iQOO 15 India Launch November 26: Can It Beat OnePlus 15 in the Flagship Race?
November is shaping up to be the most brutal flagship battlefield Indian smartphone buyers have seen in years. Two powerhouse brands—iQOO and OnePlus—are launching their Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 flagships within two weeks of each other, and both are bringing specs that would make last year's premium phones look pedestrian. iQOO has officially confirmed the iQOO 15 will debut in India on November 26, 2025, while OnePlus 15 is expected to arrive on November 13. The question isn't whether these phones are good—it's which one deserves your cash.
If you've been waiting to upgrade, this timing couldn't be better. Both devices launched in China last month with nearly identical flagship processors, massive batteries that laugh at the 5,000mAh standard, and camera systems that actually deliver on their megapixel promises. But the devil lives in the details, and those details matter when you're dropping upwards of ₹60,000 on a phone.
The Launch Timeline: Who Gets to Market First
OnePlus 15 is slated to launch in India on November 13, 2025, giving it a nearly two-week head start over iQOO. That early arrival could be strategic—OnePlus wants first-mover advantage in India's festive shopping season, which stretches through Diwali and into November. The iQOO 15 follows on November 26, which still catches the tail end of holiday buying but cedes the spotlight to OnePlus for those critical early weeks.
Both brands have microsite pages live on Amazon India, confirming exclusive online availability through the platform. iQOO's CEO Nipun Marya officially announced the November 26 date on X, ending weeks of teaser posts that had fans guessing dates. OnePlus has been more coy, but industry sources and retailer leaks point consistently to the November 13 window.
Display: Bigger vs Smoother
The iQOO 15 features a 6.85-inch LTPO AMOLED display with 2K resolution and a 144Hz refresh rate, boasting 6,000 nits peak brightness and 2,600 nits HBM. That's among the brightest panels shipped this year—useful in India's harsh sunlight, less useful when you're trying to use your phone in bed without burning your retinas.
OnePlus 15 counters with a slightly smaller 6.78-inch display but cranks the refresh rate to 165Hz, which theoretically delivers smoother scrolling and gameplay. In real-world use, the difference between 144Hz and 165Hz is marginal—you'd need a side-by-side comparison and trained eyes to notice. What matters more: both displays use LTPO tech for adaptive refresh rates, which saves battery by dialing down to 1Hz when you're reading static content.
The iQOO 15's bigger screen gives you more real estate for media and gaming, but it also makes the phone physically larger. iQOO 15 measures 6.85 inches and weighs 220 grams, while OnePlus 15 comes in at 6.78 inches and 211 grams. If one-handed usability matters to you, the OnePlus 15 gets the nod.
Performance: The Same Chip, Different Tricks
Both phones run on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, offering flagship-grade performance. This is the same silicon powering the Xiaomi 17 series and the Realme GT 8 Pro, so raw compute power is a wash. Where things diverge is in the supporting cast.
The iQOO 15 integrates a Q3 gaming chip to enhance frame stability and GPU efficiency—essentially a co-processor that keeps games running at high frame rates without thermal throttling. OnePlus 15 packs a G2 gaming network chip for optimizing online gaming and connectivity, which prioritizes low latency in multiplayer scenarios. If you're a BGMI or COD Mobile addict, the iQOO's extra gaming silicon gives it a slight edge. If you play a lot of competitive online titles where ping matters, OnePlus's network chip could be more useful.
Both phones support up to 16GB LPDDR5X RAM and up to 1TB UFS 4.1 storage. No microSD slot on either device, so choose your storage tier wisely at purchase.
Battery and Charging: The Numbers Game
This is where OnePlus flexes. iQOO 15 packs a 7,000mAh battery with 100W wired and 40W wireless charging, while the OnePlus 15 slightly ups the ante with a 7,300mAh cell, 120W wired, and 50W wireless charging. That extra 300mAh might seem trivial, but paired with faster wired charging, the OnePlus 15 will refill from zero to 100% in under 30 minutes. The iQOO 15's 100W charging is still fast—you're looking at roughly 35-40 minutes for a full charge—but if you're the type who forgets to plug in overnight, every minute counts.
Both batteries use advanced multi-cell designs that promise longer lifespans. We're talking 1,600+ charge cycles before capacity drops to 80%, which translates to roughly four years of daily charging. That's a meaningful improvement over older flagships that started showing battery degradation after 18 months.
Camera: Triple 50MP Setups, Different Flavors
Both devices carry 50MP triple-camera systems on the rear and a 32MP front camera for selfies. On paper, it's a tie. In practice, sensor size, lens quality, and image processing separate contenders from pretenders.
The iQOO 15 reportedly uses a larger primary sensor, which could improve low-light performance. iQOO hasn't disclosed the exact sensor model for India, but the Chinese variant uses a Sony IMX921 with optical image stabilization, a 50MP ultra-wide, and a 50MP periscope telephoto with 3x optical zoom. That periscope lens extends to 100x digital zoom—mostly marketing fluff, but the 3x optical is genuinely useful for portraits and detail shots.
OnePlus has ditched its Hasselblad branding this year, introducing its new DetailMax Engine for more natural colors and sharper detail. That's a notable shift. Hasselblad collaboration mostly meant color tuning and a few extra modes; the DetailMax Engine is OnePlus's in-house processing stack built on AI algorithms. Early samples from China show solid dynamic range and accurate skin tones, but we'll need to test the India units to see if the hype holds.
Both phones shoot 8K video, both have night modes, both claim AI scene detection. The real differentiator will be consistency—whether the cameras deliver the same quality across all three lenses, and whether the processing doesn't overcook colors or sharpening.
Software: OriginOS 6 vs OxygenOS 16
The iQOO 15 will be the first iQOO device in India to ship with OriginOS 6 out of the box, replacing the long-running Funtouch OS. This is a significant change. OriginOS is iQOO's China-market skin, known for its smooth animations and heavy iOS inspiration. It brings features like Dynamic Glow (fluid visual effects) and Atomic Island (an interactive notification area similar to Apple's Dynamic Island). If you've used a recent vivo flagship, OriginOS will feel familiar—it's the same codebase.
OnePlus 15 runs OxygenOS 16, which has also been leaning into iOS aesthetics with rounded icons, Material You theming, and gesture-heavy navigation. Both skins are based on Android 16, so core functionality and app compatibility are identical.
The question is bloatware. iQOO has traditionally been lighter on pre-installed apps than vivo, but OriginOS 6 is still an unknown quantity for India. OnePlus has been cleaning up OxygenOS in recent releases, but some redundant apps still linger. Both brands promise three years of OS updates and four years of security patches, which is decent but not Samsung or Google territory.
Pricing: Where the Battle Gets Real
The iQOO 15 is expected to be priced between ₹65,000 and ₹70,000 in India, though some early leaks suggested it could start lower around ₹59,999 for the base 12GB/256GB variant. OnePlus 15 is rumored to land between ₹65,000 and ₹75,000, with the base model likely closer to ₹70,000. If those numbers hold, the iQOO 15 undercuts OnePlus by ₹5,000 to ₹10,000, which is significant when both phones offer near-identical core specs.
In China, the iQOO 15 launched at CNY 4,199 (roughly ₹50,000), which was CNY 200 higher than its predecessor. OnePlus 15 starts at CNY 3,999 (approximately ₹49,259) in China, making it the cheaper option there. But China pricing rarely translates directly to India—import duties, GST, and local market dynamics can flip the script. We won't know final Indian pricing until launch events, but current indications favor iQOO on value.
India-Specific Considerations
Both phones will be available exclusively via Amazon India and brand websites, with pre-order offers likely including bank discounts (typically ₹5,000 off with ICICI or HDFC cards), exchange bonuses, and no-cost EMI plans. OnePlus traditionally bundles accessories like earbuds or cases during launch promotions; iQOO has been more conservative but may follow suit given the competitive pressure.
Warranty and service matter. OnePlus has a wider service network in India, with walk-in centers in most tier-1 and tier-2 cities. iQOO's service infrastructure is still catching up—they piggyback on vivo's network, which is extensive but not as specialized for performance-focused users. If you live in a smaller city, check service center availability before buying.
Both phones support India's 5G bands and dual-SIM functionality. Neither has a headphone jack (no flagship does anymore), and both lack expandable storage.
Who Should Buy Which Phone?
Choose iQOO 15 if:
- You want the brighter display (6,000 nits peak) for outdoor use
- Gaming performance and frame stability matter more than brand prestige
- You're price-sensitive and ₹5,000-₹10,000 savings matter
- You prefer a slightly larger screen (6.85 inches)
- OriginOS 6's iOS-inspired interface appeals to you
Choose OnePlus 15 if:
- You need the absolute fastest charging (120W wired, 50W wireless)
- You prefer a lighter, more compact phone (211g vs 220g)
- You value OnePlus's more established service network
- The 165Hz display matters for competitive gaming
- You trust OnePlus's track record with software updates
The Wildcard: Realme GT 8 Pro
Here's the curveball: Realme GT 8 Pro is also launching in India on November 11, 2025, ahead of both iQOO and OnePlus. It runs the same Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip and is rumored to undercut both competitors on price, possibly starting around ₹54,999. If you don't care about brand cachet and just want flagship specs on a budget, the GT 8 Pro deserves a look.
But Realme has historically struggled with long-term software support and camera consistency. You're trading brand reliability for upfront savings—a valid tradeoff if you upgrade phones every two years anyway.
November's flagship race isn't just iQOO vs OnePlus. It's a three-way brawl, and Indian consumers are the winners. All three brands are bringing genuinely competitive devices at prices lower than what Samsung or Apple charge for equivalent specs. The iQOO 15 and OnePlus 15 are both excellent phones on paper, differentiated by small but meaningful details in display size, charging speed, and price positioning.
If you're buying on launch day, the OnePlus 15's November 13 arrival gives you a two-week head start on enjoying your new phone. If you can wait until November 26, the iQOO 15 might offer better value once launch offers are factored in. Either way, you're getting a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 flagship with a battery that lasts all day (or longer), a camera system that competes with phones twice the price, and enough performance headroom to handle whatever you throw at it for the next three years.
The real loser here? Anyone who bought a flagship in September and is now experiencing buyer's remorse.