OnePlus 16 will mark the return of a smartphone that has been missing for over three years

Although the official launch is still a ways off, there have been rumors for some time about the OnePlus 16 and the new features it is expected to introduce. The rumors have focused on improvements to the display and cameras, but now a possible novelty has emerged.

According to a rumor, 2026 will see the return of a flagship in Pro version: at the moment the candidates are OnePlus 16 Pro and Ultra, so it seems there is still some uncertainty within the Chinese company’s ranks.

OnePlus 16 Pro or Ultra: one of the two models will arrive for sure, an insider is certain of the strategy shift

The era of the Pro models ended just over three years ago: the last device was the OnePlus 10 Pro, launched in 2022, and even before that the company released the pair OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro.

Two generations and two different approaches: in the more distant past we had a pair of flagships to satisfy all user needs. With the next generation the course changed, with a single Pro flagship.

However, later we witnessed the end of this strategy: since the OnePlus 11, a Pro version is missing, and the reason has been explained by the company itself. Nothing earth-shattering, simply the strategy calls for a single flagship, without the need for additional nomenclature.

This year we should see a return to the past with OnePlus 16 Pro but for now there are no other details. The same leak also claims that the phone could arrive with OnePlus 16 Ultra; moreover it isn’t clear how many smartphones there will be, given the brand’s past approach.

Two devices will be announced (base and Pro/Ultra) as happened with the ninth generation, or will there be a single flagship named Pro/Ultra?

What do we know about the upcoming flagship

While waiting to fully understand the brand’s strategy, there are already some rumors about OnePlus 16. The inclusion of the next flagship Snapdragon chipset is a given, but there should be more as well.

After testing 165 Hz, the display of the future flagship is expected to rise to 240 Hz: a panel worthy of a true mobile war machine – especially for gaming.

The improvements would also come to the camera department thanks to the introduction of a a 200 MP main sensor – in line with the top of OPPO’s Find X family.