OnePlus 16: Major camera upgrade expected but OxygenOS is dead in the water

OnePlus's former glory has already faded significantly since the "flagship killers" have been working hard to water down their original DNA. The OnePlus 15 also marked the end of the Hasselblad camera, and now another major shakeup is on the horizon as Smartprix reports based on statements from a “highly reliable” industry insider. Not only OxygenOS, which was considered one of the fastest Android skins on the market, but also Realme UI, its counterpart on Realme phones, are apparently on their way out.

While it is emphasized that this does not necessarily mean the final death for both Realme and OnePlus as brands, another piece of their individuality is likely getting lost in the process, as OnePlus and Realme smartphones will simply run ColorOS in the future, the standard Oppo software. It remains to be seen how independently OnePlus and Realme will be able to operate in the future: In India, for example, all of the OnePlus service has already been consolidated under the Oppo brand. And yet, a definitive end for OnePlus does not seem to be on the horizon just yet, as suggested by a Weibo post from Digital Chat Station.

The Chinese leaker, who is also considered very reliable, has posted specific camera specs for the OnePlus 16, which hint at a camera upgrade for the successor to the OnePlus 15. According to the post, the 50-megapixel 1/1.56-inch sensor in the main camera will be replaced by a larger 1/1.4-inch sensor with a 200-megapixel resolution, while the smaller 50-megapixel ultra-wide-angle and 3.5x telephoto cameras are unlikely to see significant changes. However, these specs aren’t finalized yet, according to the leaker on Weibo—and given the restructuring at Oppo, it’s entirely possible that the OnePlus 16 won’t even make it to markets outside China.