OnePlus 16: Rumored China Exclusive, What it Means for Global Fans

What you need to know Rumors claim that the OnePlus 16 might ditch global markets this year, though the reason is unclear. Posts on social media suggest the company could keep its next flagship for the Chinese market, leaving everyone else out. OnePlus' CEO, Pete Lau, was reportedly facing an arrest warrant after being accused of "illegally hiring engineers from Taiwan." There are many ways to start a week, but rumors that OnePlus' next flagship might skip most of the world are a serious surprise (if true). Quite early this morning (Jan 19), a post by OnePlus Club on X alleges that the Chinese company might shy away from the majority of the world (via Android Headlines). The post states that the OnePlus 16 might "be exclusive to China only" this year. It goes without saying that regions like the U.K. and the U.S., including India, would go without their yearly dose of OnePlus if this is accurate. This post spurred conversations on X in the replies. More importantly, one user points out a similar rumor coming from the well-known tipster, Yogesh Brar. Brar's recent post on X goes over some alleged OnePlus 16 camera specs, which we've seen before. However, Brar ends it with a cryptic "but..." after saying these specs are for OnePlus' next flagship device. Again, users are anticipating that the company could skip out on its global markets for its next phone launch. There is nothing confirmed by OnePlus right now, so take these rumors at face value until something certain comes to light. As the publication reiterates, the OnePlus 16 is expected to debut later this year, potentially in Q4, which would line up with the OEM's typical cadence. Curious about the cause The OnePlus 15 debuted toward the end of October for the Chinese market first. The device marked what's considered to be a significant shift in battery and power. It features a 6.7-inch LTPO AMOLED display and a redesigned camera housing on its back panel, which holds a triple lens setup. The company even equipped it with a massive 7,300mAh battery. A phone's battery, efficiency, and charging are all hallmarks for OnePlus, so while the capacity turned heads, it's hardly a surprise that it went this route. The OnePlus 15 was announced for a U.S. launch a few days later, as the company confirmed it would debut on November 13 (globally, too). It's not clear if the arrest warrant situation that the company's CEO, Pete Lau, is going through is the cause of this (though it's all still rumors). For now, we have some early OnePlus 16 rumors that claim the device could feature a 200MP sensor and a periscope telephoto lens. Going back to Brar's post, the device could match this 200MP lens with two 50MP cameras, one of which is the telephoto with 3.5x zoom.