Oh hello – here's OnePlus' Android 16 update at last

While Pixel owners have been enjoying Android 16 since June, other manufacturers are just catching up. OnePlus has confirmed the date that it will begin the roll-out of the new software (as OxygenOS 16) and is even running a countdown on its website for the software's launch.

OxygenOS 16 will integrate Android 16 and appropriately, the roll-out of the new software will start on 16 October.

The emphasis seems to be on the smoothness of animations and transitions around the phone and when switching apps, with the promise that your OnePlus phone won't slow down. The tag line "So fast. So smooth" is appended to the update.

Not only is OnePlus running that countdown, but has shared a couple of teaser videos on X following a musical theme – one with a keyboard and one with a guitar.

The video doesn't really show off any new features, instead sticking to that smooth and fast theme.

Sharing with other devices is also in the frame, including syncing with Apple Watch via the OHealth app – although the Apple Watch needs to be setup via an iPhone first.

We've previously seen a tease that Gemini – Google's AI – will be integrated into Mind Space, but beyond that, new features might take a little more digging too. That was the experience that Pixel owners found with Android 16 – it didn't change much at a surface level.

What OnePlus phones will get Android 16?

OnePlus has a four OS update policy on the OnePlus 13, and theree years on devices older than that. That should mean that the following devices are eligible for an update:

OnePlus phones:

• OnePlus 13, OnePlus13R, OnePlus 13T, OnePlus 13S
• OnePlus Open
• OnePlus 12, OnePlus 12R
• OnePlus 11, OnePlus 11R
• OnePlus Nord 5
• OnePlus Nord 4
• OnePlus Nord 3
• OnePlus Nord CE5
• OnePlus Nord CE4, OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite

OnePlus tablets:

• OnePlus Pad 3
• OnePlus Pad Lite
• OnePlus Pad 2
• OnePlus Pad

Meanwhile, OnePlus has already announced its next device, the OnePlus 15. This new phone is powered by Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, but we're not expecting to see it launch globally until 2026.