5 upgrades that could make the OnePlus 16R a strong gaming and photography contender

It’s that time of year again when smartphone brands are hot on each other’s heels, pushing out the next generation of flagship and sub-flagship smartphones across markets. OnePlus, in particular, has already pulled back the curtain on the OnePlus 16 and the performance-first OnePlus Ace 7 Pro, with the former reportedly in testing for an India launch and the latter potentially arriving as the OnePlus 16R.

Compared to the OnePlus 15R, the OnePlus 16R could shake things up in the premium segment with several uncommon upgrades and advancements. On that note, here are the top five things that could make the OnePlus 16R a worthy pick for gamers and photographers.

Table of Contents

Gaming: built-in cooling fan

First, addressing the elephant in the room, the OnePlus 16R could be the company’s first to rock a full-fledged physical cooling system aimed at significantly reducing temperatures when running games at peak graphical settings, globally. The handset is expected to be a rebranded version of the OnePlus Ace 7 Pro, which was introduced in China with a “Dual-Path Glacier Air-Cooling System”, comprising dual channels and a cooling fan to draw in cool air and blow hot air away from the processor.

Located within the large camera module above the motherboard, the OnePlus Ace 7 Pro’s cooling system is claimed to reduce heat by around 10 degrees Celsius. This is noticeably more than the OPPO K13 Turbo series‘ single-duct fan setup, which claims up to a 4-degree reduction, and it’s the only smartphone launched in India recently to sport a cooling fan.

With the active cooling system in place, the OnePlus 16R could offer some of the best sustained performance on a smartphone in India, leading to lower surface temperatures for long-session comfort. With popular games like Genshin Impact, Wuthering Waves, Arknights: Enfield, Devil May Cry: Peak of Combat, and others that push devices to their absolute limits in high graphical and frame rate settings, the OnePlus 16R’s advanced cooling system should help keep things cool and smooth.

Display: 185Hz refresh rate

With the OnePlus 15R already offering one of the fastest refresh rates on a smartphone in India, the OnePlus 16R could raise the bar with 185Hz. While the peak 185Hz refresh rate will be restricted for games, the handset should be fully capable of running all apps, both system and third-party, at 165Hz refresh rates.

As for how much smoother 165Hz feels in real-world scenarios compared to 120Hz or 144Hz, it can be subjective, but the fluidity is sure to improve the experience. After enabling 165Hz refresh rates through developer options on the OnePlus 15, which I currently use as my primary device, I noticed slightly smoother scrolling and flicks in X, Instagram, and WhatsApp, resulting in an overall perceived fluidity. What’s more, the OnePlus Ace 7 Pro uses the same 6.78-inch 1.5K BOE X4 AMOLED panel as the OnePlus 16, delivering a flagship-grade viewing experience at a lower price.

Here’s a list of popular games available globally that support 185Hz out of the box on the OnePlus Ace 7 Pro, which the OnePlus 16R should also be able to run at that refresh rate:

Performance: four dedicated chipsets

With the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor at its core, the OnePlus Ace 7 Pro ups the stakes over the OnePlus Ace 6T (OnePlus 15R) by offering four chipsets. This includes the T3 Touch chip for improving touch response and reducing latency in games with support for high sampling rates, the G3 Network chip for better network stability and lag reduction in high-paced online games, and the P4 Display chip, which is partially responsible for delivering 185Hz refresh rates with minimal ghosting effects in games.

While the real-world implications of these chipsets may not be immediately noticeable, they should work in tandem in the background for well-optimised, reliable, interruption-free gameplay. Backed by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, the same chipset that runs on the OnePlus 15, one can expect an impressive gaming experience on the smartphone.

I can vouch for that since I’ve been playing a lot of Devil May Cry: Peak of Combat on the OnePlus 15 at 120FPS with maximum graphics settings lately. To my surprise, the phone steadily maintains the frame rate after around 30 minutes, even as internal temperatures reach 47 degrees Celsius.

Devil May Cry: Peak of Combat running on Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5-powered OnePlus 15

Cameras: telephoto lens returns

With the OnePlus 15R skipping a telephoto lens, the OnePlus 16R could offer a breath of fresh air with a 50MP telephoto lens and 3.5x optical zoom, making it a viable option for photography enthusiasts and hobbyists seeking detailed images at higher focal lengths, such as 80mm optically. However, since the Ace 7 Pro doesn’t carry an ultrawide lens, the OnePlus 16R could face the same fate, resulting in less flexibility for capturing wide-perspective shots.

Up until the OnePlus 15R, every ‘R’ series OnePlus device featured an 8MP ultrawide lens, but it looks like the OnePlus 16R won’t have one, making way for a telephoto lens and a cooling system module within the camera island. While OnePlus China hasn’t revealed the sensor details of the Ace 7 Pro’s telephoto lens, it’s highly likely to be the same 50MP 1/2.76-inch JN5 sensor from the OnePlus 15.

It’s also worth noting that the Ace 7 Pro gets an upgraded 200MP sensor from the Ace 6T, though the 1/1.56-inch sensor size remains unchanged, for sharper details and better dynamic range control. Combined with OnePlus’ DetailMax Engine, its proprietary imaging pipeline for the global market, photographers can expect decent, highly usable results from the upcoming OnePlus device.

Battery: massive 9,000mAh capacity

If the 7,400mAh battery on the OnePlus 15R wasn’t enough, the OnePlus 16R could push capacity even further with a 9,000mAh cell. As noted in our OnePlus 15R long-term review, the device conveniently offered over 9 hours of screen-on time within a 24-hour charge cycle, so the OnePlus 16R should deliver rock-solid battery life even with heavy use that includes intensive gaming.

As a result, gamers can be reassured that their smartphone can last for hours on end without worrying about running out of juice. Bundled with the extremely efficient cooling system, the OnePlus 16R shouldn’t face hurdles even when pushed to its limits.

Final thoughts

Overall, if the OnePlus Ace 7 Pro launches as the OnePlus 16R in India, it could give premium flagships like the iQOO 16, Motorola Signature 27, and even the OnePlus 16 (if it also releases here) a run for their money. The smartphone will go all out in every department except the processor, which, although last year’s, will remain equally capable for years to come. While pricing may rise significantly from the OnePlus 15R (Rs 59,999) due to the ongoing memory crisis, it should still stay well below the said smartphones, which are all rumoured to cross Rs 1.2 lakh.

Along with the highly advanced cooling mechanism in tow, featuring a dedicated cooling fan and dual channels for maximum airflow, and a massive battery, the 3.5x telephoto lens acts as a cherry on top, making the OnePlus 16R highly suitable for casual users, gamers and photographers alike.

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