OnePlus just unveiled a monster 16R preview, and we're suitably jealous

OnePlus may have packed its bags and left the US, but the phones it once brought to American shores haven’t stopped getting more interesting. Its latest Chinese launch is a particularly painful reminder of what fans are missing, especially anyone hoping to replace their OnePlus R-series phone with something newer.

Meet the OnePlus Ace 7 and Ace 7 Pro, two gaming-focused powerhouses with 9,000mAh batteries, 185Hz displays, active cooling fans, and 200MP cameras. If the names sound unfamiliar, the hardware lineage shouldn’t. OnePlus has spent several generations turning China’s Ace phones into global R-series devices.

The pair doesn’t split into entirely different hardware categories, either. They share a display, battery, charging system, and cooling hardware, with the processor and secondary camera doing most of the separating.

Here’s what each brings to the table:

The cooling system uses an integrated fan, with OnePlus claiming temperature reductions of up to 10 degrees Celsius during gaming. Both phones also carry IP66, IP68, IP69, and IP69K ratings, alongside Wi-Fi 7 and ultrasonic fingerprint readers.

The OnePlus 16R could have a few tricks up its sleeve

The OnePlus Ace 2 became the OnePlus 11R, the Ace 3 became the 12R, and the Ace 5 supplied the foundation for the 13R. That makes the Ace 7 a natural blueprint for the OnePlus 16R. But the OnePlus 15R already taught us not to take that blueprint literally.

China’s OnePlus Ace 6 packed a Snapdragon 8 Elite, 7,800mAh battery, and 120W charging. The global OnePlus 15R instead arrived with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, 7,400mAh battery, and 80W charging, although it gained a sharper 32MP selfie camera.

Whether the OnePlus 16R inherits the Ace 7’s enormous battery, flagship processor, and cooling hardware or trades some of them for regional priorities remains anyone’s guess. OnePlus hasn’t confirmed the phone yet. And that’s where this launch stings for American fans. Even if the 16R eventually reaches international markets, the OnePlus 15 generation is the end of the company’s official US sales.

This doesn’t necessarily kill the R-series upgrade path, but it’s now becoming an import business, with potential carrier compatibility and warranty headaches.

The Ace 7 starts at CNY 4,399 (roughly $660), while the Pro costs CNY 4,799 (around $720). For perspective, the OnePlus 15R launched in the US at $699.99 for the same 12GB/256GB configuration. That puts the regular Ace 7 about $40 below its predecessor’s US launch price, despite packing a bigger battery, faster charging, and more ambitious gaming hardware.

Even the Pro is only about $20 more. Of course, these are direct currency conversions, not a preview of potential global pricing, and Chinese launch discounts make both phones even cheaper.