iQOO 15: A flagship smartphone worthy of performance, battery, and display

The iQOO 15, available at Rs 72,999 onwards, brings strong performance, a premium design, a bright display, and a big battery. But, here's what stops it from being the best flagship smartphone

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The iQOO 15 arrives at a time in the flagship space, where phones are no longer judged only on raw power but on how consistently they deliver that performance in day-to-day use. With the iQOO 15, the company tries to merge the brand’s sporty identity with a more mature, premium personality. On paper, the device looks like yet another “performance-first” phone, but after using it for a considerable time, it becomes clear that iQOO is pushing for a more rounded experience this year

 

The review below is not about benchmark scores or spec-sheet battles; it’s about how the iQOO 15 actually behaves in real life, and whether it earns its place as a dependable flagship for the everyday user.

Design

The iQOO 15 brings a design that feels premium, but toned down compared to previous generations. The signature Motorsport-inspired stripe is present, but it doesn’t feel too loud or flashy. It blends smoothly into the white matte finish of the Legend edition. The back panel has a soft, silky texture that resists fingerprints exceptionally well. The camera island looks clean with a rounded rectangular module with clear lines and no unnecessary text or branding clutter. Even though the phone has a solid presence in the hand, the weight distribution is done well enough that it doesn’t feel top-heavy.

 

What stands out is that the design, despite being premium, remains practical. The grip is better due to the subtly curved rear edges, and the matte glass finish adds a layer of comfort when holding the device for longer durations. The smartphone’s metal frame feels sturdy and reassuring without being bulky. Buttons are tactile and positioned well, and the vibration motor gives sharp, precise feedback. It’s one of those designs that doesn’t try too hard with no aggressive gamer aesthetic, no rainbow accents, no unnecessary shine. Just a clean, confident flagship design that looks good and feels even better. If the intention was to balance sportiness with elegance, iQOO has nailed the formula. 

Display and Audio

The display is one of the highlights of the iQOO 15. It’s bright, sharp, and smooth thanks to the Samsung 2K M14 LEAD OLED display panel that dynamically adjusts the refresh rate. In everyday use, this means everything from scrolling through social media to switching apps to simply navigating the UI feels fluid and polished. Outdoors visibility is noticeable, even under harsh sunlight, the display maintains clarity without washing out. Colours lean slightly toward a vibrant profile, but without the overly saturated tones that some brands push. Watching videos, reading, gaming, and browsing all feel consistent.

 

The panel handles HDR content well, with good contrast and detail in darker scenes due to the Dolby Vision support. Movies and shows on OTT platforms look sharp and immersive, and the touch response is accurate with no unintended delays. The bezels are slim and symmetrical, adding to the premium visual appeal.

 

On the audio front, the stereo speakers are loud and clear, offering good separation and minimal to no distortion at high volumes. They’re not class-leading in bass response or depth, though. Dialogues in videos are audible, and background effects come through distinctly. 

Performance

The iQOO 15 continues the brand’s reputation for speed, but with one major difference: it no longer feels like the performance comes at the cost of comfort. Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset and iQOO supercomputing chip Q3, the iQOO 15 is consistently smooth across the board – app launches, multitasking, camera operations, animations, and transitions all feel effortless. But the more impressive part is how stable the performance feels. There is no sudden jerkiness, no unexpected frame drops, and no aggressive throttling even after prolonged usage. The snappiness of app launches, widgets, and gaming really impressed me. During my usage, I did not encounter a single lag or stutter situation. 

 

Thermal management is an aspect where iQOO 15 has made me have mixed feelings. During heavy tasks such as extended social media use, running multiple apps, or shooting 4K video, the phone warms up but never becomes uncomfortably hot. The internal cooling system seems to be doing its job to some extent, preventing the device from becoming a heat magnet. It also maintains stable performance under sustained load, which is something many flagships still struggle with. The phone doesn’t try to show off its power with peak performance spikes. Instead, it delivers steady, reliable output that makes the overall user experience feel polished and consistent.

 

This is the kind of performance that matters to everyday users. You don’t need to know the exact clock speeds or benchmark scores to appreciate how quick and fluid the phone feels in regular usage. iQOO seems to have moved beyond the idea of peak power bragging rights and focused more on sustained power, which is a welcome shift. Notably, the iQOO 15 debuts with OriginOS 6 interface based on Android 16. Here’s its detailed review. 

Gaming

iQOO’s gaming reputation is strong, and the iQOO 15 maintains that legacy while being more subtle about it. Heavy titles like BGMI, CODM, and Genshin Impact run smoothly with high settings and 144Hz stable frame rates. What’s important is that the phone doesn’t show overheating issues even during long sessions. There is warmth, yes, but not the kind that forces you to take breaks or reduces grip comfort. The touch response during gaming is sharp, and the phone’s vibration motor adds tactile depth that enhances the overall experience. The haptics feel precise and punchy. 

 

While the iQOO 15 clearly has gaming DNA, it doesn’t force a gamer-centric aesthetic or unnecessary gaming-only UI. It feels like a performance phone that gaming enthusiasts will like, instead of being a gaming phone that’s pretending to be a flagship. 

Camera

The camera system on the iQOO 15 might not be trying to compete with the absolute best in smartphone photography, but it has modest performance. The 50MP Sony IMX921 main sensor captures sharp, detailed images with a balanced colour profile. Daylight photos have good dynamic range, controlled highlights, and natural-looking tones. Nothing looks over processed or artificially enhanced, which is nice. 

 

The 50MP Sony IMX882 periscope telephoto camera delivers strong portrait performance, offering pleasing background separation and reliable edge detection. Skin tones appear natural and consistent, without the overly smooth finish that some phones tend to apply.

 

Low-light photography is where normally smartphones struggle but, the iQOO 15 captures good detail without introducing excessive noise, and the exposure algorithm handles bright lights and shadows well. Autofocus is snappy even in dim environments. Night mode feels subtle, and it enhances clarity but doesn’t turn everything into a brightened artificial scene.

 

The 50MP ultrawide camera, while serviceable, still sits a step behind the main and telephoto sensors. It handles daylight scenes well but struggles slightly in low light with softer details. For casual landscape shots and group photos, it works fine, but it’s not the sensor you rely on for serious photography.

 

Video recording is stable and sharp. The AI-driven enhancements help maintain consistent exposure and colour balance, especially during sudden lighting changes. The footage looks smooth, and the stabilisation does a decent job even while walking. For most users, the camera system offers a reliable everyday experience with enough versatility for travel, events, and content creation. 

AI features

AI plays a bigger role this year, and unlike many brands taking the “AI-first” approach, iQOO is offering AI as a supporting factor and not the primary aspect. With iQOO 15, AI Smart Actions can suggest shortcuts based on your behaviour, making multitasking more convenient. AI Photo Polish and AI Portrait enhancements improve image clarity without making them look unreal. 

 

There are also smarter charging patterns and AI-driven scene detection in the camera. You also get AI wallpaper generation and smart folders, both of which are nice additions rather than gimmicks. The entire OS feels more modern and cohesive, and the AI layer improves day-to-day usage rather than acting as a marketing label.

Battery

Battery life on the iQOO 15 is dependable and consistent. With regular use such as accessing social apps, video streaming, navigation, camera usage, and occasional gaming, the phone comfortably lasts more than a day. Even with high refresh rate enabled, the battery drain feels stable and predictable. Heavy gamers may need an evening recharge, but that’s expected.

 

Charging speeds remain one of the device’s strongest features. You can plug in the phone for just a short time and still get hours of backup. It goes from zero to full in around 50 minutes, which is good considering the 7000mAh battery. The phone heats up during charging like anything. iQOO 15 is not a battery champion in an “insane numbers” sense, but it is reliable.

Verdict

The iQOO 15 is probably one of the most balanced devices iQOO has come up with so far. It doesn’t chase gimmicks, it doesn’t scream “gaming phone,” and it doesn’t rely solely on raw horsepower to sell itself. Instead, it delivers a mature flagship experience built around smooth performance, decent thermal management, dependable cameras, a stunning display, and a cleaner OS with genuinely helpful AI additions. It’s not perfect, though. The ultrawide camera could be better, and the audio, while good, doesn’t match the very top tier that it's priced at. But these are minor compromises in what is otherwise a very complete package.

 

If you want a flagship that combines speed, stability, and premium build quality without unnecessary drama, the iQOO 15 is an easy recommendation. It’s fast when you need it, sophisticated in design, and reliable in everyday use. For users who prioritise performance with all-around skills being there to complement it, this might be the right Android flagship for you.

iQOO 15 unboxing