The OnePlus 15 has officially debuted in China, marking a new chapter for the brand’s mobile photography ambitions. We took the chance to test its cameras around the cobbled streets and riversides of Prague, pushing its much-hyped DetailMax Engine to the limit. This system replaces the once-iconic Hasselblad partnership, signaling a bold move toward OnePlus’ own imaging identity. 
The company describes DetailMax as a computational imaging platform focused on realism and clarity – but how does it hold up in practice?
Our daylight tests began with the main 50MP camera, which immediately showcased strong detail preservation and natural color tonality. Edges were sharp without going overboard on contrast, though we noticed the HDR occasionally leaned conservative, leaving darker areas a bit underexposed – especially in tree shadows. Still, the overall look felt mature, if slightly less ‘cinematic’ than the older Hasselblad-tuned profiles. At 2x zoom, textures remained impressive, and OnePlus’ new sharpening algorithm seemed more refined than in the OnePlus 13, though some minor artifacts crept in at higher magnifications.
The viewfinder’s 3.5x option offered a balanced field of view, with moderate loss of micro-contrast. Pushing further to 7x, things started to show clear computational intervention – a blend of optical and digital data that looks good at first glance but reveals softness upon closer inspection. Beyond that, the 120x ‘digital zoom madness’ produced usable but AI-sculpted images. They’re more of a novelty feature than a realistic photographic tool, yet surprisingly stable for social media sharing.
Switching to the ultrawide lens, the downgrade from last year’s sensor becomes visible. Corners lack fine detail, and the dynamic range doesn’t match the main shooter. However, color matching between lenses has improved, so transitions between focal lengths feel less jarring. Night photography brings out more complexity: OnePlus’ automatic low-light mode kicks in even when you don’t select Night Mode manually. The main camera performs decently, maintaining exposure and detail without too much noise. The 2x and 3.5x nighttime shots are fair but lack definition in highlights, while the 7x zoom is visibly stretched. The ultrawide at night struggles – noisy and muted, clearly out of its depth.
Selfies are a bright spot – literally. The 32MP front sensor handles skin tones naturally in daylight and benefits from the screen flash at night, which produces a softer and more balanced look compared to the harsh LED flash on rivals. OnePlus claims its DetailMax Engine carries the ‘refined aesthetic sense’ of Hasselblad into its DNA. Whether that’s marketing poetry or genuine innovation remains to be seen, but the OnePlus 15 does show a deliberate step toward independence – a device less about borrowed prestige and more about defining its own visual character.
In the end, the OnePlus 15 camera system feels like a transitional experiment – solid fundamentals, intriguing new algorithms, but also a few questionable downgrades. The main lens shines, the ultrawide disappoints, and the telephoto setup teeters between impressive and artificial. The verdict? Not a disaster, but not a revolution either. The upcoming global release and final pricing will determine whether this new direction pays off or leaves users missing the old Hasselblad magic.