The OnePlus 15 would possibly steal Samsung’s thunder with an earlier launch globally

OnePlus just lately unveiled the OnePlus 15 at a Qualcomm occasion in China, following months of leaks and hypothesis about its new flagship gadget. Through the occasion, the tech big confirmed that the OnePlus 15 will likely be one of many first telephones to be geared up with Qualcomm’s newest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset and can characteristic a 165Hz show.

The OnePlus 15 is broadly anticipated to launch this month in China, with leaks suggesting it might occur at an occasion on October 27. Nevertheless, what was a lot much less sure was when the telephone would launch globally and within the US. Whereas OnePlus normally launches its flagship handsets in October in China, they usually do not launch globally till the brand new yr. Luckily, this yr, that might change.

In line with 91Mobiles, which cites business sources, the OnePlus 15 might launch globally on November 13, simply two weeks after its debut in China, quite than two months, as has been the case in earlier years. For reference, the OnePlus 13 launched on October 31, 2024, in China, however it did not arrive within the US and different markets till January 7, 2025.

OnePlus would possibly get the soar on Samsung

The OnePlus 15 may very well be accessible a lot earlier within the US than the S26 sequence

If the OnePlus 15 does actually launch globally this yr, that will be an enormous win for the corporate, as not solely does it imply it will likely be one of many first Android telephones accessible within the US with Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, however it additionally means it might beat the Samsung Galaxy S26 sequence to the broader market by two entire months.

Whereas there are not any particular leaks but about when Samsung would possibly launch the Galaxy S26 sequence, based mostly on its previous releases for the Galaxy S25 and S24 sequence, it’s prone to happen in mid-to-late January or early February. Sometimes, the launch of recent OnePlus and Samsung flagships within the US is just separated by a number of weeks. If the OnePlus 15 launches on November 13, it could give OnePlus considerably extra time to market and promote the OnePlus 15 globally earlier than the S26 sequence comes out.

In a press launch concerning the unveiling of the OnePlus 15 in September, OnePlus teased that extra particulars about its flagship handset “will likely be launched over the approaching weeks,” so we doubtless will not have to attend for much longer to search out out when the telephone will launch.

Credit score: OnePlus

Luckily, within the meantime, OnePlus has launched high-resolution photos of the OnePlus 15 and shared additional insights into the telephone’s design. Notably, the OnePlus 15 includes a new sq. digital camera cutout, with a flat entrance, again, and body, eerily paying homage to the iPhone, marking a departure from its previous handsets, which had a round digital camera bar. OnePlus highlighted that a part of the chassis is made out of “aerospace-grade nano-ceramic metallic,” which the corporate claims is “stronger than titanium” and presents higher warmth dissipation.

The 2 colours confirmed for the OnePlus 15 to this point are a black colorway and a brand new shade referred to as “sand storm,” which is prominently featured within the formally launched photographs of the telephone. What we additionally know is that the telephone could have “ultra-thin” 1.15mm display screen bezels, its show could have a 165Hz refresh price, a notable soar from the OnePlus 13’s 120Hz refresh price, and as I discussed earlier, be powered by Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset.

Personally, this leak makes me way more excited concerning the OnePlus 15, and I actually hope it seems to be true. Getting the telephone two months sooner than common could be superb, for the reason that lengthy wait after its launch in China has at all times been a bit irritating. In fact, that is only a leak for now, so take it with a grain of salt. Hopefully, OnePlus will share extra particulars concerning the official launch date quickly.