iQOO 15 Review: A Phone with a Dedicated 'Graphics Card' That Changes Everything

Sunday, 07 December 2025 at 22:26

Okay, so this is it: the brand-new iQOO 15. And honestly, it’s a phone that forces you to pause and consider where the ceiling for mobile performance truly lies. For years, the story has been incremental: better chip, slightly better screen, bigger battery. But iQOO, this time, has gone a different route. They haven't just iterated; they've introduced a feature—the dedicated Q3 display chip—that genuinely shifts the goalposts. It's not hyperbole to ask if we’re finally entering the era of true "mobile graphics cards," and the iQOO 15 is the herald.

My first thought upon holding it was just how purposeful the design feels. It’s certainly a device that knows its target audience: serious power users and, perhaps most of all, serious gamers.

iQOO 15 specifications

6.85-inch (3168×1440 pixels) 2K+ curved Samsung M14 8T LTPO AMOLED 20:9 aspect ratio screen with HDR10+, 144Hz variable refresh rate, 1.07 billion colors, DCI-P3 color gamut, up to 2600 nits brightness in HBM mode, up to 6000 nits peak brightness, 2160Hz PWM dimming + DC Dimming, Dolby Vision
Octa Core Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 3nm SoC with Adreno 840 GPU, Q3 Gaming chip
12GB / 16GB LPDDR5X Ultra Pro RAM with 256GB / 512GB / 1TB (UFS 4.1) storage
Android 16 with OriginOS 6.0
Dual SIM (nano + nano)
50MP camera with 1/ 1.49″ Sony IMX921 sensor, f/1.88 aperture, OIS, LED flash, 50MP 150° ultra-wide-angle camera with f/2.0 aperture, 50MP 3x periscope telephoto camera with 1/1.95″ Sony IMX882 sensor, f/2.65 aperture, Sony sensor, OIS
32MP front-facing camera with f/2.2 aperture
In-display Ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, infrared sensor
USB Type-C audio, Stereo speakers, Hi-Fi audio
Dimensions: 163.65× 76.71×8.1mm (Track Edition) / 8.17mm (Legend Edition, Wilderness Edition) / 8.28mm (Lingyun, iQOO × Honor of Kings 10th Anniversary Collector’s Edition);Weight: 215g (Track Edition) / 220g (Other Editions)
Dust and Water resistance (IP68+IP69)
5G SA/NSA, Dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 7 802.11 be, Bluetooth 6.0, GPS: L1+L5, Beidou: B1C+B1I+B2a, GLONASS: G1, Galileo: E1+E5a, QZSS: L1+L5, USB Type-C 3.2 Gen1, NFC
7000mAh battery with 100W ultra-fast flash charging, 40W wireless charging

Key Points

Q3 Dedicated Display Chip: The innovative hardware enables mobile frame interpolation and super-resolution, acting as a "mobile DLSS."

Best-in-Class Display: Features a debut 6.85-inch 2K screen with a 144Hz refresh rate and a blinding 2730 nits peak brightness.

Stellar Battery Life: Equipped with a large 7000mAh battery, delivering over 11 hours of intensive use, coupled with 100W wired charging.

Ray Tracing Pioneer: The iQOO 15 is the first phone to support hardware-accelerated ray tracing in games like Genshin Impact.

Thermal Performance: Achieves high sustained frame rates in demanding titles like Wuthering Waves and Star Rail while maintaining competitive thermal control.

Design and a Game-Changing Display Upgrade

First, let’s quickly cover the physical presence and the screen. The design language is definitely sharpened from the last generation, moving towards a bolder, more angular aesthetic. The front maintains a flat screen, framed by those right-angled side frames that seem to be back in vogue. Interestingly, the micro-curved glass on the back has also been flattened, contributing to an overall look with sharper lines. It’s definitely more commanding in the hand than its predecessor, I think.

The rear camera module retains the distinct "Wanderer’s Trail" design, which is a signature element at this point. They’ve subtly moved the 'energy ring' within the camera deco to sit below the main decorative ring, which cleans up the look a bit. Paired with the new color schemes—besides the Lingyun and Legend edition colorways we have, there are also Track and Wilderness options—the look is quite interesting: elegant, maybe a bit aggressive, and undeniably exquisite. It certainly stands out in a sea of increasingly similar slabs of glass and metal.

The Screen: Finally, 2K is Here

In terms of the actual screen, iQOO has delivered some long-awaited, significant upgrades. This time, they’ve debuted a 2K screen. The panel measures a substantial 6.85 inches and still supports a blazing-fast 144Hz high refresh rate. More than just resolution and speed, iQOO claims improvements across the board: clarity, color accuracy, eye protection features, power consumption, and touch responsiveness.

My testing backed up the brightness claims impressively. The maximum manual brightness reached a very usable 1122 nits, and the peak full-screen brightness soared to a maximum of 2730 nits. This kind of brightness ensures superb visibility even outdoors under bright sunlight, which, let's be honest, is crucial for marathon gaming sessions that might stray from the basement. I remember testing this out briefly on a sunny afternoon and the screen was just punching through the glare—it was genuinely noticeable.

Performance: Gaming Without the Name

Though iQOO avoids the "gaming phone" label, the iQOO 15 is built like one, powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen5 processor with aggressive performance tuning. Unlike its most aggressive competitor, the Redmi K90 Pro Max, the iQOO 15 manages its thermals more gracefully. Its single-layer motherboard design and extremely large vapor chamber ensure that after thermal throttling begins around the 10-minute mark, the framerate tapers off gradually, stabilizing at a respectable 45 FPS, keeping temperatures reasonable.

The dedicated Q3 gaming chip aids the experience, particularly by enabling features like super-resolution at high graphics settings in demanding games like Honkai: Star Rail for smoother, more power-efficient visuals. Although the competitor's D2 chip recently improved its efficiency, the Q3 chip maintains an edge with exclusive ray tracing support, adding realistic reflections in the few games that currently support it.

Battery, Charging, and Camera Config

Regarding charging and battery life, the iQOO 15 is equipped with a massive 7000mAh large battery, an 850mAh increase over the previous generation—a commendable move. It supports 100W wired and 40W wireless charging, compatible with both PD and PPS protocols, which is always nice for versatility.

A full charge in our test took about 56 minutes and 40 seconds, with a trickle charge of about 40 seconds included. In our rigorous ‘test-to-death’ battery life model, the iQOO 15 lasted for an impressive 11 hours and 21 minutes. This is an improvement of nearly two hours over the previous model, which is quite impressive for a phone this powerful.

Camera That Isn't an Afterthought

Although the iQOO 15 is positioned first and foremost as a performance flagship, its camera configuration hasn't been completely ignored.

The camera system receives its biggest boost in the telephoto lens, which uses the excellent Sony IMX882 sensor (a 50MP sensor with 1/1.95" optical format). This 3x periscope telephoto is rated as superior to the telephoto systems on even some "Pro Max" models, delivering sharp clarity that captures "every hair." However, its one drawback is a slightly long minimum focusing distance; subjects closer than one meter will default to a crop from the main camera.

The main (Sony IMX921) and ultra-wide cameras are the same as the previous generation. The main camera's default Vivid mode can overexpose images, making them eye-catching but sometimes too bright. Switching to the "Texture" mode is highly recommended for a more cinematic and balanced look. The front camera supports 4K 60fps recording, but its smaller sensor size affects indoor image quality. Rear video performance is generally acceptable, though it falls short of more expensive flagships.

In any case, while it won't dethrone the dedicated camera flagships, this setup is certainly worthy of a flagship device and offers the versatility—including serious optical zoom—that gamers often find themselves lacking in competitor models.

Final Verdict: A New Benchmark is Set

So, after seeing the overall performance of the iQOO 15, what's the overall feeling?

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iQOO models in recent years have consistently delivered powerful configurations and performance, always combined with the stable and top-tier tuning of OriginOS. The iQOO 15 can confidently be called a benchmark product for performance flagships. The company’s focus on its core positioning as a pure performance machine is the most profound impression it leaves on you.

This year's iQOO 15 brings together a better SOC, a top-tier 2K screen, a significantly larger battery, and the powerful and truly unique Q3 chip. When you add in the dual X-axis linear motors and dual-axis vibration motors, along with the very smooth and stable OriginOS 6, this phone puts itself in a leading position. Whether you’re gaming for hours or simply using it daily, the experience is buttery smooth. Especially for gamers who demand high graphics quality and high frame rates, you should seriously consider the iQOO 15 before buying a new phone.