'It almost defied belief': here are the 5 best OnePlus phones ever, as the 'flagship killer' leaves the US and Europe

Date:
Sat, 18 Jul 2026 11:30:00 +0000

Description:
We're not going to get any more new OnePlus phones in the US and Europe, but we still have our memories.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter After months of speculation, it's official: parent company Oppo is pulling OnePlus devices out of US and European markets . While existing customers are still going to get
after-sales support and software updates from OnePlus, we're not going to see any more new phones, tablets, or smartwatches in these regions in the future.

Oppo is branding this as a "strategic" move, but the decision is based on simple economics. OnePlus has always struggled to maintain the all-important carrier relationships in the US, and is being squeezed by Samsung , Apple , Google , and Chinese manufacturers in terms of sales. We're not here to dissect what went wrong in this particular article though we're here to celebrate some of the fantastic smartphones that OnePlus has made down the years, since the company was founded back in 2013. There have been dozens of OnePlus handsets launched since then, but these are our five favorites (in order of release). Latest Videos From Watch full video here: 1. OnePlus One (2014) The debut OnePlus phone (Image credit: Future) We had to start with
the OnePlus One really, as it set the tone for OnePlus, and epitomized everything the fledgling company was about. Boldly marketed as a "flagship killer" and with the tagline "never settle" as in, never settle for a poor compromise between price and performance it really did shake up the market
in a significant way.

Our review praises the value-for-money proposition it was less than half the price of the flagship Samsung Galaxy, at the time as well as the top-notch specs (a Snapdragon 801 and 3GB of RAM) and the customization features available in CyanogenMod, which is the operating system that the first
OnePlus phone came running. You may like 5 things you need to know about OnePlus quitting the US and Europe Best OnePlus phones: the top flagship, budget, and foldable models ranked I tested the 7 top flagship phones of 2026
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It almost defied belief that a phone this well made, with such good internal specs, could cost this little and from nowhere, OnePlus was suddenly on the scene in a big way. As a historical note, it's also funny looking back to see the 5.5-inch screen described as being relatively big, in 2014 terms. 2. OnePlus 7 Pro (2019) Spot the pop-up selfie camera (Image credit: Future) There were some excellent handsets between the debut phone from OnePlus and the OnePlus 7 Pro in 2019 it was hardly a fallow time for the company but this was the first handset to really wow us since the OnePlus One. That was partly down to its great party trick: a pop-up selfie camera. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Thanks to that pop-up camera, there was no need for a notch or cut-out on the front screen, and it looked gorgeous from the front (and the back, as it happens). It was a phone that genuinely turned heads when you took it out of your pocket, and our review waxed lyrical about the performance levels and charging speeds, too.

By this stage, OnePlus wasn't quite giving us the same jaw-dropping value for money with its flagship phones as it did with the OnePlus One, but this phone still held its own in terms of pricing with the best flagships on the market in 2019. The screen had been upped to 6.67 inches in size, and notably boasted a 90 Hz refresh rate too. 3. OnePlus Open (2023) A foldable phone
done right (Image credit: Future) You could make a strong argument that despite the best efforts of Samsung and Google, OnePlus was the first phone maker to get a foldable phone right in every department: the OnePlus Open was awarded 4.5 stars out of 5 in its TechRadar review, with the biggest pros listed as the displays, the cameras, and the thin and light build. What to read next OnePlus 15 vs OnePlus 15R: which OnePlus phone is best for you? I'm a phone expert, and these are my 5 favorite models of 2026 so far OnePlus is reportedly merging with Realme, and I'm convinced that this is actually a
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As we put it at the time: "The OnePlus Open is the only big foldable phone that doesnt feel like a compromise. It looks and feels like a normal phone, and the camera is the best you'll find on any foldable." Of course, it was still expensive (what book-style foldable isn't), but this was finally a folding phone that could justify the cost.

OnePlus was able to improve on what had gone before in this form factor in multiple areas, including the foldable's hinge and crease, and it still managed to score highly in all the categories that matter on any type of smartphone. Meanwhile, the OxygenOS software responded nimbly and seamlessly to the folding design too. 4. OnePlus 13 (2024) The excellent OnePlus 13 (Image credit: Future) Admittedly our list is a little biased towards later models: that's no criticism of the many fantastic earlier handsets, but OnePlus really has been hitting it out of the park in the last couple of years. As our reviewer for the OnePlus 13 put it: "I'm dumbfounded, I can't find anything wrong with this phone."

It had a huge 6,000 mAh battery, it ran super-smooth thanks to its Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, and it had an IP69 rating a first for a OnePlus phone.
The handset also boasted a gorgeous 6.82-inch display, and powerful triple-lens rear cameras. This handset was a real return to top-tier OnePlus.

You can probably guess what the main downside was for customers in the US it wasn't possible to buy the OnePlus 13 in local carrier stores, which didn't help with brand awareness and recognition. Looking back, this may be one of the phones that made up Oppo's mind about exiting international markets: it was a device that deserved to sell in much higher numbers than it actually did. 5. OnePlus 15 (2025) The OnePlus 15 really impressed us (Image credit: Future) We'll close out this list with last year's OnePlus 15 , which earned
a rare 5-stars-out-of-5 ranking in its TechRadar review. There was so much to love about this phone: the battery life, the performance, the design, the software, the durability... it basically checked all of the boxes you would want, and there was really nothing bad to say about it.

The phone also shows that OnePlus was making great handsets right up until
the end (in the US and Europe). It was other issues that were the problem again, the OnePlus 15 couldn't be found inside carrier stores in the United States, which meant it wasn't as visible to consumers, and you had to pay
more up front to get it.

While this wasn't quite the last OnePlus phone to launch internationally, it still stands as a testament to the quality of the handsets the company has
put out down the years. It more than holds its own against anything Apple, Google, and Samsung have ever made, and it's a shame that most of the world won't see these handsets any more. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Today's best phone deals Contract Deals Sim Free gift Apple iPhone 17 24 months Unlimited mins Unlimited texts 10GB data 19 upfront 34.99 /mth View at Mobiles.co.uk See all prices voucher gift Samsung Galaxy S26 36 months Unlimited mins 25GB data 30 upfront 43.26 /mth View at EE See all prices voucher Google Pixel Buds 2a (Hazel) Google Pixel 10 24 months Unlimited mins 100GB data 9 upfront 24.99 /mth View at Carphone Warehouse See all prices We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices



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