iQOO 15 Launched in India: The iQOO 15 launched in India marks a significant stride in delivering flagship-grade technology without the outrageous pricing typical of premium smartphones. For users frustrated with overpriced flagship devices offering diminishing value, the iQOO 15 presents a balanced alternative that packs the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 processor, a stunning 2K AMOLED display, a massive 7,000mAh battery, and a versatile 50MP triple camera setup. This comprehensive review covers all aspects of the iQOO 15 to help you understand why it stands out in 2025’s crowded smartphone landscape.
Introduction
In today’s smartphone market, users often face a dilemma: choose a top-of-the-line device with exorbitant costs or settle for mid-range devices that compromise on performance and features. The iQOO 15 launched in India challenges this norm by offering near-flagship specs with a competitive price tag, catering especially to power users and gamers who demand peak performance and long-lasting battery life.
This article explores the key pillars of the iQOO 15, including design, hardware capabilities, display innovation, battery endurance, camera technology, software experience, and pricing in India. By diving deep into real-world usage insights, hardware benchmarks, and comparison charts, readers will have a full understanding of how the iQOO 15 integrates high-performance technology into an accessible package, making it a noteworthy contender among India’s smartphones in 2025.
Powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 and Enhanced Performance
The heartbeat of the iQOO 15 is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 SoC, marketed as Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in some markets, which represents Qualcomm’s latest flagship silicon. This powerhouse chipset, combined with up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and speedy UFS 4.1 storage, allows the phone to handle everything from intensive gaming sessions to multitasking with effortless speed.
Highlights of Performance:
- The proprietary SuperComputing Q3 chip optimizes graphics and gaming visuals, delivering enhanced ray tracing support, AI processing, and frame interpolation.
- Custom cooling technology employs an 8,000 mm² single-layer vapor chamber that dissipates heat up to 47% more efficiently than its predecessor, helping maintain sustained performance during gaming or heavy workloads.
- Benchmarks demonstrate competitive CPU and GPU performance; however, some thermal throttling may occur under prolonged intense scenarios, a common trait even among flagship-grade phones.
- The Adreno 840 GPU brings a 23% performance boost and 20% power efficiency improvement, vital for a great gaming and multimedia experience.
The phone features “Ultra Game Mode,” offering frame rate priority and picture-in-picture gameplay, enhancing user control and immersion in popular games. Such gaming-centric capabilities position the iQOO 15 as a premier choice for gamers looking for performance without the flagship price premium.
Stunning 2K AMOLED Display with Adaptive 144Hz Refresh Rate
The iQOO 15 sports a 6.85-inch Samsung M14 LEAD OLED display boasting a 3200×1440 (2K) resolution, making for a crisp and vibrant visual experience.
Display Features:
- Equipped with a 144Hz LTPO adaptive refresh rate, the phone dynamically adjusts the screen refresh to balance fluid motion with battery conservation.
- It achieves peak brightness up to 6,000 nits for remarkable outdoor visibility even under direct sunlight.
- The panel supports Dolby Vision and is TÜV Rheinland certified for eye protection, which minimizes blue light emissions and reduces eye strain during prolonged usage.
- With a touch sampling rate of 360Hz and instant touch sampling of 3200Hz, it ensures a responsive and smooth gaming or typing experience.
For multimedia enthusiasts and gamers alike, the display delivers vivid colors, deep blacks, and ultra-smooth scrolling. The adaptive refresh rate adds a layer of battery optimization without sacrificing fluidity, consolidating the display as one of the best in its segment.
Robust Battery Life with Fast Charging & Wireless Support
One of the standout features of the iQOO 15 is its enormous 7,000mAh 4th-generation silicon-anode battery, which is significantly larger than many competitors, translating into extended usage times for all-day operation.
Battery and Charging Details:
- The phone supports 100W wired charging, capable of replenishing the battery to 60% in just 30 minutes, taking approximately 52 minutes for a full charge—a respectable duration for such a large battery.
- Wireless charging at 40W is also supported, alongside reverse wireless charging, allowing for convenient cable-free top-ups and the ability to charge accessories.
- Intelligent battery health features, like disabling fast charging or limiting the charging capacity, help maintain battery longevity.
- Real-world tests show an Active Use Score of around 21 hours 47 minutes, underscoring excellent endurance during tasks such as web browsing and video playback.
The iQOO 15’s combination of high-capacity battery and flexible charging options ensures minimal downtime, even for users engaged in heavy gaming or multimedia consumption, making it ideal for power users.
Versatile and Advanced Triple 50MP Camera System
The iQOO 15 boasts a triple rear camera setup with three impressive 50MP sensors, including a Sony IMX921 main sensor, ultra-wide lens, and a 3x periscope telephoto camera.
Camera Performance in Real Life:
- Daylight photography is sharp and detailed with accurate colors and wide dynamic range, suitable for landscape, portrait, and macro shots.
- The 3x telephoto lens rivals the main camera in quality, producing crisp images with excellent dynamic range and color consistency.
- The 10x digital zoom, while usable, is softer but sufficient for casual distant photography.
- Low-light photos benefit from an effective night mode, which produces clear and contrast-rich images, though shadows may appear slightly brightened.
- The ultra-wide camera, while offering a wide field of view, tends to produce softer images with slightly less detail and saturation.
- On the front, the 32MP selfie camera supports 4K video at 60fps, making it capable for video calls and vlogging with sharp results.
Overall, the camera setup delivers flagship-level photography suitable for diverse scenarios, appealing to users who prioritize versatile imaging in a mid-priced device.
Software Experience: OriginOS 6 on Android 16
The iQOO 15 is among the first phones outside China to ship with OriginOS 6, based on Android 16. This fresh software experience emphasizes smoothness, customization, and deep gaming features.
Software Highlights:
- Promises five years of major Android OS upgrades and seven years of security patches, underscoring iQOO’s commitment to long-term device support.
- Features customization options like an RGB LED ring around the camera module serving as notifications or battery indicators.
- Integrated Ultra Game Mode provides overlays to optimize frame rates, enable picture-in-picture gaming, and unlock super-resolution and ray tracing support in compatible games.
- The software is designed to fully utilize the hardware capabilities, including the Q3 SuperComputing chip for AI and graphical enhancements.
The new software interface balances utility and aesthetics, ensuring that users enjoy both stable everyday use and an enhanced gaming experience.
Comparing iQOO 15 to Other Flagship Phones in India
| Feature | iQOO 15 | OnePlus 15 | Realme GT 8 Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 | Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 | Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 |
| RAM | Up to 16GB LPDDR5X | Up to 16GB LPDDR5X | Up to 16GB LPDDR5X |
| Display | 6.85″ 2K AMOLED 144Hz | 6.7″ AMOLED 165Hz | 6.72″ AMOLED 120Hz |
| Battery | 7,000mAh, 100W wired, 40W wireless | 4,800mAh, 100W wired | 5,000mAh, 125W wired |
| Camera | Triple 50MP, periscope zoom | Triple 50MP | Triple 50MP |
| Cooling System | 8K vapor chamber | 360 Cryo-Velocity Cooling | R1 gaming chip |
| Price (INR) | ₹72,999 – ₹79,999 | ~₹80,000 | ~₹60,000 |
The iQOO 15’s larger battery and superior cooling system provide distinct advantages for gamers and heavy users, while its display outshines many rivals in brightness and resolution. Despite a slightly higher price compared to Realme GT 8 Pro, the iQOO 15 delivers a more balanced flagship experience.
Dimensions, Price, and Variants Table
| Variant | Dimensions (mm) | Weight (grams) | Price (INR) | RAM/Storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha Edition | 164.8 x 75.6 x 8.14 | 216.2 | ₹72,999 (12GB/256GB) | 12GB/256GB |
| Legend Edition | 164.5 x 75.5 x 8.17 | 220 | ₹79,999 (16GB/512GB) | 16GB/512GB |
The sleek design and premium finishes include matte black and white legend editions with a motorsport-inspired pattern, balancing aesthetics with practical durability certifications such as IP68/IP69 resistance.
Read our article on Best mobile under 15000.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What distinguishes the iQOO 15 from other flagship smartphones in India?
The distinguishing factor for the iQOO 15 launched in India is how it champions flagship specifications like the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chipset, a large 7,000mAh battery, 2K 144Hz AMOLED display, and a sophisticated triple 50MP camera system, all at an accessible price. Most flagship devices either compromise on battery life or push pricing well beyond ₹80,000, but the iQOO 15 offers an optimized all-around package aimed at power users and gamers.
Additionally, iQOO’s commitment to five years of OS updates and seven years of security support boosts user confidence in product longevity, an unusual offering in this price bracket. The phone’s cooling technologies and proprietary Q3 chip for gaming further elevate its appeal among performance enthusiasts.
Q2: How capable is the iQOO 15’s camera setup for everyday photography?
The iQOO 15’s camera system features a versatile triple 50MP sensor setup, including a main Sony IMX921 sensor, an ultra-wide lens, and a 3x telephoto periscope zoom lens. This setup enables it to capture detailed, vibrant photos in a variety of lighting conditions.
Daylight shots exhibit strong detail, sharpness, and lively color reproduction, while the telephoto lens produces impressive zoom shots with minimal loss of clarity. Night mode effectively enhances low-light capture, reducing noise while maintaining detail, although shadows may sometimes be slightly brighter than natural.
Q3: Does the iQOO 15 have good battery life for heavy users and gamers?
Yes, the iQOO 15 excels in battery endurance with its sizable 7,000mAh silicon-anode battery, one of the largest found in flagship phones in 2025. This large battery, paired with efficient hardware and software management, results in an active use time exceeding 21 hours in mixed activities like browsing and video playback. Fast wired charging at 100W can reach a 60% charge in just 30 minutes, fully charging the device in approximately 52 minutes, which is impressive given the battery size.
Q4: What special gaming features does the iQOO 15 include?
The iQOO 15 integrates several gaming-centric features that elevate the mobile gaming experience. Central to this is the SuperComputing Q3 chip that boosts ray tracing, AI calculations, and frame interpolation to produce visually stunning graphics with stable frame rates. The phone’s Ultra Game Mode offers customizable settings such as frame rate priority to maximize performance at the cost of resolution, picture-in-picture gaming overlays for multitasking, and support for super resolution and ray tracing in supported titles.
Q5: Will the iQOO 15 receive long-term software updates?
Yes, the iQOO 15 comes with a very promising software update roadmap. It ships with OriginOS 6 based on Android 16 and is committed to receiving five major Android OS upgrades along with seven years of security updates. This extended update policy is quite rare in the smartphone market, especially for models priced under ₹80,000. It helps ensure the phone remains secure, feature-rich, and compatible with upcoming applications years after purchase.
Q6: Where can the iQOO 15 be purchased in India, and are there launch offers available?
The iQOO 15 launched in India is available for purchase across various channels including iQOO’s official website, Amazon.in, Vivo exclusive retail stores, and selected offline outlets. Various launch promotions typically accompany such releases, including exchange offers that help reduce the effective price by trading in an older phone, bank discounts, and no-cost EMI options. Early buyers may also receive priority access programs like the ‘iQOO Priority Pass,’ which offers faster delivery and exclusive customer service benefits.
Conclusion
The iQOO 15 launched in India emerges as a thoughtfully designed flagship smartphone that successfully harmonizes powerful hardware, innovative display technology, long battery life, and a versatile camera system at an unbelievable price point. Its commitment to future-proof software support and an array of gaming-specific features makes it a compelling choice for tech-savvy users and gamers seeking value without compromise.
For more tech insights, feel free to explore our articles on smartphone cooling technologies and camera performance, and join the conversation by sharing your experiences or signing up for newsletters on emerging mobile technologies.
