Samsung’s Galaxy S25 FE offers you a big-screen flagship experience for less, and now OnePlus has the perfect foil, in the new OnePlus 15R.
While we’ve had time to sit with the latest of Samsung’s FE phones, the 15R just made its debut, and impresses with some top-tier specs that give bigger players like Samsung a run for their money.
With the same starting price of £649 in the UK, where your money is best spent between the OnePlus 15R and the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE depends squarely on your priorities.
Do you care about… design & durability?
These are both premium-looking and feeling handsets, Samsung’s FE series sets itself apart from the rest of the flagship line it’s connected to by featuring a silver Armour Aluminium frame – regardless of colourway – where its main Galaxy S phones tend to sport colour-matched frames.
This year at least, OnePlus has more closely matched the look of the 15R to the full-fat OnePlus 15 , which wasn’t as clear-cut with the 13/13R series.
OnePlus’ move towards more rounded corners might make for slightly nicer ergonomics, while the S25 FE mirrors the 15R’s flat, straight front, back and sides, but sports a sharper overall look, especially at the corners.
Foundry | Alex Walker-Todd
Internationally, you’ve only got two choices of finish for the OnePlus 15R: Charcoal Black or Mint Breeze (light, pale green), while Samsung gives you twice as many finishes to consider; with Navy, Icyblue, Jetblack and white.
As for durability, the S25 FE uses slightly older Gorilla Glass Victus+ front and back, while the OnePlus 15R uses more modern – but more modest – Gorilla Glass 7i on the front, with matte-texture glass of unspecified durability on the back. Both types of Corning-made glass are great for smartphones, with Victus+ offering better drop resistance (about twice that of 7i), whilst the 15R’s front glass will do a better job of keep scratches at bay.
Both phones are also IP68 dust and water resistant, but the 15R goes above and beyond, sharing in its flagship sibling’s IP66, IP69 and IP69K-certified ingress protection too. As such, the Galaxy S25 FE is better for butterfingers who are known for dropping their phone more than average, while the 15R otherwise offers hardier hardware overall; thanks to its more scratch-resistant screen and superior IP-rated protection.
Winner: OnePlus 15R
Do you care about… gaming performance?
While Samsung’s top-tier devices try to deliver holistically, OnePlus tends to prioritise performance first and foremost. As such, the OnePlus 15R is one of the first phones internationally to sport Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 SoC. It doesn’t pack quite as much punch as the 8 Elite Gen 5 powering the OnePlus 15 (the same chip also expected to power next year’s Galaxy S26 lineup), but it’s built on the same cutting-edge 3nm architecture too.
Add to that 12GB of faster-than-average ‘RAM Ultra’ memory and the industry’s best UFS 4.1 storage in either 256GB or 512GB flavours, and the 15R packs some truly flagship-class internals. OnePlus didn’t stop there though, pairing these prime specs with a (typically) 120Hz AMOLED display capable of boosting to 144- and even 165Hz, with select games (like Call of Duty: Mobile).
Foundry | Alex Walker-Todd
If that wasn’t enough, the phone boasts a large vapour chamber, a standalone WiFi chip, and bypass charging to keep thermal throttling under sustained load at bay, alongside software-level performance management controls.
In contrast, the S25 FE’s core hardware just isn’t as performant. The ageing 4nm Exynos 2400 chip running the show is supported by slower (and less) RAM and storage compared to the 15R, alongside a smaller (admittedly more power efficient LTPO versus LTPS) 120Hz display, and fewer gaming optimisations at the software level.
The OnePlus 15R was made to run high-fidelity games, the S25 FE can run them, but it’s not the phone’s focus.
Winner: OnePlus 15R
Do you care about… battery life?
Since 2016’s explosive Galaxy Note 7 debacle, Samsung has been among the more reserved phone makers when it comes to pushing new battery tech and charging performance. That’s particularly apparent in 2025, a year where we’ve seen a sudden jump in battery capacity for a lot of phones, especially from Chinese manufacturers like OnePlus.
Physically speaking, while the OnePlus 15R is only marginally larger than the S25 FE, its use of cutting-edge silicon-carbon (Si-C) battery tech has allowed the company to cram in way more milliampere-hours compared to Samsung’s latest almost-flagship.
Foundry | Alex Walker-Todd
The FE sports the same 4900mAh capacity battery and 45W wired charging speeds as the Galaxy S25+ (along with 15W wireless charging support), delivering similar longevity of a day of use in return.
Now compare that to the 15R’s gargantuan 7400mAh battery (the highest capacity phone battery in OnePlus’ history). In practice, this helps render the 15R a two or even three-day phone on a single charge, even if you do decide to game a lot on the go.
Sure, OnePlus’ phone lacks the convenience of wireless charging altogether, but it makes up for it with significantly quicker 80W wired charging too. Neither phone comes with a power adapter in-box in most markets, so you’ll have to fork out extra cash for one in either case.
Winner: OnePlus 15R
Do you care about… long update support?
Both OnePlus and Samsung have their own interpretation of Android and both come with a gamut of similarities, pros and cons.
Thanks to Samsung’s global popularity, there’s a greater chance you’ve encountered the company’s One UI user experience before, complete with all its exclusive features and first-party Samsung apps.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
OnePlus’ OxygenOS offers a similar degree of personalisation and first-party extras, as well as its suite of OnePlus AI tools for text and image creation and adjustment, very similar in approach to Samsung’s Galaxy AI toolset.
The most prominent difference between the software experience from each of these otherwise similarly capable offerings is support. OnePlus has committed to a respectable four generations of OS updates and years of security updates from release with its high-end devices, including the 15R.
Samsung, however, blows that out of the water, with an industry-leading seven years of both, making it the superior choice for those who tend to hold onto the same phone for more than four years (or who want better resale value down the line).
Winner: Samsung Galaxy S25 FE
Do you care about… photography?
One area that Samsung always pours a lot of energy into is the photography experience offered up by its phones.
‘Nightography’ (low light still and video performance) has been a major cornerstone of the Galaxy S camera setup for several generations at this point, and while the S25 FE doesn’t have the brand’s best camera phone hardware, it does have a competent trio of sensors on the back, that work well in ample light, while still being able to deliver pleasing shots in dimmer scenarios too.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
As for OnePlus, their phones’ ever-improving camera performance doesn’t appear to have been stifled by the termination of a brand partnership with famed camera brand, Hasselblad. In fact, I actually prefer the look and feel of shots coming out of OnePlus’ own new DetailMax Engine, in terms of colour, contrast and sharpness.
The OnePlus 15R also comes with a hidden talent by being able to capture 4K video at up to 120fps, but beyond that, its dual rear sensor setup lacks the consistency, adaptability and versatility of the Galaxy S25 FE’s main, ultra-wide and 3x telephoto arrangement.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy S25 FE
OnePlus 15R vs Galaxy S25 FE: Conclusion
If you’re in need of a phone that’ll feel like a serious upgrade – especially with regards to power and battery life – the OnePlus 15R is the obvious choice here. It’s also got a greater skillset for mobile gaming and enjoying media.
What it lacks is the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE’s staying power. One UI is a little heavier-handed as a user experience, compared to OxygenOS, but it comes backed by Sammy’s more robust support network. This latest FE also has the edge when it comes to camera versatility, which again means it might be more helpful in everyday use, depending on what kind of user you are.
With an identical starting price, the OnePlus 15R is the better choice in the short term, with its superior hardware focused on performance. Longer software support – and the long-term value implication, with regards to resale – are the main reasons you’d otherwise opt for the S25 FE.
Samsung Galaxy S25 FE
Author: Alex Walker-Todd, Contributor, Tech Advisor
Having covered every smartphone, tablet and wearable worth shouting about over the past ten years, Alex lives and breathes tech.
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