OnePlus 16 leak hints at a new 'Pro' or 'Ultra' model to rival the best of Android

OnePlus had an interesting 2025. The company started strong with the OnePlus 13, 13R, and 13s, but then came along the OnePlus 15 and 15R, which left behind some of the highlights of their predecessors. While the new phones are only a few months old at this point, leaks have already begun to emerge for the successor to the OnePlus 15, and it appears the company could right some wrongs this year.

Leaker OnePlus Club mentions on X that OnePlus has seemingly taken stock of user feedback and is “set to release an all-rounder” this year. The post mentions that we might finally get a “Pro” model after four years, though it’s unclear if this rumored OnePlus flagship will be called the OnePlus 16 Pro or OnePlus 16 Ultra.

In a follow-up comment, the leaker mentions “See you Q4, 2026,” likely alluding to the launch window of this rumored flagship. If OnePlus follows a yearly release cadence, their next flagship (presumably taking the “OnePlus 16” moniker, based on historical trends) would have been released in Q4 2026 anyway.

The OnePlus 10 Pro, released in 2022, was the last “Pro” flagship from OnePlus. Later flagships dropped the “Pro” moniker, but inarguably kept the same ethos. In fact, the OnePlus 13 was one of the most well-rounded flagships the company has ever made, and it even went on to win our Editor’s Choice award for best phone of 2025 despite not having a “Pro” in its name (and the OnePlus 15 also being released in the same year).

As the leak mentions, the exact name of the rumored phone is up in the air (and unlikely to be finalized until it is close to launch). The main takeaway, though, is that OnePlus could be bringing back the exceptional camera performance of the OnePlus 13, and perhaps even upgrading it for an “all-rounder” experience. It remains to be seen if the company will drop down from a 165Hz refresh rate display to a more practical (and cost-effective) refresh rate display in its alleged pursuit to release an “all-rounder” flagship in 2026. We also don’t know if there will be a base OnePlus 16 flagship, or if the OnePlus 16R will take that place. We’ll keep our ears to the ground for more leaks on this end.