One of the hottest Android flagships is about to debut with the best display in the industry. Sadly, US residents won't be able to buy one, as OnePlus left the global scene. The OnePlus 16 is expected to debut in China on October 12, and the spec sheet leaves everybody jealous.
OnePlus 16 launching on October 12 with a killer screen
OnePlus China President Li Jie Louis detailed the display panel of the OnePlus 16 in a Weibo post. | Image by Weibo
The star of the OnePlus 16 show is its display. According to OnePlus China President Li Jie Louis, who shared extensive info about the panel on Weibo, the phone uses the latest and greatest BOE X4 display.
This panel can go up to a 185Hz refresh rate in games and pushes the panel to 165Hz system-wide in day-to-day usage.
Apparently, OnePlus partnered closely with BOE to develop this “Oriental Screen,” which requires power close to the 120Hz panels used by other flagships, even at 185Hz.
There's a custom-made P4 chip for improved motion clarity, along with ultra-slim symmetrical bezels and 1-nit minimum brightness.
These specs make the OnePlus 16 one of the best (if not the best) phones soon-to-be on the market when it comes to the display.
But the phone is not just a pretty screen.
Monster specs all around
OnePlus started teasing the OnePlus 16 back in September. | Image by OnePlus
The OnePlus 16 comes equipped with the latest and most powerful Qualcomm processor — the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6. The exact same version of this chipset is expected to power the Galaxy S27 Ultra, albeit the "for Galaxy" treatment will most likely give the Samsung flagship a slight edge.
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Another huge spec number is the battery capacity. OnePlus officially confirmed the OnePlus 16 will feature a massive 9,000mAh silicon-carbon "Glacier Battery." Fast charging is also expected to be on the extreme end at 100W wired and 50W wireless, but that's not unheard of when we talk about OnePlus.
Speaking of the battery, OnePlus has paired the massive cell with a new power-management chip, expected to stretch battery life even further and preserve battery health for at least five years.
Would you buy the OnePlus 16 if it were available in your region?
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The OnePlus 16 will be a camera phone as well
The camera system on the OnePlus 16 is no slouch either. The main sensor is expected to be a 1/1.4-incher with a 200MP resolution, backed by a 50MP 3x IMX882 telephoto camera and a 50MP ultrawide shooter.
OnePlus is also hopping on the notification light train with a special feature called the "Interstellar Lighting Effect." The LED lights around the camera will notify users about incoming calls, texts, and game highlights, even when the phone is placed face down.
The effect might take a page out of the Nothing's book, and could also be similar to the Pixel's HiLight feature. The latest teaser images suggest it's the former with a white LEDs on the back of the phone.
Price and non-availability
The OnePlus 15 is the last global OnePlus flagship. | Image by PhoneArena
The sad part in this equation is the fact that the phone will launch in China and won't see the light of day in the US or Europe.
There's still a possibility we'll see the OnePlus 16 in markets outside China, such as Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Taiwan, but that remains to be seen.
As for the price tag, the OnePlus 16 is expected to start at CNY 4,999 (about $740) in China and go all the way up to CNY 7,499 (~$1,110) for the 16GB/1TB version. Would you buy the OnePlus 16 if it were available in your region?
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Mariyan, a tech enthusiast with a background in Nuclear Physics and Journalism, brings a unique perspective to PhoneArena. His childhood curiosity for gadgets evolved into a professional passion for technology, leading him to the role of Editor-in-Chief at PCWorld Bulgaria before joining PhoneArena. Mariyan's interests range from mainstream Android and iPhone debates to fringe technologies like graphene batteries and nanotechnology. Off-duty, he enjoys playing his electric guitar, practicing Japanese, and revisiting his love for video games and Haruki Murakami's works.
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