Buying a New Phone? iPhone 17 vs OnePlus 15 Decision Just Got Hard
Unsure between iPhone 17 and OnePlus 15? Prices, performance, display and charging compared in simple terms to help Indian users choose wisely.
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On Thursday, OnePlus commenced the sale of the OnePlus 15 in India, making the battle of the premium segment straight - OnePlus's new flagship versus Apple's iPhone 17. Buying one of the two different phone brands at the same time will be hard since both are very different and priced fairly similar. Below is a thorough evaluation of how the new OnePlus compares to Apple’s 2025 iPhone.
Pricing in India: OnePlus lowers the price, Apple stays firm
OnePlus has slightly undersold the 15 compared to Apple’s latest iPhone.
The standard model of the OnePlus 15 — with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage — is priced at Rs 72,999 whereas the 16GB/512GB version is priced at Rs 75,999. Customers can choose from Ultra Violet, Sand Storm and Infinite Black colors.
Apple’s equivalent is a lot more expensive. The iPhone 17 starts at Rs 82,900 with 256GB storage and the 512GB version is priced at Rs 1,02,900. The device is available in White, Black, Sage and Mist Blue colors.
Display comparison: More area to work with for OnePlus, smoother protection for iPhone
OnePlus has a 6.78-inch QHD+ AMOLED display with a dynamic refresh rate of up to 165Hz and peak brightness of 1800 nits all along with OxygenOS 16 making the interface.
The iPhone 17 boasts a 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display with Ceramic Shield 2 for its protection. The refresh rate ranges from 1Hz to 120Hz which is managed by iOS 26.
Battery and charging: OnePlus is in the lead with the capacity
OnePlus goes all out with a 7300mAh silicon-carbon battery, coupled with 120W SuperVOOC wired charging and 50W AirVIIC wireless support.
Apple does not specify the battery capacity but estimates 30 hours of video playback and 27 hours of streaming. Fast charging works with 20W–40W adapters, and both Qi and Qi2 wireless standards are supported.
Performance hardware: Each brand leans on its top chip
The core of the OnePlus 15 is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 Elite processor, manufactured on a 3nm process. The architecture consists of an octa-core configuration combining two high-performance cores for demanding tasks and six low-power cores for gaining battery life—targeted at gaming and multitasking advancements.
Apple uses the A19 Bionic, the latest processor from its own production line, which is mainly focused on system responsiveness, imaging pipelines, and Apple Intelligence features.
Camera systems: Versatile triple-sensor array vs. Apple’s dual-48MP module
OnePlus has array of triple 50MP sensors:
50MP Sony IMX906 primary (24mm)
50MP Samsung JN5 with 3.5x optical zoom telephoto
50MP OV50D ultra-wide 116-degree field of view
The iPhone 17 continues using a dual-48MP configuration that has wide and ultra-wide sensors.
The differentiation in front cameras also exists: OnePlus selects a 32MP Sony IMX709, whereas the iPhone contains an 18MP selfie unit.
The dimensions of the OnePlus 15 are 161.4 x 76.7 x 8.2mm and its weight is 215g, thus it is heavier than Apple's device.
The iPhone 17 has a measurement of 149.6 x 71.5 x 9.5mm and a weight of 177g.
They both come with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.0 enabled and each device has integrated the AI layer of their respective brands—Apple Intelligence on iOS and Gemini AI + Plus Mind on OnePlus.
Which phone should you choose?
The choice is determined by OS preference and budget. The iPhone 17 is a good choice for users who value the Apple ecosystem, camera consistency, and strong privacy protection the most.
OnePlus 15 is perfect for those who want a bigger battery, faster charging, a larger display, and a higher refresh rate without going over Apple’s higher price bracket.
