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
- The OnePlus 16 is said to debut in the fall of 2026. Potentially, it may get announced in October, first in China.
Expected price:
- No leaks have mentioned the price of the OnePlus 16 just yet. It could cost around the price of its predecessor (starting at $899.99).
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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
Its predecessor, the OnePlus 15, was announced in October in China and then made its way to a global release in November. Users in the U.S. could buy the phone in mid-December, because of a delay.
As you can see, there's no OnePlus 14 in the table. That's because the phone doesn't exist, and the successor to the OnePlus 13 is the OnePlus 15. Traditionally, China-based makers avoid the number 4 (it's associated with bad luck) in naming their phones, so there's that.
OnePlus 16 price
Leaks about the OnePlus 16 price are yet to surface online. 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
OnePlus phones initially started as "flagship killers", costing less than regular Galaxy or iPhone flagships while bringing the same or similar flagship specs. However, over the years, OnePlus prices have become more similar to flagship prices.
Samsung recently raised prices on its base Galaxy S26 and the S26 Plus model. The economic situation with rising chip prices is also present, so we may see a price hike for the OnePlus 16 as well. However, this is not confirmed currently, so don't panic yet.
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.
Something similar happened with the Oppo Find N5 and the OnePlus 15, so it wouldn't be surprising if it happens again this year.
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.
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
The OnePlus 16 is expected to come in the same storage variants as its predecessor. The OnePlus 15 did have a 1TB option, but it was not officially sold in the U.S. Hopefully this will change with its predecessor.
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. Bezels on smartphones, especially flagship models, are already very thin, however, OnePlus is said to be taking the things 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 the change doesn't look dramatic when it comes to numbers, but it will surely make the display even more immersive, and the design even more refined and premium.
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 in recent year, including the camera island look.
Currently, leaks are not indicating whether OnePlus is keeping the same design as the OnePlus 15, or if it's going to shake things up again. Despite that, 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
| Phone | Screen size | Brightness |
|---|---|---|
| OnePlus 16 | 6.78 inches* | 1,800* |
| OnePlus 15 | 6.78 inches | 1,800 nits |
* - anticipated sizes
In the display department, OnePlus is rumored to take things up a notch with the refresh rate with the OnePlus 16. The OnePlus 15 already sports a 165 Hz display refresh rate, which is more than flagships like the newly announced 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 information comes from leaker OnePlus Club on X, an account with a good track record for OnePlus leaks.
That's double the 120 Hz display refresh rate that competitors are offering. It obviously sounds wonderful, but one is set to wonder if it's really needed. After all, 120 Hz on a display already feels smooth and fluid, and it's likely the change to 240 Hz won't be that noticeable. The change would be most noticeable in gaming and less obvious when scrolling or watching video content.
Apart from that, you can expect the same (or slightly bigger, if the bezel rumor is true) 6.78-inch AMOLED display with either 1.5K or 2K resolution.
OnePlus 16 battery
Here's where the most exciting rumored upgrade is coming: the battery department. The OnePlus 16 is rumored to bring a huge 9,000 mAh battery cell. The OnePlus 15 is already way ahead of the likes of Samsung and Apple with a 7,300 mAh battery cell, and OnePlus is, reportedly, not "settling" here either.
The OnePlus 16 is said to come with a 9,000 mAh Glacier Battery. Glacier Battery is a term for a high-density battery tech that OnePlus co-developed with CATL. The tech allows for the company to fit a huge battery in a normally sized phone. Of course, it comes with improved thermal tech, as you can tell by the name of it.
OnePlus is also king when it comes to charging speeds. 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. Although the charging speeds for the OnePlus 16 are yet to leak, nothing indicates that OnePlus is changing strategy here.
The 7,300 mAh battery cell on its predecessor actually 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 probably going to run on the custom Oxygen OS 17 interface on top of Android 17. The new Android is said to refine 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 (as AI is still the trend) 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
- 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 likely going to come with 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.
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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