OnePlus has teased the OnePlus 16 and confirmed that it will support a 165 Hz refresh rate across the entire system, not just in select games or apps.
The official OnePlus Weibo account revealed this piece of information via a teaser image. But why is the system-wide or "global" 165 Hz refresh rate support on the OnePlus 16 important?
For context, the OnePlus 15 launched with a 165 Hz display, but the high refresh rate was locked to a handful of supported games. Everything else on the phone, including everyday apps, topped out at 120 Hz.
OnePlus later extended 165 Hz support to apps like WhatsApp, Instagram, and X through a software update, but only if users dug into Developer Options to manually enable it.
Even then, the setting forced the display to run at a constant 165 Hz rather than scaling down when it wasn't needed, defeating much of the purpose of an adaptive refresh rate. So, in practice, the OnePlus 15 actually never delivered a true system-wide 165 Hz experience out of the box.
The OnePlus 16 teaser also confirms that it will be the first OnePlus phone to run on the Android 17-based ColorOS 17 update right out of the box. For the uninitiated, the ColorOS 17 launch is set for today, September 17, 2026.
Apart from this, the brand previously confirmed that the OnePlus 16 will feature three gaming technologies, namely, Wind Chaser Gaming Core, high-refresh-rate technology and an E-Sports Triple Chipset system.
Beyond this, OnePlus hasn't confirmed much else officially, but the rumour mill has been active. The OnePlus 16 recently surfaced on China's 3C certification database, with the listing pointing to 100W wired charging support.
Other leaks and reports suggest that the phone could pack a 200 MP primary rear camera, a 9,000mAh battery, and the yet-to-be-announced Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro chipset. For those unaware, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro will go official at the Snapdragon Summit September 2026 event scheduled to start on September 22.
That said, expect the brand to reveal more official details about the OnePlus 16, like more of its specs and an official launch date as well. So, stay tuned for all the updates.
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