OnePlus has officially announced that its next flagship family, anchored by the OnePlus 15, will arrive on its home turf at some point this month alongside the sub-flagship Ace 6.
The company announced the news on its official Chinese social channels, which should set up a brisk start to the next cycle of Android performance phones built around Qualcomm’s latest high-end silicon.
What OnePlus Has Announced So Far About the OnePlus 15
Some of the features that have been confirmed by official teasers are: The OnePlus 15 will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor and will come with a display with a refresh rate of 165Hz. That refresh rate easily beats the current mainstream 120Hz standard, placing the phone squarely in gamer-friendly territory and reflecting OnePlus’s ongoing commitment to responsiveness.
The colorways here are locked in as well: Sand Dune (presumably it’ll be called Sand Storm elsewhere), Absolute Black, and Mist Purple. The brand has doubled down on unique finishes in recent generations to help flagships stand out at retail, and such a textured “sand” finish feels like a move back towards more grippy, tactile designs.
The focus of the imaging, meanwhile, is going to be on a 3.7x telephoto module, as well as, crucially, an in-house processing engine from OnePlus itself. That change represents a new chapter after years of co-branded camera tuning and will provide something greater for OnePlus: ownership of computational photography features and update schedules. How well it balances color science and low-light performance when not paired with an owner’s love will be closely watched by enthusiasts.
Aside from the confirmed specs, leaks suggest other things we might expect, including a 1.5K-class display resolution and, in some markets, high-capacity battery options all the way up to 7,800mAh.
If true, that would also be a huge cell for a modern flagship and likely would help counter the power demands of a 165Hz panel. As usual, there may be differences between regions in battery and charging.
Ace 6 Today, Likely the OnePlus 15R Name for Global Markets
Joining the OnePlus 15, the Ace 6 will act as a ‘mid-range option’ (presumably in the Chinese market) and is likely to launch under the name OnePlus 15R worldwide. Traditionally, the Ace-to-R transition has ushered in tiny yet significant changes, usually of the variety when it comes to battery power levels, wattages for charging, and materials or finishes.
For the Ace 6, OnePlus is teasing Quick Silver, Flash White, and Competition Black finishes. While the company has not confirmed full specs, positioning indicates a device with flagship pretensions that falls slightly below the main flagship to deliver strong value and familiar design DNA shared with the core OnePlus 15.
Rollout Strategy and Broader Market Context for OnePlus 15
OnePlus usually starts in China before expanding availability in a global release in the following weeks. That cadence has allowed the brand to seed early momentum at home before driving volume in critical international markets such as India, Europe, and North America. Observers like Counterpoint Research and IDC have pointed out how OnePlus managed to play above its weight class in premium Android segments, thanks to timely product launches and keen pricing — an especially key factor in a market like India where the R-series has been critical.
The competition will be crowded this time. Other brands such as Xiaomi, iQOO, and Realme are likely to follow suit with competitor flagships and lay their bespoke gaming and AI features on top. It’s possible that for OnePlus, the attraction of the 165Hz + new imaging pipeline combination and a unified design language across the 15 and Ace/15R may be interesting.
What to Watch Before the OnePlus 15 and Ace 6 Launch
- Charging speed and battery life: OnePlus has made a name for itself by being able to charge quickly. Whether the OnePlus 15 moves beyond the firm’s previous wattage figures — and how that compares to any potential regional battery difference — will matter for lots of power users.
- Display resolution and tuning: A 165Hz panel and a 1.5K (2560×1600) resolution could be an optimal pace between clarity and efficiency. Both these metrics and the use of PWM dimming will also reveal whether the screen is balanced for both gamers and everyday users.
- Camera consistency: With the switch to an in-house image engine, prepare for a new focus on computational photography. Seek out more information on HDR handling, skin tones, and low-light stability, and how the 3.7x telephoto’s usefulness in everyday shooting stacks up against spec sheet sizzle.
- Software policy: The company has provided multi-year OS updates and extended security support for its recent flagship models. Confirmation of the way that commitment is carrying on or improving with the OnePlus 15 will be relevant in the longer term for buyers comparing it to competitors making aggressive update promises.
With official teasers now laying down on the chipset, display, and design languages, the OnePlus 15 is looking more like a performance-first flagship that will focus on speed and imaging control. The Ace 6, which is expected to be renamed the 15R outside of China, should expand the line’s reach. Final specs, pricing, and regional differences are the last missing pieces — and they’re beginning to fall into place this month.