OnePlus just launched its latest flagship phone, the OnePlus 15. It has a new processor, two-day battery life and display with fast refresh rate. But if you want to buy one, it’s been delayed in the U.S. That’s down to the newly ended government shutdown. Here’s the latest.
OnePlus announced the phone on Thursday, Nov. 13 and it’s already available to buy in plenty of places. There’s even a pop-up shop coming to London on Nov. 17 with special offers and competitions. There are early bird discounts such as £100 ($131) off select models in the U.K., for instance.
But in the U.S., it’s a different story. “U.S. consumers will need to wait to get their hands on one given the shutdown’s impact on the Federal Communications Commission and a backlog of regulatory certifications, “ Chris Welch reported at Bloomberg. “As a result of the government shutdown, device certifications have been delayed,” OnePlus explained in a statement. “Subsequently, US sales for the OnePlus 15 will be postponed until they have been secured. We are hopeful that approvals can be generated quickly.”
It’s possible that there will be considerable interest in this phone Stateside, not least because it’s the first phone coming to the U.S. with the brand-new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, though this chip is also in a handful of other phones available outside the States.
It’s designed to appeal to gamers with a faster refresh rate than many rivals (165Hz, against 120Hz or slower in most cases), with the aim to deliver smoother graphics.
It also has a battery bigger than rivals at 7,300mAh, which is meant to be enough to last up to two full days between charges.
So, when will it arrive in the U.S.? That’s not clear. Government backlogs tend not to be cleared quickly. After all, there’s new work to be done alongside the old stuff and only the same number of staff to do it.
For sure, OnePlus will want it to happen as soon as it can, but weeks feels optimistic to me. My guess is that it might miss the holiday season, but let’s see.
