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This is the OnePlus 16 and it has a Pixel HiLight-like feature
Confirmed
In Short: The OnePlus 16, set to launch soon, includes a unique Interstellar Lighting Effect similar to the Pixel 11 Pro's HiLight LED.
According to OnePlus's machine-translated landing page, the upcoming OnePlus 16 will feature an Interstellar Lighting Effect on its back.
The Interstellar Lighting Effect is reminiscent of the Glyph Matrix found on Nothing phones and the HiLight LED on the Pixel 11 Pro.
In a Weibo post, OnePlus shared images of the OnePlus 16 in three colors: Tomorrow’s Starlight, The Dark Forest, and A Martian Masterpiece.
The design of the OnePlus 16 will closely resemble that of the OnePlus 15, featuring a square camera module with a triple-camera setup.
Contrary to earlier leaks, the OnePlus 16 will not be available in an 8GB RAM variant.
The phone's display boasts WQHD resolution with LTPO technology, supporting a variable refresh rate from 1Hz to 165Hz.
Other notable features include 3,300Hz pulse-width modulation dimming and a 5,000Hz touch sampling rate.
Google has also released the September 2026 Pixel update, bringing new features to the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro series.
The update will be the last major update for these devices as they reach the end of their support lifecycle.
Google's Motion Assist feature, which detects when a phone is in a moving vehicle, is now widely available on Android 17 devices.
These advancements highlight the ongoing competition between Android and iOS, with each platform introducing innovative features to enhance user experience.
What this adds
The Interstellar Lighting Effect adds a unique visual notification feature to the OnePlus 16, distinguishing it from other smartphones.
The OnePlus 16's display specifications indicate it may use a different generation of OLED panels compared to the rumored Pixel 11 series.
Background
Proactive Assistance, an AI feature exclusive to the Pixel 11 series, has appeared on the Pixel 10 Pro XL.
What's confirmed
- According to OnePlus's machine-translated landing page, the upcoming OnePlus 16 will feature an Interstellar Lighting Effect on its back.
- The Interstellar Lighting Effect is reminiscent of the Glyph Matrix found on Nothing phones and the HiLight LED on the Pixel 11 Pro.
- In a Weibo post, OnePlus shared images of the OnePlus 16 in three colors: Tomorrow’s Starlight, The Dark Forest, and A Martian Masterpiece.
- The design of the OnePlus 16 will closely resemble that of the OnePlus 15, featuring a square camera module with a triple-camera setup.
- Contrary to earlier leaks, the OnePlus 16 will not be available in an 8GB RAM variant.
- The phone's display boasts WQHD resolution with LTPO technology, supporting a variable refresh rate from 1Hz to 165Hz.
- Other notable features include 3,300Hz pulse-width modulation dimming and a 5,000Hz touch sampling rate.
- Google has also released the September 2026 Pixel update, bringing new features to the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro series.
- The update will be the last major update for these devices as they reach the end of their support lifecycle.
- Google's Motion Assist feature, which detects when a phone is in a moving vehicle, is now widely available on Android 17 devices.
- These advancements highlight the ongoing competition between Android and iOS, with each platform introducing innovative features to enhance user experience.
What's still developing
- Another day, another piece of the OnePlus 16 puzzle.
- After months of leaks and rumors, OnePlus has finally shared some official details about its upcoming flagship and opened pre-bookings in China.
- Sure, iPhones dominate with 69% market share in the US, but Android is still more feature-rich and gives you more hardware flexibility.
- One has a broader product ecosystem, while the other leads with AI features.
- These quarterly updates also mean Pixel Drops with new features, and this is indeed one of those.
- We have a full write-up on the new goodies in the Pixel Drop for you.
- This month’s update is currently arriving as a global build: Why no builds for the Pixel 11 series?
- If you have a Pixel or Galaxy phone running Android 17, your struggles could soon be over.
- Google Pixels have long championed a feature called “ Now Playing,” which silently and continuously recognizes music playing around you, even before you ask for it.
- It essentially replicates the functionality that Google pioneered on Pixel devices, delivering zero-input song identification whenever music is detected nearby.
- Audio Intelligence also includes features like Live Rewind, which can show a text snippet of what was said around you in the preceding 15 seconds.
- Apple notes that Live Rewind is coming later in 2026, but doesn’t place a similar release timeline for the Shazam ambient music recognition feature, so presumably, it will be available on the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 at launch.