The next OnePlus flagship is tipped to stretch its telephoto reach, but with a small compromise that could matter after sunset. According to reliable Weibo leaker Digital Chat Station, the OnePlus 15’s periscope telephoto will use a 50MP sensor paired with an 85mm equivalent focal length and an f/2.8 aperture—up from the OnePlus 13’s 73mm, but down from its brighter f/2.6.
What’s changing on the telephoto
The rumored 85mm focal length translates to roughly 3.5x–3.7x optical zoom, depending on the main camera’s actual focal length (the OnePlus 13’s primary sits at about 23mm, yielding ~3.7x at 85mm). That’s a meaningful bump in reach over the OnePlus 13’s 3x, which should help with tighter framing for portraits, street details, and events without stepping closer.
The trade-off is a narrower aperture: f/2.8 versus f/2.6. In practical terms, that’s about 14–15% less light hitting the sensor ((2.6/2.8)²), which can push the camera to raise ISO or lengthen shutter times in dim scenes—two paths that increase visible noise or risk motion blur. Daylight performance should remain strong; twilight and indoor captures are where you’ll feel the difference.
The good news: longer reach, better compression
An 85mm equivalent is a classic portrait focal length for a reason. It delivers flattering facial proportions, stronger subject isolation, and pleasing background compression without relying purely on software bokeh. Expect tighter framing of performers on stage, architectural details across the street, and more natural-looking portraits compared to a 70–75mm lens.
With a 50MP sensor behind the periscope, there’s also headroom for smart crop-based “lossless” steps between optical and hybrid zoom. Many brands lean on pixel binning and multi-frame fusion to preserve detail around 5x–7x; if OnePlus maintains a high-quality sensor and robust processing, the extra base reach could pay dividends at those mid-tele ranges.
The bad news: a dimmer lens in tough light
Telephoto lenses already collect less light than wide lenses, and periscope systems must fold that light through prisms and mirrors before it hits the sensor. Tightening the aperture compounds the challenge. In nightlife or indoor arenas—common use cases for zoom—expect the camera to lean more on multi-frame stacking, longer exposures, and noise reduction.
How much this matters depends on stabilization and processing. Strong optical stabilization can offset slower shutter speeds, and sophisticated computational photography can recover fine detail. But physics sets the baseline: compared with an f/2.6 tele, an f/2.8 will more often nudge the algorithm into heavier lifting, which sometimes softens textures or smears moving subjects.
Context from rival flagships
Competitors offer a useful yardstick. Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro Max uses a tetraprism 120mm 5x lens at f/2.8 and excels in bright and moderate light, but can show noise indoors. Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Ultra shifted to a 5x 111mm tele at f/3.4 and relies on a 50MP sensor plus processing to bridge gaps. Google’s Pixel 8 Pro pairs a 120mm 5x at f/2.8 with heavy computational photography to stabilize low-light zoom. In short: a slightly dimmer aperture isn’t disqualifying if the sensor, stabilization, and software are dialed in.
Can software save the difference?
OnePlus has confirmed the end of its Hasselblad-branded era and is developing its own DetailMax Engine. If that pipeline boosts multi-frame alignment, tone mapping, and tele-specific denoising, it could claw back the light deficit while preserving micro-contrast—particularly at 3.5x–7x where many users live. The company’s recent phones already fuse data across lenses to improve mid-zoom clarity; extending that strategy to a longer 85mm base could be potent.
Two variables will be crucial: the telephoto sensor’s physical size and the quality of optical stabilization. A larger sensor increases photon count per pixel, and steadier optics allow slower shutters without blur. If OnePlus pairs the f/2.8 glass with a meaningfully sized sensor and robust OIS, most users may never notice the 0.3-stop hit outside of very dark scenes.
Bottom line: a strategic trade for framing power
The rumored OnePlus 15 telephoto looks like a deliberate pivot: gain practical reach and classic 85mm rendering, concede a touch of light. For travel, portraits, and daytime events, the change is likely a net win. For nightlife and indoor sports, results will hinge on stabilization and the new imaging pipeline’s ability to tame noise without erasing detail.
If Digital Chat Station’s specs hold, the OnePlus 15’s zoom camera won’t be a wholesale upgrade or downgrade—it’s a rebalancing. The smartest way to judge it will be side-by-side low-light tests at 3x–7x. Until then, the headline is clear: more reach in your pocket, with a modest penalty the software must earn back after dark.