OnePlus 15 vs. Galaxy S25: Which flagship Android phone will be better?

When it comes to the best Android phones you can buy, in any given year, both Samsung and OnePlus are usually among the top contenders.

In 2025, we’ve already had the Samsung Galaxy S25, but it’s highly likely the OnePlus 15 will arrive either before the year is out or very early in 2026. So, should you buy Samsung’s high-end Android device, or wait for OnePlus’ upcoming handset?

Here’s what we know so far about OnePlus' next flagship, and how it compares to the existing offering from Samsung.

OnePlus 15 vs Samsung Galaxy S25: Specifications

OnePlus 15 vs Samsung Galaxy S25: Price and release date

At this point, we’re actually closer to the predicted launch of the Samsung Galaxy S26 than we are to that of its predecessor, which arrived on February 7 2025. While the S25 launched at $799, it’s now available for considerably less as the S26’s release date nears. Prices now start at just $599 on Amazon for the 128GB model.

For the OnePlus 15, we’re in educated-guess territory. The phone is expected to launch in China at the end of October, and while there’s previously been a few months’ gap before an American release, this year it could arrive as soon as November.

Reports indicate that OnePlus 15 pricing won’t be too different from its predecessor, which arrived at $899. Though obviously the looming threat of tariffs complicates that somewhat, and with the two previous generations rising $100 a year, you wouldn’t rule out a sneaky price jump.

OnePlus 15 vs Samsung Galaxy S25: Design and screen

The Samsung Galaxy S series’ design hasn’t changed a great deal in the last few years, and with good reason: it’s a smart handset that, at 6.1 inches, feels comfortable in the hand. The screen may only be 2,340 x 1,080, but it’s a quality OLED number with an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate.

The OnePlus 15, on the other hand, won’t appeal to those who prioritize portability above all else. It’s tipped to be closer to the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra’s dimensions, with a large 6.78-inch OLED screen. It’s also said to pack a refresh rate of up to 165Hz, though this may come with a resolution drop to 1.5K. The OnePlus 13, by contrast, had a 6.82-inch, 120Hz 2K panel.

It will look a little different to that handset, too, with the circular camera array of the previous generations replaced by a “small square matrix in the upper left corner” according to the leaker Digital Chat Station.

OnePlus 15 vs Samsung Galaxy S25: Performance and battery life

On the performance and battery life scores, all signs point to an easy win for OnePlus. This is to be expected, given the Samsung Galaxy S25 is getting on a bit (at least in the terms of annual smartphone refreshes), while the OnePlus 15 is yet to be officially unveiled.

So while the Samsung Galaxy S25 uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset, the OnePlus 15 is set to use its successor: the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. Qualcomm is predicting a 20% speed boost in CPU performance and a 23% uplift in GPU abilities.

On top of that, it’s likely that the OnePlus 15 will optionally have more RAM too. While the Samsung Galaxy S25 is only available with 12GB of memory, it’s likely the OnePlus 15 will ship with 12GB or 16GB if you buy a handset with more built-in storage. That’s the model it’s used with the OnePlus 13, and in some regions you can even get a version with a wildly over-the-top 24GB of memory.

Again, all of this is to be expected, and Samsung will probably regain a small upper hand with the Galaxy S26 launches (assuming there’s an exclusive ‘for Galaxy’ version of Qualcomm’s chipset again). But even then, there’s one area that Samsung will find it very hard to match OnePlus on: battery life.

The OnePlus 13 has an already massive 6,000mAh cell — 2,000mAh larger than the Samsung Galaxy S25’s. With the OnePlus 15, the gap is likely to grow even larger with one tipster predicting an enormous 7,300mAh cell.

OnePlus 15 vs Samsung Galaxy S25: Cameras

The Samsung Galaxy S25 sports a triple-camera array comprising a 50MP main sensor, a 12MP ultrawide snapper and a 10MP 3x telephoto lens. It’s a solid performer, but not enough of a standout to feature in our list of the best camera phones.

That said, the OnePlus 13 isn’t in the list either, and from what we’ve heard its successor will face an uphill struggle too.

That’s because it’s not expected to have too many changes, with the phone tipped to maintain the same triple camera array as its predecessor with 50MP sensors for main, ultrawide and telephoto modules. The only difference might be the possible introduction of a periscope lens for the 3x telephoto camera.

To be clear, the OnePlus 13 takes quality photos — just not quite as good as its rivals. As our reviewer Richard Priday wrote: “It's the closest the company's ever got to the masters of smartphone photography — Samsung, Google and Apple — and while it's not a perfect match yet, you don't lose out on much by taking photos through the OnePlus 13's lenses instead of an iPhone, Galaxy or Pixel.”

Hopefully OnePlus has more up its sleeve, and this is the phone to take the company’s photography to the next level.

OnePlus 15 vs Samsung Galaxy S25: Verdict

Overall, as good as the Samsung Galaxy S25 is, it seems very likely that the OnePlus 13 will be a big improvement on it, if you can handle its larger frame.

Performance should be significantly better with the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset and extra RAM, and the battery life should be in a whole different class if the 7,300mAh battery rumor is correct.

However, there are two caveats to this. Firstly, it’s likely to be a fair bit more expensive thanks to both a higher MSRP and eight months’ worth of discounts accumulating for the Samsung model.

Secondly, we’re only a few months away from the expected launch of the Samsung Galaxy S26. And that’s likely to be a much closer match when it arrives early in 2026 if you can wait a little longer.

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