OnePlus' world first for Android phones has finally been revealed in full
The first Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 handset has specs and a 2026 release
by Mike Lowe · T3Share by:
Share this article
0
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Quick Summary
The OnePlus 15R, revealed as the first Android phone to feature Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chip (i.e. not the Elite), now has a full specification and release date.
The 'R' variant of OnePlus's 2025 flagship is available for pre-order right now, with a 15 January 2026 on-sale date, honouring the lower price proposition – as expected – and confirming a huge battery capacity (at 7,400mAh).
I wrote about the OnePlus 15R at the end of last month, citing it as a "world-first for Android phones" – for the simple fact that it's the first to feature Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 5.
It was at Qualcomm's Snapdragon Summit back in September when the chip-maker revealed its top-tier Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 would also gain a marginally lower-spec 'non-Elite' version. And the 15R is the first home for that.
However, there's much more in OnePlus' official announcement today, including full spec, pre-order details, and a 2026 on-sale date for those keen to grab the brand's more affordable flagship – which sits below the 5-star OnePlus 15 flagship.
OnePlus has been detailing the 15R as part of its live launch, taking place in India (where the phone is expected to be particularly popular).
It was already known that today, 17 December, would be the date for the handset's reveal, but there had been some to-and-froing about how similar the specifications would be between the 15R and OnePlus 15.
Now we know that the 15R adopts the same display size as the OnePlus 15, meaning a 6.78-inch panel with 165Hz maximum refresh rate. In terms of battery, however, the R has a slightly larger capacity – at a massive 7,400mAh. There's 80W fast-charging, too.
As expected, the camera setup is a key area of difference – as you can clearly see from the image of the product up top. Gone is the OnePlus 15's zoom lens, helping to lower the cost, but the 15R does feature the same 50-megapixel main camera as the flagship (using the Sony IMX906 sensor), but drops the wide-angle to just 8-megapixels.
Sign up to the T3 newsletter for smarter living straight to your inbox
Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts
Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors
Available in Charcoal Black or Mint Breeze – there's no Sandstone type of finish for the R variant – providing a different yet familiar look. It's also dust- and water-resistant, with the IP66, IP68, IP69 and IP69K ratings all achieved.
Sound like a mid-level Android phone that you'd like to buy? Pre-orders are open right now on the OnePlus website. It's priced at £649 ($TBC) for the 256GB version, increasing to £729 for double the storage. However, I do know that UK pre-orders get £100 off the 512GB model – making it just £629. Other territories' promotions may differ.