{"id":581740,"date":"2026-08-03T12:33:23","date_gmt":"2026-08-03T12:33:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/581740\/"},"modified":"2026-08-03T12:33:23","modified_gmt":"2026-08-03T12:33:23","slug":"oneplus-built-the-perfect-android-phone-in-2025-the-oneplus-16-is-throwing-it-away","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/581740\/","title":{"rendered":"OnePlus built the perfect Android phone in 2025. The OnePlus 16 is throwing it away"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"OnePlus<\/p>\n

Joe Maring \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n

A couple of weeks ago, OnePlus confirmed it was winding down business operations<\/a> in North America and Europe, confirming longstanding rumors we\u2019d been hearing for months. It\u2019s a devastating blow to markets like the US that are already starved for smartphone choices, but it\u2019s the harsh reality we find ourselves in.<\/p>\n

However, OnePlus isn\u2019t completely dead. While it may no longer serve the US, Canada, and Europe, it\u2019s still fully operational in other parts of the world. And recently, OnePlus gave us our first tease of its next flagship smartphone: the OnePlus 16<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Based on what we now know about the phone, one thing is crystal clear. After creating a virtually flawless Android flagship in 2025 with the OnePlus 13, OnePlus has no intention of repeating that success. Instead, it would rather keep making the same mistakes and creating flagships that represent a shell of the company\u2019s former self.<\/p>\n

Are you looking forward to the OnePlus 16?<\/p>\n

1787 votes<\/p>\n

Yes, I love OnePlus phones.<\/p>\n

47%<\/p>\n

I would be if OnePlus hadn’t left North America and Europe.<\/p>\n

45%<\/p>\n

No, I don’t like OnePlus phones.<\/p>\n

8%<\/p>\n

What made the OnePlus 13 so special<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Joe Maring \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n

OnePlus has released so many excellent smartphones over the years, but I truly think the OnePlus 13 will go down in history as the phone that brought together all the company\u2019s previous efforts into one nearly-perfect package. OnePlus flagships have always come close to matching their Samsung\/Google\/Apple counterparts, but the OnePlus 13 was the first to feel like it outdid them all.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve ever used the OnePlus 13, you\u2019ll know that this wasn\u2019t due to a single specification. Instead, it was because of how the whole phone came together as a complete package.<\/p>\n

Part of it was the OnePlus 13\u2019s design. The blue faux leather back paired with the silver camera housing remains one of the most handsome-looking Android phones I\u2019ve seen. Despite having a large 6.82-inch display, well-balanced internals, a flat frame, and ever-so-slightly curved screen edges made the OnePlus 13 a supremely comfortable smartphone.<\/p>\n

In typical OnePlus fashion, performance was outstanding, too. It shouldn\u2019t come as any surprise that the Snapdragon 8 Elite is still a capable chip in mid-2026, but OnePlus\u2019s software optimizations make the OnePlus 13 feel faster and smoother than some 2026 flagships I\u2019ve used. And that\u2019s to say nothing of the 6,000mAh battery or 80W wired charging, both of which handily outperform Samsung and Google\u2019s latest flagships.<\/p>\n

No matter how you sliced it, the OnePlus 13 excelled in basically every category.<\/p>\n

What tied all of this together is that OnePlus delivered on its longstanding performance promises while also offering a legitimately fantastic camera experience. The sensors were all technically great, but what really sold me on the OnePlus 13\u2019s photography was its approach to colors. Photos from the OnePlus 13 had a distinct style with ample contrast, bold color choices, and more. Paired with excellent and unique shooting modes<\/a>, the OnePlus 13 is one of those phones that made me excited to take photos with it.<\/p>\n

And, of course, the price was just the cherry on top. When it launched at $900 in January 2025, the OnePlus 13 would go on to handily undercut the $1,200 Pixel 10 Pro XL and $1,300 Galaxy S25 Ultra while arguably being a better phone than both. No matter how you sliced it, the OnePlus 13 excelled in basically every category. There\u2019s a reason we named it Android Authority\u2018s best phone of 2025<\/a>, and it looked like OnePlus\u2019s best days were only ahead.<\/p>\n

The OnePlus 15 and OnePlus 16 strategy<\/p>\n

\"OnePlus<\/p>\n

Mishaal Rahman \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, we couldn\u2019t have been more wrong.<\/p>\n

The OnePlus 15<\/a> succeeded the OnePlus 13 less than a year after its US release, and on paper, it looked fantastic. It had a newer and faster Snapdragon chip, a monstrous 7,300mAh battery, faster 120W charging in some markets, a smoother 165Hz refresh rate, and the same $900 starting price. What wasn\u2019t to like? As it turns out, quite a lot.<\/p>\n

The biggest fault of the OnePlus 15 was its re-shifted priorities. OnePlus has always been big on delivering impressive spec sheets and fast performance, but the points were\u00a0really\u00a0emphasized on the OnePlus 15. The OnePlus 13 was special because it delivered enthusiast-grade specifications without sacrificing the rest of the experience. But not so with the OnePlus 15.<\/p>\n

\"OnePlus<\/p>\n

Ryan Haines \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n

The display is a good example of this. The OnePlus 15 downgraded the OnePlus 13\u2019s display from a 2K panel to a 1.5K one in order to support a maximum 165Hz refresh rate \u2014 a feature you can only use in a handful of compatible mobile games. The 15\u2019s new design was arguably more broadly appealing, but it also lost all the character and charm of the 13. The increased battery capacity was nice, but it came at the expense of downgraded camera sensors across the board, leading to a noticeable dip in image quality. Even the vibration motor, a quiet highlight of the OnePlus 13, was replaced with a lower-quality one on the 15.<\/p>\n

While the 15 wasn\u2019t a complete failure, it completely lost the delicate balance OnePlus struck with the 13. OnePlus didn\u2019t market the OnePlus 15 as a gaming phone, but the changes it made \u2014 downgrading cameras, design, and lifestyle features in order to deliver over-the-top display and power specs \u2014 sure made it feel like one.<\/p>\n

\"OnePlus<\/p>\n

And it looks like that\u2019s the path OnePlus is continuing on with the OnePlus 16.<\/p>\n

While talking about the OnePlus 16 at a recent Snapdragon event, OnePlus confirmed a few important details about its upcoming phone: it\u2019ll bring back the 165Hz refresh rate, a new triple-chip design (likely including the new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro), and will focus on delivering \u201cphenomenal gaming performance.\u201d Previous rumors have also suggested OnePlus is doubling down even harder on the battery front, potentially going all the way up to a 9,000mAh cell.<\/p>\n

The OnePlus 16 seems to be following the OnePlus 15 playbook, and I hate it.<\/p>\n

This sounds like precisely the same playbook OnePlus used for the OnePlus 15: putting all of its attention on performance and battery size for a great gaming experience, and then worrying about everything else. For hardcore gamers, that might sound like music to your ears. But as someone who cherished the OnePlus 13 for its ability to deliver a true flagship experience for all types of users, I couldn\u2019t be more disappointed.<\/p>\n

OnePlus has changed, and not for the better<\/p>\n

\"OnePlus<\/p>\n

Tushar Mehta \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n

Ultimately, I shouldn\u2019t be surprised by OnePlus\u2019s decision-making here. The OnePlus 15 showed us precisely where OnePlus\u2019s ambitions now lie, and if what we know about the OnePlus 16 is any indication, those ambitions aren\u2019t changing.<\/p>\n

While none of this matters for people like me in the US, since the OnePlus 16 won\u2019t be sold here anyway, it\u2019s still difficult as a longtime OnePlus fan to see OnePlus willingly throw away a winning strategy. I\u2019m all for big batteries, fast charging, and blazing performance, but only when they don\u2019t come at the expense of the rest of the smartphone experience. The OnePlus 13 proved that OnePlus can get that balance right, but for whatever reason, OnePlus doesn\u2019t appear to have any interest in doing so again.<\/p>\n

OnePlus fans in markets where the company still exists deserve another all-time release, and I do hope the OnePlus 16 is that. But if it\u2019s sticking with the OnePlus 15 strategy like it appears to be, I fear we\u2019re in for another rough one.<\/p>\n

Thank you for being part of our community. Read our\u00a0Comment Policy<\/a> before posting.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Joe Maring \/ Android Authority A couple of weeks ago, OnePlus confirmed it was winding down business operations…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":581741,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[61,60,202,980,28346,28341,147177,80],"class_list":["post-581740","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mobile","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-mobile","tag-oneplus","tag-oneplus-13","tag-oneplus-15","tag-oneplus-16","tag-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/581740","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=581740"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/581740\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/581741"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=581740"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=581740"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=581740"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}