iQOO 15 Review: A Genuinely Class-Leading Display and Battery, Held Back by Bloatware
The iQOO 15 pairs a 6,000-nit 2K display with a huge 7,000mAh battery and the first OriginOS software outside China — a real step up from Funtouch OS, undercut by 53 pre-installed apps and a real charging-speed downgrade from last year.
The iQOO 15 also happens to be featured as the #2 pick in this site's Best Gaming Phones 2026 round-up, and the full review backs up why: genuinely class-leading display and battery specs, undercut by real, repeated software criticism.
Design and Build
Available in Black, White, Green, and Blue, with IP68/IP69 dust and water resistance, the iQOO 15 introduces a customisable Monster Halo RGB LED ring around the camera island — GSMArena's review noted it as a genuine, if niche, personalisation touch carried over from the sibling Vivo X300's design language.
Display
This is the standout spec: a 6.85-inch 2K LTPO panel using Samsung's debut M14 2K LEAD OLED technology, running at up to 144Hz with a genuinely exceptional 6,000 nits peak brightness. 91Mobiles specifically called the display one of the areas the iQOO 15 is "bold" in, alongside power, cooling, and battery endurance — and 8,000mm² of single-layer vapour chamber cooling, which 91Mobiles noted as India's largest at the time of review, backs up sustained performance under the display's demanding refresh rate.
Camera
The triple 50MP system carries the main and ultrawide sensors over largely unchanged from the iQOO 13, but the telephoto gets a genuine upgrade — GSMArena's testing confirmed the sensor is now physically larger and optical zoom increases from 2x to 3x. Beebom Gadgets found daylight photos from the main sensor "striking" with balanced exposure and good highlight control in challenging conditions like overcast skies. This is honestly this phone's weakest category relative to its other specs, reflected in the lower camera subscore — solid, competent photography rather than a standout strength like the display or battery.
Performance
Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, paired with iQOO's in-house SuperComputing Chip Q3 and 12 or 16GB of RAM, delivers exactly the flagship-tier gaming performance the phone is built around. 91Mobiles specifically praised the power delivery as one of the phone's clearest strengths, backed by that large vapour chamber cooling system.
Software
This is the first iQOO phone outside China to ship with OriginOS 6 rather than the older Funtouch OS, and reviewers agree it's a real, meaningful upgrade — Beebom Gadgets called it "easily one of my favourite skins out there" compared to what it described as a previously "dated and bland" experience, specifically praising the Liquid Glass-inspired transparency effects and faster animations. The honest, repeated catch: 91Mobiles counted 53 pre-installed apps on the review unit, seven of them third-party, and The Mobile Indian specifically flagged that certain bloatware — including V-Appstore — can't be disabled at all, calling it "a major disappointment" on a flagship-tier device. iQOO commits to 5 major OS updates and up to 7 years of security patches, a genuinely strong support window despite the bloatware complaints.
Battery and Charging
A 7,000mAh semi-solid-state battery is genuinely enormous and backed up by real endurance — The Mobile Indian found it could "easily last you two full days with minimal usage." The honest catch here: 100W wired charging is actually a downgrade from the iQOO 13's 120W, a real, measurable step back that full charge time reflects directly, even with new 40W wireless charging added this generation to partially offset it.
Verdict
GSMTechTok Verdict
The iQOO 15 delivers genuinely class-leading display brightness and battery endurance, backed by real flagship-tier performance and cooling — exactly what a gaming-first phone should prioritise. OriginOS 6 is a real, welcome step up from Funtouch OS, but the bloatware complaints are consistent and specific enough to take seriously, and the wired charging downgrade from last year is a genuine, if minor, step backward. It remains unavailable through any official Western retail channel. If gaming performance and battery life matter more to you than a clean software experience, it's a strong pick — provided you're comfortable importing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the iQOO 15 sold in the US, UK, or EU?
No — it's officially sold in China, India, and Malaysia, with no official retail or carrier channel in the US, UK, or EU. Any unit reaching those markets is a grey import without local warranty support.
Is OriginOS 6 actually better than the old Funtouch OS?
Reviewers agree it's a genuine improvement — Beebom Gadgets called it "easily one of my favourite skins out there" compared to what it described as the previously "dated and bland" Funtouch OS. The catch is bloatware: 91Mobiles counted 53 pre-installed apps on the India unit, seven of them third-party, with at least one — V-Appstore — that can't be disabled at all.
Did charging speed actually get worse than the iQOO 13?
Yes, on wired charging specifically — 100W here versus 120W on the iQOO 13, a real, measurable downgrade. 40W wireless charging is new this generation, which offsets it somewhat, but the wired speed reduction is a genuine step back that multiple reviews flagged directly.
Price history · 90 days · GBP
iQOO 15
Current
£650
90d Low
£607
9 Jun
90d High
£662
26 Jun
Launch price
£650
All-time low ↓
Price tracking from major UK retailers. Updated daily. Prices may vary.
How it compares: iQOO 15 vs Vivo X300 Ultra
iQOO
iQOO 15
From £650 (import only)
Vivo
Vivo X300 Ultra
From £1,399
Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
Chip
Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
6,000 nits peak, 144Hz
Display
—
7,000mAh · 100W
Battery
—
From £650
Price
From £1,399
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