Introduction and Specifications
Unlike the Reno15 series, where the vanilla and Pro models stood far apart, Oppo decided to bring both devices closer together when designing the Reno16 family. The regular Oppo Reno16 is now the same size as the Reno16 Pro and shares much 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. This is actually the same exact chipset that powers the Reno15.
The Reno16 also has a slightly downgraded camera setup compared to the Pro model, replacing the main 200MP camera with a 50MP camera, but retaining the excellent ultrawide and selfie shooters. On the other hand, it offers a much-needed upgrade to the ultrawide camera, replacing the older 8MP sensor with a more capable 50MP sensor.
Specifications of Oppo Reno16 at a glance:
- Body: 151.2×72.4×8.2 mm, 188 g; Glass front, aluminum frame, glass back or composite plastic back; IP68/IP69K dust-resistant and water-resistant (high-pressure water jets; submersible up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes).
- Display: 6.32″ AMOLED, 1B color, 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 7th 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 minutes, reverse wired.
- Connectivity: 5G; é SIM; Wi-Fi 6; BT 5.4, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, LHDC5; NFC; Infrared port.
- various: Fingerprint reader (under the display, optical); Stereo speaker.
The Reno16 has the same 6.32-inch screen as the Pro model, which is smaller than before. It appears that Oppo is trying to enter two different price segments with compact phones, which is probably not a bad plan since there are very few compact smartphones available these days.
Like the Pro model, the battery situation is a bit complicated. If you’re based outside Europe, the Reno16 brings a slight upgrade in battery capacity from 6,500 mAh to 6,700 mAh compared to the Reno15. However, if you are a European consumer, expect the capacity to drop to 6,000 mAh. In fact, this is the model we received for review.
At least the fast charging speed is impressive regardless of the market. The Reno16 still supports Oppo’s 80W SuperVOOC charging.
Enough internal comparisons, now it’s time to see how the Reno16 performs in real life and how it stacks up 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 kind of retail package you’d typically expect in markets outside the EU, but if you’re buying this phone on the Old Continent, you won’t have a charger in the box and will have to get it separately to make the most of the phone’s fast-charging capabilities.