On a late October day in 2026, iQOO put its Neo 12 on sale in China at CNY 4,399, a price that sits CNY 400 above what OnePlus asked for its flagship OnePlus 15 when it launched a year earlier. The gap is less a story about two phones than about a moment when memory chips have grown scarce and expensive, and that pressure is now reaching every shelf. Two devices built on the same chip, once separated by their price, have drawn closer together, and what a buyer ends up paying says as much about the market as about the hardware. The older flagship's fate now rests on discounts, a reminder that v
iQOO Neo 12 Now Costs More Than the OnePlus 15 Did at Launch, Despite the Same Chip
A cheaper gaming phone now costs more than last year's flagship did on day one
Mark
Why is a gaming phone costing more than last year's flagship?
Mimi
Memory. The piece points to a global RAM shortage, and the gap widens as storage grows, from $60 at base to $165 at 16GB and 1TB.
Mark
So the Neo 12 isn't really overpriced?
Luke
That's a judgment, not a fact in the reporting. What's shown is the launch comparison. The OnePlus 15 itself got more expensive after March 16, 2026.
Mimi
Right, and by mid-October a JD.com listing had it at the same CNY 6,499 list price as the top Neo 12.
Mark
What about performance?
Mimi
Same chip. The Neo 12 reportedly scores about 5% higher on AnTuTu, but the real difference is the fan.
Luke
Careful with that 5%. Another OnePlus listing gives a lower score, which makes it about 8%, and scores shift with firmware and temperature. It's reported, not tested here.
Mark
And cameras?
Mimi
That's the clearest win for OnePlus: telephoto, 50MP ultrawide, better selfies.
Luke
One more unknown: the piece is cut off before finishing the software and availability section, so we don't have its full conclusion on buying outside China.
O Pulso
- A budget-minded gaming line has opened higher than last year's flagship, and the price jump is hard to ignore.
- Memory shortages are pushing phone prices upward across brands, leaving buyers to absorb costs they did not create.
- Both phones share the same Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, so the choice must be made on cooling, screens, cameras, and battery.
- The Neo 12 pulls ahead on screen, cooling, and battery, while the OnePlus 15 holds its edge on cameras and weight.
- With OnePlus prices already raised and discounts on the older model shifting the math, the better buy depends on promotions and whether the phone is sold where you live.
On a late October day in 2026, iQOO put its Neo 12 on sale in China at CNY 4,399, a price that sits CNY 400 above what OnePlus asked for its flagship OnePlus 15 when it launched a year earlier. The gap is less a story about two phones than about a moment when memory chips have grown scarce and expensive, and that pressure is now reaching every shelf. Two devices built on the same chip, once separated by their price, have drawn closer together, and what a buyer ends up paying says as much about the market as about the hardware. The older flagship's fate now rests on discounts, a reminder that value is often decided after launch, not at it.
On October 28, 2026, iQOO began selling the Neo 12 in China at CNY 4,399, about $659 for the base model. A year earlier, the OnePlus 15 had launched there at CNY 3,999 with the same chip. The Neo is meant to sit below flagships, yet it now starts CNY 400 above last year's flagship on day one. The reason is memory. RAM has become far more expensive during a global shortage, and that cost is pushing up phone prices across most brands.
The gap widens with storage. At the top 16GB and 1TB tier, the Neo 12 costs CNY 6,499 against CNY 5,399 for the OnePlus 15 at launch. The OnePlus has since raised its prices, though, and by mid-October its top model was listed at the same CNY 6,499 before discounts. With a promotion it dropped to about CNY 5,849. The old flagship now sits close to the new one, and its discounts will likely decide the matter.
On performance the two are nearly twins. Both run the same 3nm chip, so daily use should feel alike. Benchmarks give the Neo 12 a modest lead of roughly 5%, helped by faster memory. The real split is cooling. The Neo 12 adds a 59-blade fan with three speed modes, and for long, demanding gaming sessions that fan is its strongest argument.
The Neo 12 also takes most screen and battery rounds, with a larger 9,000mAh battery and brighter display. The OnePlus 15 answers with better cameras, including a periscope telephoto the Neo lacks, along with 50W wireless charging and a lighter body.
Outside China, the picture changes. The OnePlus 15 is sold officially abroad, including in India, and it has begun receiving a newer software update. For buyers in China, the advice is to check live prices for the exact memory tier before deciding.
On October 28, 2026, iQOO put the Neo 12 on sale in China at CNY 4,399, about $659 for the base model. A year earlier, on October 27, 2025, the OnePlus 15 launched there at CNY 3,999 with the same chip, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. The newer phone belongs to a line that is meant to sit below flagships, yet it now opens CNY 400 above what last year's flagship cost on day one.
Some background helps. iQOO is Vivo's performance brand, and Neo is its gaming series. The OnePlus 15 was OnePlus's top phone until the OnePlus 16 replaced it in October 2026. The article ties the price movement to memory chips, which have grown much more expensive this year amid a global RAM shortage, pushing up phone prices across most brands.
Tier by tier, the gap grows with storage. The 12GB and 256GB Neo 12 is $659 against $599 for the OnePlus 15, a difference of $60 and about 10%. At 16GB and 256GB it is $719 against $644. At 12GB and 512GB it is $764 against $689. At 16GB and 512GB it is $824 against $734. The 16GB and 1TB version costs $974 (CNY 6,499) against $809 (CNY 5,399), a $165 gap. Within iQOO's own range, the Neo 12 costs 63% more than the Neo 11 did at launch.
The OnePlus 15 can no longer be bought at its launch price, though. OnePlus raised prices on all its China phones from March 16, 2026. A mid-October JD.com listing showed the 16GB and 1TB OnePlus 15 at CNY 6,499 before discounts, identical to the top Neo 12, and about $876 (CNY 5,849) with a promotion. The author's reading is that the OnePlus was clearly cheaper at launch, but today the two are close and discounts on the older phone decide it.
Performance is where they differ least and most. Both use the same 3nm chip, with two cores at 4.6GHz and six at 3.62GHz, so everyday use should feel alike. A reported AnTuTu score puts the Neo 12 at 4,352,948 against 4,140,206, roughly 5% ahead, mostly thanks to its faster LPDDR5X Ultra RAM. Another OnePlus listing shows 4,039,862, which would widen the gap to about 8%, and scores vary with firmware and temperature. The real distinction is cooling. OnePlus uses a vapor chamber it says is 43% larger, plus aerogel. The Neo 12 adds a fan with 59 blades, two dust screens and three speed modes, plus a vapor chamber iQOO says is 15% better. In China iQOO offers free fan cleaning up to 12 times a year. It also carries a Q3 helper chip for upscaling, frame interpolation and ray tracing in supported games only. For short sessions the phones are even; for an hour or more of a demanding game, the fan is the strongest reason to choose the Neo 12.
The Neo 12's screen wins most spec lines: 6.83 inches at 3200 x 1440 against 6.78 inches at 2772 x 1272, a 185Hz maximum refresh rate against 165Hz, and 2,200 nits peak brightness against 1,800. The author notes few Android games run at 185Hz natively. The OnePlus 15 counters with LTPO, which can drop to 1Hz, and with Dolby Vision and HDR10+. The author calls it a narrow win for iQOO.
Cameras are the largest gap. Both have a 50MP main camera with a 1/1.56-inch sensor and OIS. Beyond that the OnePlus leads: a 50MP ultrawide against 8MP, a 50MP 3.5x periscope telephoto that the Neo 12 lacks entirely, a 32MP selfie camera against 16MP, and 4K at 120 frames per second with Dolby Vision. The author calls this a clear OnePlus win.
On battery, the Neo 12 holds 9,000mAh against 7,300mAh, about 23% more, in a body 8.5mm thick. The OnePlus charges at 120W against 100W and adds 50W wireless charging, which the iQOO lacks. The Neo 12 gets the round, with a draw if wireless matters to you. The OnePlus is lighter at 211g to 215g against 225g to 229g, and wins the size round narrowly. Both carry IP68 and IP69 ratings.
Outside China, software and availability may settle it. The OnePlus 15 launched on Android 16, began receiving ColorOS 17 on Android 17 on October 23, and is sold officially abroad, including in India. International versions reportedly add eSIM. Anyone shopping in China is advised to check live prices for the exact memory tier first.
Citações Notáveis
At launch the OnePlus 15 was clearly cheaper; today the two phones sit much closer, and discounts on the older phone decide who wins.— Memeburn analysis
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