OnePlus drops the year-end hat-trick: the 15R challenges Samsung and Apple with a 7,400 mAh battery

OnePlus is trying to occupy as much space as possible in the segment that really moves the consumer electronics market today, the one in which the price remains under control but the technical specifications do not make the top of the range regret. With the OnePlus 15R, OnePlus Pad Go 2 and OnePlus Watch Lite, the Chinese company is building a small, coherent ecosystem based on high performance, abundant autonomy and software that focuses on fluidity, the brand's historical theme.

The real flagship is undoubtedly the OnePlus 15R, a device that is positioned as the brand's best value flagship. The beating heart of this smartphone is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 mobile platform. OnePlus scores a major coup: the 15R is in fact the first device globally to feature this chipset, the result of a 24-month co-optimisation between the two companies. The numbers are mind-boggling for the category: the CPU promises 36 per cent faster than the previous generation, while AI performance leaps forward by 46 per cent. However, in today's landscape, brute power is nothing without control, and especially without autonomy. This is where OnePlus drops the ace, integrating a gargantuan 7,400 mAh battery. This is the largest capacity ever seen on a flagship of the brand, made possible by Silicon Nanostack technology that increases energy density thanks to a 15% silicon content in the anode. In this range, the direct comparison is with the flagship killers from Samsung and Xiaomi, but OnePlus plays the battery and advanced cooling card as distinguishing factors

On the tablet front, the OnePlus Pad Go 2 tries to do for the mid-range what the Pad 3 did for the high-end: bring laptop-replacement specs into a slim and relatively affordable body. The 12.1-inch display in 7:5 aspect ratio, with 98 per cent DCI-P3 coverage and up to 900 nits brightness, is designed more for reading and productivity than pure entertainment. The 4-nanometer MediaTek Dimensity 7300-Ultra chipset does not aim for power records, but for certified smoothness over time, while the 10,050 mAh battery promises up to 15 hours of video. The real difference to the similarly priced iPads and Galaxy Tabs is the integration of Open Canvas multitasking and stylus support, which bring the tablet closer to study or light work use, with a price list starting at €349 for the Wi-Fi version and going up to €449 for the 5G version. . The strike price of €349 for the Wi-Fi version makes it an uncomfortable contender for the mid-range from Samsung and Apple.

Closing the trio is the OnePlus Watch Lite, which intercepts the most crowded segment of the wearable market, the sub-200 euro segment. Here, OnePlus chooses a different strategy from Apple and Samsung, forgoing a complex operating system in favour of a lightweight RTOS that allows up to 10 days of real battery life. The 1.46-inch AMOLED display with 3,000-nit peaks and the dual-band L1/L5 GPS place it above the average of its direct competitors, while the monitoring functions - from the 60-second Wellness Overview to the lactate threshold for runners - bring it closer to Garmin products than to 'notification' smartwatches. At €179, the Watch Lite competes head-on with the high-end Galaxy Watch FE and Amazfit, focusing on battery and lightness as key elements. Offered at €179, it fits into a crowded segment, trying to distinguish itself in terms of build quality (316L stainless steel) and integration with the OnePlus ecosystem

Overall, OnePlus's move is clear: to preside over the medium-high segment with devices that look up in terms of technical specifications and down in terms of price. A strategy that intercepts a market that is increasingly sensitive to value for money and less and less willing to pay the premium brands' premium price premium, especially in a device renewal cycle that continues to lengthen.