OnePlus 16 allegedly testing global software under three model numbers

OnePlus 16 started selling in China this week, and everything pointed to it staying there. OnePlus has withdrawn from Europe and North America this year, and earlier leaks claimed the flagship would skip India too. However, tipster Abhishek Yadav now wrote on X that OnePlus is testing software for the global and Indian version of the OnePlus 16, which throws that scenario into doubt.

Three model numbers for markets outside China

According to Yadav, the software is being tested on three models labeled CPH2901, CPH2903 and CPH2905. OnePlus and Oppo phones intended for markets outside China use the CPH prefix, while Chinese models are labeled differently. These three new numbers therefore suggest that OnePlus is preparing for multiple markets at once. The report was also picked up by Notebookcheck and Gizmochina.

The tipster himself adds, however, that a launch outside China is not certain yet and OnePlus may only be preparing the software in case the company decides to release the phone elsewhere too. The manufacturer has not commented on this. In September, we wrote about a leak according to which the cheaper 16R model was supposed to be the most expensive OnePlus in India.

The leak says nothing more specific about the global version itself, so we don’t know the release date or price, and we also don’t know whether it would differ from the Chinese model with ColorOS 17 in terms of hardware or software.

OnePlus 16R is also in the gaming phone list

Yadav also found the labels PYP110 and CPH2887 in the list of OnePlus phones that support high-refresh-rate gaming. The PYP110 model can handle games at 185 Hz, and according to Yadav it is most likely OnePlus 16R. The tipster also says this is not a renamed Ace 7 or Ace 7 Pro, which OnePlus is preparing for the end of October in China.

If confirmed, OnePlus could offer two models from the 16 series outside China. The cheaper R version has been sold in the past, for example in India, where OnePlus is still active even after leaving Europe.

What OnePlus 16 offers in China

The phone has a flat 6.78-inch LTPO OLED display from BOE with 1.5K resolution, which refreshes at up to 165 Hz in the system and even 185 Hz in supported games. Performance is handled by the 2nm Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 with up to 16 GB RAM and storage up to 1 TB, with separate chips helping it with the display, network and touch.

The battery grew from 7,300 mAh in OnePlus 15 to 9,000 mAh, and you can charge it with a 100 W cable or wirelessly with 50 W. With a 27 W cable, you can also charge other devices. On the back there’s a 200 MP main camera with stabilization, a 50 MP ultrawide sensor, and a 50 MP periscope with 3x zoom, and on the front a 50 MP selfie camera.

In China, the version with 12 GB RAM and 256 GB storage starts at 5,999 yuan (about €797). If you don’t want to wait to see whether the global version will even arrive, you can go for the imported Chinese model. In a separate article, you’ll find a coupon and also how the phone works in Slovakia. Officially, OnePlus 16 will not be sold here, even if it launches globally, since the brand has left the European market.

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