OnePlus 15R Review: Performance First, Photography Later

The OnePlus 15R has finally arrived in Nepal, offering high-end performance and massive battery life at a price just under NPR 1 lakh. It sounds like an affordable version of the OnePlus 15.  Although this year, “affordable” might not be the right word — especially in Nepal. One thing that’s becoming very clear as we move into 2026 is that smartphone prices are going up..up..up…because of the rising RAM and Storage prices! 

And the OnePlus 15R is one of the first premium mid-range phones where we can clearly see that impact. Compared to last year’s OnePlus 13R, the 15R is priced exactly NPR 19,500 higher. 

At nearly 1 lakh rupees, the 15R directly competes with phones like the Nothing Phone 3 (review), Samsung Galaxy S25 FE (review), Honor 400 Pro (review), and Poco F8 Pro (review) in Nepal. So the big question is — does it actually justify its price in our market?

I’ve been using it for over 10 days now, and while there are many things I genuinely like about this phone, there are also a few decisions that feel very strange — especially at this price. Without further ado, let's head into the OnePlus 15R review.

OnePlus 15R Specifications

• Design, Build: 6.83-inch, glass rear, IP66 + IP68 + IP69 + IP69K rating, Oppo Crystal Shield Glass, Colors: Charcoal Black, Mint Breeze
• Display: 6.83-inch AMOLED, 1.5K (2,800 × 1,272 pixels), 165Hz refresh rate, 1,800 nits peak brightness, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, DC dimming
• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 (3nm)
• Memory: 12GB LPDDR5X RAM, 256GB/512GB UFS 4.1 storage
• Software & UI: Android 16 with OxygenOS 16, 4 years of Android updates, 6 years of security updates
• Rear Camera:
  • 50MP Sony IMX906 main (OIS, f/1.8, 24mm equivalent)
  • 8MP ultrawide (f/2.2, 16mm equivalent)
• Front Camera: 32MP (f/2.0, 25mm equivalent)
• Security: Ultrasonic fingerprint sensor
• Sensors: Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Proximity, Compass, Ambient Light
• Connectivity: WiFi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, USB 2.0 Type-C
• Battery: 7,400mAh with 80W fast charging
• Price in Nepal: NPR 98,499 (12/256GB), NPR 106,99 (12/512GB)

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OnePlus 15R Review

Design

Anyway, let me first talk about the things I’ve really liked about this phone, and the first one is, of course, the design. The OnePlus 15R here looks very similar to the OnePlus 15. We get the same camera module, similar back materials, the same robust IP69K rating, and a similar aluminium frame. So overall, it feels really premium and well-built.

That said, the 15R is slightly bigger, and because of the larger form factor, it doesn’t quite feel as good in the hand as the OnePlus 15. The OnePlus 15 just feels perfect in hand… the weight distribution, the size, everything. The 15R isn’t bad per se, but you definitely notice the difference when you use them side by side.

Nonetheless, one thing I really like about all the OnePlus phones is the button on the left-hand side. I’ve actually grown to use this button quite a lot. A single tap lets me quickly take a screenshot, and a long press allows me to record voice memos. Over time, it has become part of my daily usage. 

Now, regarding the compromises, the OnePlus 15R only has a USB 2.0 port; it’s not USB 3.2 as the OnePlus 15. Also, there’s no eSIM support here. It only supports 2 physical SIMs! 

One big upgrade, though, is that we get an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor. It’s extremely fast and is located at the right location. So yeah, it really improves the overall user experience.

Display

The display quality is also quite good, but it’s not the same display we get on the OnePlus 15, and that difference is clearly visible. When I compared the two side by side, the OnePlus 15’s display looks warmer and more pleasing to the eye. The 15R’s display is noticeably cooler with a slightly bluish tint. 

Even when I tried adjusting the colour temperature in the settings, I couldn’t quite make it match the OnePlus 15. The warmer tone on the OnePlus 15 just looks better, especially during long usage.

Also, this is not an LTPO display. If I remember correctly, the OnePlus 13R had LTPO, but the 15R does not. Personally, I don’t mind this too much, mainly because the battery life here is absolutely insane.

Battery

We get a massive 7400mAh battery, and the endurance is crazy. I am getting battery life very similar to the OnePlus 15. I consistently got around 10 hours of screen-on time, and on lighter usage days, it can even go up to 12 hours. 

The charging speed is officially rated at 80W, but with the optional 100W charger (available at a discounted price of NPR 1,499 in Nepal), it goes from 0 to 100% in around 55 minutes. That’s more than fast enough for daily usage.

There’s no wireless charging, but since I don’t use wireless charging much anyway, this isn’t a dealbreaker for me.

BTW, for multimedia consumption, the display still performs very well. HDR 10, Dolby Vision, everything works properly. It also gets plenty bright, and the touch response is nice as well. 

Audio 

The stereo speakers are also decent for watching movies and TV shows. They’re not great for music, especially genres like progressive rock, which is what I usually listen to. But for movies and series, the audio experience is perfectly fine. 

Another big plus of the OnePlus 15R is the overall experience you get while using it. You are getting an exceptional day-to-day experience with this phone, and I think no phone in this price range can match this level of smoothness and consistency. And that’s the main reason people will want to buy this phone.

Performance

The OnePlus 15R is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, and in Nepal’s under-1-lakh segment, this is one of the strongest-performing chipsets available right now. In real-world usage, performance here is really, really good. 

And with the latest OxygenOS 16, everything feels super smooth and responsive. App opening animations are fast, the RAM management is exceptional, and the overall UI feels so fluid and polished! 

The OnePlus 15 does still feel slightly faster. Now, this is not something most users will notice, but as someone who has been reviewing smartphones for over 10 years now, I can feel that the 15R is just a tiny bit slower in comparison. 

Haptics

The haptics are also a slight step down. The vibration motor here is a bit weaker compared to the OnePlus 15, and even compared to what we had on the OnePlus 13R. Again, it’s not bad, and many people won’t even notice it, but it’s definitely not as impactful! 

Gaming

Gaming performance on the OnePlus 15R is, although very impressive. I’ve tested several games on this phone, and you can run almost everything at maximum FPS without any issues. PUBG, for example, runs extremely well with very stable frame rates and excellent 5% lows. Genshin Impact also runs with very good stability. In games like Call of Duty, it can even push frame rates up to 165 FPS, and even in PUBG, with some settings tweaks, you can play at 165 FPS. Thermals are surprisingly good, too. It didn’t even cross the 40-degree Celsius mark in any games.

Camera

Ok, so far, everything on the OnePlus 15R is quite good, but just like the more expensive OnePlus 15, the biggest disappointment here is the camera. Normally, when a phone’s price goes up, you expect the cameras to improve at least a little compared to the previous generation. But that hasn’t happened here. 

As you can see, it takes fairly average photos. Colors look slightly faded and sometimes overly contrasty. Occasionally, in good lighting, you get decent shots — but there’s nothing “wow” about it.

Portraits

I personally enjoy clicking macro and portrait photos, and this phone doesn’t even allow macro photography. The 1X and 2X Portraits are also quite underwhelming. For a phone that costs nearly 1 lakh, I really expected a telephoto (zoom) lens — but it’s missing. 

Ultrawide

Likewise, the ultra-wide camera is also just an 8MP sensor, and honestly, it’s bad. Edge details are washed out, overall sharpness is poor, and in low light, there’s a lot of noise. 

Selfies

Selfies & overall video performance are decent though. I was able to get usable 4K shots at 30fps, but again, nothing impressive.

So yes, cameras are a major letdown this year on both the OnePlus 15 and the 15R. In this price range, the Honor 400 Pro, Galaxy S25 FE, and Nothing Phone (3) make more sense in terms of cameras.

OnePlus 15R Review: Conclusion

So, who is the OnePlus 15R actually for in Nepal? At its official price of NPR 98,499, this phone is clearly aimed at users who want a flagship-like experience without crossing the 1 lakh mark. It delivers exceptional performance, an incredibly smooth OxygenOS experience, a premium design with IP69K protection, a fast ultrasonic fingerprint scanner, and, most importantly, one of the best battery lives in this segment. For gamers, power users, or anyone who simply wants a fast, reliable phone that can easily last two days on moderate use, the 15R makes a strong case.

However, if camera quality is important to you — especially portraits and zoom shots — then options like the Nothing Phone 3 or Galaxy S25 FE make more sense at similar pricing in Nepal. After all, the camera is the compromise here.

OnePlus 15R Review Pros and Cons

Pros

• Massive battery life
• Fluid software
• Stunning Display
• Excellent performance

Cons

• Average cameras
• A bit Pricy