distinction is millions on a large phone canvas differ from slightly fewer million — say, a quarter to one-third less.
At normal viewing distances, a lot of users may not even notice the sharpness drop, especially when dot pitch and other font-rendering resources are aligned. That goes along with the 27.7% who never enjoyed QHD+ anyway.
Other display attributes can be more important on a day-to-day basis. The same goes for color cal; if the cal can even out from min to max, so too will comfort and clarity (if you’re not using high PWM control or aggressive DC-dimming ranges). AG panel 3.1 relative to direct sun. A higher peak in nits will also add comfort and clarity. Solid AR glass shouldn’t come out very well when swept/traversed while bare on reflections. We’ve watched anti-glare treatments on flagship devices such as the Galaxy S25 Ultra make significant improvements to readability in sunlight despite not being accompanied by any resolution bump — a telling indicator that optics and coatings can take down raw pixel math.
The enthusiast standard and why 27.2% are dissatisfied
For fans, the frustration here is about identity just as much as about pixels. OnePlus was instrumental in popularizing QHD+ on high-end models, with some users opting to switch down to FHD+ for better battery life. Ditching the QHD+ model entirely is a breach of that social contract. If the OnePlus 15’s screen isn’t best-in-class in terms of color, brightness stability, HDR tone mapping, and low-latency touch, detractors will perceive it as a step backwards rather than a smart optimization.
What buyers should watch for in upcoming display tests
Independent lab tests will tell the tale. Seek measurements of color space volume, reflectance, and temporal dithering artifacts from testing units. While this can be quantified under DXOMARK’s Display rankings (as well as historical calibration deep dives from both labs and review outlets), that just serves to confirm undisclosed claims. Key checks include:
- Sustained outdoor brightness versus short peaks
- Refresh behavior variability and the minimum VRR floor
- Touch sampling stability under 165Hz
- Flicker at typical brightness levels
Assuming the OnePlus 15 pairs its 165Hz limit with excellent calibration, strong anti-glare performance, high-frequency PWM, and efficient power management, most users — the 70% who are resolution agnostic — won’t miss QHD+ if it pulls it off here. The rest of us will decide at what point along the way “it just works” starts to feel as unquestionably premium while it’s in motion, not just on paper.