(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)

Today is officially OnePlus 15 unboxing day, which is why the internet will now doubtless be littered with swankily-shot videos of the brand's latest flagship being unveiled.

You'll be seeing it in a variety of finishes, too – Sand Storm, Ultra Violet, Infinite Black – and I, through sheer fortune of the distribution lottery, have the Sand Storm version in as my review sample. It's easily the best of the trio available.

The OnePlus 15 review embargo lifts later this week, when I can bring you my full verdict about the brand's latest flagship, having used it as my own for over a week (following on from Oppo's Find X9 Pro, for which I'll be making a future camera comparison piece).

For now, though, take a look at my images – posted in the gallery above – to give you a strong impression of what this handset actually looks like in the real-world, not when floating ethereally on faux sandy backdrops. I really love this matte finish, though, which has a soft-touch fibreglass back.

It's cool-to-touch, featuring a ceramic-like coating on the surface – the result of micro-arc oxidation (MAO) – that's designed to make it extra tough. OnePlus claimed at my preview briefing some weeks ago that this is "3.4x tougher than aluminium and 1.3x tougher than titanium".

What I can certainly confirm – having not dropped this handset (yet?) – is that the other Infinite Black and Ultra Violet options are not finished in this way. The former has an anti-glare glass rear; the latter a two-in-one texture coating, with a blueish edge, which gives a shimmering two-tone visual.

I've seen and handled all three finished and, hands down, the Sand Storm is the nicest of the lot. I don't have photographs of the other two for direct comparison, as those are handsets I've seen briefly at a preview event only.

At this stage there's nothing critical I can tell you about the handset, but seeing as the Chinese launch has happened and none of the specification is secret anymore, you can easily find whatever you're looking to know about.

OnePlus confirms on its own UK site that the handset will feature the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 processor as the international version, so there's no distinct point of difference – aside from the OxygenOS 16 software. That's a good thing for all users, all over the globe, though.

It also confirms 1.15mm super-slim bezels to the side of the display. Which, if you've seen the Oppo Find X9 Pro, as I mentioned above, won't be of any surprise. However, with the OnePlus you can get 165Hz in gaming mode, as OnePlus officially confirmed last week – along with confirmation of the 7300mAh battery also being in all models.

Otherwise, it's the trio of 50-megapixel cameras on the rear that'll garner much attention, especially since OnePlus has ditched its Hasselblad relationship and gone it alone with its DetailMax Engine instead. More on that in the review.

For now, however, take your time to soak up the Sand Storm finish of the OnePlus 15. I think it's one of the best-looking exteriors I've seen on an Android phone. Want in? Go to OnePlus' official site for pre-order deals, including the offer of a free DJI Osmo Mobile 7 Handheld Gimbal with early-bird purchases.