Top Reasons to Buy the iQOO 15R
- iQOO 15R features a Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset with excellent gaming efficiency
- 7600mAh battery lasting up to two days
- 144Hz AMOLED screen with 5000 nits brightness
- OriginOS 6 with powerful AI features
- IP68 and IP69 protection for durability
- Advanced cooling for sustained gaming performance
Smartphone buyers today want flagship-level power without paying flagship prices, and iQOO clearly understands that demand. With the new iQOO 15R, the brand bridges the gap by offering top-end performance, a huge battery, and improved AI software — all at ₹44,999.
Positioned below the iQOO 15, this model focuses on design maturity and long battery life. It competes directly with the OnePlus 15R but adds its unique identity by emphasizing endurance and reliability. The big question is: does the iQOO 15R truly deserve the “R” tag — one meant to represent refinement and real-world value?
Design
The first impression of the iQOO 15R comes from its refined simplicity. The Dark Knight variant particularly captures attention with its sleek and controlled design language. There are no exaggerated gaming logos or multicolor RGB strips — just a single rectangular camera module and a clean back that radiates understated class.
The glass body feels premium in hand, but it’s slightly slippery, which is easy to fix with the bundled case. The overall weight is balanced well, meaning one-handed use doesn’t feel awkward. For a phone in this price range, the build quality impresses. Even better, iQOO includes IP68 and IP69 certification — excellent protection against dust, water, and accidental spills.
Button placement is standard. The power and volume buttons sit comfortably on the right, offering tactile feedback. The bottom holds the USB Type-C port, SIM tray, and the single loudspeaker, which delivers clear sound for streaming or gaming. While there’s no dedicated action button like the OnePlus 15R’s “Plus Key,” users get straightforward functionality without gimmicks.
Display
Display quality is where iQOO really flexes its advantage. The 1.5K AMOLED panel offers crisp visuals with strong brightness control. The 144Hz refresh rate feels incredibly fluid while scrolling or gaming. What stands out especially is the 3200Hz touch sampling rate that kicks in during gaming — it makes swipes and taps instantaneous, providing a sharp competitive edge for pro gamers.
The display supports up to 5000 nits of peak brightness, so sunlight visibility poses no issue even outdoors. At night or in dim environments, the screen automatically dips as low as 1 nit. Combined with 4320Hz PWM dimming, it effectively minimizes eye fatigue during extended viewing sessions.
Netflix and HDR10+ certification allow the panel to display high-contrast visuals with realistic color reproduction. Watching HDR movies and playing graphically intense games look exceptionally vivid. In comparison, the OnePlus 15R might offer slightly tighter color accuracy, but the iQOO 15R counters with remarkably higher brightness and smoother gaming responsiveness.
Software and AI
Unlike past versions of OriginOS that felt busy, OriginOS 6 built on Android 16 takes a restrained and mature route. Transitions appear fluid, multitasking remains lag-free, and animations don’t feel overdone. It’s a software built around comfort rather than flashiness.
AI integration is one of iQOO’s biggest themes this year, and thankfully, those features are truly useful. AI Creation is particularly impressive — it helps rewrite notes, summarize content, and improve grammar directly inside the Notes app. AI Captions transcribe speech in real time and convert video or audio clips into readable summaries.
On the photography front, tools like AI Erase, AI Reflection, and AI Image Expander simplify editing. They remove unwanted reflections, fill missing edges, or expand compositions — tasks that usually require third-party apps. This software approach makes the 15R an intelligent companion that saves time.
The system also feels cohesive; there’s less duplication between built-in tools. The streamlined design ensures you can access all AI functions intuitively without feeling overwhelmed.
Performance
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset anchors the iQOO 15R’s performance story. Paired with 12GB LPDDR5X RAM and 512GB UFS storage, the phone delivers fast app launches, seamless transitions, and consistent stability under load.
Benchmark scores show it slightly trails behind its rival, the OnePlus 15R. Geekbench single-core results average around 2543 compared to OnePlus’s 2866, and GPU scores hover just under 17,500. However, that gap remains invisible in daily usage. Whether gaming, editing photos, or running multiple apps, the phone glides without hiccups.
Heat management here deserves applause. The 6.5K IceCore vapour chamber effectively lowers temperature during long gaming sessions, maintaining frame consistency. The Supercomputing Chip Q2 aids in rendering frames faster while maintaining power efficiency.
Games like BGMI, Asphalt, and Call of Duty Mobile run smoothly even at high settings. Advanced bypass charging stabilizes performance during charging sessions, keeping the phone cool while protecting battery health. In sustained scenarios, this cooling effort feels like a meaningful distinction from others in its segment.
If you want a gaming phone that doesn’t scream “gamer” but performs like one, the iQOO 15R hits the right note.
Camera
iQOO didn’t overload the 15R with excess lenses — instead, the dual rear camera system feels tuned for practical everyday shots. vivo’s flagship imaging algorithms ensure accurate exposure and balanced color tones.
Daylight photos shine with realistic shades and detailed edges. There’s minimal over-processing or saturation, especially compared to other mid-range devices. The portrait mode handles edge detection capably, and skin tones remain lifelike rather than overly smoothened.
At night, the Super Night Mode and NICE algorithm enhance clarity without overcompensating with artificial brightness. Shadows are maintained, highlights are well controlled. The overall low-light performance is respectable for its price.
The front camera captures balanced selfies with natural facial textures. Video recording supports up to 4K at 60fps and manages steady output thanks to built-in stabilization.
While it lacks an ultra-wide option and telephoto zoom lens, what the phone delivers feels polished and dependable. It’s a “do-everything-well” setup rather than a showstopper.
Battery
Battery endurance is where the iQOO 15R truly excels. The 7600mAh silicon anode battery is iQOO’s largest to date and easily one of the biggest among phones near this segment. It easily lasts through two full working days for light to moderate users, and even heavy gamers finish the day with power to spare.
Charging isn’t record-breaking, but the pace feels balanced — fast enough for a top-up, gentle enough to preserve long-term battery health. The bypass charging design during gameplay allows power to flow directly to the system rather than the battery, minimizing heat and long-term wear.
Practically speaking, this phone is one of those you can genuinely forget to charge overnight and still get through most of the next day. That level of battery reliability turns into everyday convenience.
Verdict: iQOO 15R Makes “R” Mean Reliability
The iQOO 15R may not win every benchmark race, but it wins your confidence with real-world refinement. It offers speed that lasts, software that helps, and battery life that easily outpaces rivals. It’s visually elegant, practically durable, and smartly designed for gamers and daily users alike.
While the OnePlus 15R scores slightly higher in numbers, the iQOO 15R builds its power around endurance and consistency. Camera versatility could be wider, and charging could be a little faster, but those trade-offs don’t diminish its value proposition.
For ₹44,999, the iQOO 15R stands tall as one of the most balanced phones in its class — not chasing extremes but focusing on stability and long-term reliability. In every sense, the “R” stands for what iQOO promised: refined, reliable, and ready for anything.
