iQOO 15 Review: A Flagship That Finally Goes Beyond Just Gaming

iQOO’s flagships have long been seen as gaming-centric devices, and that still remains the case. However, the company appears to be changing this image with noticeable upgrades in the camera department – something fans have been asking for – and the iQOO 15 could finally deliver on that front. Also Read: iQOO 15 vs OnePlus 15: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Flagships Compared

The iQOO 15 has got me more excited to test out the cameras this time around before moving over to other aspects of the flagship. But let’s follow the traditional review system. Also Read: Top 7 Smartphones You Can Buy Instead of the Nothing Phone 3a Lite

Before we continue with the iQOO 15 review, here are its specifications:

iQOO 15 Design

I have the Legend (white) version of the iQOO 15, but I’m not that impressed with the looks this time – it hasn’t changed much in the past few years. I do miss the signature BMW-inspired finish, but if you’ve used the previous models, it won’t feel very new. The phone is also available in an Alpha black variant featuring a fiberglass back, which makes it thinner and lighter.

One thing you’ll notice is the protruding camera module, which subtly hides the Halo RGB light strip wrapping it. The light glows on notifications and charging. However, the lighting is quite faint during the day. Even indoors, if you don’t look at it directly, you may miss it. So if you rely on notification lights, this won’t be the most dependable solution.

Build quality is solid. The phone feels premium, and the weight distribution is balanced. The vibration motor also deserves a mention, and the haptics are noticeably stronger and more precise compared to other phones in this price range.

Both the top and bottom speakers produce loud and clear stereo sound. Watching videos or gaming without earphones is genuinely enjoyable because the sound doesn’t lean heavily to one side.

iQOO 15 Display

If you’ve seen the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra’s display, you’ll instantly understand the iQOO 15’s panel quality. That’s because iQOO is using Samsung’s latest M14 AMOLED panel, the same one from the iPhone 17 series. It’s sharp, bright, colour-accurate, and responsive – exactly what you’d expect from a flagship at this price.

The phone also uses three ambient light sensors, and this actually makes a difference. Screen brightness adjusts quicker when you walk outdoors or move between lighting conditions. That tiny hole at the top of the frame is not an IR emitter, as many assume. The IR sensor is placed next to the camera flash now. The hole houses an additional ambient light sensor, which helps with more accurate brightness adjustments.

With a 2K resolution and 144Hz refresh rate, the display looks impressive in almost any scenario – gaming, YouTube, social media, or reading. Colours don’t appear overly saturated, and HDR performance is good. Overall, it’s one of the best displays you’ll get on a flagship in this range.

iQOO 15 Performance and Gaming

iQOO still doesn’t market its devices as “gaming phones,” but let’s be honest – most of their flagships behave exactly like one. The iQOO 15 is no exception.

The phone is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, and iQOO’s performance tuning with this chipset is extremely aggressive. Apps launch instantly, animations stay fluid, and the phone never felt sluggish during the review period.

Gaming performance is the biggest highlight. The iQOO 15 begins thermal throttling around the 10-minute mark in sustained tests, but the performance drop is gradual, not sudden. This is due to its large vapor chamber and single-layer motherboard design, which helps keep temperatures in check.

BGMI and Genshin Impact were tested at the highest graphics settings. Frame rates remained stable, and there weren’t noticeable dips, even after long gaming sessions. The Q3 chip also helps improve gaming efficiency and performance consistency.

For those interested in benchmarks, the iQOO 15 managed to score 3,832,478 in AnTuTu benchmark. In Geekbench 6, the CPU got a single-core score of 3,608 points and 10,272 in multi-core test. The GPU OpenCL score resulted in 23,794 points. In CPU throttling test, the iQOO 15 throttled to 52% of its max performance in a thirty-minute test.

These numbers show that while the phone does reduce performance under sustained heavy load, real-world gaming remains smooth.

iQOO 15 Software

iQOO 15 runs Android 16-based OriginOS 6 out of the box. The UI offers plenty of customisation options – themes, animations, home screen layouts, and gesture styles.

There is some pre-loaded software, but most of it can be removed. For some users, OriginOS may still feel a bit too feature-heavy, especially compared to stock Android. But the interface is stable, smooth, and easy to get used to once you set it up.

For iQOO 15, the company is promising 5 major Android upgrades and 7 years of security updates. This instantly puts the iQOO 15 in the same league as Samsung and Google in terms of software support, which is impressive for a phone in this segment.

iQOO 15 Cameras

The most significant improvement is the telephoto lens. iQOO has used the Sony IMX882 telephoto sensor here, and it’s genuinely impressive.

Clarity and sharpness are excellent. Fine details, such as hair strands, are captured cleanly, and the lens performs well outdoors and indoors with enough light. The only downside is the minimum focusing distance. If your subject is too close (under one metre), the camera switches to the main sensor and crops the image, which may reduce sharpness.

The main sensor and ultra-wide camera are the same ones used on the iQOO 13. The results are good overall, but the default Vivid mode tends to overexpose images. Some shots look brighter than necessary. Switching to Natural mode helps, but Vivid remains the default setting.

The front camera supports 4K 60fps recording, which is good at this price point. However, the sensor size is small, and indoors, the image quality drops with noticeable softness.

Rear video recording is average. It’s not bad, but compared to more expensive flagships, stabilisation and sharpness could be better. Still, for casual use, it’s more than enough.

iQOO 15 Battery and Charging

The iQOO 15 packs a 7,000mAh battery, which is larger than most flagships today. However, the real-world advantage depends on usage. However, the speed at which the battery drains depends on how you use it. A 2K resolution with a refresh rate of 144Hz creates more drain in heavy usage. Even then, the phone comfortably lasts a full day. With lighter use, it can stretch to a day and a half.

Wired charging speeds are fast at 100W, while wireless charging at 40W is relatively slow. Overall battery life remains strong, and charging performance is still solid as well.

iQOO 15 Review: Final Thoughts

The iQOO 15 is different from earlier generations that it doesn’t just have a strong gaming focus; it represents a truly flagship product. The iQOO 15 incorporates a telephoto lens as well as a high-quality display provided by Samsung. Additionally, the device is well-supported for software updates, and the device’s gaming experience is top-notch. Overall, the iQOO 15 is a solid competitor in the premium space.

The iQOO 15 retails for Rs 72,999, positioning it directly against the OnePlus 15 and Realme GT 8 Pro. While they are similar in performance, they differ in terms of camera tuning and software experience. Still, the iQOO 15 strikes the best balance of performance, display quality, camera versatility and battery life.

The iQOO 15 is ideally suited for users seeking a high-performance flagship with minimal compromise throughout daily use; it delivers superb speed, reliability, and quality attributes.