The OnePlus 15 arrives in India and global markets on November 13, and the internet’s already losing it over one number: ₹73,000. If the leaked price turns out to be true, some say it’s absurd for a brand once built on affordability. But here’s the thing, I’ve seen the phone, and I think OnePlus may have priced it perfectly. Don’t get me wrong: ₹73,000 is not cheap. Yet no other brand with comparable premium credentials is offering a phone this complete at that price point.
Interestingly, OnePlus has also announced an exclusive trade-in credit of up to ₹4,000, making the effective cost even more competitive and frankly, a little too hard to dismiss in today’s premium market.
The truth is, the flagship market has quietly shifted. ₹70,000–₹80,000 is now the new entry point for serious flagship devices. Samsung’s Galaxy S25, Google’s Pixel 9 Pro, and Apple’s iPhone 16 all lie comfortably above that line. So if the OnePlus 15 lands at ₹73,000, it’s not an outlier; it’s a reflection of where the smartphone market is headed.
What the Price Buys You
OnePlus’ hardware list reads like a tech-spec bingo card: Qualcomm’s new and India’s first Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, fastest RAM available on a smartphone with up to 16 GB of LPDDR5X Ultra+ RAM, a flagship first 7,300 mAh battery, and an adaptive 165 Hz AMOLED display on a 1.5K display seen for the first time in the world.
But what stands out isn’t just the raw spec sheet; it’s the completeness of the package. Buyers won’t have to hunt for extras; the charger, case, and screen protector are all included in signature OnePlus style. OnePlus has already announced a lifetime display warranty, a quiet acknowledgement of the “green line” issues that have haunted OLED phones lately. Add to that a 120W SUPERVOOC charger that takes the battery from 0–100% in under 40 minutes, and OnePlus claims the phone will retain over 80% battery health even after four years of use, demonstrating OnePlus’s commitment to long-term reliability.
This isn’t a phone designed for annual upgrades; it’s a one-time investment meant to last for years, both in performance and physical endurance. Backed by the industry’s most comprehensive durability rating, IP66, IP68, IP69, and IP69K, the OnePlus 15 feels built not just for 2025 but for years to come.
The Design Feels More Long-Term Than Luxurious
Design has always been OnePlus’s understated strength. This year’s Sand Storm variant adds a layer of aerospace-grade material science with its Micro-Arc Oxidation (MAO) frame, a ceramic-fiberglass blend that’s said to be tougher than titanium but still light enough for daily use.
It’s overbuilt, in a good way. The chassis is 3.4× harder than aluminium and 1.3 times as tough as titanium mid frame, designed to survive –20 °C cold and Indian summer heat above 50 °C. That makes the phone sound less like a design object and more like a piece of engineered hardware meant to last half a decade, which is exactly how OnePlus seems to want you to think about that ₹73,000 tag.
AI, OxygenOS 16, and the Case for “Smarter” Value
The OnePlus 15 also debuts OxygenOS 16 out of the box, arguably the company’s most ambitious software release yet. It’s built on top of Google’s Gemini AI, marking the first time the AI model has been deeply integrated at a system level on any smartphone. Layered on top of that is OnePlus’s own Plus Mind, an intelligent assistant that quietly learns your habits, remembers context, and anticipates actions across apps.
But this time, it’s not just about personalization, it’s about contextual intelligence. With Gemini baked into the system, Plus Mind gets live internet access, allowing it to weave real-time information into your daily usage.
For instance, say you’ve been planning a work trip to London. You’ve saved your flight details, hotel booking, and a list of places you’d like to visit in your Notes app. Mind Space in OxygenOS 16 automatically connects it all in the background. When you say, “Based on Mind Space, prepare a London itinerary for me,” it can surface your saved details such as hotels, flight details, and even your visa reminder in one contextual view. With Gemini’s live internet access, it can go a step further, offering updated weather forecasts, local transport alerts, and nearby restaurant recommendations, all upon request.
Think of Plus Mind as the quiet brain behind the phone. It observes your usage patterns, remembers context, and anticipates what you’ll need next. Its companion feature, Mind Space, works like a living notebook, a digital memory that syncs your ongoing thoughts, links, screenshots, and reminders across apps
It’s the kind of AI that doesn’t talk much, but works hard. Rather than spamming you with chat windows or voice prompts, Plus Mind operates quietly in the background, optimizing resources, predicting usage patterns, and adjusting performance dynamically. It’s AI that understands you and assists you in real life.
Clearly, OnePlus isn’t just selling hardware performance anymore; it’s selling smart longevity, a phone that feels fast, personal, and relevant, not just on launch day, but years later as it keeps learning you.
Photography That’s Computational, Not Cosmetic
For years, the camera has been the one area where OnePlus felt like it was catching up good, but not great. The OnePlus 15’s new DetailMax Engine suggests that’s about to change.
This isn’t just another marketing term. The DetailMax Engine is essentially OnePlus’s new computational photography pipeline, designed to merge multiple frames in real time into a single, ultra-clear 26MP image. Instead of relying on aggressive sharpening or HDR trickery, it focuses on preserving natural contrast, fine texture, and accurate color separation, the kind of visual integrity that often gets lost when phones chase “AI enhancement.” The result is detail that feels lifelike, not over-processed.
The phone’s Clear Burst Mode can capture 10 frames per second with dual-exposure control, balancing brightness and shadow across movement ideal for fast subjects, from pets to city traffic. Night photography also sees a major revamp with the Clear Night Engine, which uses dual analog gain and smarter noise reduction for low-light images that look clean without that watercolor-like softness typical of aggressive noise filters.
And for creators, the OnePlus 15 becomes the first Android phone in India to record 4K 120fps Dolby Vision video on the go. It’s a leap that brings mobile video capture a step closer to cinematic fidelity, a nod to users who don’t just want social-ready clips, but film-grade flexibility right out of their pocket.
Why ₹75,000 Isn’t Justifiable It’s also Inevitable
When you zoom out, OnePlus isn’t so much charging more as keeping pace with a market that’s grown up. The rupee’s depreciation, global supply constraints, and a wave of AI-ready hardware all mean the days of ₹50,000 flagships are gone.
More importantly, the premium segment in India is booming. IDC and Counterpoint data show users spending more per upgrade than ever before. OnePlus isn’t trying to win back its “budget flagship” title; it’s trying to remain competitive in a premium space it helped define.
OnePlus, now a truly global brand with a premium perception, isn’t exactly making a big leap in pricing here especially when you compare it to rivals like Apple and Google. Their base models cost more and still don’t offer as much competition on hardware or value.
Bottom Line
If the leaks are accurate, the OnePlus 15 won’t be cheap, but it also doesn’t read as overpriced. The combination of cutting-edge hardware, thoughtful durability, lifetime assurances, and a more grounded take on AI makes the rumored ₹73,000 feel like a realistic reflection of what modern flagship engineering costs.
From November 13 to 16, OnePlus is also bundling the OnePlus Nord Buds with select purchases a thoughtful sweetener for early adopters. Loyal OnePlus users get an extra perk too: an exclusive trade-in credit of up to ₹4,000, valid through the end of the first sales month. It’s a rare example of a brand rewarding its long-time community rather than resetting the loyalty clock every launch cycle.
In an era where everything from memory chips to currency exchange rates is pushing prices north, OnePlus’s pitch isn’t “affordable luxury.” It’s something subtler a reminder that value and price aren’t the same thing anymore.
The OnePlus 15 sale starts today at 8 PM on OnePlus.in, Amazon.in, and retail stores near you. OnePlus has already announced some exchange offers and bundled deals before launch, so now is the perfect time to upgrade.
