OnePlus 15 & ACE 6 Review: Design, Display, Performance, and Battery Life

Over the past month, the smartphone industry has been incredibly lively: some manufacturers have focused on refining the back design, some on upgrading imaging, and some have been making frequent moves in the AI field. As the grand finale of October, the OnePlus 15 unexpectedly lowered its starting price, making people wonder: is OnePlus “changing lanes”? With the launch of the OnePlus 15 and OnePlus ACE 6, let’s talk about the changes OnePlus has made this year and answer the core concerns users have about these two phones.

1. Appearance: Saying goodbye to the old design, the texture remains “smooth”

The moment you hold the OnePlus 15, it instantly brings back memories of the first-gen OnePlus — “smooth” to the extreme, with almost no sensation where the phone touches the palm. The secret lies in two points: first, the back panel and frame have a highly unified tactile feel; second, the curved connection between the two perfectly fits the palm, making the bare-phone experience top-tier.

Even more surprising is that OnePlus has finally made major adjustments to the design used for the past three generations—gains and losses both exist: the camera module changed from circular to square, making the overall look more crisp; the Hasselblad logo on the back was removed, making the visual cleaner. The “Mist Photon” colorway in my hand uses a dual-dimensional flowing light process, where blue-white light trails appear around the body when rotated. It’s not an actual light strip but a visual effect formed by light refraction, giving it a premium feel.

As a slightly lower-positioned model, the OnePlus ACE 6 does not compromise on texture: the metal frame paired with an AG matte glass back panel matches the quality of the OnePlus 15. The only regret is that its size is slightly larger, making one-handed use more difficult.

2. Display: 165Hz refresh rate as the highlight, the resolution compromise sparks debate

Lighting up the screen, the OnePlus 15’s 6.78-inch 3rd-gen Oriental Display instantly catches the eye: large rounded corners + 1.15mm ultra-narrow bezels, along with uniform bezels on all four sides, make the front appearance striking. But OnePlus also made a “betraying the ancestors” decision—pushing the refresh rate to 165Hz while lowering the resolution to 1.5K. Official explanation: under current technological limitations, 165Hz and 2K resolution cannot coexist, and this trade-off sparked considerable discussion.

The OnePlus ACE 6 has a similar display configuration: also 1.5K resolution + 165Hz refresh rate, with only slightly thicker bezels compared to the OnePlus 15, and the LTPO panel replaced by LTPS. But notably, the ACE 6 keeps the full-screen AOD switch, balancing personalization and practicality.

As one of the earliest promoters of high refresh rate displays in the industry, OnePlus’ foresight in this field is undeniable. The upgrade from 60Hz to 90Hz is strongly noticeable, but the difference between 120Hz and 165Hz is harder for ordinary users to perceive in daily usage. However, considering the extreme refresh-rate pursuit in the gaming monitor industry, OnePlus’ choice may hint at long-term strategy.

In real-world use, OnePlus has already adapted many games and mainstream apps for 165Hz: in CrossFire Mobile, the OnePlus 15 detects enemies earlier than 120Hz devices when watching slowed-down footage; in Delta Force, the aiming reticle is smoother when tracking enemies. Eye-comfort upgrades are also included, such as the classic low-frequency flicker mode supporting 1-nit minimum brightness—seemingly “useless,” but surprisingly practical for student dorm scenarios: turning on a lamp after lights-out bothers roommates, but increasing screen brightness hurts the eyes—1-nit solves the problem.

3. Performance: Flagship chips onboard, gaming experience maxed out

In performance, the positioning of the two devices is clear: the OnePlus 15 is equipped with the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, while the OnePlus ACE 6 uses last year’s flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite.

Testing shows that in mainstream competitive games such as Honor of Kings, both phones can maintain full-frame performance with low power consumption, minimal fluctuation, and excellent thermal control. In more demanding titles like Honkai: Star Rail, the OnePlus 15 delivers noticeably better frame stability, and similar differences appear in games such as Primitive Man.

Especially notable: when enabling the 165Hz option in Delta Force, both phones maintain near-zero frame drops, achieving maximum smoothness. The high refresh rate not only delivers emotional value but also substantially enhances operational precision—aiming and movement feel extremely smooth, making players unwilling to stop playing.

4. Battery Life: Ultra-large battery capacity, ending endurance anxiety

Battery life is one of the core highlights. The OnePlus 15 has a built-in 7300mAh battery, while the OnePlus ACE 6 is even more extreme with a 7800mAh battery—approaching “power-bank-level endurance.”

Using our 2.5-hour battery test model—half an hour each on Bilibili, Douyin, WeChat video, and Taobao under WiFi, plus half an hour of Genshin Impact—the results showed: OnePlus 15 retained 79%, OnePlus ACE 6 retained 82%. This performance easily supports heavy users through a full day, eliminating battery anxiety entirely.

5. Imaging: Dropping the Hasselblad collaboration but keeping the color philosophy

One of the biggest controversies surrounding the OnePlus 15 is its abandonment of the Hasselblad partnership, switching to OPPO’s self-developed LOMO Fluorescent Imaging. Perhaps because OPPO’s Find X series already serves as the imaging flagship, OnePlus chose performance as its differentiation, directly competing with other brands.

However, OnePlus’ Li Jie stated that although the collaboration ended, the OnePlus 15 retains Hasselblad’s color philosophy and imaging aesthetics. Testing against the OPPO Find X8 Pro shows the OnePlus 15 delivers top-tier image quality: the default mode is brighter and more realistic, leaning slightly toward Apple’s style; for a more “Hasselblad-like” feel, set the EV value to –0.7.

Praised features include the OnePlus 15’s Master Mode retaining custom presets from the OPPO Find X8 Ultra—a likely user-friendly feature secured by the OnePlus team. Users are encouraged to explore Master Mode to personalize their photographic style for improved creativity.

The OnePlus ACE 6’s imaging configuration aligns with its positioning: just a main camera + ultra-wide combo, which is weaker versus competitors at the same price. But the main camera is more than enough for daily life shooting, with reliable color and clarity.

6. System: ColorOS 16, elegant, refined, and practical

In the past, people used “elegant and refined” to describe iOS, but now the same applies to ColorOS 16. Starting from the lock screen, live-photo lock screens and depth wallpapers add dimensionality; the system incorporates many light-field effects, greatly enhancing refinement.

Practical features are also upgraded: the well-received “One-Tap Flash Notes” now not only records videos but also supports bookkeeping—after making a payment, you can record it with one tap, solving the “where did my money go?” problem. System smoothness remains excellent, with detailed animations and zero stutters in daily use.

Conclusion: The strategy has changed, but the spirit of “never settling” remains

The two phones have distinct positioning: the OnePlus 15 focuses on overall experience, while the OnePlus ACE 6 emphasizes performance and battery life. With lowered starting prices, design adjustments, and imaging partnership changes, it may seem OnePlus has “changed,” but in reality, it is precisely adapting to the market—capturing users with core quality and a more accessible price.

Its insistence on high refresh rates, massive batteries, and practical system upgrades shows that OnePlus is still the same “never settle” brand—it has simply shifted to a more user-centric approach. If you want a balanced experience, choose the OnePlus 15; if you prioritize performance and battery life, the OnePlus ACE 6 is an excellent option in its price segment.