Roughly a month after the OnePlus 15‘s arrival, the rumor mill is active again, and it’s the OnePlus 16 that’s on the radar now. According to a Weibo post by a known Chinese tipster, Digital Chat Station (DCS), the OnePlus 15’s successor could come with a key upgrade that solves the one complaint buyers have with the current-generation flagship: its camera setup.
According to DCS, the OnePlus 16 could borrow the same camera configuration that Oppo is developing for the Find N6. A couple of days ago, Oppo’s upcoming book-style foldable, the Find N6, was reported to feature a triple-camera setup, with a 200MP sensor (via the same source).
A possible camera reset for OnePlus’ next flagship
The Find N6 is said to feature two 50MP sensors and one 200MP sensor (as part of its tripe-camera setup). Looking at the latest Chinese flagships like the vivo X300 Pro and the Find X9 Pro, the telephoto sensor has the highest resolution. Hence, the Find N6 could very well feature a 200MP telephoto camera.
Now, coming back to the latest claim: OnePlus 16 will borrow its camera setup from the purported Find N6. If that is true, the OnePlus 15 successor could feature a 200MP telephoto camera or two 50MP rear-facing sensors (wide + ultrawide).
This could be a significant change for the OnePlus flagship, primarily because it has faced some criticism over an on-paper downgrade to its camera system (similar resolution, smaller sensors than the OnePlus 13).
A 200MP telephoto camera, along with Oppo’s imaging pipeline, could give the OnePlus 16 the camera upgrade the phone truly deserves. The handset should, in theory, provide optical-quality in sensor crops (at 2x, 4x, and 10x zoom levels), while providing up to 120x hybrid zoom (standard on the recent Chinese flagships).
However, keep in mind that we’re too early on in the product cycle. The OnePlus 16 isn’t supposed to launch for another 10 to 11 months, which is enough time to make significant changes to the lineup. Hence, take the information with a pinch of salt.
Meanwhile, you can read about the newly launched OnePlus 15R, which offers better battery life than some of the most expensive flagships on the market.