OnePlus 16 Debuts With 1TB Storage, Fresh Colors And A Cool New Light Trick
OnePlus has opened pre-bookings for its lastest flagship slab phone, the OnePlus 16, with top specs and one variant featuring a Pixel HiLight-esque light system. And have we already mentioned that OnePlus is no longer does business in North America and Europe?
Design-wise, the OnePlus 16 retains the raised square rear camera module, even if the rumor mills have been pointing to a return to a circular island. Consumers are offered three colorways: Dark Forest (which ironically does not feature any green—it's more classic black), Martian Masterpiece (vibrant light-orange); and Tomorrow's Starlight. The latter is a brilliant silver variant that uses a specialized silk glass manufacturing process designed to repel fingerprint smudges.
Moreover, the Tomorrow's Starlight model introduces a functional feature known as the Interstellar Light Effect. Embedded into its rear glass panel are galactic coordinates (although the specific coordinates don't line up with any major space object), a star icon in the top right, and segmented sections capable of dynamic illumination. This lighting system functions as a notification matrix, pulsating or glowing in response to incoming phone calls, text messages, active charging phases, and real-time game status indicators.
With the OnePlus 16, the company is also entirely eliminating the paltry 8GB RAM option. Rather, customers have a choice of either 12GB or 16GB of DDR6 memory, paired with internal storage tiers spanning between 256GB to 1TB (non-expandable).
OnePlus hasn't officially confirmed it yet, but for the processor, there's strong belief that Qualcomm’s upcoming silicon, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 will be at play here.
The device will have BOE X4 display boasting ultra-narrow bezels and a baseline 165Hz refresh rate that maxes out at 185Hz for gaming titles that support it. Power could see a monstrous leap with a rumored 9,000mAh cell, compared to the already massive 7,300mAh capacity of the previous generation, while supporting 100W wired and 50W wireless charging. And imaging is supposedly handled by a 200MP primary sensor accompanied by 50MP ultrawide and 200MP periscope telephoto.
Despite the formidable hardware specifications and fancy features, it's very likely that the OnePlus 16 will be an exclusive release for the Chinese market, reinforcing mother brand Oppo's shift away from broad international product launches across North America and Europe. That's a shame, because the OnePlus 16 looks promising.
