Oppo unveiled the Reno16 series this week – this includes the vanilla and Pro models as well as the Reno16 F and FS versions. Let’s focus on the first pair – do you like what the Reno16 and Reno16 Pro have to offer? And have you seen how much they cost?
Oppo Reno 16 and Reno 16 Pro
We will need to re-calibrate our idea of how much a mid-range phone costs. The Oppo Reno16 starts at €900 for an 8/512GB phone, though you can get a €100 discount if you order before the end of July. The phone is powered by a Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 and a 6,700mAh battery with 80W fast charging (55W if you use a PPS adapter).
Both Reno16 models have 6.32” OLED displays – both are 10-bit panels with HDR10+ support and 1,216 x 2,640px resolution. One runs at 120Hz, the other at 144Hz, but that’s a fairly minor difference. Both panels can do 1,800 nits in high brightness mode and peak at 3,600 nits.
Chipsets and batteries: Oppo Reno16 • Oppo Reno16 Pro
The Oppo Reno16 Pro stands out with a 200MP main camera, a 1/1.56” ISOCELL HP5 sensor. This is paired with a 50MP 3.5x/80mm telephoto (JN5) and a 50MP ultra-wide (GC50F6). The phone also boasts a 50MP ultra-wide selfie camera (100° lens).
The vanilla Reno16 has a 50MP sensor in its main camera, a smaller 1/1.95” Sony Lytia 600. However, all the other modules are the same, including the telephoto. A telephoto camera on a mid-ranger is a rare thing to see, especially something as capable as the 50MP JN5 sensor and a 3.5x/80mm lens combo.
Cameras: Oppo Reno16 • Oppo Reno16 Pro
Still, these are mid-rangers – even the Reno16 Pro is powered by the Dimensity 8550. This chip has an edge in CPU performance and a more pronounced advantage in the GPU department. Plus, here the chipset is paired with 12GB of RAM, 4 gigs more than the vanilla model.
That said, the Oppo Reno16 Pro will cost you €1,100 for a 12/512GB phone – that is flagship-kind of pricing. Until the end of July, you can get a €200 discount, which makes the price better, but it’s still way higher than it would have been last year.
We have the Oppo Reno16 in for review and the Reno16 Pro is at the office too, so expect our detailed reviews soon.
Oppo Reno16 and Reno16 Pro at the office
Before voting on the Renos, check out the Realme 16 Pro+. It’s based on the same Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 as the Reno16. However, it has the same 200MP HP5 sensor as the Pro, the same 3.5x/80mm 50MP JN5 combo in the telephoto module too and a 50MP selfie camera. The ultra-wide on the back is a bit disappointing at 8MP.
Still, we think the biggest “downside” of this Realme phone is that it has a large 6.8” screen (a 144Hz 10-bit OLED with 1280p+ resolution). We put that in quotes since the 6.32” diagonal is a selling point of the Reno16 models, but we know that some prefer large phones. The important thing is that a 12/512GB Realme 16 Pro+ costs about half as much as the Reno16.
Realme 16 Pro+ • Xiaomi 17 • vivo X300 • vivo X300 FE
As for other competitors, just look at any flagship that costs under €1,000. The Xiaomi 17 (12/512GB) can be had for €900, for example, even after Prime Day. This gets you that small 6.3” display, a flagship-grade Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, a 50MP main camera but with a larger 1/1.31” sensor, a 50MP telephoto (2.6x/60mm) and a 50MP ultra-wide. The Euro model has a 6,330mAh battery.
You can also look at the vivo X300 (Dimensity 9500) and vivo X300 FE (Snapdragon 8 Gen 5). These are around the €900 price point too depending on your region. The X300 has a 200MP 1/1.4” main and a 50MP 3x/70mm telephoto. The FE model has a 50MP 1/1.56” main and a similar 50MP 3x/73mm tele. The former is powered by a 6,040mAh battery, the latter has a larger 6,500mAh battery. These two have 6.31” displays – 120Hz LTPO panels no less.
What do you think of the Oppo Reno16 – does it have a place on the market?
What about the Oppo Reno16 Pro – is the higher cost worth it for the better main camera and the faster chipset?