The next OnePlus flagship is already shaping up to be a big upgrade over its predecessor, the OnePlus 15. A new leak has revealed more information regarding the OnePlus 16, hinting at a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon flagship chipset along with a big upgrade to zoom photography.
While the phone is still months away from an official release, the leak points to a device with improved hardware.
A bigger 200MP zoom camera
According to a Weibo tipster, one of the most notable rumored changes involves the OnePlus 16’s telephoto camera. The next-gen flagship is expected to use a 200MP periscope telephoto shooter, with a 1/1.56-inch sensor size. This is noticeably larger than the 50MP 1/2.76-inch telephoto lens on the OnePlus 15. A larger sensor could significantly improve zoom photography, detail retention, and even low-light performance.
New flagship Snapdragon chip
Aside from the zoom camera, Digital Chat Station added that the OnePlus 16 may be powered by Qualcomm’s next top-of-the-line chipset. It is reportedly a part of the upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 6 lineup, which is expected to include a standard model and a Pro variant. Though it’s still unclear which version OnePlus might adopt. But going by the generational upgrades, we can expect improved CPU and GPU performance, stronger AI capabilities, and more power-efficient designs (expected to be based on the 2nm process). Another big improvement could be to the battery capacity, which could cross the 9,000mAh mark.
While these are some notable upgrades, the improved hardware does come at a cost. The same tipster previously claimed that the OnePlus 16 will see a big price hike. The upcoming flagship successor might start for around $725 in China, up from the $580 starting price for the OnePlus 15. For now, the OnePlus 16 is still in the early leaks territory, and the company has yet to confirm any official details. So take this news with a grain of salt.