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Joe Maring \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n
I recently reviewed the OnePlus 15R<\/a> and, spoiler alert, I came away very disappointed in the phone. OnePlus\u2019s R series has typically provided great options in the mid-tier\/value flagship space, but the 15R breaks that trend. It removes OnePlus\u2019s iconic alert slider for an annoying AI button, has downgraded cameras compared to the 13R, and no wireless charging \u2014 all on top of a steep $700 price tag.<\/p>\n The OnePlus 15R isn\u2019t the worst Android phone you can buy, but it\u2019s also incredibly easy to find something much better \u2014 even from OnePlus itself. If you\u2019re thinking about buying the OnePlus 15R, here are five other Android phones you should buy instead.<\/p>\n What do you think is the best OnePlus 15R alternative?<\/p>\n 114 votes<\/p>\n OnePlus 13R<\/p>\n 14%<\/p>\n OnePlus 13<\/p>\n 25%<\/p>\n Samsung Galaxy S25 FE<\/p>\n 16%<\/p>\n Nothing Phone 3<\/p>\n 12%<\/p>\n Google Pixel 10<\/p>\n 27%<\/p>\n Other (let us know in the comments)<\/p>\n 6%<\/p>\n OnePlus 13R<\/p>\n Rushil Agrawal \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n Perhaps the easiest OnePlus 15R alternative to recommend is its predecessor, the OnePlus 13R<\/a>. One of the biggest draws to the OnePlus 15R is its battery life, with the 7,400mAh battery easily lasting two and a half days on a single charge. While the OnePlus 13R\u2019s 6,000mAh battery may not be as impressive on paper, it\u2019s still outstanding, lasting about two days in our testing. The 13R has the same 55W wired charge speeds as the 15R, and neither phone has wireless charging, so there\u2019s no trade-off there.<\/p>\n The OnePlus 13R also holds its own on the performance front. Although the OnePlus 15R beat the 13R in our benchmark tests, both phones are extremely performant in real-world use. And as far as gaming chops are concerned, the 15R and 13R are pretty evenly matched.<\/p>\n In other areas, the OnePlus 13R actually pulls ahead. The 13R has a higher-quality primary camera than the 15R does, plus a dedicated telephoto camera \u2014 something the 15R completely lacks. And if you love OnePlus\u2019s alert slider, only the OnePlus 13R has it. The OnePlus 15R ditches it for an AI button that\u2019s just a pain to use.<\/p>\n Making all of this better is the price. Even at its $600 retail price, the OnePlus 13R is a significantly better value than the $700 OnePlus 15R. And given that the 13R is just about a year old, you should be able to find it on sale for even less. Without question, the OnePlus 13R is still the best value flagship OnePlus has to offer.<\/p>\n OnePlus 13R<\/a> Speedy performance \u2022 Long-lasting battery \u2022 Superb value for money<\/p>\n R-eally great.<\/p>\n The OnePlus 13R is everything you\u2019d expect from a OnePlus phone \u2014 blazing performance, amazing battery life, and rapid charging. Add to that a gorgeous display and a smooth, feature-packed Oxygen OS experience, and you have a phone that feels like it punches well above its $600 price tag.<\/p>\n OnePlus 13<\/p>\n Ryan Haines \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n OnePlus 13<\/p>\n Staying with OnePlus, it\u2019s also worth considering the flagship OnePlus 13<\/a>. Although the phone\u2019s $900 MSRP is considerably higher than the OnePlus 15R\u2019s, it\u2019s been heavily discounted since the OnePlus 15\u2019s release. How much? At the time of writing, the OnePlus 13 is available for just $750 \u2014 only $50 more than the 15R. And for that small a price difference, the OnePlus 13 is absolutely worth splurging for.<\/p>\n The Snapdragon 8 Elite chip inside the OnePlus 13 delivers nearly identical CPU performance to the 15R, while the GPU has slightly more horsepower. The OnePlus 13 also has dramatically better cameras, an area where the 15R seriously struggles. The OnePlus 13 has faster 80W charging out of the box, supports (very fast) wireless charging, and has a much nicer design, too. It even shares the same IP68 and IP69 protections as the 15R. The alert slider is here, too.<\/p>\n Are there any downsides? The AMOLED display is \u201conly\u201d 120Hz, rather than 165Hz like on the 15R, but it\u2019s still extremely smooth and features an LTPO panel that can drop to 1Hz (something the 15R doesn\u2019t have). The OnePlus 13 also has a smaller 6,000mAh battery, but, like the 13R, it\u2019s still plenty big for two days of use per charge.<\/p>\n If battery life is your top priority, the OnePlus 15R has the edge. But if you want a more well-rounded OnePlus phone that delivers on basically every front, you should buy the OnePlus 13.<\/p>\n OnePlus 13<\/a> Gorgeous design \u2022 Clever AI features \u2022 Flexible cameras<\/p>\n The OG flagship killer’s killer flagship.<\/p>\n The OnePlus 13 is the company’s most killer flagship to date, offering a massive battery, speedy charging, and powerful cameras that give Google and Samsung something to worry about.<\/p>\n Samsung Galaxy S25 FE<\/p>\n Hadlee Simons \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n There aren\u2019t many Android phones in the US competing in the $600-$700 price bracket, but one of them is the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE<\/a>. If you\u2019re OK sacrificing multi-day battery life and some performance, the benefits of the S25 FE compared to the OnePlus 15R are well worth it.<\/p>\n What kind of benefits? Software is a big one. Samsung\u2019s One UI is a much more cohesive Android skin than OnePlus\u2019s OxygenOS, with a lot more polish and better-implemented features. It also benefits from seven years of Android OS upgrades, toppling the four years of updates OnePlus promises for the 15R. The S25 FE is also a more comfortable phone, featuring a thinner, lighter design while retaining a large 6.7-inch AMOLED LTPO panel with a 120Hz refresh rate.<\/p>\n The Exynos 2400 chip inside the S25 FE isn\u2019t quite as fast as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 in the 15R, but it\u2019s still more than capable for most tasks. And while you won\u2019t get two-day battery life with Samsung\u2019s phone, it easily gets through a full day of heavy use \u2014 and recharges pretty quickly thanks to 45W wired charging (and supports wireless charging, too).<\/p>\n The Galaxy S25 FE retails for $650, which is already cheaper than the OnePlus 15R. But in typical Samsung fashion, the phone is often available for considerably less. At the time of writing, Samsung has it on sale for just $500. If you can pick up the S25 FE at or around that price, it\u2019s absolutely worth saving some cash and buying it instead of the OnePlus 15R.<\/p>\n Samsung Galaxy S25 FE<\/a> Large 120Hz display \u2022 Big battery \u2022 50MP camera<\/p>\n Exynos-powered, 6.7-inch Samsung experience<\/p>\n The Samsung Galaxy S25 FE is a more affordable experience for fans of the S25 series. Powered by an Exynos 2400 processor, this 6.7-inch phone offers better specs than ever in a FE phone, and nearly all of the greatness found in mainline S25 phones.<\/p>\n Nothing Phone 3<\/p>\n Ryan Haines \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n Although it\u2019s not the best Android phone released in 2025, the Nothing Phone 3 is still very good. And as an alternative to the OnePlus 15R, it\u2019s honestly a pretty compelling option.<\/p>\n In many ways, the Nothing Phone 3 feels like the opposite of the OnePlus 15R. Where the 15R prioritizes a giant battery and flagship-grade performance at the expense of an interesting design, worthwhile cameras, and good software, the Nothing Phone 3 is the inverse.<\/p>\n Its performance and battery life are good, although nothing to write home about. But on the flip side, the Nothing Phone 3 has one of the most unique designs you\u2019ll find on an Android phone. It also has really solid cameras, and Nothing OS is a thoroughly enjoyable Android skin \u2014 something I can\u2019t say about the latest version of OxygenOS.<\/p>\n There are other benefits of choosing the Nothing Phone 3. The phone has faster 65W wired charging than the 15R, supports wireless charging, and has a slightly better update policy (Nothing promises five years of Android updates). The Nothing Phone 3 is a bit more expensive at $800, but I\u2019d argue it\u2019s worth the extra money. And like so many of the phones mentioned here, it\u2019s not uncommon to find the Nothing Phone 3 on sale for less. Whether you get it at a discount or at its full price, this is one to keep on your radar.<\/p>\n Nothing Phone 3<\/a> Excellent wired charging \u2022 Unique design \u2022 Solid cameras<\/p>\n Nothing’s first ‘true flagship.’<\/p>\n The Phone 3 is a stylish reinvention of Nothing’s Android phone series, now with flagship specs, including a large silicon-carbon battery, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset, and a periscope zoom lens with macro photography support.<\/p>\n Google Pixel 10<\/p>\n C. Scott Brown \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n My fifth and final recommendation is the Google Pixel 10<\/a> \u2014 and I want to be very clear about this recommendation. If you want a phone for multi-day battery life, fast charging, and top-notch gaming performance, the Pixel 10 isn\u2019t it. However, if you want a phone with extremely reliable cameras, excellent hardware, and unmatched software, the Pixel 10 is a damn good phone.<\/p>\n Where the OnePlus 15R\u2019s camera system is one I almost dreaded using, the Pixel 10\u2019s is a champ. The 5x telephoto camera is a particular strong suit, allowing you to zoom in on subjects in a way that isn\u2019t possible with the 15R. The Pixel 10\u2019s overall hardware design is great, too. The phone is more compact and comfortable to hold, has a more interesting design, and has built-in magnets on the back for magnetic charging and other accessories.<\/p>\n The real reason to buy the Pixel 10, though, is its software. Google\u2019s Pixel software is the best way to experience Android in late 2025\/early 2026. All of the Pixel-exclusive features make a meaningful difference in daily use, you\u2019re guaranteed updates for seven years, and the Pixel 10 is first in line to get an Android update as soon as it\u2019s released.<\/p>\n All of those things make the Pixel 10 a very worthy alternative to the OnePlus 15R, even with its higher $800 price tag. However, if you\u2019re patient and shop around, you can usually find it for cheaper. The Pixel 10 is on sale for just $600 at the time of writing, making it a no-brainer over the OnePlus 15R.<\/p>\n Google Pixel 10<\/a> New optical zoom camera \u2022 Long-term updates \u2022 Loaded with Google AI features<\/p>\n Baseline excellence.<\/p>\n The Google Pixel 10 is the 6.3-inch base model of the in-house Android phones from Google. With plenty of high-speed storage options, a good amount of RAM, and the all-new Tensor G5 processor, it should blow through your mobile computing tasks with ease. A triple camera system includes standalone ultrawide and telephoto lenses, and a 50MP main sensor.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t want to miss the best from Android Authority?<\/p>\n![\"OnePlus](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/OnePlus-13R-review-image-back-design.jpg\"\/ "\\"OnePlus")
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OnePlus 13R<\/a><\/p>\n![\"OnePlus](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/OnePlus-13-camera-rear-hero.jpg\"\/ "\\"OnePlus")
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OnePlus 13<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Samsung](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Samsung-Galaxy-S25-FE-against-wall-showing-back.jpg\"\/ "\\"Samsung")
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Samsung Galaxy S25 FE<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Nothing](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Nothing-Phone-3-rear-hero.jpg\"\/ "\\"Nothing")
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Nothing Phone 3<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Google](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Google-Pixel-10-in-Indigo-flat-on-table.jpg\"\/ "\\"Google")
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Google Pixel 10<\/a><\/p>\n
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