When OnePlus launched the OnePlus 15 earlier this year, it arrived everywhere except the US. But that's not because of any beef with the region. The company blamed the delay on the FCC’s certification backlog that built up after the 43-day government shutdown.
Despite that hiccup, the company's broader release plans haven’t slowed down. The brand is still expanding its ecosystem aggressively, and its next wave of hardware is officially on the way.
OnePlus 15 has a few compromises
Today, OnePlus announced three new devices including the OnePlus 15R, the OnePlus Pad Go 2, and the OnePlus Watch Lite. All are scheduled to launch December 17 this year. With the holidays around the corner and massive discounts ahead, we may see an enticing launch offer.
The OnePlus 15R is the flagship 15's affordable sibling. It still carries the same design, including the 6.89-inch OLED screen, IP69K. OnePlus posted a teaser image of the phone in Charcoal Black and Mint Breeze colors yesterday on X.
Although they didn't mention any specifications yet, leaks show some key differences between the OnePlus 15 and the 15R.
The lighter model will use a Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chip instead of the Elite version and drop one of the cameras. Instead of three lenses, there are now two. It's most likely the telephoto lens that's getting nuked.
A telephoto lens has a longer focal length and a smaller sensor compared to the main camera. There are many reasons why the brand may drop it, and heat is a major limiting factor.
The display’s refresh rate has reduced from 165Hz to 120Hz. It's not really a loss, given that most phones offer 120Hz. Screen animations still feel buttery at that level.
Meanwhile, the Watch Lite introduces a more accessible entry point into the company’s growing wearable ecosystem. Pad Go 2 finally adds native 5G connectivity to OnePlus’ budget tablet line. Technically, the Pad 3 didn't have 5G since you had to share it from a OnePlus phone.
OnePlus 15 sales and Ace 6T launch ahead
The OnePlus 15R will launch in Europe, India, and North America. There's no word on pricing, but the press release mentions preorder savings up to £100 (≈ $132) for the 15R.
Already, the OnePlus 15 and OnePlus 13 are on sale for Black Friday. The newer model originally launched at £849 (≈ $1,120) for the base model and £999 (≈ $1,318) for the 16GB/512GB model before discounts.
You can snag the latter for a discounted price of £879 (≈ $1,160) on Amazon UK. Last year’s OnePlus 13 has dropped to £689 (≈ $909) for the same 16GB/512GB storage.
Based on this trend, the 15R may land between £649 to £749 (≈ $856–$988) for the base configuration. Turns out that it's the global rebrand of the OnePlus Ace 6T, which launched first in China.
President of OnePlus China Li Jie Louis posted a first look of the phone on Weibo. The colours Flash Black, Phantom Green, and Electric Purple were revealed. The last colorway is the only thing missing on the OP15R.
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