Deal: OnePlus 15R arrives, Galaxy S25 FE and S25 Edge prices cut

January has been a quiet month so far and the focus has been on discounts on older models. That said, there are some interesting things worth seeing.

The OnePlus 15R appears as “coming soon” on Amazon, though it should switch to “available” soon. This year’s R-model brings a larger battery – 7,400 mAh vs. 6,000 mAh on the 13R – with better water resistance (IP68/IP69K vs. IP65). This also includes the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 (non-Elite) over the two-year-old Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.

However, there have been some downgrades. First of all, the telephoto camera is gone, while the main camera (50MP 1/1.56″, OIS) and ultra-wide camera (8MP) remain the same. Additionally, the 6.83″ display may run at a higher refresh rate (165Hz vs 120Hz), but it’s not an LTPO panel like the older model. Still, the 15R starts at $700 and you can get a $100 gift card with it, which helps with the value for money proposition.

When looking at the 15R, we also need to consider the flagship OnePlus 15. It had some downgrades compared to 13. However, it’s only $200 more than the 15R, so let’s compare it to that (it also has a $100 gift card offer).

It has an LTPO display and a proper Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, as well as the same big 7,300mAh battery with both 80W wired and 50W wireless charging. And it has a 50MP 3.5x/80mm periscope on board.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge was a failed experiment, but surviving units are sold with solid discounts. It has a 6.7″ LTPO OLED display with higher pixel density than the OnePlus model. And the Snapdragon 8 Elite may be an older chip, but it performs better than the new vanilla Gen 5.

There’s also no dedicated telephoto camera, but there is a 200MP 1/1.3″ main camera for in-sensor zoom. One thing it lacks – and it’s big – is the battery. With only a 3,900mAh capacity, it doesn’t last much (12:06h active usage score vs. 23:07h on the OnePlus 15).

Moving into the mid-range, the base 128GB model of the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE costs less than $500. However, since it doesn’t have a microSD slot, you may want to consider the 256GB model.

Either way, the Samsung Galaxy A56 is $50/$60 cheaper, depending on which storage configuration you get (alas, no microSD slot here either). The S25 FE has a more powerful chipset (Exynos 2400 vs 1580), better camera setup (including an 8MP 3x/75mm telephoto module), better water resistance (IP68 vs IP67) and a similar battery (4,900mAh vs 5,000mAh) with 45W charging plus 15W wireless charging. The A56 needs a big price cut to make sense.

The Google Pixel 9a at A56 is also a point of concern as the 8/128GB model costs the same $400. It’s a smaller phone with a 6.3” display (vs 6.7”) and measures 73.3mm in width (vs 77.5mm). Although it’s no speed demon, the Tensor G4 outperforms the Exynos 1580. Charging is slower (23W wired vs. 45W), but it adds a wireless option, albeit much slower (7.5W). Battery capacity and endurance are almost the same (12:42 hrs vs 12:08 hrs).

The Motorola Moto G Power (2026) only launched last week, so there are no discounts yet. However, this $300 mid-ranger is still worth keeping an eye on. It features a 6.8″ 1080p+ 120Hz IPS LCD, a 5,200mAh battery with 30W wired and 15W wireless charging, and a rugged build (IP68/IP69, MIL-STD-810H). It’s powered by the Dimensity 6300 and has expandable storage. The camera setup is basic with a 50MP main (a smaller 1/2.88″ sensor) and a 8MP ultra-wide.

Finally, another cheap 5G phone – the Samsung Galaxy A17. It is powered by an Exynos 1330 (with expandable storage) and has a 6.7″ 1080p OLED (a 90Hz panel). It has a 5,000mAh battery with 25W wired-only charging and basic ingress protection (IP54). The camera is basic with a 50MP main (1/2.76″) and a 5MP ultra-wide.