If you are trying to decide between the OnePlus 15 vs iPhone 17 Pro, chances are the camera is a big part of your decision. After all, we use our phones to capture everything- from quick snaps and travel photos to full-on video projects.
Both phones pack powerful camera systems, but they do things differently. The Apple iPhone 17 Pro focuses on professional consistency and cinematic results, while the OnePlus 15 aims for sharp detail and more natural tones with its new image engine.
In this post, we will talk about how both cameras perform in real-life situations- daylight, portraits, night shots, ultra-wide, zoom, video, and selfies- so you can see which one fits your style better.
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OnePlus 15 Vs iPhone 17 Pro Camera Overview
Before we talk about the detailed OnePlus 15 vs iPhone 17 Pro camera comparison, let us quickly have a look at the features offered by both these phones:
| Mode | iPhone 17 Pro | OnePlus 15 | Notes |
| Main Camera | 48MP Fusion Main, ƒ/1.78, sensor-shift OIS, 24/48MP output | 50MP wide, ƒ/1.8, OIS | iPhone offers cinematic consistency, OnePlus offers sharper, natural detail |
| Ultra-Wide | 48MP, 13mm, 120° FOV | 50MP, 16mm, 116° FOV, f/2.0 | iPhone has cleaner edge correction, OnePlus has brighter and better low-light |
| Telephoto / Zoom | Two lenses: 48mm 2x and 100mm 4x (up to 8x optical, 40x digital) | Periscope 3.5x optical zoom | Apple is more versatile, longer optical reach, OnePlus is good for daily zoom |
| Front Camera | 18MP, Center Stage, Smart HDR 5, Deep Fusion | 32MP, autofocus, 4K 60fps | OnePlus has improved selfie camera, iPhone has better low-light and dynamic range |
| Daylight Photography | Natural warmth, excellent detail and dynamic range | Crisp, natural colors, slightly cooler tones | Both are strong, iPhone is slightly better in micro-detail consistency |
| Portrait Mode | Next-gen Portraits, Focus & Depth Control, Portrait Lighting | DetailMax Engine, 3.5x telephoto, improved subject outlines | iPhone cinematic and evenly lit, OnePlus punchier and modern |
| Night Mode | Bright, detailed, color-accurate, soft background blur | f/1.8 aperture, noise control, rich shadows | Apple is slightly more refined, OnePlus is excellent for most users |
| Video Recording | 4K Dolby Vision up to 120fps, ProRes/ProRes RAW, Spatial Video, Action & Cinematic Mode, sensor-shift OIS, quad mics | 8K 30fps, 4K up to 120fps, 1080p slow-mo 240fps, gyro-EIS, LUT preview, Dolby Vision | Apple excels for pro filmmakers, and OnePlus is close behind with creative tools |
| Image Processing & Color | Photonic Engine + Deep Fusion, consistent and realistic | DetailMax Engine: HDR, noise control, shadow recovery, neutral/natural look | iPhone is more polished, OnePlus is more true-to-life |
| Special Modes / Extras | Photographic Styles, ProRAW, Macro, Night Time-lapse, Spatial Photos | AI Scene Optimization, Pro Mode with RAW, improved Macro, LUT previews | Apple is tightly integrated, OnePlus focuses on creator flexibility |
| Best For | Users who want cinematic, consistent photos and videos with minimal effort | Users who enjoy creative control, natural tones, and flexibility | Depends on your shooting style and preferences |
OnePlus 15 Vs iPhone 17 Pro Camera: Daylight Photography
Here’s how OnePlus 15 vs iPhone 17 Pro camera compares in daylight photography:
iPhone 17 Pro
In bright daylight, the iPhone 17 Pro’s camera system shines with clarity and balance. The Photonic Engine and Smart HDR 5 work together to maintain detail in highlights and shadows, giving your photos a realistic yet vibrant look.
Additionally, the default 24MP output strikes a perfect balance between sharpness and file size.
Color reproduction leans toward natural warmth, typical of Apple’s tuning. The Fusion Main lens can handle dynamic range extremely well, even under harsh sunlight. You can also customize your Photographic Style- for example, choosing between “Rich Contrast” or “Vibrant” looks- to match your preference.
OnePlus 15
OnePlus’s DetailMax Engine brings a noticeable improvement in daylight shots. It offers clean, crisp images with accurate exposure and impressive texture detail.
Unlike previous models that leaned into oversaturation, the OnePlus 15 aims for a more natural color palette. The main 50MP sensor captures a strong sense of depth, and the HDR balance feels less aggressive than Apple’s, which some users might prefer.
However, Apple still holds a slight edge in micro-detail consistency across lenses, while OnePlus’s shots are a touch cooler in tone. Still, the OnePlus 15 has closed the gap significantly, offering daylight results that rival, and sometimes exceed, Apple’s.
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OnePlus 15 Vs iPhone 17 Pro Camera: Portrait Mode
Let us see the portrait camera comparison for both OnePlus 15 vs iPhone 17 Pro:
iPhone 17 Pro
Apple’s portrait system is among the best in the industry. This Next-generation Portrait Mode with Focus and Depth Control lets you adjust the focus point after taking a photo- a huge creative advantage. Furthermore, iPhone 17 Pro’s edge detection is excellent, with soft background blur and realistic skin tones.
The iPhone 17 Pro also benefits from Portrait Lighting, offering six professional effects like Studio Light and Contour Light. Combined with the 48MP sensor and TrueDepth engine, portraits feel studio-quality even when shot outdoors.
OnePlus 15
The OnePlus 15’s portrait mode is powered by its new DetailMax Engine, which handles skin tones and background separation quite well. The 3.5x telephoto lens helps achieve flattering compression, and subject outlines are more precise than before. Skin tones are slightly cooler compared to the iPhone, but color uniformity across lenses is much improved.
In general, iPhone portraits look more cinematic and evenly lit, while OnePlus portraits look slightly punchier and modern- appealing for social media aesthetics.
OnePlus 15 Vs iPhone 17 Pro Camera: Night Mode
Check how the OnePlus 15 vs iPhone 17 Pro camera compares in night mode:
iPhone 17 Pro
Apple’s Night Mode continues to impress with its ability to preserve natural tones in low light. The Photonic Engine combines multiple exposures to reduce noise and enhance detail, even when the light is minimal. The results are bright, detailed, and color-accurate.
Night portraits also benefit from the larger aperture and improved depth sensing, maintaining subject sharpness while softly blurring the background. Unlike many phones, Apple’s night shots rarely overbrighten dark scenes- they look truer to what your eyes see.
Also Read: Boost iPhone 17 Photo Quality By Changing These Camera Settings
OnePlus 15
The OnePlus 15’s night photography takes a huge leap this year. Thanks to the f/1.8 aperture and advanced noise control in the DetailMax Engine, it captures well-exposed images with strong contrast and minimal grain. Shadows remain rich, and the phone avoids overprocessing- something OnePlus used to struggle with.
Still, Apple’s Night Mode produces slightly more refined results, particularly in complex lighting like street lamps or neon signs. But for most users, the OnePlus 15 delivers excellent night shots that compete closely with the iPhone.
OnePlus 15 Vs iPhone 17 Pro Camera: Ultra-Wide and Zoom Modes
Time to understand the OnePlus 15 vs iPhone 17 Pro camera in ultra-wide and zoom modes:
Ultra-Wide
The iPhone 17 Pro’s Fusion Ultra Wide lens offers a 120° field of view and produces bright, distortion-free images even at the edges. It’s ideal for architecture, landscapes, and creative framing. The 48MP resolution ensures you don’t lose detail when cropping or editing.
The OnePlus 15’s ultra-wide camera also packs 50MP, with an f/2.0 aperture that lets in more light than the iPhone’s f/2.2. The resulting images are sharp and color-consistent with the main lens- a major improvement over older OnePlus models.
While Apple’s edge correction is a bit cleaner, OnePlus delivers more dramatic perspective and better low-light ultra-wide shots.
Zoom And Telephoto
It goes without saying that Apple dominates in versatility. The iPhone 17 Pro provides up to 8x optical-quality zoom and 16x optical-quality range, allowing you to smoothly move between 24mm, 48mm, 100mm, and 200mm. The tetraprism telephoto design ensures images remain sharp even at long focal lengths.
The OnePlus 15, with its 3.5x optical zoom, performs admirably for everyday telephoto shots. The new periscope lens produces detailed and contrast-rich images up to around 10x hybrid zoom, but beyond that, Apple’s longer optical reach gives it an advantage in flexibility and clarity.
OnePlus 15 Vs iPhone 17 Pro Camera: Video Recording
When we talk about video recording, iPhone 17 Pro might have an edge. Check how the OnePlus 15 vs iPhone 17 Pro camera compares here:
iPhone 17 Pro
Apple’s video features are unmatched. The iPhone 17 Pro supports 4K Dolby Vision recording up to 120 fps, ProRes, ProRes RAW, and even Spatial Video for immersive 3D playback. Filmmakers benefit from Apple Log 2, Genlock support, and the ability to shoot in ProRes RAW5 with external recording.
Cinematic Mode, Action Mode, and Night Time-lapse remain polished and intuitive. Footage is steady, color-accurate, and ready for professional workflows straight from the phone. The sensor-shift stabilization ensures smooth motion even in handheld shots, and the quad-mic setup records clear, spatial audio.
Also Read: Apple iPhone 17 Pro Vs Apple iPhone 16 Pro: Major Changes Explained
OnePlus 15
OnePlus has caught up impressively in the video department. The phone now supports 8K at 30 fps and 4K at 120 fps, giving creators flexibility for high-resolution slow motion. Dolby Vision and HDR video look dynamic and punchy. The inclusion of gyro-EIS helps maintain stability, even during action shots.
One particularly creative feature is the LUT preview option, which lets you see color grading in real-time- a feature previously found only in pro cameras. Audio capture is solid, and wind noise reduction works effectively outdoors. While Apple’s color science and cinematic focus tools still lead, OnePlus is closing the gap fast.
OnePlus 15 Vs iPhone 17 Pro Camera: Selfie Camera Performance
Let us see what the OnePlus 15 vs iPhone 17 camera has to offer in terms of selfies:
iPhone 17 Pro
The 18MP front camera on the iPhone 17 Pro brings features like Center Stage, Smart HDR 5, and Deep Fusion, making selfies detailed and naturally toned. Portrait selfies look sharp, with good background separation and excellent low-light handling.
Video performance is equally strong- it supports 4K Dolby Vision at up to 60 fps, along with ProRes recording, cinematic stabilization, and spatial audio. For vlogging or professional content creation, the iPhone’s front camera remains top-tier.
OnePlus 15
The 32MP front camera on the OnePlus 15 is a big improvement over its predecessor. With a 1/2.74-inch sensor and autofocus, it captures well-balanced selfies with true-to-life color and sharp detail. HDR works well in tricky lighting, and the 4K 60 fps video support is excellent for creators. It doesn’t quite match Apple’s dynamic range or facial depth mapping, but it is one of the best selfie cameras OnePlus has ever made.
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Special Modes And Extras
Both OnePlus 15 vs iPhone 17 Pro camera offer a range of creative tools:
- Apple iPhone 17 Pro: Next-generation Portraits, Photographic Styles, ProRAW, Macro mode, Night Mode Time-lapse, and Spatial Photos for Vision Pro.
- OnePlus 15: AI Scene Optimization, Pro Mode with RAW capture, improved Macro, and LUT previews for video creators.
Verdict: Which Camera Wins?
Both OnePlus 15 vs iPhone 17 Pro camera deliver exceptional results, but they serve slightly different audiences.
- iPhone 17 Pro is ideal for users who want consistent, professional-looking results with minimal effort. Its camera system is refined, reliable, and cinematic, excelling especially in portraits and video.
- OnePlus 15 appeals to enthusiasts who enjoy manual control and creative flexibility. The DetailMax Engine produces natural images with great detail, and the video tools are surprisingly advanced for the price range.
In short:
- For photos: Slight edge to iPhone 17 Pro for its consistency and real tones.
- For video: iPhone 17 Pro still dominates with its professional-grade options.
- For value and versatility: OnePlus 15 is incredibly competitive and delivers 90% of the iPhone’s camera performance at a likely lower cost.
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