iQOO 15 Review: 7 Powerful Reasons It Wins

Published On: November 29, 2025
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iQOO 15 is not just another gaming flagship; it is one of the first Android phones in 2025 that genuinely feels engineered for people who live on the move, juggle heavy multitasking, and depend on their phone as much as they depend on their EV or daily ride. With a huge 7000mAh silicon-anode battery, a 2K Samsung M14 OLED panel that cuts through harsh Indian sunlight, Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 power and a periscope camera setup, the iQOO 15 positions itself as a performance-first flagship that still keeps real-world usability front and centre. For buyers who do long commutes, track trips, rely on fast data and want a phone that can keep up with a hectic EV-powered lifestyle, the iQOO 15 is one of the most interesting devices to launch in late 2025.

iQOO 15 overview: what this flagship is trying to be

The iQOO 15 sits in a very specific niche: it is a full-fat flagship that openly embraces its gaming DNA, yet it is tuned in a way that makes sense even if you never play a single battle royale match. At its core is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 platform paired with iQOO’s Supercomputing Chip Q3, an in-house companion chip that offloads heavy gaming and ray-tracing workloads so that both performance and efficiency improve in sustained use. Benchmarks in the wild are already showing AnTuTu scores in the 3.8 million range, which puts the iQOO 15 right at the top of the Android stack in late 2025. This is backed by 12GB or 16GB LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.1 storage in 256GB and 512GB configurations, which means you are not going to choke the phone with app switching, 4K video recording or high-bitrate dashcam overlays.

From a positioning standpoint, the iQOO 15 competes directly with devices like the OnePlus 15 and Realme GT 8 Pro, but it does so with a noticeably larger 7000mAh battery and an unusually bright 2K 144Hz Samsung M14 OLED display. That combination instantly makes it attractive for buyers who spend long hours outdoors, depend on their phone for maps, public charging apps, ride-hailing and payments, and do not want to be forced onto a power bank by late afternoon.

iQOO 15 design and build: subtle, premium and road-ready

The iQOO 15 is offered in two finishes, Legend and Alpha, both of which feel distinctly premium without screaming “gaming phone” at first glance. Legend uses a glass back, while Alpha opts for a fibre-glass style finish that gives better grip without the smudgy look of glossy glass. The camera island is clean and tightly integrated, with the triple 50MP array arranged in a way that feels more flagship than experimental. At around 215 grams and roughly 8.1mm thickness, it is not the lightest phone you can buy, but the weight is well distributed, helped by the big battery and cooling hardware inside.

In the hand, the iQOO 15 feels reassuring, which is important if you are using it one-handed while your other hand is on the steering wheel of your electric scooter or while walking around a charging station with a cable in the other hand. The slightly curved sides and matte treatment on the Alpha variant, in particular, help reduce slips when your palms are sweaty from a long ride in hot weather. The ultrasonic in-display fingerprint reader is another subtle but practical upgrade: even if your fingers are slightly damp or dusty after tinkering with a home charger or unplugging a portable power station, the sensor is far more reliable than optical readers in this price band.

iQOO 15 display: 2K Samsung M14 OLED built for sun and speed

Display is where the iQOO 15 really pushes ahead. The 6.85-inch Samsung 2K M14 LEAD OLED panel runs at a 3168×1440 resolution with a 144Hz refresh rate and up to 6000 nits of local peak brightness, with around 2600 nits in high brightness mode. In simple, real-world terms, this is one of the brightest smartphone panels you can buy in India today. For EV users who frequently mount their phone on a handlebar or dashboard, this brightness translates directly into better map legibility at midday and cleaner visibility of charging apps and QR payment screens, even when direct sunlight hits the glass.

The 144Hz refresh rate keeps animations incredibly fluid. Whether you are scrolling through heavy PDFs, zooming in and out on real-time traffic overlays or flicking between multiple navigation apps, the iQOO 15 keeps everything visually smooth. The panel also supports LTPO-style variable refresh, so the phone can ramp down to lower refresh rates for static content to save power, which is crucial in preserving that 7000mAh battery on long travel days. Colour accuracy with P3 coverage and HDR support makes media content pop; OTT shows, YouTube driving vlogs and even vehicle telematics dashboards rendered in web apps look crisp and punchy without cartoonish oversaturation.

iQOO 15 performance: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and Q3 Supercomputing Chip

At the heart of the iQOO 15 is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 platform, fabricated on a 3nm process with an octa-core Oryon CPU cluster that can clock up to 4.6GHz on the prime cores. That is paired with an Adreno 840 GPU, which is currently one of the most capable mobile GPUs for ray-traced graphics and high-refresh gaming. iQOO layers its Supercomputing Chip Q3 on top of this, acting as a co-processor specifically tuned for gaming optimisation, frame interpolation and efficient ray tracing.

In everyday usage, that architecture is overkill in the best possible way. Heavy navigation stacks such as Google Maps running in split-screen with Spotify, real-time tyre and OBD telemetry dashboards through compatible dongles, and a browser with multiple tabs open simply do not strain the iQOO 15. For an EV owner who often uses their phone as the central command unit for route planning, nearest charger discovery, toll calculation and trip logging, the ability to keep multiple services live without frame drops or stutters is genuinely useful, not just a spec-sheet brag.

Thermal management is another area where the iQOO 15 has been aggressively engineered. The phone uses what the brand calls one of the largest cooling systems on any phone in India, with a multi-layer vapour chamber, high-conductivity materials and an internal layout designed to spread heat away from touch points. In long gaming sessions or when using 5G hotspot mode to keep an in-car infotainment system or laptop online, the device runs warm but not throttled. That stability matters when you are using navigation and streaming for hours on an inter-city EV trip; performance stays predictable rather than dipping mid-way through a drive.

If you want to dive deeper into raw numbers and synthetic tests, you can always refer to a detailed benchmark breakdown on a dedicated spec database, but day-to-day the takeaway is simple: the iQOO 15 is one of the fastest Android phones you can buy right now, and that speed is sustainable, not just a five-minute burst.

read more: Realme GT 8 pro 5G 

iQOO 15 battery and charging: 7000mAh to match long commutes

Battery is where the iQOO 15 really aligns with an EV-centric lifestyle. Instead of a typical 4500–5000mAh pack, you get a 7000mAh silicon-anode battery, which offers higher energy density and better cycle life compared to older chemistries. This is paired with 100W wired FlashCharge and 40W wireless charging, plus reverse charging support.

In practical terms, you can treat the iQOO 15 almost like a compact power bank for your accessories. A typical heavy EV user’s day might include constant 5G data, 2–3 hours of navigation, regular social usage, some photo and video capture at charging stops and hotspot sessions for a laptop in between. On such a day, the iQOO 15 should comfortably get through without forcing you into battery saver mode, and casual users can realistically push into a second day on a single charge. Real-world testing so far suggests screen-on times well beyond 8–9 hours when mixed usage is involved, which aligns with what you would expect from 7000mAh on a modern 3nm flagship SoC.

The 100W wired charging is not just about raw wattage; the charging curve is tuned to get you a big chunk of battery quickly and then taper off. Expect roughly 0–50% in under 20 minutes and a near-full top-up in around 40–45 minutes, depending on ambient temperature. That means you can plug the iQOO 15 into a wall while your car or e-scooter is fast-charging, and both your devices will be ready around the same time. With 40W wireless charging, you can drop the phone onto a high-speed stand at home or on an in-car wireless pad and quietly maintain charge during short hops across the city, which is particularly handy for cab aggregators or delivery partners using EVs.

Reverse charging is the final trick in this battery toolkit. If you are carrying TWS earbuds, a smartwatch or even another smartphone that supports Qi, the iQOO 15 can top them up on the go, turning your primary phone into the centre of your personal energy ecosystem.

iQOO 15 cameras: triple 50MP system explained

The camera setup on the iQOO 15 is surprisingly serious for a device marketed as a gaming flagship. On the back, you get three 50MP sensors: a main wide-angle Sony TrueColor unit (IMX921), a 3x 50MP periscope telephoto (Sony IMX882) and a 50MP ultra-wide.On the front sits a 32MP selfie camera.

In daylight, the main sensor produces clean, high-contrast images with good dynamic range and relatively neutral colour science. For automotive and EV content creators, this is important. Capturing accurate paint shades, reflective surfaces on body panels and LED signatures on headlamps can be tricky; the iQOO 15 does a good job retaining highlight detail without turning the scene into a flat HDR mess. The large sensor, effective stabilisation and fast shutter also help when shooting moving vehicles or snapping quick photos at traffic lights.

The 3x periscope is perhaps the most useful lens for enthusiasts. It allows you to frame vehicles cleanly from a distance, crop into battery bay labels or charging-port details at a public charger and even capture distant signboards without walking across a busy parking lot. Low-light performance from the periscope is naturally a bit behind the main sensor, but the combination of OIS, EIS and aggressive multi-frame processing keeps shots usable, especially for social media and blogs.

The ultra-wide 50MP camera rounds things off with sweeping perspectives that work beautifully for capturing EV charging plazas, dealership showrooms or wide shots of highways and cityscapes. Distortion control is good, and edge sharpness stays acceptable, so you can confidently use ultra-wide images on your website without worrying that the corners will look smeared.

Video tops out at 4K 30fps with strong stabilisation and good audio pickup, and the iQOO 15’s 2K display makes reviewing footage on the spot a pleasure. For creators documenting EV ownership journeys, road tests or charging tutorials, the phone offers a reliable all-in-one video kit you can keep in your pocket.

iQOO 15 software, connectivity and smart features

On the software side, the iQOO 15 runs OriginOS 6 based on Android 16, giving you the latest Android version at launch. OriginOS brings a tile-based homescreen philosophy with extensive customisation and a range of productivity tools. As with previous iQOO devices, there will be some preinstalled apps, but most of them can be disabled or removed, and the overall skin has matured into a stable, responsive experience rather than a flashy experiment.

Connectivity is comprehensive. The iQOO 15 supports 5G across typical Indian bands, dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC and an IR blaster, all routed through a USB-C 3.2 port. The IR blaster is a small but handy touch if you want to control an AC in your charging garage, a TV in a lounge or other appliances without hunting for remotes. NFC reliability is key for tap-to-pay scenarios at tolls, parking lots or cafés near charging points, and the iQOO 15 handles those tasks smoothly.

For EV owners, another subtle advantage of such a modern connectivity stack is better compatibility and stability with Android Auto and vehicle companion apps. While the exact feature set will vary by brand, you can reasonably expect the iQOO 15 to handle wireless Android Auto, high-bitrate audio streaming and simultaneous hotspot usage without struggling. For people using OBD-II adapters and telematics dongles to track efficiency, battery health and trip logs, the strong Bluetooth and Wi-Fi radios help maintain a stable connection, reducing data dropouts during logs.

If you want to keep an eye on future firmware updates, security patches and feature additions related to the iQOO 15, tracking an official specifications page is a good idea because such pages are usually updated as new builds roll out.

iQOO 15 for EV users and commuters: real-world perspective

Because your site is EV-focused, it is important to look at the iQOO 15 not just as a phone, but as a tool in an electric mobility lifestyle. For daily commuters using an e-scooter or e-bike, the combination of a bright 2K panel and huge battery matters more than raw benchmark scores. Mount the iQOO 15 on a handlebar and run turn-by-turn navigation with screen brightness high, Bluetooth audio connected to a helmet and a ride-tracking app logging your trip; the phone still has headroom to spare. On a typical 60–80km daily commute, the iQOO 15 should reach home with enough battery to watch content, respond to work chats and schedule the next day’s charging slots without anxiety.

Long-distance EV owners, especially those who drive between cities, often rely on multiple apps: one for mapping, another for locating fast chargers, another for payment and loyalty programmes, and yet another to talk to their car’s native app for pre-cooling, locking/unlocking and state-of-charge updates. The iQOO 15’s RAM and processing pipeline are well suited for this stack; you can keep all of these apps alive in memory, jump between them while parked at a charger, and even run a video or music stream alongside without feeling that familiar mid-range Android sluggishness.

When you step outside the car at night to check on a plug or to document a public charger installation, the triple-camera system helps you capture sharp photos and videos without carrying a separate camera. For creators building a YouTube channel or blog about EV ownership, this is a genuine advantage: your primary phone doubles as your production camera, editing workstation and upload machine. The 5G capability and powerful modem hardware make it easier to upload large 4K clips from highway-side cafes or charging lounges where Wi-Fi might be unreliable.

If you also happen to manage home energy setups, solar inverters or smart plugs, the iQOO 15’s stable connectivity and big battery give you the confidence to leave monitoring dashboards running in the background while you go about your day, something that is surprisingly important in an increasingly connected energy ecosystem.

iQOO 15 price in India, variants and offers

In India, the iQOO 15 is available in two main variants at launch: 12GB RAM with 256GB storage and 16GB RAM with 512GB storage. The official pricing sits at ₹72,999 for the 12GB + 256GB model and ₹79,999 for the 16GB + 512GB variant. However, effective prices can drop significantly thanks to launch schemes: bank discounts, exchange bonuses and additional coupons can bring the entry variant down to around ₹64,999 and the higher model close to ₹71,999 for eligible buyers.

This pricing places the iQOO 15 squarely in the modern flagship category rather than as a classic “budget killer”, but the value still holds up when you examine what you are getting: a 2K 144Hz Samsung panel, a 7000mAh battery with 100W wired and 40W wireless charging, a triple 50MP camera system with a real 3x periscope, Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 power and one of the largest cooling setups on any Indian smartphone. Few competitors combine all of those elements in one device at launch.

If you want to check current street pricing and whether specific offers are still live, it is worth looking at a trusted Indian price tracker or e-commerce listing that aggregates variants and updates frequently, as these prices can move quickly in the first few weeks after launch.

iQOO 15 vs rivals: where it stands in late 2025

Direct rivals to the iQOO 15 include the OnePlus 15, Realme GT 8 Pro and, in some use cases, the base iPhone 17 series. Most of these flagships sit at similar price points and share the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 platform on the Android side. Where the iQOO 15 differentiates itself is battery capacity, display brightness and the inclusion of a periscope telephoto at this price band.

The OnePlus 15, for example, may offer a more minimalist software experience and a strong camera stack, but it does not match a 7000mAh battery or the same extreme brightness in daily usage, which matters if your phone lives on a windshield mount in harsh sunlight. Realme GT 8 Pro brings aggressive pricing and powerful hardware, but its battery and cooling combination is tuned more toward traditional flagship use rather than the heavy, 5G-always-on style many tech and EV enthusiasts now follow.

On the iOS side, the iPhone 17 series continues to lead for ecosystem integration and long-term OS support, but Apple’s devices rarely match Android flagships on charging speeds or battery capacities. If your day involves frequent top-ups between rides, short charging windows and a heavy reliance on third-party EV apps that often behave better on Android, the iQOO 15 makes a strong case for itself over an equivalently priced iPhone.

Should you buy the iQOO 15 in 2025?

From an EV-centric, mobility-first perspective, the iQOO 15 is one of the most balanced Android flagships you can buy right now in India. The huge 7000mAh battery means you can treat your phone like part of your energy stack, the 2K 144Hz Samsung M14 OLED ensures your maps and apps remain visible in brutal sunlight, and the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 plus Q3 Supercomputing chip guarantee that even the heaviest multi-app workflows stay fluid and responsive.

The triple 50MP camera system adds genuine creative flexibility, especially if you shoot EV content, and the combination of 100W wired and 40W wireless charging fits beautifully into a lifestyle built around short, frequent top-ups rather than single long overnight charges. There are trade-offs, of course: the phone is on the heavier side, there is no 3.5mm headphone jack, and some users may prefer a cleaner software skin than OriginOS out of the box.

If your priority is the lightest possible phone or the absolute best low-light photography, you might want to cross-shop with a camera-centric flagship. But if your daily routine revolves around being on the move, managing your EV, shooting content on the go and juggling a serious workload from your pocket, the iQOO 15 delivers a rare combination of endurance, performance and display quality that makes its asking price easier to justify.

For an EV-focused audience, the verdict is straightforward: if you want a flagship Android phone that can keep up with long commutes, aggressive 5G usage and an app-heavy energy ecosystem, the iQOO 15 deserves to be high on your shortlist.

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