The OnePlus 15 may 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 machine. Through the occasion, the tech big confirmed that the OnePlus 15 will probably be one of many first telephones to be outfitted with Qualcomm’s newest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset and can function a 165Hz show.

The OnePlus 15 is broadly anticipated to launch this month in China, with leaks suggesting it may occur at an occasion on October 27. Nevertheless, what was a lot much less sure was when the cellphone would launch globally and within the US. Whereas OnePlus often launches its flagship handsets in October in China, they sometimes do not launch globally till the brand new 12 months. Luckily, this 12 months, that would change.

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

OnePlus may get the bounce on Samsung

The OnePlus 15 might be out there a lot earlier within the US than the S26 collection

If the OnePlus 15 does the truth is launch globally this 12 months, 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 out there within the US with Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, nevertheless it additionally means it may beat the Samsung Galaxy S26 collection to the broader market by two entire months.

Whereas there aren’t any particular leaks but about when Samsung may launch the Galaxy S26 collection, based mostly on its previous releases for the Galaxy S25 and S24 collection, it’s prone to happen in mid-to-late January or early February. Usually, the launch of latest OnePlus and Samsung flagships within the US is just separated by a couple 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 collection comes out.

In a press launch in regards to the unveiling of the OnePlus 15 in September, OnePlus teased that extra particulars about its flagship handset “will probably be launched over the approaching weeks,” so we possible will not have to attend for much longer to search out out when the cellphone 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 cellphone’s design. Notably, the OnePlus 15 incorporates a new sq. digicam cutout, with a flat entrance, again, and body, eerily harking back to the iPhone, marking a departure from its previous handsets, which had a round digicam 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 date are a black colorway and a brand new colour referred to as “sand storm,” which is prominently featured within the formally launched images of the cellphone. What we additionally know is that the cellphone may have “ultra-thin” 1.15mm display bezels, its show may have a 165Hz refresh charge, a notable bounce from the OnePlus 13’s 120Hz refresh charge, and as I discussed earlier, be powered by Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset.

Personally, this leak makes me far more excited in regards to the OnePlus 15, and I actually hope it seems to be true. Getting the cellphone two months sooner than traditional could be superb, because the 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 in regards to the official launch date quickly.