iPhone 17 vs OnePlus 15: Which is the better smartphone?

Apple's iPhone 17 is one of the best flagship-level smartphones. It is capable of delivering an all-around experience, including gaming and camera. On the other hand, the recently released OnePlus 15 is the company's ultimate phone designed to go toe-to-toe with other flagships in the industry.

Can the new OnePlus 15 beat Apple's iPhone 17? Or will Apple take the crown once again? Let's find out in this detailed comparison.

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iPhone 17 vs OnePlus 15: Detailed comparison

The iPhone 17 has a decent camera system (Image via Apple)

Specs comparison

Here are the specs of the iPhone 17 and OnePlus 15:

Specifications	iPhone 17	OnePlus 15
Display	6.3-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED 1.5K panel with 120Hz refresh rate	6.78-inch LTPO AMOLED 1.5K panel with 165Hz refresh rate
Chipset	Apple A19	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
Operating system	iOS 26.1	Android 15 with NothingOS 3.1
Memory & storage	8GB RAM 256GB/512GB internal storage	12/16GB RAM 128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB internal storage
Camera setup	48+48MP rear camera setup 18MP selfie camera	50+50+50MP rear camera setup 50MP selfie camera
Battery and charging	3692mAh battery 40W wired fast charging 25W wireless fast charging	7,300mAh battery 120W wired fast charging 50W wireless fast charging

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Design, build quality, and display

The iPhone 17's design is quite elegant (Image via Apple)

The build quality of both the iPhone 17 and the OnePlus 15 is excellent. They both feature a metal and glass sandwich design, where the mid frames are made of aluminum and the rear panels are made of glass.

While both phones feature a matte finish on the rear glass, the OnePlus 15's version is better. Its matte glass was made using a special etching with Micro-Arc Oxidation ceramic layer, which makes it incredibly scratch-resistant. Therefore, the OnePlus smartphone wins in build quality.

As for design, both phones are simple and elegant, but which one is better will depend on the user's preference. Moreover, the iPhone 17 is quite compact due to its smaller display, while the OnePlus 15 is quite large. Speaking of the display, both smartphones have premium LTPO-based OLED panels, but there are some differences.

The iPhone's display gets brighter under direct sunlight, while the OnePlus phone has a higher 165Hz refresh rate and Dolby Vision support. I would say it's a tie when it comes to the display.

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Performance and gaming

Performance is one area where the OnePlus 15 has really switched things up compared to its predecessor. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is significantly faster than its predecessor and even edges out the Apple A19 chipset found in the iPhone 17.

When it comes to gaming performance, the OnePlus 15 with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is once again faster and delivers higher FPS than the iPhone in a few titles. However, the iPhone 17 supports console titles, such as Resident Evil 7, Resident Evil Village, Death Stranding, Assassin's Creed Mirage, and more.

Unfortunately, those games are not available on the Android platform. Despite that, the OnePlus 15 wins in overall performance. However, this phone also heats up quite a bit, so its performance will throttle over time.

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Camera performance

OnePlus 15 features a powerful triple camera system (Image via OnePlus)

The camera is one area where I saw a fierce battle between the two phones. The iPhone 17 features a dual-camera setup, while the OnePlus 15 has a triple-camera setup. When it comes to the main camera, the iPhone wins in terms of details and better HDR processing, but only by a small margin. The same is also true for the ultrawide camera.

However, the OnePlus 15 has a telephoto camera, which captures some really great shots with high detail levels, accurate colors, and better dynamic range. Since this iPhone doesn't have a telephoto camera, the OnePlus wins by default.

The OnePlus 15 also wins selfie camera performance, as it captures greater details, better skin tone, and HDR processing. However, the iPhone has better video recording with higher motion stability, detail levels, and focus stability. On average, they are quite similar, and none is a clear winner.

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Memory and storage

The iPhone 17 has 8GB RAM and two memory options: 256GB and 512GB. On the other hand, the OnePlus 15 is equipped with 12GB RAM and can be purchased in the following storage configurations: 128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB. Therefore, the OnePlus phone is the winner in terms of memory and storage.

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Battery, charging, and pricing

OnePlus 15 features a large battery (Image via OnePlus)

The OnePlus 15 is a clear winner in battery, charging, and even pricing. Its 7,300mAh battery delivers 2-3 days of battery life. The 120W wired and 50W wireless charging will recharge the battery faster than the iPhone. Moreover, the OnePlus 15 starts at ₹72,999, while the iPhone 17 begins at ₹82,900.

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Which is the better flagship smartphone?

The OnePlus 15 is the better flagship phone. It has better build quality, faster performance, more memory & storage, higher battery life, and faster charging. Therefore, if these features are more important, get this OnePlus phone.

However, the iPhone 17 is not a complete loser either. It has better game support along with the main & ultrawide rear cameras. You will have a better smartphone experience with the iPhone if you have other Apple devices. Which one should you choose depends on your needs and requirements, but the OnePlus 15 is an overall better phone.