OnePlus 16 may not rival Galaxy S27 globally as its international launch gets questioned

The OnePlus 15 was officially introduced for the global market soon after the Chinese debut, and it could offer a better value than the soon-to-launch Galaxy S26. Now, while OnePlus' Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 flagship phone is still new, reports about the successor have started to pop up.

Recently, a report from @OnePlusClub suggested that the OnePlus 16 will see a major battery upgrade, and now, the source is sharing that the next flagship phone may not see a global release. That is, @OnePlusClub has reported that the brand's 2026 top-end smartphone may stay China-exclusive.

It's worth noting that the source isn't entirely sure about the rumor, and it would be odd to see the OnePlus 16 not be officially available globally. Of course, even if this rumor turns out to be true, it's not like interested global buyers won't have any options. Retailers like TradingShenzhen, WondaMobile, and GizTop make it pretty easy to import Chinese phones (12/512 GB OnePlus 15 curr. $776.29 on TradingShenzhen).

Another thing worth noting is that OnePlus Club isn't the only tipster hinting at the absence of the OnePlus 16 in the international market. Yogesh Brar, another known tipster, reports that the next OnePlus flagship will see a notable camera upgrade, but hints that the phone may not be officially available outside China.

Now, while multiple sources are hinting at the same time, it's still too early for OnePlus to decide not to release its next flagship phone globally. For what it's worth, the smartphone is expected to be released in Q4 2026, and the brand is expected to launch two mid-range Nord phones in the global market soon.