OnePlus Turbo Leaked: New Mid-Range Phone with IR Blaster, Global Launch as Nord?

Live images of the upcoming OnePlus Turbo have just surfaced online, giving us our first real look at the company’s new smartphone series. The phone, which appears to have a glossy plastic back, is set to debut in China in January, but its global fate might be tied to the Nord brand.

OnePlus China President Li Jie Louis officially announced the Turbo series on Weibo. This confirms the line’s existence and its imminent launch in the Chinese market starting January. However, for fans in the other regions, the phone may arrive under a different, more familiar name.

Reports strongly suggest the OnePlus Turbo will be marketed as a OnePlus Nord device outside of China. Unfortunately, one market that may not see a release is the United States. This strategy would align with OnePlus’s recent approach of reserving certain model names for specific regions.

The leaked photos show a device with a clean, modern design. It features flat edges and a dual-camera system housed in a familiar upper-left corner module. A centrally-placed punch-hole cutout sits on the front for the selfie camera.

The phone includes an IR blaster. The device is seen in a blue-green hue and a classic black option. Internally, it’s known by the codenames ‘Prado’ or ‘Volkswagen’. While full specs are still under wraps, the rumor mill is churning with some compelling possibilities.

We could be looking at a phone powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 or even a Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 processor. This positions the Turbo, or its global Nord variant, firmly in the competitive mid-to-upper-mid-range segment.

Imagine a device with a large, 6.8-inch 144Hz display or perhaps even a 165Hz panel. Pair that with a massive rumored 9,000 mAh battery and 80W SUPERVOOC fast charging, and you have a potential battery life champion.

For the specs-focused crowd, the phone might offer configurations starting from 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, potentially going up to 16GB RAM and 512GB storage. It’s expected to run the latest OxygenOS 16 based on Android 16.

A 50MP main camera and 32MP selfie shooter, combined with that giant battery and fast display, could make it a strong contender in its price bracket when it potentially launches globally, expected in Q1 2026.

Here are the leaked and rumored specifications for the OnePlus Turbo:

OnePlus Turbo Leak Specs:
Display: 6.8-inch or 6.78-inch 1.5K resolution panel
Refresh Rate: 144Hz (or possibly 165Hz)
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 or Snapdragon 8s Gen 4
RAM: 8GB / 16GB
Storage: 256GB / 512GB
Rear Camera: 50MP primary + 8MP ultrawide
Front Camera: 32MP
Battery: 9,000 mAh
Charging: 80W wired SUPERVOOC
Operating System: OxygenOS 16 based on Android 16
Other Features: IR Blaster, WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.4