The OnePlus 16 launched in China last week with a 9,000mAh battery, a 200MP main camera, a 185Hz display, and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6. With OnePlus out of the US and Europe, it looked like the phone might stay in China permanently, to users' dismay. Now, leaks reveal that the company is testing global and Indian software for the new phone under three model numbers. All hope isn't lost, after all.
Good news for buyers outside China, maybe
Leakster Abhishek Yadav (@yabhishekhd) shared the exclusive news of the OnePlus 16’s global release on X. The three model numbers spotted are CPH2901, CPH2903, and CPH2905. However, the launch hasn’t been confirmed yet.
In the same post, Yadav says OnePlus has two more model numbers, PYP110 and CPH2887, on its high-refresh-rate gaming list. PYP110 runs games at 185Hz, and he believes it’s most likely the OnePlus 16R. It’s also likely a different phone from the OnePlus Ace 7 and Ace 7 Pro.
It matches the 185Hz gaming refresh rate on the OnePlus 16 launched in China. The phone itself has a flat 6.78-inch BOE X4 LTPO OLED display with 1.5K resolution.
Three custom chips handle the display, network, and touch response, and it ultimately runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 processor. It offers up to 16GB of LPDDR5X Ultra RAM and up to 1TB of UFS 4.1 storage.
An upgraded Glacier cooling system keeps it cool, and OnePlus says its vapor chamber is 40% better than before. The 9,000mAh battery supports 100W wired, 50W wireless, and 27W reverse wired charging. OnePlus says it reaches 80% in 37 minutes.
The rear cameras include a 200MP main sensor with optical image stabilization, a 50MP ultrawide, and a 50MP 3x periscope telephoto. The selfie camera is also 50MP.
India remains a key market for OnePlus
Other features on the OnePlus 16 include ColorOS 17, an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor, stereo speakers, and IP66, IP68, IP69, and IP69K ratings. It comes in Tomorrow’s Starlight, Dark Forest, and Mars Masterpiece, and starts at CNY 5,699 (≈ $852) during its promotional period.
The global release leak is a promising sign for buyers outside China. Given that OnePlus exited North America and Europe earlier this year, the OnePlus 15 became its last flagship in those regions. India remained its biggest market outside its home market and is where the phone will likely launch first.
It’s where, after all, the brand found its audience, which largely includes anyone who wants premium phones but is price-conscious. India also regularly accounted for over half of the company’s international shipments.
That said, users in the US and Europe are likely going to rely on imports for much longer which usually means no local warranty or official support. It’s unlikely it’ll return to these regions for now. Counterpoint data from 2026 cited by TechCrunch showed that OnePlus’s share of US smartphone shipments fell below 1% last year.
A share below 1% means fewer than one in 100 phones shipped in the US were OnePlus. It's pretty much a rounding error in an Apple and Samsung dominated market, and it partly explains why a withdrawal made sense for the company.
