Oppo R15 Pro review

Competition

In this notched world there is plenty of notched competitors. Starting with Oppo's very own R15 and F7, BBK's OnePlus 6 and vivo X21, through the whole Huawei P20 series, the overly expensive Apple iPhone X, and the ever-confusing Asus Zenfone 5 lineup. If all-screen with a notch is your thing, you have a lot to choose from.

Oppo R15 Pro

The Oppo R15 lacks the curved ceramic back yet it is equally stunning. The other omission is the high-res secondary camera, but it makes little to no difference in quality. So, the real question is if the extra $50 are worthy of that ceramic piece and water-sealed body you get with the Pro, outside China that is. Probably, but there is also that Nebula Purple exclusivity to R15. Tough choice.

Oppo R15 (Purple) next to the R15 Pro (Red)

The Huawei P20 Lite costs pretty much the same as the Oppo R15, which means $50 cheaper than the R15 Pro. It has a slightly smaller screen, which isn't much of an issue, but the inferior processor and graphics might be. Then there are the imaging skills - while the P20 Lite is a match to the R15 for the most part, it has narrower aperture and can't do 4K videos.

Vivo is all-in in the notch race, too. Its more affordable V9 (read cheaper than R15) is basically the R15 with less-capable processor and uninspiring paintjobs. There is also the X21 model, which is almost identical with Oppo's R15 - screen, design, chipset, camera and battery, with the selfie snapper being the exception. It even has a more expensive version with an under-display fingerprint sensor.

Asus Zenfone 5z is a rather cheap flagship, with a similar notched screen, good-looking body and top of the line Snapdragon 845 chip. All of its snappers have gyro-based EIS, promises richer connectivity options and boasts stereo speakers. The only downside is the Zenfone 5z will be launching in June.

Finally - the elephant in the room - the OnePlus 6 is still in the works, under wraps. We are yet to see it go official and launch, but the rumors paint it as an R15 Pro with a Snapdragon 845 chip. It will most probably lack the catchy paintjobs, go out of stock in a flash, in addition to all the usual OnePlus perks and quirks. And no matter the theoretical speed gap, no one could be able to feel that in real life. Plus, we doubt the OnePlus 6 will have the same reach in China as the R15 duo.

Huawei P20 lite • vivo V9 • vivo X21 • Asus Zenfone 5z ZS620KL • OnePlus 6

The Verdict

The Oppo R15 Pro is just one Snapdragon short of being the OnePlus 6. Probably. Maybe. Who knows? But the R15 Pro is available today in all colors, on every official market. No invites, queues, out of stock messages, and whatnot. You can go inside any Oppo store and buy it.

Oppo R15 (Purple) next to the R15 Pro (Red)

But the R15 duo doesn't deserve the numerous OnePlus analogies even though it's part of the same parent company. The R15 and R15 Pro are influential enough to stand their ground. The design alone is a deal sealer, but the trendy screen, great selfie camera, and the skillful main snappers are what makes it great.

Pros

• R15 Pro: Premium design with curved ceramic back, water-tight outside China
• R15: Good-looking design with stunning Nebula Purple color
• Superb bezel-less AMOLED screen
• Great performance, no matter Snapdragon or Helio
• Very good battery life, blazing-fast charging
• Very capable camera with excellent daylight and low-light quality
• Great 4K videos
• Selfie Expert isn't just PR, it's real with that 20MP cam
• Excellent retail bundle

Cons

• The notch, obviously
• The 20MP secondary camera on the R15 Pro is mostly PR
• The 1080p videos are pretty awful
• It's pricey at some markets

Oppo once again succeeded in making a great smartphone series. It ticks all the right boxes for any youth - the attractive design, all-screen front, high-res selfie camera. The R15 and R15 Pro are powerful enough for smooth gaming, and Oppo enhanced that with a dedicated Gaming mode with control over interruptions. Finally, the rear camera won't disappoint with quality in both well and dark lit environments.

Oppo R15 (Purple) next to the R15 Pro (Red)

In China the Oppo R15 and R15 Pro are among the best smartphones to get right now. Both reasonably priced, exceptionally designed, and fancy the selfie persons. There are cheaper offers, and there are more expensive ones. Which puts the R15 and R15 Pro at the right place, time, and pricing. And that's a job well done.