iQOO 15 First Look: The Flagship That Dares to Redefine “Value for Money” in 2025
Every year, smartphone brands promise a “flagship killer.”
But once in a while, one phone does more than challenge expectations.
It quietly rewrites them.
That phone, this year, is the iQOO 15.
From the moment the unboxing video begins at 00:00, the question hangs in the air:
Can iQOO deliver the most affordable flagship powered by the blazing-fast 8-L Zen5 processor?
By the end of the video, the answer becomes obvious:
Not only do they deliver—it feels like they overdeliver.
Let’s explore why.
🌟 Flagship Features & Pricing: Power Meets Practicality
At just 00:05, the video makes a bold claim:
iQOO 15 could be the most affordable phone featuring the latest 8 nm Zen 5 chip.
Even with the global rise in component costs (a ₹10,000–₹12,000 bump over earlier models), the brand still aims to keep the effective price around ₹65,000 or less [00:31], [12:29].
In 2025’s inflated flagship market, that’s not just competitive—it’s impressive.
Premium Build Without the Premium Fragility
- Metal frame
- Fiberglass back (reviewed color)
- Schott Sensation Glass protection
And yes—despite having a massive 7000 mAh battery—it weighs only ~204–205 g [02:33], which feels shockingly manageable.
The phone even carries IP68/69 certifications [11:51], placing durability at the flagship top tier.
🔥 Display & Multimedia: The Best Display You Haven’t Seen Yet
By 00:53, the reviewer calls the iQOO 15’s display “benchmark-setting.”
And honestly? He’s not exaggerating.
Specs That Punch Above Their Price
- 6.85-inch LTPO AMOLED
- 144 Hz refresh rate
- M14 material (same as iPhone 17 Pro Max)
- 2600 nits HBM
- 6000 nits peak brightness
This isn’t just bright—it’s the brightest display among current flagships [04:00], [04:13].
Add Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and perfectly uniform bezels, and it becomes clear:
This display isn’t competing—it’s leading.
Audio complements the experience too:
Balanced stereo speakers and top-tier haptics equal a multimedia delight [04:31], [04:42].
⚡ Performance & Gaming: Built for Speed, Designed for Endurance
The headline feature is obvious:
8-core Zen 5 chipset—a monster built for absolute performance.
Variants
- 12GB + 256GB
- 16GB + 512GB
(LPDDR5X Ultra RAM + UFS 4.1 storage)
Benchmark Results
- AnTuTu: 3.92–3.95 million [05:41]
- Geekbench: 3700+ (SC), 11,000+ (MC) [05:52]
But raw scores don’t tell the whole story.
Thermals: Practically Cooler Than Reality
Thanks to an 8K VC chamber, temps never crossed 39°C even during heavy gameplay [06:04], [07:05].
Gaming Edge
Here’s where iQOO flexes its identity:
Q3 Super Computing Chip (enables 2K + 144 Hz gaming)
Ray Tracing in Genshin Impact
Ultra Game Mode (lists true 144 Hz titles)
Bypass Charging
Superb haptics that rival the very best
This isn’t “just a gaming phone”—
It’s a flagship that happens to be outrageously good at gaming.
🔋 Battery & Charging: A Giant That Charges Like Lightning
A 7000 mAh battery inside a 205 g phone is insane engineering.
But iQOO doesn’t stop there:
- 100W wired charging
- 40W wireless charging (new this year)
- 7 hours SOT initially, expected to reach 8.5–9 hours with updates
This is the endurance phone heavy users have been waiting for.
🧠 Software & Updates: Origin OS 16 Is a Game Changer
For the first time ever, an iQOO phone ships with Origin OS 16—and wow, it’s a glow-up.
Why It’s a Massive Upgrade
- Fluid animations
- Clean modern UI
- Logical, intuitive settings
- Zero clutter
- Designed for power users
Update Promise
- 5 years of major OS updates
- 7 years of security patches
This alone makes the device far more “future-proof” than many similarly priced flagships.
New Highlights
- Origin Island
- Office Kit (PC/Tablet/Phone connectivity)
- One-Tap Transfer
- New widgets and animations
- Built-in AI features like
- AI call translation
- AI image enhancement
- Gemini-powered Circle to Search [09:09]
For the first time, iQOO feels truly modern, seamless, and ecosystem-ready.
📸 Camera: A Rare Triple-50MP Setup That Delivers
iQOO didn’t skimp on the optics either.
Rear Cameras
- 50 MP Sony IMX 921 (primary)
- 50MP Samsung JN1(ultra-wide)
- 50MP Sony IMX 882 (telephoto/portrait)
(All three shoot 4K 60 fps.)
Front Camera
- 32MP Galaxy Core sensor
- Upgraded 90° FoV for wider selfies
Performance in Real Use
- Natural colors
- Strong dynamic range
- Better skin tones (thanks to Vivo tuning)
- Excellent 3× portraits
- Clean stabilization
- Slight AI artifacts beyond 10× zoom
With modes like
- Snapshot
- Landscape
- Night
- Pro Mode
- Slow Motion (240 fps)
- Super Moon
- Fish Eye
…it’s the most feature-packed camera app iQOO has shipped.
NiCE 2.0 AI further boosts low-light detail.
🧩 Connectivity & Extras: The Details That Matter
iQOO 15 includes all the essentials—and then some:
- Wi-Fi 7
- All India 5G bands
- NFC
- IR Blaster
- Ultrasonic fingerprint sensor
- Face unlock
- USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps transfer)
- RGB rim light around the camera
- Triple ambient light sensors
- Excellent haptics (mentioned twice for a reason!)
This is a phone packed with polish.
🎯 Final Verdict: iQOO 15 Isn’t Just “Better”—It’s a Statement
By the time the video ends (12:44), the verdict is clear:
iQOO 15 brings meaningful upgrades everywhere—display, OS, thermals, battery, cameras, and especially gaming.
This is not a minor refresh.
This is a flagship reborn with purpose—and priced to shake the entire market.
If you want:
- a phone that lasts long,
- charges fast,
- performs like a beast,
- has the brightest screen in the game,
- and finally nails software…
iQOO 15 is the unexpected flagship champion of 2025.
