OnePlus is bringing a 165Hz display to the OnePlus 16, but the refresh rate itself is not the interesting part. The OnePlus 15 already had a 165Hz panel. The bigger change is that OnePlus appears to be making 165Hz a proper system-wide feature on its next flagship.
Li Jie, president of OnePlus China, has confirmed that the OnePlus 16 will feature what the company calls a “global 165Hz ultra-high refresh rate.” He also confirmed that the phone will be the first OnePlus device to ship with ColorOS 17.
OnePlus has been teasing a display upgrade for several weeks, but had not previously revealed exactly what was changing.
The 165Hz refresh rate was already available on the OnePlus 15, which launched in October 2025. However, its usefulness was limited. Outside a small number of supported games, the phone generally ran at up to 120Hz. OnePlus later expanded 165Hz support to apps such as WhatsApp, Instagram and X through a software update, but users had to enable it through Developer Options.
There was another limitation. The 165Hz mode on the OnePlus 15 forced the display to stay at 165Hz instead of dynamically stepping down when showing static content. This could increase battery consumption and meant it was not really a system-wide adaptive 165Hz mode.
The OnePlus 16 appears to be addressing this limitation at the hardware and software level. According to tipster Digital Chat Station, the phone uses new Oriental Screen X4 panel material along with updated circuitry. The combination is claimed to provide hardware-level support for the higher refresh rate. OnePlus has not confirmed these panel details.
Digital Chat Station has also shared an image that reportedly shows the OnePlus 16’s display settings. The 165Hz option appears directly in the regular display settings instead of being hidden inside Developer Options. The leaker also claims that testing showed the higher refresh rate working in system apps and games downloaded from the Play Store.
If these claims are accurate, the OnePlus 16’s 165Hz display will be a more meaningful upgrade than the specification alone suggests. The company is essentially trying to turn a feature that was limited on the OnePlus 15 into a normal part of the phone’s display experience.
The OnePlus 16 is expected to launch in China in October, although OnePlus has not announced an official launch date yet. Leaks have also pointed to a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro chipset, a 9,000mAh battery and a 200-megapixel main camera, but these specifications remain unconfirmed.
Its availability outside China is also unclear at this point. OnePlus exited the North American and European markets in July while continuing software updates and service support for existing users. Recent reports have also raised questions about whether the OnePlus 16 will be released internationally.
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