I've been following OnePlus for years, and one thing that's been bugging me (and many others, I suspect) is their camera performance. While OPPO, its parent company, has been pushing boundaries with amazing camera tech in its Find X series, OnePlus has seemed to be lagging. It felt like the focus was shifted away from the camera in favor of overall performance in recent models like the 15 and 15R. It's great to have a smooth phone, but a great camera is a must nowadays. It seems that OnePlus is finally listening to the complaints and gearing up to make some serious improvements in their next flagship, which we believe will be the OnePlus 16.

Rumors are now circulating about what to expect in the camera department. Last month, one source mentioned a possible 200MP primary camera upgrade. Adding to that, another leaker, Yogesh Brar, is suggesting that this massive sensor will be paired with not one, but two 50MP cameras. This is an exciting prospect. The details indicate one of these 50MP cameras would act as a 3.5x telephoto lens. If that's the case, we can assume that the other 50MP sensor will handle ultrawide shots. Having all three lenses in high resolution would definitely put OnePlus back in the running with other flagship contenders.

While the OnePlus 15 already boasts a triple 50MP setup, I remember being underwhelmed by the actual image quality. It was a downgrade in terms of sensor size and aperture compared to the OnePlus 13. If the OnePlus 16 retains the same subpar sensors and lenses from the 15, the only significant upgrade would be the 200MP primary camera. However, the upgraded megapixels alone don't guarantee a better image quality. Image processing and the quality of the lenses are just as important, if not more so.

The fact remains: we don't know whether this upcoming phone is really the OnePlus 16, or perhaps a Pro or Ultra version of it. It's possible that the improved camera setup will be reserved for a more premium model. Also, there are hints that this upgraded camera may initially be exclusive to the Chinese market.

We still have a lot of questions about the whole situation, and I'm eager to see how the picture becomes clearer as the weeks and months go by. Fingers crossed that OnePlus delivers on the camera front this time around.