OnePlus has its new flagship ready to ship, but thanks to the recent government shutdown, the OnePlus 15 is stuck in regulatory purgatory. The company completed all FCC testing but can't get final approval stamps as regulators work through a month's worth of certification backlogs.
OnePlus is ready to take your money for its latest flagship, but Uncle Sam isn't ready to let them. The OnePlus 15, priced at $899 for the 12GB RAM and 256GB storage variant, sits in regulatory limbo as the FCC works through a massive backlog of device certifications following the recent government shutdown.
The Chinese smartphone maker already launched the OnePlus 15 in its home market earlier this year and kept the same $899 price point as the OnePlus 13 - a strategic move considering the ongoing tariff tensions between the US and China. But while OnePlus managed to navigate trade wars, it couldn't sidestep the bureaucratic bottleneck created by federal shutdown fallout.
"As is the case with every smartphone manufacturer, the United States' Federal Communications Commission certifies OnePlus devices before they are sold in the U.S.," company marketing head Spenser Blank explained in a statement to The Verge. "As a result of the government shutdown, device certifications have been delayed."
The company has done everything right on their end. All required testing through FCC-recognized labs is complete, and the certification application sits formally submitted in the regulatory queue. Now it's just a waiting game as the Commission catches up on weeks of delayed approvals.
This regulatory roadblock affects every tech company bringing new devices to American consumers, but it hits smartphone makers particularly hard given their tight launch windows and seasonal sales cycles. Samsung, Apple, and other major players all face similar certification bottlenecks, though established relationships and expedited processes often help larger manufacturers navigate these delays faster.
For OnePlus, the timing couldn't be more frustrating. The OnePlus 15 represents a significant battery breakthrough that could reshape consumer expectations around smartphone endurance. The device packs a massive 7,300mAh silicon-carbon battery - a 21% jump from the already impressive 6,000mAh capacity in the OnePlus 13.
This silicon-carbon technology, widely adopted by Chinese manufacturers like parent company Oppo, allows for thinner form factors while delivering dramatically higher capacity than traditional lithium-ion batteries. While and continue refining their battery chemistry incrementally, Chinese brands are leapfrogging with next-generation materials.
