A new leak regarding the OnePlus 16 has surfaced, hinting that the upcoming OnePlus device could feature a huge battery upgrade.
OnePlus is taking the battery game to the next level
The OnePlus 15 launched in October last year, and we were really impressed by the device in our testing. Along with its performance and software experience, we found the battery life to be one of its main highlights.
Its 7,300 mAh battery lasted for 10 hours and 44 minutes in our testing, which is way more than its predecessor, the OnePlus 13, and even last year's top flagships like the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and Pixel 10 Pro XL. Definitely, the OnePlus 15 comes with a bigger battery than top devices, but it's worth mentioning that OnePlus is able to offer such impressive battery life at a price way less than those flagships.
That said, OnePlus might impress us once again this year in the battery department. A new leak suggests that the upcoming OnePlus 16 will feature a 9,000 mAh Glacier Battery. For those who are unaware, the Glacier Battery is a high-density battery technology that OnePlus developed in partnership with CATL. This allows the manufacturer to fit a large battery into a standard phone size. And as you can guess by the name, it offers better thermals than other battery technologies.
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OnePlus 16 will be equipped with next-generation Glacier Battery with a capacity approaching 9,000mAh pic.twitter.com/kxq1wpSKx7
If the battery leak indeed turns out to be true, the OnePlus 16 would definitely give stiff competition to the Honor Win, which has been in the news for some time because of its huge 10,000 mAh battery. Well, it's worth noting that we are still months away from the possible Q4 2026 release window of the OnePlus 16. Therefore, I wouldn't be surprised if any other brand announces a smartphone with an even bigger battery, like 12,000 or 13,000 mAh, in the meantime, especially since manufacturers recently seem really interested in increasing their smartphones' battery capacities.
What else is known about the OnePlus 16?
Rear view of the OnePlus 15. | Image by PhoneArena.
Even if the OnePlus 16 launches in the same October month as its predecessor did globally, we're still nine months away from its release as of this writing. However, as usually happens with most anticipated devices, some of its specifications have already surfaced online.
First up, the OnePlus Club (the same X account that tipped the 9,000 mAh battery) recently shared that the upcoming OnePlus flagship device will feature a 240 Hz ultra-high refresh rate display. Interestingly, our poll suggests that most of you actually want the OnePlus 16 to come equipped with better cameras instead of such a high refresh rate display. Fortunately, the smartphone maker is indeed working on a better camera, if Digital Chat Station's recent claim is true.
According to DCS, the OnePlus 16 will feature a 200 MP camera sensor, similar to the one expected in the Oppo Find N6. While all these rumors sound cool, the one I find most interesting is that OnePlus might release a Pro variant in its 16 lineup this year. However, whether it will be called the OnePlus 16 Pro or OnePlus 16 Ultra remains to be seen. That would mean you could expect three variants of the OnePlus 16—the base OnePlus 16, the OnePlus 16R, and the OnePlus 16 Pro/Ultra.
What one upgrade do you want to see the most in the OnePlus 16?
More years of software upgrades.
33.33%
Better AI features.
16.67%
Qi2 wireless charging.
16.67%
Less cluttered software experience.
16.67%
Reintroduction of alert slider.
16.67%
The OnePlus 16 already looks promising
The OnePlus 16 is definitely shaping up to be a device worth watching in 2026. Most importantly, its camera is likely to get an upgrade—I had to cherry-pick that as one of the weakest points of the OnePlus 15.
Furthermore, the battery could be as large as a huge 9000 mAh. It'll more than double the 4,300 mAh battery likely to power the Samsung Galaxy S26. It'll even surpass the S26 Ultra model, which is tipped to have a 5,200 mAh battery. This definitely suggests that the Chinese smartphone maker is way ahead of the big three (Google, Samsung, and Apple) in the battery segment of their respective smartphones.
Aman Kumar is a tech news writer with a long-standing passion for smartphones. Aman specializes in everything smartphones, from AI features like Pixel’s Camera Coach to understanding ideal hardware combinations. He loves breaking down complex features in a simple, clear way and hopes manufacturers bring back bold designs like the Nokia N-Gage. When he’s not writing, he’s either gaming on PUBG or talking fitness as a dedicated gym enthusiast.
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