OnePlus 16 release date expectations, price estimates, and upgrades
The OnePlus 15 for illustrative purposes. | Image by OnePlus
OnePlus 16: what to expect
What's expected to change vs the OnePlus 15:
- Potentially ever thinner bezels
- The OnePlus 16 may bring a 240 Hz dynamic refresh rate to the display
- The device may feature a 200 MP camera sensor
- A OnePlus 16 Pro or Ultra is possible to come with the OnePlus 16
- New battery tech could bring a staggering 9,000 mAh battery cell
- LPDDR6 type of RAM for blazing fast speed
- The OnePlus 16 is said to debut in the fall of 2026.
- However, OnePlus may be shutting down business in the U.S, EU, and U.K., so the OnePlus 16 may not make it to those markets.
Expected price:
- OnePlus is having price hikes in some markets, and those are official.
- The OnePlus 16 could cost around the price of its predecessor (starting at $899.99).
Jump to:
OnePlus 16 release date
The OnePlus 16 is expected to be announced in the fall of 2026. Per tradition, new OnePlus flagships first get announced in China with a following global launch.
| Device family | Announcement | Global release |
|---|---|---|
| OnePlus 16 | fall 2026* | fall 2026* |
| OnePlus 15 | October 27, 2025 | November 13, 2025 |
| OnePlus 13 | October 31, 2024 | January 7, 2025 |
* - probable dates
However, there's a twist.
A recent (now deleted) leak from reputable tipster Yogesh Brar hints that OnePlus may potentially stop selling its smartphones in certain markets. According to the leaker, OnePlus may continue selling its phones in China without changes, India may get mid-range and budget devices, and... well, the fate of OnePlus availability in the U.S., U.K., and EU remains questionable.
Another tidbit of info supporting this theory is the recent layoffs of OnePlus employees in countries like the U.S., U.K., France and Germany. Potentially, OnePlus phones aren't selling as well in these markets, and that could be the reason behind such a decision.
Now, a source, reportedly from OnePlus, spoke to 9to5Google and confirmed that OnePlus will be ceasing operations in certain regions in April 2026. Those include some parts of Europe. Reportedly, selected staff was informed about this decision and received severance packages ahead of the shutdown.
But, as with anything that's a leak, we can't be 100% certain until OnePlus announces things officially.
OnePlus 16 price
For the moment, we expect a similar pricing strategy to the OnePlus 15's. If OnePlus decides to include an Ultra model this year, it could, understandably, be the more expensive option.
| OnePlus model | 256GB of storage | 512GB of storage | 1TB of storage |
|---|---|---|---|
| OnePlus 16 | $899* | $999* | - |
| OnePlus 15 | $899 | $999 | - |
| OnePlus 13 | $899 | $999 | - |
*- anticipated prices
However, a recent leak by reputable tipster Digital Chat Station indicates that the OnePlus 16 may actually come with a higher price tag. The leaker doesn't give us the exact price the flagship may have in the U.S., but the Chinese price has been reportedly raised.
Price hikes of OnePlus and Oppo phones in China have been announced and have already been implemented. In China, some OnePlus models have become almost 20% more expensive.
The current increases are limited to China. Obviously, we don't know if OnePlus will continue selling these phones in the global market to begin with, so there's that.
Samsung's recent Galaxy S26 series got a price hike, and Oppo is also raising prices.
OnePlus 16 camera
OnePlus 16 expected camera setup:
- 200 MP main camera (same as the one rumored for the Oppo Find N6)
- 50 MP ultra-wide camera
- 40 MP 3.5x telephoto camera
Reputable leaker Digital Chat Station has recently said that the OnePlus 16 may come equipped with a 200 MP sensor for its main camera. The leaker claims that the OnePlus 16 may have the same main and telephoto cameras as the upcoming Oppo Find N6.
We had a similar thing with the OnePlus 15 and the Oppo Find N5. Maybe, history will once again repeat itself.
Meanwhile, the camera upgrade rumor has been backed up by another tipster recently. Tipster Smart Pikachu, who has a good track record, says that the periscope sensor may be a 50 MP one. The leaker also hints that this system is being internally tested at least, so it's not certain if it will be the one OnePlus decides to go for.
The 200 MP would be a notable upgrade over the 50 MP sensor of the OnePlus 15. Despite that, though, even the 50 MP of the OnePlus 15 manages some great-looking images. With the 15, OnePlus dropped the Hasselblad logo, and it now uses its DetailMax proprietary image engine, but that didn't seem to have harmed the quality of the photos.
In our OnePlus 15 review, we found that the images have improved and come with less excessive over-sharpening. Zoom quality was also improved on the phone.
OnePlus 16 storage
Storage options for the OnePlus 16 aren't expected to change. The OnePlus 15 had a 1 TB option for China, so maybe, we can expect the same thing (again, if the OnePlus 16 is sold outside of China at all).
OnePlus 16 expected storage capacity:
- 256 GB
- 512 GB
- 1 TB
OnePlus 16 design
One main change that's rumored with the OnePlus 16 is the possibility of extremely thin bezels surrounding the display. OnePlus flagships already come with extremely thin bezels, but apparently, OnePlus may have found a way to shave them down even further.
According to tipster Old Chen Air on Chinese social media website Weibo, the OnePlus 16 may feature bezels that are thinner than 1 mm.
Machine-translated post on social media website Weibo about the OnePlus 16 bezels. | Image by Weibo
Currently, the OnePlus 15 sports 1.15 mm thin bezels, and on paper, the change isn't dramatic. It may be more noticeable in real life, or at least, you should feel that the display is more immersive.
OnePlus 15 from the front, for reference. | Image by PhoneArena
Apart from the reported slimming down of the bezels surrounding the screen, the OnePlus 16 design is still shrouded in mystery. OnePlus has been changing the looks of its flagships lately, including the camera island look.
It's not certain whether the OnePlus 16 will retain the OnePlus 15 design or shake things up once again. No rumors or leaks have spoken on this just yet.
Nevertheless, you can safely expect the regular glass sandwich anyway, and potentially, the flat sides are here to stay.
As you can see above, OnePlus isn't "settled" yet on a camera island look, it seems. Which is actually a good thing, as design innovation is always exciting.
OnePlus 16 display
OnePlus phones have excellent displays in general. But it seems OnePlus may not be settling, and we may see an upgrade with the OnePlus 16's display.
| Phone | Screen size | Brightness |
|---|---|---|
| OnePlus 16 | 6.78 inches* | 1,800* |
| OnePlus 15 | 6.78 inches | 1,800 nits |
* - anticipated sizes
The OnePlus 15 already sports an impressive 165 Hz display refresh rate, which is more than flagships like the Galaxy S26 Ultra or the iPhone 17 Pro Max are capable of.
However, OnePlus is rumored to be testing a 240 Hz display refresh rate for its upcoming flagship phone. This info comes from leaker OnePlus Club on X, an account with a good track record for OnePlus leaks.
Obviously, we're talking about double the 120 Hz display refresh rate that competitors are offering. The change would be most noticeable in gaming and less obvious when scrolling or watching video content.
Apart from that, you can expect a 6.78-inch AMOLED display with either 1.5K or 2K resolution.
OnePlus 16 battery
The battery department is where the serious upgrades are happening. The OnePlus 16 is said to sport a huge 9,000 mAh battery cell. The OnePlus 15 is already way ahead of competing devices from Samsung and Apple with a 7,300 mAh battery cell, and OnePlus is, reportedly, taking things even further with the next flagship.
According to rumors, the OnePlus 16 may come with a whopping 9,000 mAh Glacier Battery. Glacier Battery is a term used for a high-density battery tech that OnePlus co-developed with CATL. The new tech allows for bigger battery capacities and better heat dissipation while still keeping the slim body of a modern flagship phone.
OnePlus is also on top when it comes to charging speeds, and that's not going to change with the OnePlus 16. The OnePlus 15 comes with 80 W wired charging in the U.S. (100 or 120 W in some regions), which is blowing the competition out of the water. We expect the same or better charging speeds for its successor.
The 7,300 mAh battery cell on the OnePlus 15 managed 30 hours of continuous browsing, 12 hours and 37 minutes of video streaming, and 14 hours and 16 minutes of gaming during our battery life tests. Obviously, that's spectacular.
OnePlus 16 features and software
The OnePlus 16 is expected to run on the custom Oxygen OS 17 interface on top of Android 17. The new Android is focused on refining the aesthetic look of the OS with new blur effects across the board. An app-locking feature is also expected with the new OS.
You can also safely expect plenty of new AI features to come with the OnePlus 16. The ones that the OnePlus 15 brought (AI Detail Boost, AI Unblur, AI Reflection Eraser, AI Notes, Circle to Search) are likely to stay; they will potentially get improved as well.
OnePlus 16 hardware and specs
OnePlus 16 expected specs:
- CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 (or Gen 6)
- RAM: 12, 16 GB, LPDDR6 RAM
- Battery: 9,000 mAh
- Charging: 80-100W wired, 50 W wireless
- Storage: 256, 512 GB, 1 TB
- Camera setup: 200 MP main, 50 MP ultra-wide, 50 MP telephoto (3.5x optical zoom)
The OnePlus 16 is said to be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 successor, however Qualcomm ends up naming the chip. Some sources say it may be simply called the Elite 2, while others say that it will be called 8 Elite Gen 6.
The new chip should offer performance improvements, as would be expected, and would potentially be more power-efficient in comparison to its predecessor. Of course, it should be designed with AI tasks as main focus.
Meanwhile, a new leak is now claiming that the OnePlus 16 may come with LPDDR6 memory. This is next-level technology for RAM, which ensures even faster speeds than the RAM we have currently on flagships (which is LPDDR5).
LPDDR6 offers significantly higher memory speeds and better bandwidth in comparison to LPDDR5 and LPDDR5X. Additionally, the new RAM type is likely to be more power-efficient, including when it comes to on-device AI tasks.
Should I wait for the OnePlus 16?
- You should wait for the OnePlus 16 if you currently have the OnePlus 13 or an older OnePlus or any other phone, basically. The OnePlus 16 looks very promising, especially if you're someone who'd need a flagship phone with a huge battery.
- You should not wait for the OnePlus 16 if you don't care about any of the rumored upgrades, including the battery or the refresh rate. You should probably not wait for this phone if you have just bought a new flagship as well, including the newest Galaxy S26 Ultra.
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