Quick summary
The OnePlus 16 is expected to come with an interesting model that integrates the lighting into the back of the phone.
This seems to extend beyond simple notifications, while the design itself is unique. Unfortunately, the phone won’t be coming to the US or Europe.
OnePlus has officially shown the OnePlus 16 as it prepares to launch the device in China, with an interesting detail on the back of the phone.
The phone has been shared in three colors which translate to Tomorrow’s Starlight, The Dark Forest and A Martian Masterpiece. On the back of Tomorrow’s Starlight model there is something called Interstellar Lighting Effect.
This, it seems, is a custom lighting arrangement, somewhat like the Glyph Matrix of a Nothing phone, allowing for an additional notification panel on the rear of the device.
This goes a little further than the Google Hi-Light feature, offering notifications about incoming calls, text, game highlights and more. The pictures show Area 16 and contain some coordinates.
It seems that the lighting will be in two places on the back of the phone, down to the bottom and up top next to the camera array. Tomorrow’s Starlight model is not a flat color, it appears to be more like a map, with contour lines.
(Image credit: OnePlus)
The new device was officially shared on Weibo (via Android Authority), but the sad news is that you cannot buy it: OnePlus has officially withdrawn from Europe and the United States, so it is likely to only see the light in China.
The lighting effect is an interesting addition to the phone, which from the rest of the design looks like the OnePlus 15. Exactly how much customization it will offer and what the gaming functions will be, we just don’t know.
It is thought that the OnePlus 16 will run on the Snapdragon Elite Extreme Gen 6, announced soon, and it could be a 9000mAh battery with 100W charging.
A 200-megapixel camera could lead the charge, with a 50-megapixel ultra-wide and 50-megapixel telephoto in support. It will run on ColorOS.
The phone comes in 12 and 16GB options, with storage up to 1TB. Reservations are open in China, although the phone has not been officially launched yet. It’s likely that it will be one of the devices we see more formally announced after Qualcomm’s next-gen Snapdragon announcement, which is expected on September 22.