OnePlus may be preparing a major camera upgrade for its upcoming flagship, with the OnePlus 16 tipped to feature a 200MP primary camera and a larger telephoto sensor. The phone could also get a higher-resolution selfie camera per the leak. Here’s what we know so far.

OnePlus 16’s camera may have levelled up

According to reliable tipster Digital Chat Station’s latest Weibo post, the OnePlus 16 could feature a 200MP primary camera with a 1/1.4-inch sensor. That’s a big change from the OnePlus 15’s 50MP main camera with a 1/1.56-inch sensor. Look, the higher resolution itself isn’t that important here, the larger sensor is. A bigger sensor helps the phone capture more light and retain more detail, especially in tricky lighting.

The change isn’t just limited to the primary sensor either, even the telephoto sensor might be upgraded. The OnePlus 15 (review) had a 50MP 3.5x periscope camera with a 1/2.76-inch sensor, while the OnePlus 16 is tipped to get a 50MP 3x periscope with a much larger 1/1.95-inch Sony sensor. The phone could be giving up some optical reach in favour of a larger sensor, which is likely to improve image quality at 3x and in lower light.

The ultrawide camera is expected to remain at 50MP, although the leak points to a new sensor, although it doesn’t provide its size or other details yet. On the front, meanwhile, the 32MP autofocus selfie camera could be replaced by a 50MP autofocus sensor, giving the OnePlus 16 another clear upgrade over its predecessor.

Should you wait for the OnePlus 16?

For Indian buyers, the OnePlus 16 could be worth waiting for, particularly if camera performance is high on your priority list. The OnePlus 15 (review) already offers a capable camera system, but if the leak is proven true, the camera upgrades are a pretty convincing reason. After OnePlus 15 put its cameras a little backstage, it seems like OnePlus moving in the right direction and putting the camera system back at the centre of its flagship offering.

The rest of the package that’s been rumoured so far also looks pretty promising. This includes the yet-to-launch Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro, a 9,000mAh battery and more capable gaming hardware.

The 165Hz display itself isn’t a reason to wait, since the OnePlus 15 already offers it, but system-wide 165Hz support and the reported gaming improvements could make the new model more appealing to gamers.

The only catch is the price. The OnePlus 15 currently sells for around Rs 85,000, so the OnePlus 16 could arrive at a similar price or even higher, especially with the ongoing RAM shortage and rising component costs. There have also been rumours of OnePlus exiting India, but none have been substantiated so far.

If the OnePlus 16 does skip India, however, it could add fuel to those claims. For existing OnePlus 15 users, there’s little reason to upgrade immediately, while those on an older phone should consider waiting to see how much the new camera system improves and what the launch price looks like.