Understanding onePlus 16 leaks make firm’s exit even more painful
Specifications have leaked for what could be one of the best phones of 2027 – and you won’t be able to buy it.
The OnePlus 16 appears to be firmly on track for a late 2026 launch, and established tipster Digital Chat Station has just popped up with a broad specification summary.
According to a Weibo post from the leaker, the OnePlus 16 will run on the as-yet-unannounced Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro and will be fronted by a 6.78-inch LIPO display with bezels that are both uniform and ultra-narrow.
The tipster reckons that the overall design will be unchanged from the OnePlus 15, with the same flat surfaces and square camera module.
Foundry | Alex Walker-Todd
They also state that the OnePlus 16 will launch in October 2026 – again, much like the OnePlus 15’s late 2025 launch.
A little further down the ensuing chat thread, the tipster adds that the OnePlus 16 will pack an almighty 9000mAh battery.
Essentially, then, the OnePlus 16 is shaping up to double down on everything that made the OnePlus 15 stand out – namely performance and battery life.
What we don’t hear is any word on the phone’s camera set-up. This was arguably the weak point of the OnePlus 15, with a triple camera configuration that was generally considered a regression from the OnePlus 13 before it.
Foundry | Alex Walker-Todd
It’s not for the likes of us
We’re trying to convince ourselves that we’re not quite as invested in any of this as we would once have been.
Earlier this month, OnePlus officially confirmed that it was withdrawing from the European and US markets. Going forward, there will be no new OnePlus devices launched outside of Asia.
Let’s not pretend that this latest OnePlus 16 news isn’t a bummer for us here in the West, though. The OnePlus 15 remains one of the best phones on the market, particularly thanks to its blazing-fast performance and incredible battery life.
If you can pick one up in a fire sale as OnePlus (or more likely its third-party retail partners) flogs any remaining stock, it’s still worth considering.
As we’ve noted before, OnePlus has promised to stick to its software and security update promise, while parent company Oppo isn’t going anywhere. In fact, it looks set to fill the gap that OnePlus has left to some extent.
