OnePlus’ next big thing may be a few months away, but the leaks have already started doing what they do best: spilling just enough tea to keep things interesting. And this time it’s all about the camera. According to the latest rumors, the OnePlus 16 could be gearing up for a pretty ambitious upgrade that focuses heavily on zoom photography and of course megapixels too.
A 200MP camera?
According to a well-known tipster Digital chat stationThe OnePlus 16 is expected to have a 200MP sensor. That alone is enough to raise eyebrows, but as always, the devil is in the details, and these are just starting to come through. Another tipster, Smart Pikachusuggests that this is not a random 200MP sensor. Instead, OnePlus could borrow something from Realme’s playbook.
The alleged sensor is said to be the same one used in the Realme GT 8 Pro – a 200MP periscope telephoto camera. On the GT 8 Pro, this setup uses the Samsung ISOCELL HP5 sensor paired with a periscope lens with 3x optical zoom, an f/2.6 aperture and a 65mm focal length. It is designed to bring distant subjects closer without sacrificing quality. The same sensor is also used in devices like the Oppo Find While the 200MP periscope lens clearly steals the spotlight, the rest of the camera system looks familiar. Leaks suggest OnePlus could stick with a 50MP primary camera and a 50MP ultra-wide camera. So OnePlus seems to be focusing on a meaningful upgrade while others remain fundamentally the same.
So is OnePlus finally going all-in on cameras?
If this leak continues, the OnePlus 16 could finally enter a space where it not only competes on performance and software polish, but also gives photography-focused flagships a reason to look over their shoulder. Smartphone cameras are no longer just about larger sensors. With brands like Realme and Oppo already pushing Periscope technology, OnePlus joining was only a matter of time.
For now, however, these are just leaks and educated guesses. But if even half of that turns out to be true, OnePlus’ next flagship could finally have a camera setup that’s not just good, but really exciting.
