НЕ ПОКУПАЙ, пока не посмотришь! OnePlus 16 — OPPO, vivo, Xiaomi, iQOO и HONOR не у дел?

OnePlus 16 Review Summary

Overall verdict

The reviewer considers the OnePlus 16 a capable, premium phone, but difficult to justify at roughly $1,000 for the 512GB version, particularly as a Chinese-market model. It offers a strong display, fast charging, powerful hardware, and surprisingly good still photos, but lacks a clear advantage over similarly priced rivals.

The reviewer recommends thinking twice before buying and prefers the global OnePlus 15 or camera-focused global alternatives.

Main features and user experience

• Build and design: The phone measures about 162 × 77 × 8.6 mm and weighs 217–220 g. Its metal frame and materials feel flagship-grade, but it is slippery without a case. The light-colored version has decorative rear lighting; the red version uses a different, fiberglass-reinforced material.
• Water resistance: It is rated IP66, IP68, IP69, and IP69K. The reviewer warns that liquid damage is not covered by warranty and found touch response unreliable underwater. Water resistance should not be treated as permission to submerge the phone.
• Display: The 6.78-inch flat LTPO AMOLED display has a 2772 × 1272 resolution, 450 ppi, Dolby Vision and HDR support, and 3840 Hz PWM dimming. Its refresh rate adapts up to 165 Hz in the interface and up to 185 Hz in some supported games. The reviewer liked the display quality but questioned the practical value of the highest refresh rates.
• Brightness: This is a major weakness. The reviewer measured roughly 1,300–1,400 lux at maximum, below some competitors’ reported readings of around 2,700. During demanding gaming, brightness fell below 200 lux, though it recovered quickly afterward.
• Performance: The phone uses a Snapdragon 8 Gen 6 Extreme Edition, LPDDR5X Ultra memory, UFS 4.1 storage, and a 6,428 mm² vapor chamber. Storage starts at 256GB, but the reviewer recommends 512GB or more, noting that two large games can take up around 140–150GB.
• Gaming: The phone held 60 FPS in one demanding test, while Genshin Impact ran smoothly at 120 FPS without major brightness loss or heating. Other heavy use caused noticeable heat—around 43–44°C in the reviewer’s test—and severe screen dimming. Bypass charging worked and helped during gaming.
• Benchmarks: AnTuTu scored about 4 million, but the test used 9% battery. Geekbench results were 2,394 single-core and 9,619 multi-core, while the GPU test scored 30,053. The reviewer noted weak stability in some stress tests, although 3DMark completed.
• Battery and charging: The 9,000 mAh battery supports up to 100W wired charging, 50W wireless charging, 27W reverse wired charging, and bypass charging. It charged from about 1% to full in roughly 54–55 minutes. Charging can heat the phone, and the reviewer found real-world endurance disappointing for the battery’s capacity: just over 11 hours in PCMark, 4–5% used during an hour of YouTube, and around 22% per hour in games—potentially more if brightness were maintained.
• Software: The phone runs Chinese ColorOS based on Android 17, with regional apps, untranslated sections, and AI features that may be restricted outside China. The reviewer doubts an OxygenOS version will arrive and says global re-flashing is not currently assured. The programmable Plus Key occasionally had issues with assigned actions and cannot launch arbitrary apps. There is no traditional mechanical alert slider.
• Connectivity and biometrics: The phone has two physical nano-SIM slots, but no eSIM and no Band 20. The reviewer also warns about Chinese network aggregation and possible seller-side network locks. Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, NFC, VoLTE/VoWiFi, and an ultrasonic fingerprint reader are included. Face unlock uses ordinary 2D camera recognition, not secure Face ID-style 3D recognition.
• Other hardware: USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 supports OTG and DisplayPort; wired monitor output worked with little perceived delay. The phone also has an IR blaster, stereo speakers, and an X-axis vibration motor. Maximum 50W wireless charging requires a compatible branded charger, and there is no built-in MagSafe-like magnetic ring.

Cameras

The rear camera system consists of a 200MP main camera, a 50MP ultrawide camera, and a 50MP 3× periscope telephoto camera. The front camera is 50MP with autofocus.

Video options include 8K/30 and multiple 4K modes. 4K/120 is limited to the main camera, while the front camera supports up to 4K/60.

The reviewer’s still-photo comparison was more favorable than the video review. The OnePlus performed particularly well in the overall photo comparison and was judged best among the tested phones for selfies, though results are subjective and some samples were taken in different conditions.

Video was a notable weakness. The reviewer observed stuttering, slow or awkward camera switching, autofocus jumps, and inconsistent performance. The ultrawide camera was criticized in comparisons. The phone also lacks some advanced options available elsewhere, including 4K/240 slow motion, a cinematic effect, and extra RAW controls in Master mode. Dual-camera recording is limited to 1080p/30.

In comparisons, Oppo’s closely related phone produced better ultrawide footage and, in the reviewer’s view, had better sensors and image processing overall. Vivo was more versatile and led the zoom comparison. The OnePlus still did well in some still-photo tests and in front-camera comparisons.

Pros

• Premium-feeling construction and a high-quality, fast-refresh display.
• Strong processor and smooth performance in some demanding games.
• Large battery, fast charging, wireless charging, and working bypass charging.
• Good still photos; the reviewer particularly liked the selfie results.
• Useful USB-C video output and a broad set of connectivity features, aside from the missing bands and eSIM.

Cons

• Very high price for a Chinese version with uncertain global availability and software support.
• No Band 20, no eSIM, possible network-lock risk, and regional software limitations.
• Battery life was poor relative to the 9,000 mAh capacity.
• Screen brightness is low compared with rivals and drops sharply in some games.
• Heat under sustained heavy use; demanding tests drain the battery quickly.
• Speakers were judged below flagship standard, and vibration felt underpowered.
• Inconsistent video capture, including stutter and limited advanced recording features.
• No standout feature such as Face ID, gaming triggers, a distinctive display feature, or class-leading cameras.

Comparisons and alternatives

• Honor: Better sound and Face ID-style secure unlocking; the reviewer preferred the OnePlus selfie result in the comparison.
• Oppo: Very similar software and camera interface. Oppo was judged stronger in ultrawide video and overall camera hardware and processing.
• Vivo: Broader shooting capabilities and the strongest zoom results in the reviewer’s comparison.
• iQOO: Offers gaming triggers and a more gaming-focused proposition. The reviewer questioned the OnePlus’s appeal as a gaming phone without triggers.
• Poco: Presented as much cheaper globally and better-sounding, though with an older processor.
• OnePlus 15: The reviewer’s preferred value option, with global availability and roughly half the price, in exchange for weaker cameras.
• Other alternatives: The reviewer also points buyers toward global camera-focused models such as the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, Vivo X300 Ultra, and Oppo Find X9 Ultra, and mentions the Honor Magic 8 Pro.

Reviewer’s perspective

The subtitles contain one main reviewer rather than multiple independent speakers. His view is mixed: he likes OnePlus and acknowledges the phone’s strong performance, charging, and still photography, but considers the price and Chinese-version compromises too substantial to recommend it.