iQOO 15 launched in China with a gaming-first DNA, flagship-killer specs

iQOO has lifted the curtain on the iQOO 15 in China, and it’s shaping up to be one of the brand’s most ambitious flagships yet. Packing the new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, a gargantuan 7,000mAh battery, and a self-developed gaming chip, this phone is clearly designed for performance enthusiasts.

But the real story lies in the software. The iQOO 15 marks a global shift away from Funtouch OS, as the company prepares to bring its sleek new OriginOS 6 interface to international markets, including India next month.

Set to take on heavyweights like the Oppo Find X9, OnePlus 15, and Realme GT 8 Pro, iQOO’s latest offering feels like a maximalist’s dream. It’s available in four colour variants including Lingyun, Legendary Edition, Track Edition, and Wilderness, each paired with a signature squiricle camera module complete with RGB lighting that responds to games, notifications, and music.

iQOO 15: Flagship-killer specs that push limits

Front and centre, the iQOO 15 houses a 6.85-inch 2K+ curved Samsung M14 8T LTPO AMOLED display with HDR10+ and Dolby Vision support. The screen offers an adaptive 144Hz refresh rate and an astonishing 6,000 nits of peak brightness. Under the hood, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset pairs with an Adreno 840 GPU, backed by up to 16GB of LPDDR5x RAM and 1TB of UFS 4.1 storage.

ALSO READ: Upcoming Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 phones to wait for

For serious gamers, iQOO’s new Q3 gaming chip helps offload graphical workloads for smoother frame rates and thermal control. The phone also includes an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor beneath the display and an IP68/IP69 rating, meaning it can handle dust, immersion, and even pressure from hot or cold water jets.

Camera performance should get a serious boost with a trio of 50MP sensors including a main lens with OIS, an ultra-wide, and a 3x periscope telephoto. On the front, you get a 32MP selfie shooter. Powering all of this is a massive 7,000mAh battery that supports 100W wired and 40W wireless charging; a slight step down from last year’s 120W, but still impressive for a device of this size and capability.

iQOO 15: Price and availability

In China, the iQOO 15 starts at 4,199 yuan (roughly Rs 52,000) for the 12GB + 256GB model and goes up to 4,999 yuan (around Rs 61,500) for the top-tier 16GB + 1TB variant.

The phone will arrive in India next month, marking the debut of OriginOS 6 outside China. It’s a big moment for iQOO, signalling not just another flagship launch but a software rebrand that could reshape how the company’s phones are perceived globally. Excited for the iQOO 15? Drop a comment with your thoughts.