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OnePlus 15 camera Review: A Surprising Telephoto Champion Emerges
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The OnePlus 15 is making waves as a potential contender for the best Android camera phone of 2025, and early testing suggests it’s a force to be reckoned with – especially when it comes to zoom capabilities. While the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra remains a formidable opponent, the OnePlus 15 delivers notable results, especially in challenging photographic scenarios.
OnePlus has heavily invested in its camera technology in recent years, building on the success of the OnePlus 13. A key change for the OnePlus 15 is the end of its collaboration with Hasselblad, meaning the loss of features like the unique XPAN mode.To assess the new camera system, a review unit of the OnePlus 15 was put to the test, directly compared against the current benchmark: the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.
OnePlus 15 vs. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: Camera Specs
The OnePlus 15 boasts a 50-megapixel triple camera system on the rear,featuring a main sensor with a f/1.8 aperture and a 1/1.56″ format. It’s complemented by an ultra-wide-angle lens with a 116-degree field of view and a 3.5x periscopic optical zoom telephoto lens.
In contrast, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra packs a 200-megapixel main sensor (f/1.7 aperture, 1/1.3″ sensor), a 50-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens (120° field of view), and a dual telephoto setup with 3x and 5x optical zoom (10-megapixel and 50-megapixel sensors, respectively). The OnePlus 15 features a 32-megapixel front-facing camera, while the Samsung offers a 12
main Camera: Samsung Holds a Slight Edge
In well-lit conditions, both phones capture stunning images with accurate colors and excellent dynamic range. However, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra generally produces images with slightly more detail and a wider dynamic range. For example, in a shot of a building with a “No trespassing” sign, the Samsung captured more detail, including the sign being legibly – a detail lost in the Samsung’s shot. When viewed on a phone screen,the OnePlus 15’s image was deemed more presentable.
Ultra-Wide Angle: OnePlus Takes the Lead
The oneplus 15 also demonstrated strength with its ultra-wide-angle lens.In daytime shots, it captured more detail in complex scenes, such as a carousel at the amusement park, with sharper rendering of corn cobs and surrounding trees. While the Samsung’s wider field of view offered more peripheral detail on a phone screen, the OnePlus 15 ultimately produced a more detailed overall image, particularly when viewed on a larger display. At night, however, Samsung’s ultra-wide lens regained the advantage, delivering sharper details in stairs and banisters.
Telephoto Capabilities: Where OnePlus Shines
The OnePlus 15 truly distinguished itself with its telephoto lens. At 10x zoom, the OnePlus 15 produced a sharper image with better contrast and depth than the samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, despite the zoom level exceeding the lens’s native capabilities.The Samsung’s image appeared overprocessed and lacked texture.
However, the most remarkable performance came at extreme zoom levels. Both phones offer critically important digital zoom – the Samsung capping at 100x and the OnePlus 15 reaching 120x. At these levels, both rely heavily on AI processing. Yet, the OnePlus 15 consistently delivered sharper images, even capturing legible text on a flag 161 meters away. “the OnePlus 15 produced a sharper image…reproducing the characters perfectly,” a reviewer stated. The Samsung’s image, in comparison, appeared blurry and lacked detail.
Macro Photography: A Close Contest
Macro photography proved to be a tight competition. The OnePlus 15 captured more light and color in close-up shots of branches and leaves, while the Samsung galaxy S25 ultra excelled at managing shadows and creating greater contrast between the foreground and background. Ultimately, the preference came down to personal taste, with a slight edge given to the Samsung.
Final Verdict: A Strong Challenger Emerges
Both the OnePlus 15 and the samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra offer excellent camera systems. The Samsung galaxy S25 Ultra
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