iQOO 15 comes at a time when the market is flooded with various attractive flagship smartphones. Each offers its own advantages in an effort to attract the attention of target users. The same goes for iQOO 15 which at first glance seems to be quite balanced in terms of offerings.
Design
iQOO 15 once again continues the tradition of this series which not only emphasizes performance aspects, but also comes with a charming exterior design. This proves that the build quality has not been compromised at all, and this time it even feels lighter.
This device still maintains almost the same DNA as its predecessor with a flat design on the front and a curved glossy aluminum frame like the iQOO 13. However, the micro-curved glass on the back has now been completely replaced with a flat design, making it neater and more comfortable to hold.
My initial view found that no matter how it is held, this device feels quite slippery. However, its side frame is still able to provide a more secure grip. In addition, the back panel at least does not easily trap fingerprints while the same cannot be said for the frame. I also think that the experience of holding the device feels the same as holding the vivo X300 Pro and Oppo Find X9 Pro, and the size is almost completely similar.
At first glance, the color finish looks quite interesting. The unit I used is Gray with a gradient finish that takes inspiration from painting paint that changes between red and silver tones when exposed to light. Meanwhile, the gradient lighting effect gives a distinctive design compared to other variants, especially when the red color radiates like burning lava.
As far as this short use goes, I find that the color-changing back panel gives an interesting design appearance. The colors seem to change according to the angle of light so that the device looks more alive. For me, this feature is not just decoration but also adds an interesting feel because every time you look at the device, it will emit a different color glow depending on the light.
Although there is no longer a large LED light ring, the camera arrangement is different but still maintains the same camera bump design as before. The bump is large and quite thick. In addition, there is the 100X Tele Lens branding which indicates the zoom capability of up to 100 times. Interestingly, the camera bump this time looks more unique because it is surrounded by RGB LED lighting called Dynamic Light.
Unlike before when the light was lit facing outwards, this time the lighting is designed to light up around the edge of the camera bump. This lighting function can be set through the settings area and will light up either when the phone is turned on or during the charging process. In addition, it also works when receiving incoming calls, notifications, playing music, easy sharing (Easy Share), using NFC and displaying the battery level.
Lighting effects can be selected in the form of Heartbeat Flowing, Pulsing and several other effects. In addition, users have the opportunity to change the color and brightness level through the Atmosphere Light Effect option, thus making the entire experience more personal and interesting.
This device is also equipped with an IR Blaster located at the top of the frame. In addition, it also supports NFC, which allows users to make contactless payments more easily and control smart home devices, for example.
Meanwhile, the in-screen fingerprint reader used is able to detect fingers faster, and its position is also easy to reach. In addition, the arrangement of other buttons and ports still maintains the usual design with the power button and audio controls on the right side. At the bottom, there is a SIM slot, USB-C port and main speaker.
Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Chip + Q3 Supercomputing Chip
iQOO 15 is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, which is the most powerful chip from Qualcomm for Android devices at the moment. In the Antutu benchmark test conducted at the our laboratory, this device recorded the highest score so far. The result thus surpassed the realme GT8 Pro and OnePlus 15 which use the same chip, the Oppo Find X9 Pro with Mediatek Dimensity 9500 and the Apple iPhone 17 Pro which comes with the Apple A19 Pro chip.
Chip Score
IQOO 15 3,726,305
OnePlus 15 3,720,096
Oppo Find X9 Pro 3,472,342
realme GT8 Pro 3,066,488
Apple iPhone 17 Pro 2,634,345
The actual performance of course does not only depend on the numbers but also on real-world usage. In my brief experience, initial tests showed good performance when scrolling without any lag or interruption, and the results felt satisfying.
This is not surprising because a device running the latest chip should be able to deliver the expected performance. So far, the iQOO 15 has shown convincing performance, and this device will continue to be tested further to evaluate its capabilities over time.
The next highlight is the support of iQOO's own built Q3 Supercomputing Chip, which is said to be able to enhance the graphics capabilities of the device. This chip is paired with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and is specifically designed to enhance the graphics performance and display experience. It is not intended to replace the main chip but rather functions as a secondary processor for graphics tasks, thus providing a balance between power and smoothness.
In games like Genshin Impact, performance remains smooth without interruption with stable frame rates even during action-packed scenes. The display looks sharp and interestingly, the IQOO 15 can reach up to 120FPS, thus proving the greatness of the Q3 chip even though this game basically only supports a maximum of 60FPS.
Visually, the graphics look beautiful with bright colors but the 'ghost' effect on character movement is clearly visible. Even so, the overall experience is still impressive with an impressive color display.
Conclusion
This short experience shows that the iQOO 15 is capable of giving fierce competition to several existing flagship devices. Its offering also looks attractive through balance for daily use. For now, the selling price is still unknown, but if it is offered in a range that is almost the same as the previous model, the iQOO 15 has the potential to be an interesting contender in the market.
