rewrite this title I used the OnePlus 15 and Pixel 10 Pro, and the real winner is hiding in plain sight

Flagship season is here in full swing. Apple's new iPhone 17series has arrived, Oppo's Find X9 Pro just launched with an impressive camera accessory, the Pixel 10 series came out a couple of months ago, and the Galaxy S26 series will be here in just a few months.

One of the smartphones I am always excited to use every year is the OnePlus flagship. OnePlus has consistently aimed to compete with top-tier devices while keeping prices slightly more reasonable. The OnePlus 15 is already here, going up against other major flagships this fall.

The OnePlus 15 and Pixel 10 Pro are priced very closely in the US, and even though you cannot buy the former in the US yet (due to delayed FCC certification), once it does go on sale it will offer strong competition for anyone looking for a sub-$1000 flagship.

Both phones provide strong hardware, cameras, design, displays, and software features. I have been using the OnePlus 15 and Pixel 10 Pro side-by-side as my daily drivers for the past couple of weeks. After spending two weeks with both phones, I found the winner was hiding in plain sight.

The OnePlus 15 refined the look, but the Pixel remains more comfortable

OnePlus improved a lot in design, but I just can't let go of my Pixel 10 Pro

One of the biggest issues I have had with OnePlus phones is their size and build. The OnePlus 13 was an impressive smartphone, but the only thing that prevented me from carrying it as my daily driver was its size.

OnePlus has improved in that regard with the OnePlus 15. The company has switched to a flat-back panel for the first time in years on its flagship phone, and the build itself feels great to use thanks to the soft-touch back on the black variant I have and the rounded edges that make it easier to hold. That is even more impressive when you hear about the battery in this device, but more on that below.

However, despite OnePlus moving from a curved build to a flatter design language on the OnePlus 15, after using both the Pixel 10 Pro and OnePlus 15 side by side, there is still something I prefer about Google's flagship.

Of course, it is mostly due to the size of the Pixel 10 Pro, which is far more pocketable and easier for my smaller hands, and even though it has its own battery downsides, I still prefer the Pixel 10 Pro.

The camera visor on the back also makes it easier to hold since you can rest your finger on it, and I am generally not a fan of huge smartphones. The Pixel 10 Pro feels like the right size for a phone, and I keep wishing OnePlus would give us a device in that segment from the start, and not a trimmed-down OnePlus 13s-style model with slight downgrades.

And then there is the added benefit of Qi2 charging. Yes, you can get Qi2 MagSafe charging on most Android smartphones, including the OnePlus 15, with a dedicated case, but that does make the phone bulky, and having the feature built in feels much more convenient.

In isolation, though, the improvements OnePlus has made to the OnePlus 15's design by moving to a flat back are commendable, and any OnePlus user who has avoided upgrading due to the design should find this change far more appealing.

OnePlus 15 easily beats the Pixel in performance and battery life

Even so, the Pixel remains fast enough and lasts long enough for my daily use

Ever since the launch of the OnePlus 1, OnePlus has led most other flagship phones in performance and battery life, and the OnePlus 15 only extends that lead further. The OnePlus 15 comes with a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset out of the box, which is undoubtedly the best Android chipset available right now.

Coupled with the fact that OnePlus ships the OnePlus 15 with a smooth 165 Hz refresh-rate display, I have never once seen my unit drop a frame. Everything is smooth and stable out of the box, and OnePlus has improved OxygenOS 16 significantly. It feels extremely fast and polished, and the company has added a handful of AI features throughout the system.

All of this remains true for the Pixel 10 Pro as well, except for gaming. The OnePlus 15 easily handles every game you throw at it without stress, while the same cannot be said for the Pixel 10 Pro. Both start strong, but the sustained performance on the OnePlus 15 is far better for long gaming sessions.

However, despite OnePlus improving its software experience, the Pixel still remains my preferred software overall. Yes, the animations are slightly slower, but I love the new Material 3 Expressive design throughout the Pixel 10 Pro.

It feels cohesive and genuinely refreshing. OnePlus offers plenty of customization options, but the Pixel 10 Pro is simply great out of the box. Plus, there are a couple of software features, especially Add Me in the Camera app and Now Playing, that I miss the most on the OnePlus 15.

In terms of battery life and charging, the OnePlus 15 is unbeatable. It not only easily beats the Pixel 10 Pro, but also every other Android phone I have used this year. The large 7,300 mAh battery is extremely hard to drain no matter what I throw at it.

Surprisingly, the biggest battery drain on my OnePlus 15 has not been gaming or camera use but powering Android Auto wirelessly, which drains it a bit faster. Still, the battery is tough to kill.

And then comes charging. The OnePlus 15 supports 120W fast charging in my region, and despite the huge battery, about 30 minutes of charging during my morning routine is more than enough to power the phone for the entire day.

This is not something I can say about my Pixel. I have to charge the Pixel 10 Pro every night on my ESR wireless stand to ensure it lasts through the next day. Otherwise, I am forced to carry a power bank in my backpack. I wish Google and even Samsung would learn from OnePlus and ship faster charging on their devices.

The cameras are closer than people might expect

Even without Hasselblad tuning the OnePlus 15 delivers strong results

Before we dive into the camera performance of both phones, I am sure you have seen plenty of reviews complaining about the supposedly downgraded sensors on the OnePlus 15. Adding to that, the company dropped its partnership with Hasselblad in favor of its in-house DetailMax Engine, which led many to assume the camera performance would suffer compared to previous generations and especially when compared to the Pixel 10 Pro, considering Pixels are widely regarded as some of the best-performing camera phones.

However, I found this to be untrue.

For me, photos from the OnePlus 15 were easily comparable, if not better in some conditions, to those from the Pixel 10 Pro. The phone delivers punchy and vibrant colors, and overall performance in broad daylight has been strong.

The camera does fall behind slightly in low-light and artificial lighting, where the Pixel 10 Pro takes the lead. Take a look at some of the shots I captured on both devices below. The first set of images is from the OnePlus 15, and the second row is from the Pixel 10 Pro.

My only real wish is for a smaller OnePlus 15 model

On the whole, after using the OnePlus 15 and Pixel 10 Pro side by side for the past few days, my only real wish is for a smaller OnePlus 15. The OnePlus 15 delivers a great smartphone experience for the price, especially with its battery life and top-tier chipset. The only major drawback of the OnePlus 15, for me, is its size, but that is a subjective preference anyway,

The Pixel 10 Pro does a great job for what it's worth, especially compared to the Pixel 9 series, but if you are looking for a gaming smartphone with strong battery backup and an overall great software experience, the OnePlus 15 is definitely the better pick.

• 

  Brand

  OnePlus

  SoC

  Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5

  Display

  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 display, and a 7,300 mAh internal battery.

  
  

• 

  Brand

  Google

  SoC

  Tensor G5

  Display

  6.3-inch Super Actua display 1280 x 2856 pixel resolution OLED (1-120Hz)

  RAM

  16GB

  Storage

  128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

  The Pixel 10 Pro features Google's new Tensor G5 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 128GB, 256GB, 512GB or 1TB of storage. The smartphone's overall design looks very similar to its predecessor, including its sprawling camera bump.