After OnePlus publicly dismissed reports suggesting the company was being dismantled, a new rumor has surfaced that shifts attention back to its product roadmap. This time, the focus is on the company’s upcoming compact flagship, widely believed to be the OnePlus 15T, and the details point to an interesting decision around its camera hardware.
According to a post shared by the well-known Chinese tipster Digital Chat Station on Weibo, a “small-screen smartphone powered by the Snapdragon 8E5” is nearing readiness. While the post does not directly name the device, the description strongly aligns with what is expected from the OnePlus 15T. The leak suggests the phone will feature a dual-camera configuration consisting of a 50-megapixel primary sensor paired with a 50-megapixel telephoto lens.
If that setup sounds familiar, it is because it closely mirrors the camera hardware found on the OnePlus 13T, also marketed as the OnePlus 13S in India. That device ships with a 50MP Sony IMX890 main camera with an f/1.8 aperture and a secondary 50MP sensor featuring an f/2.0 aperture and 2x optical zoom. Based on the latest leak, OnePlus appears to be sticking with a similar imaging formula rather than introducing a dramatic overhaul.
In real-world use, the camera performance on the current compact flagship has been respectable. Daylight photography benefits from sharp detail and solid dynamic range, while low-light images tend to rely more heavily on computational processing. One notable limitation has been the absence of optical image stabilization on the telephoto lens, which can make portrait shots harder to capture consistently. Still, the overall experience lands comfortably above average for a phone in this size category.
On the front, the OnePlus 13T features a 16MP selfie camera, while the India-exclusive 13S upgrades that to a 32MP sensor. Early indications suggest the OnePlus 15T may retain the same front-facing camera as well, although minor changes to sensor size or aperture cannot be ruled out. There is also speculation that OnePlus could add an ultrawide lens, though the leak does not explicitly mention one.
Where the OnePlus 15T could truly differentiate itself is battery capacity. The tipster claims the device will offer the largest battery ever fitted into a phone with a small display. This lines up with earlier reports pointing to a 6.3-inch handset housing a battery rated between 7,000mAh and 7,500mAh. Such numbers would be impressive for a compact smartphone and would place the 15T alongside other recent OnePlus devices that emphasize endurance.
Both the OnePlus 15 and the OnePlus 15R already feature unusually large batteries for their respective sizes, coming in at roughly 7,300mAh and 7,400mAh. If the same design philosophy carries over, the 15T could appeal strongly to users who want long battery life without stepping up to a physically larger phone.
Availability, however, remains uncertain. OnePlus has historically limited the release of its compact flagship models, often keeping them exclusive to select Asian markets. Neither the OnePlus 13T nor the 13S made their way to the United States, and there is no clear indication that this strategy will change with the next generation.
Adding to the uncertainty, an Indian industry insider recently claimed that the OnePlus 15S, believed to be the regional variant of the 15T, may have been canceled altogether. While that does not necessarily mean the core model will not launch elsewhere, it does raise questions about the broader rollout strategy.
For now, the OnePlus 15T appears positioned as an incremental update rather than a radical reinvention, with familiar camera hardware balanced by a potentially class-leading battery. Whether it reaches markets beyond China remains to be seen, but the device is still worth watching closely as more details emerge.
