OnePlus 15 officially revealed early – confirms new design direction and global launch

Reverting to a former playbook, OnePlus has revealed its latest flagship Android phone early. We don't yet have an official launch or release date yet, but T3 has been told that it'll launch globally. We've also been given more than a glimpse of the forthcoming device.

Following a leaked image taken during an eSports tournament in China, the company itself has now released scores of official pictures of the OnePlus 15 series. And it's something of a departure for the firm.

Or at least, it looks very different to last year's OnePlus 13. The number "14" is unlucky in Chinese culture, so has been skipped for the latest generation.

You actually only need to look at the OnePlus 13s to see where this bold new look comes from – that had already switched to the flat sides and squarish camera unit. Or you could look at just about every other phone coming out today. It seems that all the major manufacturers are opting for a similar, iPhone-like design language.

Back to the OnePlus 15 though and the company has shared images of the Sand Storm version – as that colourway will be called globally. Much of the photography takes the theme fairly literally, too.

Posted on the official OnePlus account on Weibo, the pics also show the company's first flagship camera unit since splitting from its partnership with Hasselblad. It's moved to a square shape with rounded corners and over to the top-left. The OnePlus 13 had a circular unit.

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Apart from that, the Weibo posts also confirm that the phone will indeed have a 165Hz display as rumoured. OnePlus says this will make it perfect for gaming.

In addition, the chassis will be made from "aerospace-grade nano-ceramic metal" – aluminium coated with a ceramic layer. It's reportedly lighter than titanium, but more durable and with superior heat dissipation.

We also seem to have a clue about the release date. In one of the shots, with the phone held in someone's hand, there's a date on the display – 27 October. This could well be the launch date in China.

It's not known whether this will also be the global launch date. We'll find out soon.

As for specifications, it was previously confirmed to be one of the first phones to launch with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset running the show, while rumours have pointed to 16GB of RAM, three 50-megapixel rear cameras, a 7,000mAh battery and 120W wired charging.

The screen will also utilise a 6.78-inch LPTO OLED display, it's said.

We'll let you know more as we near launch. For now, the OnePlus 15 is certainly shaping up to be a phone to keep an eye on.