The next big “flagship killer” from OnePlus is no longer a rumor. The company has already confirmed that the OnePlus 15R is on the way, and if you follow the brand in China you will know it’s essentially the global version of the OnePlus Ace 6T. 
That might sound like a simple rebrand, but the specs OnePlus has teased so far paint a picture of a phone that could seriously disrupt the upper mid-range market in 2025.
Instead of going all-in on a hyper-premium price, OnePlus is taking its classic approach: deliver near-flagship performance and a few headline features, then trim just enough to keep the price much lower than the true top-tier flagships. On paper, the OnePlus 15R looks like exactly that kind of device.
Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 power without the “elite” tax
Louis Li, president of OnePlus in China, used Weibo to reveal a surprisingly detailed preview of the Ace 6T, which tells us a lot about what to expect from the international 15R. The phone will run on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 non-elite variant, a chip that still sits firmly in flagship territory when it comes to CPU and GPU performance, gaming, and AI workloads, but should be a little cheaper than the absolute top-bin configuration you see in ultra-premium phones.
In practice, that means the OnePlus 15R is shaping up to be the sort of phone that runs demanding games at high frame rates, handles multitasking with ease, and chews through heavy apps without needing a four-figure price tag. For buyers who care more about real-world speed than vanity specs, that’s exactly the sweet spot.
Huge battery, wild charging, and a 165Hz display
Performance alone is not what makes the Ace 6T interesting. OnePlus has confirmed that the phone will pack a battery with at least 8,000mAh of capacity – a number that puts it firmly in “all day and then some” territory. Combine that with 100W wired charging on the Chinese model, and you are looking at a device that can both last through a long gaming session and top up very quickly when you finally do manage to drain it.
The display is another spec that blurs the line between mid-range and flagship. Just like the main OnePlus 15, the Ace 6T/15R will ship with a 165Hz panel. That refresh rate goes beyond what most mainstream competitors offer and should make both everyday scrolling and competitive gaming feel ultra-smooth. Whether you’re flicking through social feeds or trying to land a clutch headshot, that extra fluidity matters.
Built for esports, cooled for long sessions
OnePlus is leaning hard into the gaming narrative. The phone will include a dedicated triple-chip setup tuned specifically for esports scenarios, along with what the company calls a Glacier Cooling system. The goal is clear: sustain high frame rates like 144fps in titles such as Honor of Kings without the phone turning into a hand warmer or throttling performance after a few minutes.
Bypass charging is also on board, letting power flow directly to the system when you are plugged in, instead of constantly stressing the battery. That should help keep temperatures under control and extend long-term battery health, which is especially important for players who regularly grind through hours-long ranked sessions.
Serious protection and next-gen biometrics
Durability is another area where the Ace 6T seems surprisingly overbuilt for its class. OnePlus has confirmed an impressive list of ingress-protection ratings: IP66, IP68, IP69, and IP69K. In plain English, that means the device is engineered to resist dust and survive high-pressure water jets and immersion far better than the average mid-range phone. If you have ever worried about rain, accidental drops into a sink, or a dusty work environment, this is the sort of rating sheet that inspires confidence.
Under the display sits a 3D ultrasonic fingerprint scanner – the same class of sensor used in OnePlus flagships. Compared to older optical in-display readers, ultrasonic tech tends to be faster and more reliable with wet or slightly dirty fingers, which pairs nicely with those robust water-resistance claims.
Cameras and global differences: the remaining question marks
What we still do not know for sure is the full camera setup. Leaks point to a dual rear system with a 50MP main sensor and an 8MP ultra-wide, and most insiders agree you should not expect a dedicated telephoto lens at this price point. For many users that will be enough – the main camera is where you spend most of your time – but photography enthusiasts will be watching closely to see how far OnePlus can push image quality with computational tricks.
There will also be subtle spec differences between the Chinese Ace 6T and the international OnePlus 15R. The most likely compromise is charging speed: where the domestic OnePlus 15 can hit 120W, past R-series phones have usually shipped with slightly slower charging outside China. If the 15R lands at around 80W globally, it will still be extremely fast by most standards, just not quite as extreme as the numbers on the Chinese spec sheet.
A mid-range built to bully rivals
Even with those caveats, the OnePlus 15R is lining up to be an unusually aggressive upper mid-ranger. On paper, it looks ready to challenge not just today’s value phones like the Google Pixel 9a, Samsung Galaxy A56, and Apple’s iPhone 16e, but also their expected successors such as the Pixel 10a, Galaxy A57, and iPhone 17e. A huge battery, serious gaming chops, a high-refresh display, and heavy-duty water resistance are not things you normally see combined in this segment.
The color controversy
There is, however, one area where fans outside China may feel a little shortchanged: colors. Early teasers show the Ace 6T in black, green, and a striking electric purple. So far, OnePlus has only hinted that the global 15R will come in more conservative black and green finishes. If the purple version really stays locked to the Chinese market, expect plenty of grumbling in comment sections – it is exactly the kind of fun, distinctive color that helps a phone stand out in a sea of glossy rectangles.
Still, even if you have to choose between “sensible” colors, the underlying hardware makes the OnePlus 15R one of the most intriguing phones on the horizon. If OnePlus can nail the price and keep most of the Ace 6T’s best tricks intact for the global model, this could easily become the go-to recommendation for anyone who wants flagship-level speed and endurance without paying flagship money.
4 comments
snapdragon 8 gen 5 + 80w is more than enough, my socket will finally get some rest
purple only for china again? why does oneplus hate fun colors so much lol
that ip69K rating on a midranger is kinda insane, my flagship doesn’t even have that 😂
looks awesome on paper but camera is probably mid, i’ll wait for reviews first