(Credit: Qualcomm)
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The next phone from OnePlus is now official, and the brand used the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 reveal to confirm its existence. It's called the OnePlus 15, and it’s set to sport the latest top-end chipset from Qualcomm.
Where is the OnePlus 14? The number four is traditionally seen as unlucky in China, so the brand has skipped over it for its next-gen handset. It did similar to avoid the OnePlus 4 back in 2017.
This is a teaser from OnePlus, rather than a full reveal. More details are expected to be shared over the "coming weeks," and it's likely the phone will see a China-based launch before the rest of the world gets to try it.
The first teasers came in a China-focused event at Qualcomm's Snapdragon Summit in Hawaii. The phone was shown off on stage, showing it in black and we got to see the full rear of the phone. It's also thought it will come in white.
Not much can be seen from the rear of the device, but we know there's a camera array in the top left corner. It features four elements, which likely means a triple camera setup and a flash.
OnePlus confirmed it it will use the new Snapdragon Elite Gen 5 mobile platform for its next-gen phone, but we don't yet know which features will be used. OnePlus has said it'll be “an unrivaled gaming experience with lightning-fast performance and adaptive software tailored for high-end gaming.”
We also know the OnePlus 15 will see the debut of its own self-developed DetailMax image engine. OnePlus says it uses "advanced algorithms and powerful processors to capture images that feel breathtakingly clear and truly real.” This replaces the company's long-running partnership with Hasselblad.
Elsewhere, the brand confirmed this will be its first phone to feature 165Hz screen tech.
Other brands teasing phones around the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 launch are focusing on its AI-prowess. For example, Honor began teasing its upcoming Magic 8 series of smartphones by highlighting the AI upgrades. These phones are unlikely to come to the US.
New features teased by Honor include improved tech for on-device AI models to reduce battery consumption, and faster multimodal search across various types of media on your phone.
There’s also a new “agent-powered” image restyling tool. This allows you to enter a sentence into the editing tool, and then receive a photo back with tweaks made by AI. It sounds similar to the conversational editing available on Pixel phones.
Other phones that will be using the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 include the Xiaomi 17 series, Realme GT8 Pro, iQOO 15, Nubia Z80 Ultra, and RedMagic 11 Pro. Many of these phones are unlikely to be released in the US.