OnePlus is now teasing its next budget flagship, the OnePlus 15R, and a shiny new smartwatch in what appears to be a closely knit launch down the line. Teaser pages are now live in the UK and India, featuring silhouettes and outlines, all of which suggest imminent announcements while offering enough mystery to stoke some speculation.
The R-series has become OnePlus’s steady play for shoppers looking for near-flagship speed and displays without full-flagship prices. The first clues point to the 15R following the same old script: aggressive performance, serious battery life gains, and a more restrained camera setup. The watch, meanwhile, seems to focus on battery life and not being weighed down with apps.
What Juicy Details About The OnePlus 15R Can You Get From This?
Images in the official teaser suggest a device with ornamental lines typical of the recent China-only model, the OnePlus Ace 6, which is released in dark grey and metallic green. If the 15R sticks to that theme, then we’ll be looking at a 6.83-inch 1.5K AMOLED panel with an eye-melting refresh rate of up to 165Hz — a very rare spec unless you’re talking gaming phones. There’s also likely to be an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint reader — a big step up from the optical sensors on previous R-generation phones.
On the inside, the Ace 6 is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite. Historically, OnePlus has recycled premium silicon in its R-series to give it flagship-grade responsiveness, so a similar chip for the 15R would continue that trend. Memory and storage choices should match the mainline OnePlus 15, further cementing the 15R as a performance-first substitute.
Battery and charging might be the marquee item. The Chinese model, on the other hand, comes with an ample 7,800mAh battery and 120W wired charging. If that precise configuration makes it to the global market is an open question; local regulations and certification can nudge their capacity and charging speeds. Still, a bump in capacity would fit with OnePlus’s trend of focusing on endurance for its budget flagships.
The camera system could be the trade-off. If the Ace 6 playbook is accurate, the 15R should maintain a main camera of around 50MP and an ultra-wide snapper (8MP or more), though it would further lose the dedicated 2x telephoto cropping up on some predecessors. For most users, computational zoom from the regular sensor will be fine, but photography enthusiasts should take note.
Pricing and positioning for the anticipated OnePlus 15R
Price will be pivotal. The previous R-series model was lauded for providing strong value too, but the OnePlus 13R launched at $599 in key markets. Matching or getting close to that number would turn the 15R into an enticing counterpoint to more expensive flagships that don’t tend to break past a 120Hz refresh rate and typically save greater battery capacity for ultra models.
The R-series is an important strategic product line in markets where OnePlus goes head-to-head with other premium midrange players. Industry trackers like Counterpoint Research have consistently ranked the brand among the best in India’s premium segment — a testament to how well this recipe works. The 15R is presumably intended for that audience, with its expected blend of top-tier speed, a high-refresh display, and long battery life.
New OnePlus smartwatch reportedly in development now
Together with the phone, OnePlus is teasing a “New Watch.” The sketch shows a circular case with a large crown and is similar to the design language of the OPPO Watch S, recently launched in China. That model promises up to 10-day battery life thanks to a custom operating system instead of Google’s Wear OS, swapping deep app catalogs for longevity and simple health tracking.
The company should make such a move. Wear OS offers richer integrations, but it also represents more of a power drain and a messier update cycle. Another OS could enable OnePlus to offer longer runtimes, lower system overhead, and faster firmware cycles — attractive factors for those tired of their devices not lasting the day. The trade-off: fewer third-party apps and perhaps leaner smarts, in return for some trusty basics — heart-rate tracking, sleep analysis, and workout modes.
Expected launch timing and markets for OnePlus 15R and Watch
Though the teaser pages don’t include dates, regional comms suggest that the 15 and Watch will launch ahead of year-end, with the 15R believed to be making its entry too. Notably, you won’t find references to these on the US site just yet, which either means a staggered schedule or an altogether later arrival in the States — especially when you consider that not all folks in North America have access to the plain old OnePlus 15.
For now, the takeaway is this: OnePlus has a one-two punch in the works based on speed, screen fluidity, and battery life.
If the 15R brings Ace 6-tier hardware at an aggressive price, and the new watch nails multi-day stamina, Fitbit’s value play might land exactly in its most sensitive area.
