Camera deep-dive for UK smartphone photography enthusiasts

The OnePlus 15 and the Vivo X110 Pro both target users who value camera performance, especially when it comes to portrait photography and telephoto zoom. For UK buyers comparing the two, both phones offer strong imaging hardware, but they approach portrait and zoom processing differently. This makes the choice highly dependent on shooting style and priorities.

In portrait mode, the OnePlus 15 uses a flagship-grade triple 50MP camera system with advanced image processing tuned for natural skin tones and subject clarity. It switches between the main and telephoto lenses depending on lighting and distance to achieve depth separation. Portraits look sharp and detailed in both indoor and outdoor environments, although background blur can occasionally appear more stylised than natural in complex scenes.

The Vivo X110 Pro focuses heavily on portrait photography with its multi-focal portrait engine supported by specialised lens tuning. It gives users multiple focal length options that imitate professional portrait lenses, helping create different cinematic compositions. Portraits benefit from sophisticated subject isolation and smoother depth transitions, reducing blur artefacts around edges even in challenging backgrounds.

When it comes to zoom performance, the OnePlus 15 features a 3.5× optical telephoto lens with a claimed 7× lossless quality range depending on lighting. Zoomed shots retain strong sharpness at mid-range, making the phone suitable for everyday photography such as concerts, stadiums, and city landmarks. However, fine details start to soften once digital zoom takes over beyond its optical reach, especially at night.

The Vivo X110 Pro utilises a dedicated periscope zoom module engineered for long-range zoom clarity. It maintains higher detail and lower noise even when zooming in on distant objects, which gives it an advantage for travel and wildlife photography. The periscope system also performs strongly in low-light conditions, helping preserve textures and accurate colours at zoom levels where many competitors struggle.

Both phones improve significantly in video portrait mode, but their priorities are different. The OnePlus 15 focuses on stabilisation and consistency, making portrait videos look natural and smooth. The Vivo X110 Pro enhances cinematic separation through controlled bokeh and precise edge mapping, giving video portraits a professional depth-of-field appearance when subjects move or turn their head.

For everyday usability, both camera apps are easy to operate, but they will appeal to different users. The OnePlus 15 is ideal for quick point-and-shoot portraits with minimal adjustment, capturing consistent results with little effort. The Vivo X110 Pro offers more manual creative control through its focal length presets and tuning tools, rewarding users who enjoy experimenting with composition.

In terms of night portrait performance, the OnePlus 15 captures strong dynamic range and maintains accurate brightness on faces without overprocessing. The Vivo X110 Pro performs slightly better when managing background lighting and fine details in hair and clothing, especially in crowded scenes with multiple light sources. Both phones show reliable autofocus in dim conditions, but Vivo maintains steadier subject detection during motion.

Considering long-term ownership for UK buyers, both models include premium camera hardware that will remain competitive for several years. Portrait and zoom quality will benefit from firmware updates over time, although Vivo is expected to push more camera-focused updates due to its imaging-centric strategy. OnePlus offers a broader support ecosystem in the UK, which may appeal to buyers concerned about software longevity.

Overall, both the OnePlus 15 and Vivo X110 Pro perform exceptionally well for portrait and zoom photography, but with different strengths. The OnePlus 15 delivers a balanced and dependable portrait experience that integrates smoothly into everyday usage while providing solid mid-range zoom. The Vivo X110 Pro stands out more clearly for users who prioritise cinematic portrait rendering and long-range telephoto capabilities above all else.