The OnePlus 15 is an interesting smartphone. In some regards, it’s fantastic. It offers monstrous battery life, ultra-fast charging, and the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip. However, with camera and design downgrades compared to its predecessor, it’s not the slam dunk we were hoping for.
The OnePlus 15 isn’t a terrible value on its own, but it also wouldn’t be our first recommendation. Here are five other Android phones you should buy instead of the OnePlus 15.
What do you think is the best OnePlus 15 alternative?
1 votes
OnePlus 13
0%
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
0%
Google Pixel 10 Pro
0%
Nothing Phone 3
0%
Motorola Razr Ultra
100%
Other (let us know in the comments)
0%
OnePlus 13
Joe Maring / Android Authority
If you’re considering buying the OnePlus 15, it’s probably because of all the things mentioned above: its battery life, charging, and performance. For most people reading this, the OnePlus 13 is the easiest recommendation as a direct alternative to the OnePlus 15.
Why is that? Because the OnePlus 13 also excels at those things. Its 6,000mAh battery may not be quite as impressive as the 7,300mAh one inside the OnePlus 15, but it still delivers excellent endurance, with the OnePlus 13 easily lasting two days on a single charge. Both phones also share the same 80W wired charging spec, which allows the OnePlus 13 to go from 0-100% in a little over 30 minutes (slightly faster than the OnePlus 15). And although the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip powering the OnePlus 13 may be a little over a year old, it’s still incredibly powerful. More importantly, it doesn’t have any of the overheating issues we’ve experienced with the OnePlus 15.
There are two other areas where the OnePlus 13 asserts itself as the superior OnePlus phone. The OnePlus 15 has smaller camera sensors across the board compared to the OnePlus 13, and it results in a less impressive photography experience. And while design is subjective, I think it’s fair to say that the OnePlus 15 is far less visually interesting than its older sibling.
The OnePlus 15 isn’t a bad phone, but it is a flawed one — especially compared to the OnePlus 13. If you can find a good deal on the OnePlus 13, buy it instead of the OnePlus 15 and don’t look back.
OnePlus 13OnePlus 13
Gorgeous design • Clever AI features • Flexible cameras
The OG flagship killer’s killer flagship.
The OnePlus 13 is the company’s most killer flagship to date, offering a massive battery, speedy charging, and powerful cameras that give Google and Samsung something to worry about.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Ryan Haines / Android Authority
If you’re having trouble finding the OnePlus 13 on sale, another good choice is the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. It may not be the most exciting choice, but whether you’re looking for excellent performance, reliable battery life, good cameras, or a quality display, the S25 Ultra has you covered.
The same Snapdragon 8 Elite chip from the OnePlus 13 powers the S25 Ultra, and it’s just as speedy here. The 5,000mAh battery should get you through two days, and the camera system is incredibly robust. Samsung’s Dynamic 2X AMOLED panel is also absurdly good, as is its anti-reflective coating, which keeps glare and reflections to a minimum.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra lags behind the OnePlus 15 in charging speed, but it makes up for it in other areas. The included S Pen is a fun treat for handwriting and drawing, while Samsung’s seven-year software update guarantee is far better than the four years OnePlus promises.
Samsung’s retail price of $1,300 is much higher than the OnePlus 15’s, but the good news is that the Galaxy S25 Ultra is regularly on sale — most recently discounted to just $950 during Black Friday. If you can get the S25 Ultra for around that price, it’s a much better pick than the OnePlus 15.
Samsung Galaxy S25 UltraSamsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
100x zoom • Big battery • 7 years software support
Samsung’s best for 2025
Simply put, this is Samsung’s very best phone for 2025. The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is a 6.9-inch QHD+ device with 12GB of RAM, 256GB+ of storage, embedded S Pen, and the overclocked Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC. The key upgrade over the lower S25 models is a 200MP main camera and 100x Space Zoom.
Google Pixel 10 Pro
Joe Maring / Android Authority
I’ll be the first to admit that the Google Pixel 10 Pro is a less conventional alternative to the OnePlus 15. It has a smaller display, a less powerful chipset, and a smaller battery that only lasts for about a day. However, as the Android phone I use every single day, I still think it’s worth recommending.
Our main complaints about the OnePlus 15 are its cluttered software, downgraded cameras, poor software update policy, and concerning thermals. The Pixel 10 Pro doesn’t have any of these issues. Its software design and features are among the best you can get, its cameras are outstanding, it touts a seven-year update guarantee, and it’s the first Tensor-powered Pixel without any serious heating issues.
Does the Pixel 10 Pro have the most capable chipset? No. Do I wish its battery lasted a bit longer? Sure. But the day-to-day experience of using the phone is the best I’ve had in 2025. Whether it’s the compact and comfortable size, Google’s excellent Pixel software, or the cameras that consistently impress me, the Pixel 10 Pro is an all-around excellent Android phone that’s worth your consideration. Plus, with a starting price of $999 (which is often discounted), the Pixel 10 Pro is right in the same price range as the OnePlus 15.
Google Pixel 10 ProGoogle Pixel 10 Pro
Top-tier specs with small display • Excellent cameras • Powerful AI tools • Top-notch software
More power in the smaller form-factor
The Google Pixel 10 Pro has everything you could want in a flagship Android phone crammed into a truly compact body with a 6.3-inch display. Google’s new Tensor G5 chip is more powerful, the 100x Pro Res Zoom is truly impressive, and there are loads of helpful AI features. Not to mention, you still get seven years of Android updates.
Nothing Phone 3
Prakhar Khanna / Android Authority
The Nothing Phone 3 is an easy handset to overlook, but as an alternative to the OnePlus 15, I actually think it’s a really great choice. OnePlus phones have traditionally stood out for their powerful specs, unique designs, fun software, and great pricing. If those things matter to you, I think you’ll be really happy with the Nothing Phone 3.
Specs-wise, the Nothing Phone 3 is very well-equipped. The 6.67-inch AMOLED display looks incredible, the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset (paired with 12 or 16GB RAM) is very good, and the 50W wired charging is considerably faster than what Samsung and Google offer. The transparent design and LED display on the back speak for themselves, and Nothing OS feels much more cohesive and polished than OnePlus’s current iteration of OxygenOS.
And then there’s the price. The Nothing Phone 3 starts at $800, making it $100 cheaper than the OnePlus 15. OnePlus has the upper hand in terms of battery life and raw performance horsepower, but as an overall package, the Nothing Phone 3 is the better smartphone.
Nothing Phone 3Nothing Phone 3
Excellent wired charging • Unique design • Solid cameras
Nothing’s first ‘true flagship.’
The Phone 3 is a stylish reinvention of Nothing’s Android phone series, now with flagship specs, including a large silicon-carbon battery, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset, and a periscope zoom lens with macro photography support.
Motorola Razr Ultra
Ryan Haines / Android Authority
Last but not least, if you’re preparing to spend at least $900 on the OnePlus 15, I’d urge you to also consider the Motorola Razr Ultra. Motorola’s flagship flip phone is one of the best foldables released this year, and it’s a far more compelling handset than the OnePlus 15 ever will be.
Of course, a large part of this is due to the Razr’s folding design. When it’s open, the 7-inch AMOLED panel (which matches the OnePlus 15’s 165Hz refresh rate) looks and feels like any other Android phone. And when you fold the Razr shut, its 4-inch cover screen lets you use all of your apps on a compact display you can easily use with one hand.
What’s equally impressive is how Motorola pairs this foldable form factor with flagship specs typical of a normal slab phone. The Razr Ultra has a Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, 16GB RAM, 68W wired charging, and dual 50MP cameras that churn out surprisingly good results.
Is there a catch to all of this? Kind of. The Motorola Razr Ultra retails for $1,300, which is significantly more expensive than the OnePlus 15. However, Motorola almost always offers a discount on the phone; at the time of writing, it’s on sale for just $900. At that price, the Razr Ultra is unquestionably a better pick than the OnePlus 15 — so long as you’re interested in living the foldable life.
Motorola Razr UltraMotorola Razr Ultra
Blisteringly fast charging and excellent battery life • Ultra-flagship-tier performance • Top-notch materials and eye-catching Pantone colors
High-end processing power in a folding shell
Adding Ultra to the name, the Motorola Razr Ultra is the first folding phone from Moto with a top-tier processor. The 7-inch folding display is paired with a half-size front display to give you both a premium experience, and a compact and portable communication device.
Thank you for being part of our community. Read our Comment Policy before posting.
