OnePlus 16 launch date revealed: 185Hz display, 9,000mAh battery and more

OnePlus’s next flagship is coming soon. After teasing the OnePlus 16 for a while, the company has finally revealed the launch date, slated for October 12 in China. The announcement came at the 2026 OnePlus Gaming Conference in China, where OnePlus China president Li Jie Louis also walked through the phone's gaming tricks. Last year, OnePlus used the OnePlus 15 to chase gamers after parting ways with Hasselblad. This year, it seems to be doubling down.advertisement❮❯ Read Full StoryWhat OnePlus has confirmedThe OnePlus 16 will run on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chipset. It will also be the first OnePlus phone to ship with ColourOS 17. The display is the star of the show. It will support a 165Hz system-wide. For gaming, the refresh rate goes up to 185Hz, with native 185fps support in titles like Arena Breakout, Nizhan: Future, Naruto Mobile and Peace Elite.

OnePlus isn't relying on the chipset alone. The phone gets a self-developed three-chip esports system, with separate chips for display, touch response and connectivity. There's also a new Fengchi Gaming Kernel, which OnePlus says helps the phone hold peak frame rates for longer.

On the camera side, there's a 200-megapixel main sensor and a 50-megapixel periscope telephoto. It will come in three colour options. In a benchmark run with 16GB RAM and 1TB storage, the phone reportedly crossed 5.38 million on AnTuTu.

Here comes the details from the territory of rumour mills. Digital Chat Station has claimed a 9,000mAh battery with 100W wired and 50W wireless charging. Reports also point to a 50-megapixel ultrawide, 3x optical and 6x lossless zoom from the telephoto, and a 50-megapixel autofocus selfie camera. Earlier leaks suggested thinner bezels than the OnePlus 15.

Though we have details about the China launch, a global debut is rumoured for November, and in India, it is amidst a big question mark. Reports say OnePlus may skip the regular OnePlus 16 here and bring the OnePlus 16R instead. The company hasn't confirmed that.

If the OnePlus 16 does make it to India, the iQOO 16, with its 2K 165Hz display and similarly big battery, is likely to be a close rival.- Ends

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