OnePlus 16 was made official earlier this week as the latest Android flagship powered by the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chipset. The handset is poised to become one of the most powerful flagships going into 2027. OnePlus 16 also succeeds last year’s OnePlus 15 with notable upgrades. Some of these include performance, cameras, battery life, and the cooling system.
Here’s a closer look at the five ways the OnePlus 16 is an upgrade over the OnePlus 15.
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New Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chipset
OnePlus 16 is powered by the new 2nm Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chip, a generational upgrade over the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 on the OnePlus 15. In comparison, the 3nm Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 is said to deliver 13 percent improved CPU performance, 44 percent improved GPU performance, and 35 percent improved NPU performance over the 8 Elite Gen 5. The chipset also focuses heavily on AI with Adreno Neural Fusion, which uses AI to improve frame generation and image quality in games. The handset is equipped with the new Wind Chaser Game Core to unlock full performance mode and consistent high frame rates in games, along with a self-developed triple e-sports chip.
We can expect faster performance on the OnePlus 16, especially in terms of gaming. The OnePlus 15 is already a proven performer when it comes to handling graphics-intensive titles, so it’s interesting to see how much further OnePlus pushes with its latest flagship and how that translates in real-world usage.
Upgraded 200MP main camera
OnePlus 16’s cameras have also received a major upgrade, with the main camera now a 200MP 1/1.4-inch sensor over the 50MP on the OnePlus 15. The front camera has also been improved to 50MP from 32MP on the new OnePlus flagship.
The rest of the setup is largely the same, with a 50MP telephoto camera (3x optical zoom) and a 50MP ultra-wide camera. With these hardware changes, we can expect much better camera performance on the OnePlus 16 as compared to its predecessor. But how the changes translate into real-world usage is something we can only determine once we test the phone. It’s still a welcome move from OnePlus to focus on the cameras too for a flagship more known for its performance and endurance.
Massive 9,000mAh battery
OnePlus 16 comes with a massive 9,000mAh battery, the largest ever on a OnePlus flagship. It’s also among the largest in the high-end flagship phone segment. In comparison to the OnePlus 15, which already offers a large 7,300mAh battery that comfortably lasts over a day even with heavy usage. With the capacity increased to 9,000mAh, we can expect longer endurance on the OnePlus 16. This would be quite beneficial for power users, gamers, or people who rely on long battery life.
OnePlus 16 also comes with 100W fast charging support, which has interestingly been reduced from 120W on the OnePlus 15. 100W is still pretty fast, and among the highest you can get for a flagship phone. In addition to this, you also get 50W Wireless Flash Charge, 27W wired reverse charging, and bypass charging with the OnePlus 16. So you’re not only getting fast wireless charging but you can also use the phone to power other devices, and game without heating issues while the phone is being charged.
The smartphone is also equipped with OPPO’s self-developed energy chip, which is claimed to offer longer battery life with the same capacity. This means that even when the battery capacity is very low or almost empty, the performance will remain stable.
185Hz refresh rate
OnePlus 16’s display hardware is similar to the OnePlus but with some key differences. It’s a 6.78-inch flat LTPO OLED display with a 1,272 x 2,772 pixel resolution and up to a 185Hz refresh rate. The upgrade here is a maximum refresh rate of 185Hz as opposed to 165Hz on the OnePlus 15, which was already quite rare for a flagship. But OnePlus has clarified that 185Hz will kick in only during gaming and for select titles like Game for Peace, Delta Force, Arena Breakout, CrossFire: Legends, Lost Light, and Counter-Strike: Future.
Otherwise, the display intelligently switches between 1-165Hz, which itself should result in buttery-smooth animations and a scrolling experience. The panel has also been upgraded to BOE’s X4 luminescent material, which is a generation above the BOE X3 used on the OnePlus 15.
Whether the OnePlus 16 does manage to achieve 185fps in the said games is something we’ll know in testing, but that itself is a major feat, and the 165Hz for normal scrolling as well.
Larger and smarter cooling system
OnePlus 15 has a strong cooling system powered by the Glacier cooling system to handle heat dissipation during extensive use and gaming. This has been upgraded on the OnePlus 16 with a larger vapour chamber that is said to deliver 40 percent better cooling performance. It also features a new generation of thermal conductive gel, which should improve heat dissipation by 50 percent. The handset is also equipped to deliver 2100W/m-K Glacier graphite performance for faster and more uniform heat spreading across the device. Another interesting thing is how the OnePlus 16 directs heat away from where one would typically hold the phone while gaming in landscape mode.
If you’re a gamer or power user still on an older flagship, the OnePlus 16 offers compelling upgrades. However, OnePlus 15 users might find the improvements incremental unless camera or extreme battery life are absolute priorities.
