A well-known Chinese tipster has made a striking claim about the next wave of flagship Android phones. According to the post shared on Weibo, the upcoming OnePlus 16, iQOO 16, and Redmi K100 Pro Max will cost noticeably more than last year’s models. All three devices are expected to launch in the second half of the year. Each one will reportedly run on Qualcomm’s next flagship processor, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6.
The biggest surprise is the price. The tipster says every model will start at CNY 5,000 for the version with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. That equals roughly $725 at current exchange rates. At first glance, that may not seem too high. However, smartphone prices in China are usually lower than in global markets. So the real impact is evident when we compare these numbers to last year’s launch prices.
For context, the OnePlus 15 and Redmi K90 Pro Max both debuted at CNY 4,000; meanwhile, the iQOO 15 launched at CNY 4,100. If the new figures are accurate, buyers are looking at close to a 20% increase. That is a sharp jump in a market already under pressure.
Naturally, this could also affect international pricing. If costs rise in China, global versions of the OnePlus 16 and iQOO 16 may follow the same path. Companies rarely absorb such increases on their own. Instead, they often pass them on to customers.
As for the reason behind the hike, no direct explanation was shared. Still, the logic is not hard to follow. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 will likely cost more than its predecessor. Chip prices have remained high across the industry. On top of that, the ongoing RAM pricing crisis adds further strain. Together, these factors could push production costs higher.
