The iQOO 15 launched in India on November 26, 2025, as the company's flagship for the season, and remains on sale nearly a year later — though at a noticeably higher price than it debuted at. As of September 2026, the phone has gone through three separate price increases, driven largely by an industry-wide memory chip shortage that has pushed up smartphone prices across almost every brand in India, including Samsung, Apple, OnePlus, and Nothing. The iQOO 15 was also notable as the first smartphone in India to ship with OriginOS 6 out of the box.
The iQOO 15 is built around the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, paired with iQOO's own Q3 Supercomputing Chip dedicated to frame interpolation and touch response for gaming. It features a 6.85-inch 2K (1440x3168) LTPO AMOLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate, up to 6,000 nits of peak brightness, Dolby Vision support, and an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint scanner. RAM options include 12GB or 16GB of LPDDR5X Ultra memory, paired with 256GB or 512GB of UFS 4.1 storage. The camera system uses a triple 50MP setup, including a Sony IMX921 main sensor, a 50MP ultrawide lens, and a 50MP periscope telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom, alongside a 32MP front camera. A 7,000mAh silicon-carbon battery supports 100W wired FlashCharge and 40W wireless charging, and the phone carries an IP69 rating for dust, water, and high-pressure jet resistance. It runs OriginOS 6 on Android 16, with 5 years of OS upgrades and 7 years of security updates promised.
Confirmed Features of the iQOO 15
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset with iQOO's dedicated Q3 Supercomputing Chip
- 6.85-inch 2K LTPO AMOLED display, 144Hz refresh rate, up to 6,000 nits peak brightness, Dolby Vision
- Triple 50MP rear camera: Sony IMX921 main + 50MP ultrawide + 50MP periscope telephoto (3x optical zoom), plus a 32MP front camera
- 7,000mAh silicon-carbon battery with 100W wired FlashCharge and 40W wireless charging
- IP69 dust, water, and high-pressure jet resistance
- OriginOS 6 on Android 16 — the first phone in India to ship with OriginOS out of the box
- 5 years of major OS upgrades and 7 years of security updates
- Available in Legend and Alpha colourways in India
iQOO 15 Current Price in India (September 2026)
| Variant |
RAM |
Storage |
Launch Price (Nov 2025) |
Current Price (Sept 2026) |
| Base Variant |
12GB |
256GB |
₹72,999 |
₹76,999 |
| Top Variant |
16GB |
512GB |
₹79,999 |
₹83,999 |
Note: The iQOO 15 has been hiked in price three times since its November 2025 launch, adding ₹4,000 to both variants overall. iQOO has attributed the increases to the ongoing global memory (RAM and storage chip) shortage, a pressure that has also pushed up prices on the iQOO 15R, iQOO Neo 10, and several Vivo and Samsung phones over the same period. The phone is available in India via Amazon, Flipkart, the official iQOO website, and Vivo exclusive stores, in Legend and Alpha colourways. Prices reflect the listed retail price and can vary slightly with bank offers and festive sales.
Pros and Cons
| Pros |
Cons |
| 2K LTPO AMOLED display with up to 6,000 nits brightness is among the best in its segment |
Price has risen ₹4,000 since launch, denting its original value proposition |
| Genuine periscope telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom, rare at this price point |
Some user feedback points to pre-installed bloatware and unremovable system apps |
| 100W wired and 40W wireless charging cover a 7,000mAh battery unusually quickly |
OriginOS, while functional, is a newer interface for Indian buyers used to OxygenOS or One UI |
| IP69 rating adds durability well beyond typical flagship dust and water resistance |
Only two colour options are offered in India, with Grey reserved for other markets |
| 7 years of security updates is a strong commitment matching Samsung's flagship tier |
Competes directly with the pricier OnePlus 15, which has also seen steep hikes of its own |
iQOO 15 vs OnePlus 15 vs iQOO 15R
The iQOO 15's closest rival remains the OnePlus 15, which shares the same Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset and has faced its own round of price hikes. For buyers on a tighter budget, iQOO's own 15R offers a scaled-down alternative.
| Feature |
iQOO 15 |
OnePlus 15 |
iQOO 15R |
| Processor |
Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 + Q3 chip |
Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 |
Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 |
| Display |
6.85-inch 2K AMOLED, 144Hz, 6,000 nits |
6.78-inch 1.5K AMOLED, 165Hz |
6.83-inch AMOLED (specs vary by report) |
| Camera |
50MP main + 50MP ultrawide + 50MP telephoto (3x) |
50MP main + 50MP ultrawide + 50MP periscope telephoto |
50MP + 8MP dual rear camera |
| Battery |
7,000mAh, 100W wired / 40W wireless |
7,300mAh, wired + 50W AIRVOOC wireless |
7,400mAh |
| Software |
OriginOS 6 on Android 16 |
OxygenOS 16 on Android 16 |
OriginOS 6 on Android 16 |
| Original Launch Price (India) |
₹72,999 (Nov 2025) |
₹72,999 (Nov 2025) |
Lower entry tier |
| Current Price (Sept 2026) |
₹76,999 (12GB/256GB) |
₹85,999 (12GB/256GB) |
₹49,999 (base variant) |
Final Verdict
Even after three rounds of price hikes, the iQOO 15 remains a well-rounded flagship, and its current ₹76,999 asking price is now meaningfully lower than the OnePlus 15's ₹85,999 for comparable hardware — a gap that has only widened as both phones have gone through their own repricing. It remains a strong pick for buyers who want a bright, high-resolution display, genuine telephoto versatility, and fast charging, though anyone who held off since launch has ended up paying ₹4,000 more for the same phone.
E-Magazine
