iQOO 15 Review: Is This The Best Phone Under ₹75,000 in 2026?

Let’s get one thing straight—iQOO is no longer the “underdog” brand trying to undercut OnePlus by a few thousand rupees. With the iQOO 15, they have officially kicked the door down and entered the ultra-premium territory.

Launched at a starting price of ₹72,999, this phone isn’t cheap. But on paper, it looks like a monster. It packs the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, a massive 7000mAh battery (yes, you read that right), and a display that could probably outshine the sun.

But specs are just numbers. Does it actually deliver in the Indian heat? Does the battery last 2 days? And most importantly, have they finally fixed the average cameras? I used the “Legend” edition for two weeks as my daily driver, and the results surprised me.

2. Quick Specs: The Monster Under The Hood

3. Design & Build: Finally Feels Expensive

For years, iQOO phones felt like plastic toys compared to Samsung or Apple. The iQOO 15 changes that narrative.

• The Build: It features a glass sandwich design with an aluminum frame. The “Legend” edition (White) still has the BMW stripes, but the texture is now a matte, soft-touch glass that resists fingerprints beautifully.
• The Weight: Despite housing a 7000mAh battery, it weighs around 216g. It’s heavy, yes, but the weight distribution is excellent. It doesn’t feel “top-heavy” like the Vivo X200 Ultra.
• Durability: It now comes with IP69 rating, meaning it can withstand high-pressure hot water jets. You can practically wash this phone under a tap without worry.

4. Display & Visuals: A Visual Treat

iQOO has ditched the curved screen trend. The iQOO 15 sports a Quad-Curved Floating Display—it looks flat but feels curved at the edges for smooth swipes.

• Brightness: With a peak brightness of 6000 nits, outdoor visibility is insane. Even under the harsh Delhi noon sun, I could read WhatsApp messages without squinting.
• Refresh Rate: The 144Hz LTPO panel is buttery smooth. Unlike competitors that lock 144Hz to games only, iQOO allows you to force 144Hz on system apps, making scrolling addictive.
• Ultrasonic Fingerprint: They finally upgraded from optical to Ultrasonic. It unlocks instantly, even if your thumb is wet or oily.

5. Performance & Gaming: The God Tier

This is why you buy an iQOO. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 combined with the proprietary Q3 SuperComputing Chip is a cheat code.

• AnTuTu Score: It casually scored 3.8 Million+ in our tests. This is currently the highest score we’ve seen on an Android phone in India.
• Gaming Test (Genshin Impact):
  • Settings: Highest, 60fps.
  • Result: A rock-solid 59-60fps average over a 1-hour session.
  • Heating: The phone reached 44°C, which is warm but not “burn your fingers” hot, thanks to the massive VC cooling chamber.
• Game Interpolation: The Q3 chip can artificially boost games like BGMI to 144fps. It adds slight input latency, so pro players might turn it off, but for casuals, the smoothness is visually stunning.

6. Camera: The Surprise Package

Usually, gaming phones have potato cameras. The iQOO 15 borrows heavily from its cousin, the Vivo X100 series, to fix this.

• Main Camera (50MP Sony IMX921): The daylight shots are crisp with excellent dynamic range. The shutter speed is instant—zero lag.
• Telephoto (50MP Periscope): This is the game-changer. The 3x Optical Zoom takes stunning portraits. The background blur (bokeh) looks natural, not software-generated. It can do up to 100x digital zoom, but photos remain usable only up to 10x-20x.
• Ultrawide (50MP): No more 8MP useless sensors. The 50MP ultrawide matches the main camera’s color science perfectly.

7. Battery & Endurance: The 2-Day Champion

This is the killer feature. Mahindra… sorry, iQOO has packed a 7000mAh Silicon-Carbon Battery inside a body that isn’t a brick.

• Real World Drain:
  • 1 hour Instagram Reels: -5%
  • 1 hour BGMI Gaming: -12%
  • Overnight Standby: -1%
• The Verdict: With heavy usage (5G on, gaming, camera), I ended the day with 35% charge left. For a moderate user, this is easily a 2-day phone.
• Charging: The 100W charger (included in the box) takes the phone from 0 to 100% in roughly 32 minutes. It’s not the fastest (Realme does it in 15 mins), but for a 7000mAh cell, it’s impressive.

8. The Competition: iQOO 15 vs The World

We compared the iQOO 15 against its two biggest rivals: the OnePlus 13 and Realme GT 7 Pro.

The Verdict:

• Winner: The iQOO 15 wins on raw battery life and telephoto camera quality.
• Runner Up: The OnePlus 13 has cleaner software (OxygenOS) which many users prefer over Funtouch OS.
• Value Pick: The Realme GT 7 Pro is cheaper but cuts corners on the Ultra-wide camera and build quality.

9. Final Verdict: Should You Buy It?

The iQOO 15 is no longer just for gamers. It is a complete flagship that finally respects your need for a good camera and all-day battery life.

Buy it if:

1. You are a Power User: You need a phone that handles 5 hours of gaming and still lasts a full day. The 7000mAh battery is unbeatable.
2. You love Portraits: The 3x Periscope lens takes DSLR-quality portraits.
3. You want longevity: With IP69 rating and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, this phone is future-proof for 4-5 years.

Skip it if:

1. You hate Bloatware: Funtouch OS 16 still comes with annoying “Hot Apps” and “Hot Games” folders that you can’t easily uninstall.
2. You want a Compact Phone: It is big, heavy, and requires two hands to use comfortably.
3. You are on a Budget: At ₹73k, it is expensive. If you just want performance, the iQOO Neo 11 Pro offers 90% of the speed for 50% of the price.

10. FAQs (People Also Ask)