iQOO 15 launched in India: Is iQOO 15 another Snapdragon 8 Elite clone?

iQOO is a Chinese smartphone brand that has recently released iQOO 15 in India as the latest flagship which is positioned to attract power users and gamers with competitive prices and launch offers. iQOO 15 is a new iQOO phone which has been introduced in India. This phone has been introduced by the company using the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SoC. 

The iQOO 15 uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, a high-end processor that is in a range of high-end Android smartphones. The very similar hardware basis does mean that the iQOO 15 can be compared to other high-end phones in terms of pure performance, which is why it warrants the status of a Snapdragon 8 Elite clone. The chipset includes a 4.6-GHz octa-core processor, Adreno 840 graphics, and high-level artificial intelligence, which places it in the flagship field.

iQOO 15 Price in India

iQOO 15 will be available in two memory variants:

• 12GB+256GB = Rs 72,999

• 16GB+512GB = Rs 79,999

It will have two RAM and storage options, 12GB+256GB at Rs72,999 and 16GB +256GB at Rs79,999. Buyers will be able to enjoy up to Rs7,000 instant discount, a further Rs7,000 exchange discount and a Rs1,000 coupon discount which will reduce the effective initial price by a considerable margin to early buyers. The device will be released through Amazon on 28 November, 2025, and open sales will be on 1st December, 2025, and will be available in three varieties: Legend,Alpha, and Grey.

Is iQOO 15 another Snapdragon 8 Elite Clone?

Although they have the same processor of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, the iQOO 15 provides some exclusive features that make it worth positioning in the market. It is its first Android phone in India to have Samsung 2K M14 LED OLED display with high-resolution images and vivid HDR display. Additionally, the device is an 8K vapour chamber cooling system that could be used in extended gaming periods, which is indeed a game-changer in the performance sustenance.

The phone also receives the 1Hz always-on-screen feature. The phone comes out of the box with Android 16 operating system 6, OriginOS 6. The phone will receive five years of android updates, and seven years of security updates. An anti-reflective film and wet finger control are also included in the phone.

The phone will have Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in combination with a maximum of 16GB LPDDR5x RAM and 512GB UFS 4.1 internal memory. The phone consists of 4.18 million points on AnTuTu. It has an 8K VC cooling system having an area of 8000 square mm of heat dissipation. It also has a new Monster Halo ambient lighting that is installed below the rear camera module.

The rear camera setup on the iQOO 15 is triple cameras comprising of 50MP Sony IMX921 primary sensor with OIS, 50MP Sony IMX882 telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, 10x lossless, and 3.7x optical zoom, 50MP ultrawide camera with 1/2.76-inch sensor. In the case of the iQOO 15, there is a 32MP selfie camera at the front. The battery capacity of the phone is 7000mAh, and it supports 100W and 40W fast charging. It has IP68 + IP69 rating.

iQOO 15: Special hardware and software improvements

The iQOO 15 has an impressive 7,000mAh battery with 100W FlashCharge that allows charging in a short time and has a long power supply, which is not comparable to most rivals. It also has OriginOS 6 that has a sophisticated aesthetic and visuals based on the Apple Liquid Glass, as well as such new features as Atomic Island with dynamic alerts and real-time blur effects. Such innovations distinguish the iQOO 15 among other Snapdragon 8 Elite models and focus on its differentiated value-proposals in the flagship market.

iQOO 15: Camera and Haptics

iQOO 15 has a triple rear camera with a resolution of 50MP, consisting of 50MP Sony IMX921 ultra-stable main camera, a 50MP periscope telephoto with a digital zoom of up to 100x, and a 50MP ultra-wide-angle lenses, with the addition of features like OIS and advanced imaging algorithms. It has a 32MP selfie camera in a hole on the front, which serves social media and video calls. The company also stated during the launch that this is the first dual-axis vibration motor smartphone in India, which will provide more specific and deeper haptic feedback of swipes, taps, and gaming triggers. Combined with Dolby Vision and extensive connectivity, including 5G, Bluetooth and USB 3.2 Gen 1, iQOO 15 can be offered as an overall flagship to its customers that require a combination of performance, gaming features, and refined software experience.

Disclaimer:The information regarding the gadgets/devices listed in the table and article has been sourced from various secondary sources. For detailed product specifications, please refer to the brand sources.