The OnePlus 16 is the company’s new flagship phone and the successor to the OnePlus 15. OnePlus announced it in China on October 12, 2026, and sales there begin on October 13. It is a performance-focused flagship with a very fast display, a large battery and a 200 MP main camera. For now, China is the only market. OnePlus has not announced a launch in the US or Europe.
Design and display
The flat OLED screen measures 6.78 inches. Its resolution is 2772 x 1272 pixels, or 450 ppi. In everyday use, the refresh rate adapts between 1 and 165 Hz. In supported games, it can reach 185 Hz. OnePlus rates full-screen brightness at up to 2,000 nits. At low brightness, the panel uses 3840 Hz PWM dimming.
Crystal Shield glass covers the screen. The frame is metal, and the back is glass on the Tomorrow’s Starlight and Dark Forest colors. Mars Masterpiece uses a glass fiber-reinforced back instead. The phone measures 161.42 x 76.67 x 8.55 mm and weighs about 220 g in Tomorrow’s Starlight. It is rated IP66, IP68, IP69 and IP69K for dust and water resistance.
Performance
Inside is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6, built on a 2 nm process. Its eight CPU cores reach up to 5.01 GHz, and the GPU is the Adreno 850. It comes with 12 GB or 16 GB of LPDDR5X RAM. Storage options are 256 GB, 512 GB or 1 TB of UFS 4.1. There is no microSD slot.
OnePlus pairs the chip with its own gaming chips for touch, display and network performance. The phone also has stereo speakers, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, NFC and an IR blaster. The USB-C port supports USB 3.2 Gen 1.
Cameras
There are three cameras on the back. The main camera uses a 200 MP 1/1.4-inch sensor with an f/1.6 lens and optical stabilization. A 50 MP periscope telephoto offers 3x optical zoom with stabilization. A 50 MP ultrawide covers a 116-degree view.
The rear cameras record up to 8K at 30 fps and 4K at 120 fps, including Dolby Vision. On the front, a 50 MP selfie camera records 4K video at up to 60 fps.
Battery and charging
The battery uses a dual-cell design with a typical capacity of 9,000 mAh. That is a clear step up from the OnePlus 15. Wired charging reaches 100 W, and a full charge takes about 52 minutes, according to OnePlus. Wireless charging runs at up to 50 W with a separately sold charger. The phone can also charge small devices over a cable at 27 W. In China, a 100 W charger and a case come in the box.
Software and updates
The China model ships with ColorOS 17. OnePlus has not published an update policy for the phone yet. It does say the battery keeps at least 80% of its capacity after five years of normal use.
Should you buy the OnePlus 16?
The OnePlus 16 suits buyers in China who care most about gaming speed and battery life. Its 185 Hz mode also stands out. Its IP69K rating also helps people who use the phone outdoors. Buyers outside China should be careful. The phone is sold only in China for now. OnePlus has not announced a version for the US or Europe.
