OnePlus needs to learn it can’t sell a flagship on battery life alone

The OnePlus 13 was a standout phone that earned a rare 5/5 review score from Android Central, and delivered more at a lower price point than even the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. OnePlus proceeded to lose its way with the OnePlus 15, leaning too hard into battery life and gaming performance at the expensive of durability. The OnePlus 13 was a well-rounded phone that excelled in performance, display quality, camera hardware, and battery life, but the OnePlus 15 tossed that identity aside.

The OnePlus 15’s specs were perplexing because the OnePlus 13 was already a long-lasting flagship phone. It had a 6,000mAh battery capacity with support for fast charging and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite processor. Of course, many of us won’t say no to more battery, but expanding capacity shouldn’t come at the expense of other features. In this case, the OnePlus 15’s gargantuan 7,300mAh battery capacity and gaming focus did come at the expensive of other areas, like display quality and camera performance.

OnePlus might not be learning from its mistake, if this OnePlus 16 rumor is any indication. A post from OnePlus Club on X (formerly Twitter) claims that the OnePlus 15’s successor will sport a next-generation Glacier Battery with an even higher capacity. Specifically, the rumor claims the OnePlus 16 will have a capacity “approaching 9,000mAh.” Details are sparse, and it’s unclear what the exact battery capacity of the OnePlus 16 might be.

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OnePlus 16 will be equipped with next-generation Glacier Battery with a capacity approaching 9,000mAh pic.twitter.com/kxq1wpSKx7January 18, 2026

However, if true, the OnePlus 16’s rumored high-capacity battery could spell bad news for the rest of the flagship smartphone.

OnePlus uses a few tricks to cram high-capacity battery cells into relatively small smartphones. The brand employs what it calls a Glacier Battery, which is a high-density, silicon-carbon battery developed in collaboration with CATL, a leading battery manufacturer. This technology helps OnePlus fit large batteries into small packages while managing thermals. OnePlus also splits large overall batteries into smaller dual-cell designs on phones like the OnePlus 15.

But even when using silicon-carbon battery chemistry and Glacier Battery designs, there are limits to how small a smartphone battery can get at high capacities. If the OnePlus 16’s battery capacity will truly approach 9,000mAh in size, it’s reasonable to expect these cells to take up more space inside the phone. It’s possible that OnePlus might have to make similar compromises on the OnePlus 16 to hit this target as it did on the OnePlus 15 this generation.

It’s very early in the OnePlus 16 rumor cycle, and everything is up in the air. Recent leaks have pointed to the OnePlus 16 course-correcting OnePlus’ mistakes with the OnePlus 15. It has already been billed as the most well-rounded OnePlus phone in years. The OnePlus 16’s rumored ~9,000mAh battery capacity could come in natural conflict with that possibility.

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The OnePlus 16 needs more than battery life and performance

(Image credit: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)

To be clear, if the OnePlus 16 offers fast performance, long battery life, stellar camera quality, stylish design, and more, I’ll have little reason to complain. However, that sounds like the perfect smartphone, and devices are never perfect. There are always compromises, like how the OnePlus 15 sacrificed display resolution and camera quality in exchange for better stability while gaming, higher refresh rates, and longer battery life.

OnePlus 16✅ Upgraded Display (240Hz RR)✅ Upgraded Camera (200MP Periscope)✅ Upgraded Battery (~9000mAh)✅ Upgraded Speakers (Coaxial speakers)✅ Upgraded Haptics (New Motor) pic.twitter.com/WYLpWdFQXtJanuary 19, 2026

The OnePlus 15’s trade-offs were uninspiring for a few reasons. Notably, the OnePlus 15’s hallmark support of 165Hz refresh rates is only available on a few apps. If you don’t happen to use the apps and games that support the ultra-high refresh rates, the OnePlus 15 gives you worse display quality without any of the benefits. The phone also has a tendency to run warm in certain situations, which isn’t ideal for a gaming-focused flagship.

While we’ve tested the OnePlus 15’s cameras to perform well in many cases, it’s hard to justify paying more for less, and that’s what OnePlus is asking customers to do here. The OnePlus 15’s camera hardware is a downgrade compared to the OnePlus 13, and there’s no Hasselblad processing. The OnePlus DetailMax engine is solid, but some OnePlus fans will miss the old style of image processing.

With these shortcomings in mind, it’s very easy to make the case that the OnePlus 13 is a more well-rounded smartphone than the OnePlus 15. It’s proof that battery life isn’t everything. If the OnePlus 16 indeed plans to increase battery capacity by a significant margin yet again, the company must ensure this doesn’t hurt the phone’s overall versatility.

A mixed bag

While the OnePlus 15 is impressive in its gaming performance and long-lasting battery, it’s disappointing in others. Still, it’s easy to appreciate the fast Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip and high-capacity battery onboard.