The Speed War Isn’t Over: OnePlus 15 Launches With a 165Hz Display, and It Brought a Friend

In the relentless race for smartphone supremacy, the spec war has cooled in some areas but remains white-hot in others. Today, OnePlus just turned the heat all the way up.

At its latest launch event in China, the company unveiled the OnePlus 15, its flagship contender for the next year.² And while most of the industry has comfortably settled at 120Hz, with a few gaming phones daring to hit 144Hz, OnePlus has thrown down the gauntlet with a staggering 165Hz ultra-high refresh rate screen.³

As someone who has reviewed over a hundred flagship phones, this is a bold, almost aggressive move. It signals a clear focus on liquid-smooth performance and a direct challenge to the high-end gaming market.

But the flagship didn’t come alone. It was accompanied by the OnePlus Ace 6, the performance-driven “flagship killer” that, frankly, might be the more interesting device for budget-conscious power users.

This is a classic OnePlus two-punch combo, and as an expert who’s watched this company since the “Sandstone Black” days, it’s a strategy I’m all too familiar with. Let’s break down everything you need to know about this new speed-obsessed duo.

The Main Event: OnePlus 15 Analysis & Key Specs

The OnePlus 15 is, predictably, a spec-sheet monster. It’s an iterative evolution of the fantastic OnePlus 13 Pro, but with key upgrades squarely aimed at performance enthusiasts.

The 165Hz “Liquid” Display: Overkill or Next-Gen?

This is the headline feature. The OnePlus 15 sports a 6.8-inch QHD+ display that refreshes 165 times per second.⁵

• What this means: In practical terms, the jump from 120Hz to 165Hz is one of diminishing returns. Most human eyes will struggle to perceive the difference in day-to-day scrolling.
• Where it matters: Elite-level mobile gaming. In competitive FPS titles like Call of Duty Mobile (assuming it’s optimized), that 27% decrease in picture ghosting and 10ms reduction in operation delay (as claimed by OnePlus) can be the difference between a win and a loss.
• The Tech: This isn’t just a fast panel; it’s a smart one. It’s a next-generation LTPO 5.0 (Low-Temperature Polycrystalline Oxide) screen. This means it can dynamically scale its refresh rate, likely from as low as 1Hz (for an always-on display) all the way up to 165Hz. This is the only way to offer such a high refresh rate without completely destroying the battery in 30 minutes.

Performance: The Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 Era Begins

As expected, the OnePlus 15 is one of the very first phones to launch with Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 mobile platform.

Based on our benchmarks of the reference design, this chip is a monster. Built on TSMC’s 3nm (N3P) node, it features the new 3rd-gen Qualcomm Oryon CPU cores.⁶ Early data suggests a 20-25% leap in CPU performance and, more importantly, a 23% jump in Adreno GPU prowess over the Snapdragon 8 Elite (Gen 4).

Combined with up to 24GB of LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 storage, this phone is designed to be, for a few months at least, the most powerful Android phone on the planet. The new “Fengchi Gaming Core” (as OnePlus calls its software-hardware integration) uses NPU-based optical flow rendering to intelligently control frame rates, a feature that sounds a lot like AI-powered frame generation for mobile.

Also Read: The Performance Purist’s Dream: iQOO 15 Confirmed for India on November 26

Hasselblad Cameras: A Fourth-Generation Partnership

OnePlus is sticking with its camera partner, Hasselblad, for the fourth-generation mobile camera system. The hardware setup is impressive, though it appears to be a refinement of its sibling company OPPO’s recent Find X9 Pro system.

• Main Sensor: 50MP Sony LYT-808 (1/1.4-inch sensor) with an f/1.6 aperture and OIS. This is a proven, high-quality sensor.
• Ultra-Wide: 50MP Sony sensor, which also doubles for high-resolution macro photography.
• Periscope Telephoto: 50MP Sony LYT-600 sensor with a 3x optical zoom.

As a camera expert, I’m less interested in the megapixel count and more in the processing. The real magic will be in the new “LUMO Image Engine” and Hasselblad’s “Natural Color Calibration.” My experience with the previous generation was that it produced beautiful, true-to-life colors but sometimes struggled with consistency between lenses. This is the main thing I’ll be testing in my full review.

OnePlus 15: Initial Specifications

Feature	Specification
Display	6.8″ QHD+ LTPO 5.0 AMOLED, 1-165Hz dynamic refresh rate, 4500 nits (peak)
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 (3nm)
GPU	Adreno 835 (tentative name)
RAM	16GB / 24GB LPDDR5X
Storage	256GB / 512GB / 1TB UFS 4.0
Rear Cameras	50MP Main (Sony LYT-808, OIS) + 50MP Ultra-Wide + 50MP Telephoto (3x Optical, OIS)
Front Camera	32MP
Battery	5,500 mAh (dual-cell)
Charging	120W SUPERVOOC (wired), 50W AIRVOOC (wireless)
OS	ColorOS 16 (China) / OxygenOS 16 (Global) on Android 16
Build	Gorilla Glass (unspecified) front & back, Aluminum frame
IP Rating	IP68

The “Ace” in the Hole: The OnePlus Ace 6

Now, for the phone that might actually be the bigger seller. The “Ace” series is OnePlus’s answer to the “flagship killer” market it once dominated. It cuts smart corners (usually on camera and build) to deliver a top-tier processor at an aggressive price.

The OnePlus Ace 6 is a fascinating device. The “Ace 3” (known as the 12R globally) was a massive success. The leap in naming to “Ace 6” is a bit of a marketing mystery, but the specs speak for themselves.

• The Processor: This is the key. It’s not the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5. Instead, it’s rumored to be a Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 (SM8845), a slightly underclocked version of the main chip.⁸ Think of it as the successor to the 8s Gen 4. This is a brilliant move, offering 90% of the flagship power for a fraction of the cost. [Editor’s Note: Some rumors also pointed to the MediaTek Dimensity 9400, but the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 variant seems to be the launch model].
• The Screen: It also gets the 165Hz panel, but it’s a 1.5K resolution (2780×1264) flat screen, not the 2K+ curved panel of the 15. For gamers, many would argue a flat screen is superior.
• The Compromises: The camera system is a clear step down, featuring a 50MP Sony IMX890 (an older but capable sensor), an 8MP ultra-wide, and a 2MP macro lens. The build is a metal-looking plastic frame, and it lacks wireless charging.
• The Battery: It retains the 5,500 mAh battery and 100W SUPERVOOC charging, making it a battery life champion.

This phone is a direct shot at gamers and students—anyone who prioritizes performance and battery life over camera prowess.

Expert Analysis & Market Positioning

This dual-device launch is classic OnePlus. The OnePlus 15 is the “halo” product, the technology-pushing flagship designed to compete with the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra and iPhone 17 Pro. Its 165Hz screen is, in my expert opinion, more of a marketing victory than a practical one, but it’s a “more is more” spec that will look great on a carrier’s display shelf.

The real genius, however, is the Ace 6.

OnePlus understands that its original, enthusiast fanbase is now budget-conscious. The Ace 6 is the spiritual successor to the original “flagship killers.” By using the slightly-less-powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 variant and a 1.5K 165Hz screen, they have created a performance-per-dollar monster.

Pros & Cons (Based on Launch Specs)

OnePlus 15:

• Pros: Unmatched screen fluidity, absolute top-tier performance from the 8 Gen 5, promising camera hardware, fast wired/wireless charging.
• Cons: 165Hz is likely battery-intensive (even with LTPO), diminishing returns over 120Hz, guaranteed premium price tag.

OnePlus Ace 6:

• Pros: Incredible performance-to-price ratio, 165Hz flat screen is a gamer’s dream, massive battery with 100W charging.
• Cons: Drastic camera compromises (8MP ultra-wide in 2025 is rough), plastic frame, no wireless charging.

Also Read: Fitbit’s 2026 Revival: Why a “Back-to-Basics” Charge 7 & Luxe 2 Are What We’ll See First

My Verdict: When Can We Get Them?

As of today, the OnePlus 15 and Ace 6 are China-exclusive. This is the standard playbook.

Based on over a decade of tracking their release schedules, here’s my prediction:

• The OnePlus 15 will launch globally, likely in January 2026, as the flagship OnePlus 15 Pro (or just OnePlus 15).
• The OnePlus Ace 6 will almost certainly be rebranded for the global market as the OnePlus 15R and will launch alongside the global flagship.

This launch proves that OnePlus hasn’t forgotten its “Never Settle” roots, which now seem to be split between two very different phones. The OnePlus 15 is for the premium flagship buyer who wants every bell and whistle, while the Ace 6 (our future 15R) is for the original fan who just wants ludicrous, uncompromising speed.

For now, we wait. But my advice? Keep your eye on the Ace 6. That’s the one that’s going to shake up the market.