Introduction and specs

Unlike the Reno15 series where the vanilla and the Pro models stood quite far apart, Oppo decided to bring the two devices closer together when designing the Reno16 family. The regular Oppo Reno16 is now the same size as the Reno16 Pro and shares more of its hardware with its more expensive sibling.

What’s different? Well, the standard Reno16 runs on a less powerful chipset than the Reno16 Pro – Snapdragon 7 Gen 4. It’s actually the same exact chipset that powers the Reno15.

The Reno16 also hosts a slightly downgraded camera setup compared to the Pro model, replacing the main 200MP camera with a 50MP one, but retains the excellent ultrawide and selfie shooters. On the other hand, it introduces a much-needed upgrade to the ultrawide camera, replacing the dated 8MP sensor with a more capable 50MP one.

Oppo Reno16 specs at a glance:

• Body: 151.2×72.4×8.2mm, 188g; Glass front, aluminum frame, glass back or composite plastic back; IP68/IP69K dust tight and water resistant (high pressure water jets; immersible up to 1.5m for 30 min).
• Display: 6.32″ AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, 3840Hz PWM, HDR10+, 600 nits (typ), 1800 nits (HBM), 3600 nits (peak), 1216x2640px resolution, 19.54:9 aspect ratio, 460ppi.
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM7750-AB Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 (4 nm).
• Memory: 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM; UFS 3.1.
• OS/Software: Android 16, ColorOS 16.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.8, 26mm, 1/1.95″, 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS; Telephoto: 50 MP, f/2.8, 80mm, 1/2.75″, 0.64µm, PDAF, OIS, 3.5x optical zoom; Ultra wide angle: 50 MP, f/2.0, 16mm, 116˚, 1/2.88″, 0.61µm, AF.
• Front camera: 50 MP, f/2.0, 18mm, 100˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.75″, 0.64µm, AF.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS, HDR, OIS; Front camera: 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS, HDR.
• Battery: 6,700mAh; 80W wired, 55W PPS, 13.5W PD/QC, 100% in 59 min, Reverse wired.
• Connectivity: 5G; eSIM; Wi-Fi 6; BT 5.4, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, LHDC 5; NFC; Infrared port.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical); stereo speakers.

The Reno16 has the same 6.32-inch screen as the Pro model, which is smaller than before. Seemingly, Oppo is trying to penetrate two different price segments with compact phones, which might not be a bad plan as compact smartphones are far and few between these days.

Just like the Pro model, the battery situation is a bit convoluted. If you are situated outside of Europe, the Reno16 brings a modest upgrade in the battery capacity from 6,500 mAh to 6,700 mAh, compared to the Reno15. However, if you are a European consumer, expect that capacity to fall to 6,000 mAh. In fact, that’s the model we received for a review.

At least the fast charging speeds are impressive regardless of the market. Reno16 still supports Oppo’s 80W SuperVOOC charging.

Enough internal comparison, it’s time to see how the Reno16 performs in real life and how it stacks against the competition.

Unboxing the Oppo Reno16

The Oppo Reno16 review unit we received came with a USB-A to USB-C cable for charging and data transfer, an 80W SuperVOOC charger and a transparent silicone case.

This is the type of retail package you’d normally expect in a market outside of the EU, but if you are buying this phone on the Old Continent, you won’t have the charger in the box and you’ll have to get it separately to make the most out of the phone’s fast-charging capabilities.