OnePlus has flipped the script on its usual release schedule, releasing the flagship OnePlus 15 this month merely nine months after the OnePlus 13.That was in part to make sure the new phone was the first on the UK market to feature the top-of-the-line Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset from Qualcomm.Not content with beating its rival Samsung to the punch with that accolade, it now appears OnePlus is set for another Android first with the announcement of the OnePlus 15R, a presumably cheaper version of the £899 OnePlus 15 that will be the first to use another new Qualcomm processor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5.Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT Read more: OnePlus rivals Samsung today - here are 3 things I love about the OnePlus 15 Read more: The 10 best Black Friday tech deals handpicked by experts Subscribe to Tech Newsletter Invalid emailWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you.
This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding.You can unsubscribe at any time.Read our Privacy PolicyOnePlus teased the release of the OnePlus 15R, which will be fully unveiled on December 17, saying in a press release the phone will be the firm’s “ultimate value flagship device”.
A picture on its official website (above) appears to reveal the phone has dual rear cameras, rather than the three on the OnePlus 15.“OnePlus 15R is the latest member of the OnePlus R series, flagship devices with a legendary laser-like focus on performance and high end gaming,” OnePlus said.“This ethos begins with the chipset and OnePlus 15R will be the first device to launch with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 mobile platform, the newest iteration of the Snapdragon 8 Series which also powered OnePlus 11R, OnePlus 12R and OnePlus 13R.”This new chip is a small step down in power from its ‘Elite’ sibling but will still pack a punch, claiming a 36 percent increase in CPU performance over the previous generation, plus an 11 percent boost in GPU performance and 46 percent improvement in AI performance.Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT“Our commitment to delivering fast and smooth performance is taken to the next level with the OnePlus 15R, which is part of OnePlus 15 flagship series and a 2-generation upgrade in power, intelligence and design,” said Celina Shi, Chief Marketing Officer of OnePlus Europe.
Article continues below ADVERTISEMENTThe “2-generation upgrade” refers to the fact the OnePlus 13R used the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, which was replaced by the Snapdragon 8 Elite, and then the 8 Elite Gen 5.Samsung releases new 'life unfolds fast' advert Qualcomm’s confusing naming aside, the release of an 8 Gen 5 marks a return to the naming convention we last saw with the 8 Gen 3 - skip ahead two generations and you get Gen 5, a chip that is now outgunned by the 8 Elite Gen 5. Nice and simple, right?“As such, we’re thrilled the OnePlus 15R includes the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, one of most powerful chipsets on the market and we’re excited to see how our users take to the OnePlus 15R when it launches later this year,” Shi said.While the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is likely to feature on upcoming phones such as the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra as the most performant Android chipset from Qualcomm this generation, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 will be no slouch, with two prime cores and six performance cores, just with a slightly lower clock speed.OnePlus has kept all other spec information under wraps, along with the price, so we will have to wait until December 17 to find out full details.The OnePlus 15 starts at £899 and the OnePlus 13R from earlier this year cost £679, so hopefully the 15R is priced below £700 for those Android buyers who value top performance but don’t want to splurge close to £1,000 on a smartphone.
