I put the OnePlus 15R vs iPhone 16e through a 7-round face-off — here’s the winner

There's a heated battle in the midrange phone space, so that’s why a OnePlus 15R vs iPhone 16e face-off is necessary to uncover which phone has more value. Even though their prices are a smidge high for what I’d consider to be the best cheap phone contenders, both the 15R and 16e are discounted enough to have substantial savings over traditional flagships.

When the iPhone 16e launched earlier in the year, I mentioned in my iPhone 16e review how it now costs more to own the cheapest phone Apple makes. The 16e's $599 starting cost is a significant jump over the iPhone SE (2022) it replaces in Apple's lineup, though this phone supports same iOS 26 features as the more expensive iPhone 17 lineup — and that includes Apple Intelligence features.

Meanwhile, the OnePlus 15R packs the more impressive hardware on paper, but its $699 cost ($649 with a trade-in) does make it harder to consider than previous R series phones that cost less. In his OnePlus 15R review, my colleague Richard Priday praises the 15R's strong processing and battery life performance. But now that I’ve been using both phones for a week, it’s time for me to show you how they stack up.

OnePlus 15R vs iPhone 16e: Specifications

OnePlus 15R vs iPhone 16e: Price

Just like my colleagues, I’m not a fan of the OnePlus 15R’s price hike — it costs $100 more than the OnePlus 13R it’s replacing. Now you’re spending $699 to pick up the OnePlus 15R, but if you factor in the company’s $50 credit when you trade in any phone in any condition, the price drops to $649. As much as I appreciate the savings, this offer might be only available for a limited time.

Apple’s in the same boat because of how much more the iPhone 16e is versus past iPhone SE models. The last SE started at $429. In contrast, the iPhone 16e goes for $599. And compared to the OnePlus 15R, you’re getting a smaller phone with half as much storage for the price.

Still, the iPhone 16e is cheaper than its rival — which makes it much more attainable for the average person. I absolutely like the iPhone's price way more, especially when Apple's software support is way more generous than what OnePlus promises.

Winner: iPhone 16e

OnePlus 15R vs iPhone 16e: Design

There’s a big size difference between the OnePlus 15R vs iPhone 16e, so that might influence your choice. I personally like the smaller and narrower size of the iPhone 16e, but the design’s pretty bland and boring as they come.

Even though it’s much more unwieldy to use one-handed, the OnePlus 15R has a much more modern design — like the square-shaped camera cutout on the back, slimmer bezels around the screen, and most importantly, IP69K certification. That latter listing means the OnePlus 15R is more resilient, with superior dust and water resistance compared to the iPhone.

Winner: OnePlus 15R

OnePlus 15R vs iPhone 16e: Display

Due to its larger overall size, the OnePlus 15R is way more suitable for just about everything from watching videos to scrolling web sites. Not only is its 6.83-inch OLED much bigger than the iPhone 16e’s 6.1-inch OLED panel, but it’s also brighter at 1,222 nits. I’ve seen larger spreads with other phones, but it’s enough for me to notice outside while playing the same movie trailers.

Another reason why the OnePlus 15R has the better screen is because of its faster 120Hz refresh rate, which makes animations way smoother. It technically goes up to 165Hz, but that mode's only supported on select gaming titles like PUBG Mobile.

Winner: OnePlus 15R

OnePlus 15R vs iPhone 16e: Cameras

Even without directly comparing camera performance, the iPhone 16e has an inherent disadvantage because it only features a single 48MP rear camera. The OnePlus 15R benefits from a dual-camera setup that consists of 50MP main and 8MP ultrawide cameras. For group photos, the OnePlus 15R can obviously fit more people into the frame.

But despite the lack of a second rear camera, I have to admit the iPhone 16e pulls in excellent results.

Under daytime conditions with plenty of lightning around, the OnePlus 15R and iPhone 16e take impressive snapshots — like the ones above from Bryant Park in New York City. I really like how both phones handle the shadows of buildings in the background by boosting the exposure in those areas, but zooming in reveals that there’s more definition in the brickwork with the iPhone 16e.

Both phones do nicely in drawing out the colors from various peppers and produce on the shelves above, but the iPhone 16e catches my attention for the amount of sheen it casts on them. Take the green bell peppers on the top shelf and yellow zucchinis on the left, they look bolder and fuller — whereas the OnePlus 15R dulls them a bit.

With the sun peeking from the left, I like how both phones mitigate the contrast in light with the sky and buildings. The shadow of the adjacent building is less apparent with the OnePlus 15R’s image though, which gives the overall look a better balance in my opinion.

Indoors where there’s artificial lighting, I prefer how the iPhone 16e does a better job of applying a stronger contrast and bolder colors.

Don’t let the specs fool you because the 12MP selfie camera in the iPhone 16e holds up well against the OnePlus 15R’s 32MP sensor. Even though the OnePlus 15R captures a little more fine details, like my eyebrows and wrinkles, I think the iPhone 16e better replicates my skin tone.

Neither phone includes a dedicated telephoto camera, so all zooming is left to their main cameras. At 8X zoom, which is the maximum that the iPhone 16e goes to, they appear to catch the same level of detail with the statute above. However, there’s a bit more graininess to the iPhone 16e’s shot when I inspect it closer. This isn’t a bad thing, especially when the OnePlus 15R is too aggressive at smoothening out those details.

Apple’s iPhones have a reputation of being excellent shooters in the dark, and the iPhone 16e is no exception. Using their night modes to capture the plant in just about complete darkness, the iPhone 16e brightens up the scene to better expose the plant — whereas the OnePlus 15R is dim and dark.

Even though it bugs me that the iPhone 16e has only a single rear camera, it performs better than the OnePlus 15R. You do get the added utility of that ultrawide shooter with the OnePlus, but the vast majority of what I shoot comes from the main one — so I’d prefer the reliability of the iPhone.

Winner: iPhone 16e

OnePlus 15R vs iPhone 16e: Performance

Everything points at the OnePlus 15R offering the superior performance because of how it’s driven by the newer Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chip. From navigating around the software, to playing graphically intensive games, I notice a big difference in how they behave.

While the phones' respective GeekBench 6 scores show how they’re evenly matched, the OnePlus 15R really pulls ahead with its superior graphic processing performance.

Not only does the OnePlus 15R deliver much smoother frame rates with 3DMark’s Wild Life Extreme Unlimited test, but I see it when I play all of my favorite games. This is also due to the 15R's 165Hz refresh rate mode, which makes games like PUBG Mobile feel way more responsive.

Winner: OnePlus 15R

OnePlus 15R vs iPhone 16e: Battery Life and charging

What’s most impressive about the OnePlus 15R in my week’s worth of using it is just the phenomenal battery life it achieves. Just like its sibling in the OnePlus 15, the 15R's leaning on a newer carbon-silicone battery that drives it to be the second longest lasting phone we’ve ever tested at Tom’s Guide.

The OnePlus 15R's 7,400 mAh battery pulls in an average time of 21 hours and 54 minutes of continuous web surfing in our test. It’s one of the few phones that gets me about two full days of battery life from a full charge.

This is where the iPhone 16e’s smaller size (and smaller battery capacity) is at a big disadvantage, reaching a time of 12 hours and 41 minutes running the same test. There’s been a handful of times when I’ve needed to recharge the iPhone toward the end of my work day, just so that it’s not at a critically low level.

It’s worth noting, though, that OnePlus omits wireless charging in its phone — whereas the cheaper iPhone 16e supports that feature. However, you do get faster 80W wired charging with the OnePlus 15R.

Winner: OnePlus 15R

OnePlus 15R vs iPhone 16e: Software and AI

I have to give OnePlus credit here because of the significant amount of polish I see with OxygenOS 16 running on top of Android 16 with the OnePlus 15R. When it comes to productivity, there’s just no comparison between the two as the OnePlus 15R provides access to helpful features like support for multiple users and what I consider the best implementation of multitasking on a phone.

OnePlus also makes great strides around artificial intelligence, with the 15R boasting the same set of AI-assisted photo editing tools found on the OnePlus 15.

Just as compelling is iOS 26 on the iPhone 16e, which sports Apple’s slick-looking Liquid Glass interface that makes the visuals of the interface look way more polished. There’s also more personalization than ever before, including depth effects to my lock screen wallpaper and customizable widgets on my home screen. I also like all the other new features iOS 26 has introduced, like Screen Call, Live Translate, and more. The only downside is that new Apple Intelligence features included with iOS 26 are slim.

Finally, it’s worth pointing out the software support for each device: 4 years for the OnePlus 15R versus at least 5 years with the iPhone 16e. I personally would upgrade every 3 years at the max, but if you intend on holding onto a phone for much longer, the iPhone 16e has you covered. Despite this, I will say that the software and AI features of the OnePlus 15R are a big step up.

Winner: OnePlus 15R

OnePlus 15R vs iPhone 16e: Verdict

You’re technically paying $100 more without any discounts for the OnePlus 15R, but I would gladly pay that extra for the kind of utility and performance this Android phone offers. Even though the single rear camera of the iPhone 16e continues to amaze me, the OnePlus 15R justifies why it has better value.

From having double the storage capacity, to a faster display refresh rate, and even an unbelievable battery life performance, it really exposes the iPhone 16e as an overpriced model.

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