 "iQOO 15")
iQOO launched their new flagship iQOO 15 in India yesterday. As expected, it is an absolute powerhouse and possibly an object of desire for mobile gamers. Other than the most powerful processing hardware around, it has a lot more things going for it, which we will touch upon in this article. Other than its key features and specifications, we will also look at what’s new in it as compared to its predecessor, the iQOO 13, and share our initial impressions of the device. Let’s proceed.
iQOO 15: Specifications and key features
The iQOO 15 is powered by Qualcomm’s latest flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SoC and and iQOO’s proprietary Supercomputing Chip Q3. It comes in two RAM and storage options: 12 GB + 256 GB and 16 GB + 512 GB. It uses fast LPDDR5X Ultra memory and the latest UFS 4.1 storage. No corners have been cut in this department. It also features a large 8K Single Layer vapour cooling system to keep things cool under heavy load and during intense gaming sessions.
It features a large 6.85-inch Samsung 2K M14 LEAD OLED display with QHD+ resolution, 144 Hz refresh rate and 6000 nits peak brightness, making it one of the brightest phone displays around. To keep the phone running for long, it is fitted with a massive 7000 mAh silicon anode battery that supports 100W FlashCharge for a brisk topup. Wireless charging makes its way to an iQOO phone for the first time (if I remember correctly) with the iQOO 15 supporting 40W wireless charging.
Just because it is targeted at gamers and power users, the camera department hasn’t been ignored either. iQOO 15 boasts of triple 50MP cameras at the back with the primary unit equipped with a Sony IMX921 VCS sensor. You also get a 50MP ultra-wide camera with auto-focus and a 50MP periscope telephoto camera that provides 3X optical zoom. The main and telephoto cameras have optical image stabilisation to compensate for shaky hands. A 32MP front camera takes care of selfies and video calls.
Last but not the least, the iQOO 15 runs the latest OriginOS 6 based on Android 16 and the company has promised 5 years of OS updates and 7 years of security updates for this device, keeping it fresh and secure for a long time.
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View AlliQOO 15: Price and availability in India
This was a bit of a disappointment as it continues the theme of this November where none of the Chinese phone makers have managed to get the pricing right for their respective flagships. Following in the footsteps of the OnePlus 15, the iQOO 15 is priced at Rs 72,999 for the 12 GB + 256 GB model and Rs 79,999 for its 16 GB + 512 GB variant. With launch offers that include bank discounts and exchange bonus, if you play your cards right, you can score the iQOO 15 for Rs 8,000 less, which should have been its launch price before discount. It will be available for purchase online and offline in India from 1st December 2025.
iQOO 15 vs iQOO 13: What’s new?
There are quite a few additions to the iQOO 15, big and small, as compared to its predecessor. We are also happy to report that unlike its illustrious competitor with a similar model number, nothing seems to be downgraded or left out from the previous model. That makes it a proper upgrade on almost all fronts. The biggest upgrade being the new Qualcomm monster that powers this phone. Not that the Snapdragon 8 Elite was a slouch by any yardstick, the Elite Gen 5 takes the performance a few notches higher.
The second change is in the camera department where the highly criticised telephoto camera on the iQOO 13 has now been replaced by a much better periscope telephoto unit that not only offers higher zoom (3X vs 2X) but also promises better image quality due to a significantly larger sensor. The primary and ultra-wide cameras seem to have been retained. We will discuss their image quality with camera samples in our detailed iQOO 15 review.
The company has used a newer and brighter display on the iQOO 15 with a lot of user friendly tech built into it to reduce eyestrain without compromising on performance. Battery capacity has been bumped up to 7000 mAh from 6000 mAh on the iQOO 13 which should translate into better battery backup. And lastly, the iQOO 15 not just debuts with a newer version of Android, but as I mentioned earlier, it will also get one additional year of OS and security updates as compared to its predecessor, which is more than handy.
iQOO 15: Initial impressions
While we are yet to take it through our usual grind, our initial impressions of the iQOO 15 are largely positive. In terms of specifications and features, there are improvements on all the key fronts. And while some things are left untouched, it doesn’t miss out on anything important from its predecessor. Given its large 6.85-inch display, the phone is quite a handful but the weight distribution is even. Despite its near 220 grams weight, it does not feel as heavy, or maybe I am just used to large phones by now (which I am not very fond of).
The display is sharp and bright and a brief gaming session was quite enjoyable on the device. The build quality is premium and its matte glass back feels great to touch and makes the phone’s body largely smudge-free. OriginOS 6.0 looks fluid and noticeably fresh from FuntouchOS with the addition of many new features. There was quite a bit of bloatware installed on the demo units but a lot of it could be uninstalled, thankfully. There’s not much to read into the camera samples clicked at the launch event and will reserve our judgment on that for the final review. Stay tuned.