iQOO 15 review

Design and handling

The iQOO 15 doesn't stray far from the previous iQOO generations and follows a familiar design language. Only this time, the handset feels flatter than before.

The back and front panels are completely flat, and so is the side frame. No sharp edges or protrusions, though, so it feels nice and smooth in the hand.

You have the choice between a handful of color options - Black, White, Green, Blue and one that changes colors depending on the lighting. iQOO calls the black color Alpha Black, and that's the version we have for review.

Notably, the Alpha Black color has a fiberglass back, while the Legend (White) gets a glass back panel. All color versions get the same aluminum frame, though. Unfortunately, those are the only two colorways available outside China, at least for now.

The side frame is business as usual. It houses an IR blaster at the top along with an additional echo chamber opening for the top speaker, while the bottom is home to the SIM card tray that can hold up to two physical SIM cards. Support for eSIM is also on the menu.

iQOO 15

The surface of the fiberglass is matte and silky-smooth to the touch, making it quite slippery, but at least fingerprints and smudges aren't that big of an issue. They are hard to spot, at least on the Alpha Black variant.

The buttons and the fingerprint reader are conveniently placed. Speaking of, the under-display fingerprint reader uses a third-generation ultrasonic scanner, which allows you to apply tempered glass screen protectors without affecting usability. Naturally, it's fast, reliable and accurate. We had no issues with it.

Despite the larger battery, the handset's thickness hasn't increased much, and it's now around 8.1mm, up from 8.0mm last year. Weight has gone up, though. The iQOO 15 tips the scale at 217 or 220 grams, depending on the colorway you choose. The fiberglass option is slightly lighter, but still somewhat hefty.

Other notable design feature include an IP68/IP69 certification against water and dust. There's also an LED strip around the camera island that lights up along the side edges. It's very subtle, but it will notify you of incoming calls, notifications and battery level. Of course, the LED is RGB, and you can pick from a wide selection of colors.

The design is clean and easy to like, overall, and the LED strip around the camera island is a nice touch. It's also a nice feature for anyone still missing the now-extinct notification lights.