OnePlus 16 leaks point to a major camera and design shift

OnePlus 16 leaks and rumours continue to surface ahead of the phone’s expected launch in China later this year. The latest claims suggest the handset could come with a 200-megapixel Samsung periscope camera, thinner front bezels than the OnePlus 15, and a large 9,000mAh battery, though OnePlus has not confirmed any of the details.

The new report follows earlier talk that the rumoured flagship will succeed last year’s OnePlus 15 and may skip both a built-in active cooling fan and capacitive shoulder triggers for gaming. The same set of leaks also points to Qualcomm’s unreleased Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 chipset.

Tipster claims a 200MP Samsung sensor is on the way

In a post on Weibo, tipster Smart Pikachu claimed the OnePlus 16 will be fitted with a 200-megapixel rear camera using the same sensor that has previously been seen on a Realme smartphone. The post did not provide additional camera details.

Gizmochina reported that the phone may use a 200-megapixel Samsung HP5 periscope sensor, the same one said to be present on the Realme 16 Pro series and the Realme GT 8 Pro. That would represent a step up from the OnePlus 15, which has a 50-megapixel telephoto camera with a Samsung JN5 sensor.

Earlier reporting also said the OnePlus 16 could include a 200-megapixel periscope telephoto camera on the back, along with a 50-megapixel main camera and a 2-megapixel multispectral sensor. That multispectral unit is said to improve colour accuracy and image quality.

Expected OnePlus 16 specifications so far

• 200-megapixel periscope telephoto camera, reportedly with a Samsung HP5 sensor
• 50-megapixel main camera
• 2-megapixel multispectral sensor
• Less than 1mm-thick front bezels
• Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 chipset, according to reports
• 9,000mAh battery, according to reports
• No built-in active cooling fan, reportedly
• No capacitive shoulder triggers, reportedly

Design changes are also being tipped

Alongside the camera rumours, the OnePlus 16 is expected to feature much thinner bezels than its predecessor. Current leaks point to front bezels measuring less than 1mm, compared with the OnePlus 15’s 1.15mm bezels. The device is also expected to leave out a built-in active cooling fan, despite earlier claims to the contrary.

The phone is said to skip capacitive shoulder triggers as well. Those details came from the same round of reports that discussed the chipset and battery size, although none of them have been verified by the company.

For now, the OnePlus 16 remains a rumoured device, with its China launch still months away. The current information comes from leak posts and reports, and OnePlus has not publicly confirmed the camera setup, the battery, the processor, or the design changes being discussed online.

The OnePlus 15 remains the latest flagship from the company, and the reported OnePlus 16 upgrades would place more focus on camera hardware and display design if the leaks turn out to be accurate. Until then, the details remain unconfirmed and are based on claims circulating in recent days.