I used the OnePlus 15 and Pixel 10 Professional, and the true winner is hiding in plain sight

Flagship season is right here in full swing. Apple’s new iPhone 17collection has arrived, Oppo’s Discover X9 Professional simply launched with an impressive camera accessory, the Pixel 10 collection got here out a few months in the past, and the Galaxy S26 collection might be right here in just some months.

One of many smartphones I’m at all times excited to make use of yearly is the OnePlus flagship. OnePlus has constantly aimed to compete with top-tier gadgets whereas protecting costs barely extra affordable. The OnePlus 15 is already here, going up towards different main flagships this fall.

The OnePlus 15 and Pixel 10 Professional are priced very carefully within the US, and though you can not purchase the previous within the US but (due to delayed FCC certification), as soon as it does go on sale it’s going to supply robust competitors for anybody on the lookout for a sub-$1000 flagship.

Each telephones present robust {hardware}, cameras, design, shows, and software program options. I’ve been utilizing the OnePlus 15 and Pixel 10 Professional side-by-side as my every day drivers for the previous couple of weeks. After spending two weeks with each telephones, I discovered the winner was hiding in plain sight.

The OnePlus 15 refined the look, however the Pixel stays extra snug

OnePlus improved loads in design, however I simply cannot let go of my Pixel 10 Professional

One of many greatest points I’ve had with OnePlus telephones is their dimension and construct. The OnePlus 13 was a powerful smartphone, however the one factor that prevented me from carrying it as my every day driver was its dimension.

OnePlus has improved in that regard with the OnePlus 15. The corporate has switched to a flat-back panel for the primary time in years on its flagship cellphone, and the construct itself feels nice to make use of because of the soft-touch again on the black variant I’ve and the rounded edges that make it simpler to carry. That’s much more spectacular while you hear in regards to the battery on this machine, however extra on that beneath.

Nonetheless, regardless of OnePlus transferring from a curved construct to a flatter design language on the OnePlus 15, after utilizing each the Pixel 10 Pro and OnePlus 15 aspect by aspect, there may be nonetheless one thing I want about Google’s flagship.

In fact, it’s principally as a result of dimension of the Pixel 10 Professional, which is way extra pocketable and simpler for my smaller arms, and though it has its personal battery downsides, I nonetheless want the Pixel 10 Professional.

The digicam visor on the again additionally makes it simpler to carry since you possibly can relaxation your finger on it, and I’m usually not a fan of big smartphones. The Pixel 10 Professional appears like the suitable dimension for a cellphone, and I hold wishing OnePlus would give us a tool in that section from the beginning, and never a trimmed-down OnePlus 13s-style model with slight downgrades.

After which there may be the additional advantage of Qi2 charging. Sure, you will get Qi2 MagSafe charging on most Android smartphones, together with the OnePlus 15, with a devoted case, however that does make the cellphone cumbersome, and having the characteristic inbuilt feels rather more handy.

In isolation, although, the enhancements OnePlus has made to the OnePlus 15’s design by transferring to a flat again are commendable, and any OnePlus consumer who has prevented upgrading as a result of design ought to discover this transformation much more interesting.

OnePlus 15 simply beats the Pixel in efficiency and battery life

Even so, the Pixel stays quick sufficient and lasts lengthy sufficient for my every day use

Ever because the launch of the OnePlus 1, OnePlus has led most different flagship telephones in efficiency and battery life, and the OnePlus 15 solely extends that lead additional. The OnePlus 15 comes with a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset out of the field, which is undoubtedly one of the best Android chipset out there proper now.

Coupled with the truth that OnePlus ships the OnePlus 15 with a clean 165 Hz refresh-rate show, I’ve by no means as soon as seen my unit drop a body. The whole lot is clean and secure out of the field, and OnePlus has improved OxygenOS 16 considerably. It feels extraordinarily quick and polished, and the corporate has added a handful of AI options all through the system.

All of this stays true for the Pixel 10 Professional as nicely, aside from gaming. The OnePlus 15 simply handles each sport you throw at it with out stress, whereas the identical can’t be mentioned for the Pixel 10 Professional. Each begin robust, however the sustained efficiency on the OnePlus 15 is much better for lengthy gaming periods.

Nonetheless, regardless of OnePlus bettering its software program expertise, the Pixel nonetheless stays my most well-liked software program general. Sure, the animations are barely slower, however I like the brand new Materials 3 Expressive design all through the Pixel 10 Professional.

It feels cohesive and genuinely refreshing. OnePlus provides loads of customization choices, however the Pixel 10 Professional is just nice out of the field. Plus, there are a few software program options, particularly Add Me within the Digicam app and Now Enjoying, that I miss probably the most on the OnePlus 15.

When it comes to battery life and charging, the OnePlus 15 is unbeatable. It not solely simply beats the Pixel 10 Professional, but in addition each different Android cellphone I’ve used this yr. The big 7,300 mAh battery is extraordinarily exhausting to empty it doesn’t matter what I throw at it.

Surprisingly, the largest battery drain on my OnePlus 15 has not been gaming or digicam use however powering Android Auto wirelessly, which drains it a bit quicker. Nonetheless, the battery is hard to kill.

After which comes charging. The OnePlus 15 helps 120W quick charging in my area, and regardless of the massive battery, about half-hour of charging throughout my morning routine is greater than sufficient to energy the cellphone for the complete day.

This isn’t one thing I can say about my Pixel. I’ve to cost the Pixel 10 Professional each evening on my ESR wi-fi stand to make sure it lasts by means of the following day. In any other case, I’m compelled to hold an influence financial institution in my backpack. I want Google and even Samsung would be taught from OnePlus and ship quicker charging on their gadgets.

The cameras are nearer than individuals would possibly count on

Even with out Hasselblad tuning the OnePlus 15 delivers robust outcomes

Earlier than we dive into the digicam efficiency of each telephones, I’m certain you will have seen plenty of reviews complaining in regards to the supposedly downgraded sensors on the OnePlus 15. Including to that, the corporate dropped its partnership with Hasselblad in favor of its in-house DetailMax Engine, which led many to imagine the digicam efficiency would endure in comparison with earlier generations and particularly when in comparison with the Pixel 10 Professional, contemplating Pixels are extensively considered a number of the best-performing digicam telephones.

Nonetheless, I discovered this to be unfaithful.

For me, pictures from the OnePlus 15 have been simply comparable, if not higher in some circumstances, to these from the Pixel 10 Professional. The cellphone delivers punchy and vibrant colours, and general efficiency in broad daylight has been robust.

The digicam does fall behind barely in low-light and synthetic lighting, the place the Pixel 10 Professional takes the lead. Check out a number of the pictures I captured on each gadgets beneath. The primary set of photos is from the OnePlus 15, and the second row is from the Pixel 10 Professional.

My solely actual want is for a smaller OnePlus 15 mannequin

On the entire, after utilizing the OnePlus 15 and Pixel 10 Professional aspect by aspect for the previous few days, my solely actual want is for a smaller OnePlus 15. The OnePlus 15 delivers an amazing smartphone expertise for the worth, particularly with its battery life and top-tier chipset. The one main disadvantage of the OnePlus 15, for me, is its dimension, however that could be a subjective desire anyway,

The Pixel 10 Professional does an amazing job for what it is value, particularly in comparison with the Pixel 9 collection, however in case you are on the lookout for a gaming smartphone with robust battery backup and an general nice software program expertise, the OnePlus 15 is unquestionably the higher decide.

• 

  Model

  OnePlus

  SoC

  Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5

  Show

  6.78-inch 165Hz OLED

  RAM

  12GB, 16GB

  Storage

  256GB, 512GB, 1TB

  Battery

  7,300mAh

  The OnePlus 15 is a flagship Android 16 smartphone that ships with a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, a 165Hz LTPO AMOLED show, and a 7,300 mAh inner battery.

  
  

• 

  Model

  Google

  SoC

  Tensor G5

  Show

  6.3-inch Tremendous Actua show 1280 x 2856 pixel decision OLED (1-120Hz)

  RAM

  16GB

  Storage

  128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

  The Pixel 10 Professional options Google’s new Tensor G5 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 128GB, 256GB, 512GB or 1TB of storage. The smartphone’s general design seems to be similar to its predecessor, together with its sprawling digicam bump.