Now that the thing all smartphone fans feared for months is pretty much confirmed – it could be boiled down to "RIP, OnePlus!" – it's important to note that there is another OnePlus phone on the horizon.
Given the company's performance in recent years, chances are really high that the upcoming OnePlus 16 will easily find its place in the best Android phones list.
But how popular this upcoming flagship would be – and what would it look like in the first place?
Changes ahead
OnePlus has some tough decisions to make. | Image by PhoneArena
OnePlus is pulling out of numerous markets around the world and users in the US and many European countries won't be able to buy the OnePlus 16 officially. Some will try to import the handset, but it's safe to say that the vast majority of people will simply forget about OnePlus and will get on with their lives.
Which is a shame, kind of. The OnePlus 16 is shaping out as an amazing phone with a serious battery and a jaw-dropping display. Well, congrats to users in China in India – the two major markets that OnePlus will most likely continue to operate in.
What do you think made OnePlus special in its early days?
The latest display rumors
Per the most recent leaks and insider claims, the OnePlus 16 will debut in October (that's just several weeks ahead, since it's almost August now).
Recommended For You
The phone could come with a 6.78-inch display panel with ultra-narrow symmetrical bezels surrounding it. The good news is that the screen will most likely be a completely flat one. Quad-curved displays may look nice from a distance, but using one comes with its fair share of hiccups, which are not present on the flat one.
As we recently reported, the OnePlus 16 is expected to come with a 185Hz refresh rate. Earlier leaks spoke of a 240Hz refresh rate, but even the lower number is super impressive, given that 120Hz is the standard among flagships nowadays.
In short, you can expect outstanding, buttery-smooth visuals.
The ultra-thin bezels I mentioned earlier could be under 1 mm, which sounds astonishing, too.
Battery bonanza
The OnePlus 16 might come with a battery that would put Apple and Samsung to shame… combined.
The phone could pack a battery cell of around 9,000 mAh capacity, while the Galaxy S26 Ultra still ships with a 5,000 mAh cell.
Since we're dealing with a flagship by OnePlus, it's safe to assume that there'll be fast charging support, too, and I'd be extremely surprised if it's anywhere under 100W (wired).
A high-end handset
Naturally, the OnePlus 16 is expected to pack the upcoming Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro chipset for maximum performance.
We're also waiting for the new 200 MP main camera along with the 50 MP ultra-wide and the 50 MP dedicated telephoto. In terms of software, this could be the first OnePlus phone to ship with ColorOS instead of OxygenOS out of the box – OnePlus will adopt Oppo's operating system (based on Android anyway). It's a pity that users in a big part of the world won't get to unbox it.
It's been a rollercoaster with OnePlus in recent times:
Mint Mobile is now allowing you to get whichever plan you like for either three, six, or 12 months for just $15/mo. If you go for the six-month unlimited service, for instance, you'll now have to pay just $90 upfront instead of $210.
Sebastian is one of PhoneArena’s senior opinionators. A veteran news writer with almost 20 years of experience in media and technology, he not only covers all the hot news about Galaxies and iPhones, but often provides hot takes on industry trends. He’s fascinated with camera-focused flagships from the likes of Oppo and Vivo, as well as foldable phones.
A discussion is a place, where people can voice their opinion, no matter if it
is positive, neutral or negative. However, when posting, one must stay true to the topic, and not just share some
random thoughts, which are not directly related to the matter.
Things that are NOT allowed:
Off-topic talk - you must stick to the subject of discussion
Offensive, hate speech - if you want to say something, say it politely
Spam/Advertisements - these posts are deleted
Multiple accounts - one person can have only one account
Impersonations and offensive nicknames - these accounts get banned
To help keep our community safe and free from spam, we apply temporary limits to newly created accounts:
New accounts created within the last 24 hours may experience restrictions on how frequently they can
post or comment.
These limits are in place as a precaution and will automatically lift.
Moderation is done by humans. We try to be as objective as possible and moderate with zero bias. If you think a
post should be moderated - please, report it.
Have a question about the rules or why you have been moderated/limited/banned? Please,
contact us.
Things that are NOT allowed:
To help keep our community safe and free from spam, we apply temporary limits to newly created accounts: