The OnePlus 16 is now official in China, bringing a huge battery, flagship-level performance, and aggressive pricing. It looks good enough to make the hassle of importing one tempting. Oppo’s much-diminished sub-brand has launched its latest flagship phone in its home market, and the OnePlus 16 looks like a strong contender.
Performance: The OnePlus 16 is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6, Qualcomm’s new top-of-the-line chip. It’s paired with up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage.
Display: The front houses a 6.78-inch LTPO OLED display with a sharp 1272 x 2772 resolution and a 185Hz maximum refresh rate. That refresh rate is more of a nice-to-have than a true standout, since you’ll only see it in selected games.
OnePlus 16 camera and battery life
Camera: The OnePlus 16 has a triple rear camera system: a 1/1.4″ 200MP f/1.6 main camera, a 1/1.95″ 50MP f/2.6 3x telephoto, and a 50MP f/2.0 ultra-wide. A 50MP selfie camera sits on the front. It doesn’t quite match the Oppo Find X10 Pro Max, but it’s a promising setup.
Battery and charging: The standout spec is the 9000mAh battery. The OnePlus 15 lasted a long time on its 7300mAh cell, so the OnePlus 16 could go multiple days between charges, even though global versions usually come with a slightly smaller capacity.
Charging is quick, with 100W wired and 50W wireless support. The one frustration is that there are still no built-in magnets for Qi2 charging without a case.
OnePlus 16 import potential things
Pricing: The OnePlus 16 starts at CNY 5,999 (about £680), a low entry price that could still make an import worthwhile even after a hefty import charge.
Importing is now the only option, since Oppo has confirmed that the OnePlus brand is all done in Western markets. It’s a shame the company didn’t go out with a 16-shaped bang, eh?
Global model: Reports suggest a global OnePlus 16 will still launch. It won’t be sold through official channels in the UK, US, or Europe, but it should make importing much easier, since it won’t ship with China-specific software.
