OnePlus 16 may fix OnePlus 15’s biggest weak spot

It’s still early days for the OnePlus 16, but leaks have already started to surface on the internet about the next flagship from OnePlus. The current generation, the OnePlus 15, brought noticeable upgrades in performance and battery life. However, some users felt the camera setup could have been better.  Also Read: OPPO, OnePlus smartphones could get price hike from March 16

Now, the latest leak suggests the OnePlus 16 might try to fix that. One of the most talked-about leaks comes from tipster Digital Chat Station, who claims an engineering prototype of the OnePlus 16 is testing a 200MP periscope telephoto camera. If that comes true, that would be a notable jump from the telephoto camera used in the OnePlus 15. Also Read: OnePlus 16 may get Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro and 200MP periscope camera

Of course, megapixels alone don’t guarantee great photos. Image processing, sensor size, and optics also play a big role. But if the leak turns out to be accurate, the OnePlus 16 could take a bigger step in zoom photography than its predecessor. Also Read: 7 best phones under Rs 35,000 that are hard to ignore

OnePlus 16: What else to expect? 

Apart from this, other leaks also suggest that the performance is another area where OnePlus usually focuses, and the next model could continue that trend. The leak suggests the OnePlus 16 may run on Qualcomm’s upcoming flagship chip, believed to be the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro. The chipset, reportedly carrying the codename SM8975, could bring higher clock speeds and support for newer memory technologies like LPDDR6 RAM. 

Some early reports have also mentioned a very large battery and an unusually high display refresh rate. However, these numbers are so ambitious that they might represent prototype testing rather than final specifications. For now, the rest of the camera setup, display details, and design changes remain unclear.

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OnePlus 16 expected launch 

The OnePlus 16 is currently expected to arrive later in 2026, likely after Qualcomm announces its next flagship chipset. When it launches, it will enter a crowded flagship market with devices from brands like Samsung, Xiaomi, and OPPO using the same generation of processors. Until then, the leaks give a small glimpse of what OnePlus might be planning, and if the camera and chipset upgrades materialise, the next flagship could be worth keeping an eye on.