OPPO has launched the Reno16 F 5G in South Africa, with the latest addition to its Reno range priced at R16 999 once-off or from R599 per month over 36 months.
It’s available through Vodacom, MTN, Telkom and Cell C, as well as Takealot. At R16 999, the Reno16 F lands in the same increasingly expensive mid-range market I looked at earlier this year when writing about the pricing of OPPO’s Reno15 series.
The Reno16 F’s more interesting specifications are its camera system and battery. OPPO has fitted it with a 50MP main camera and a 50MP telephoto camera offering 3.5x optical zoom, alongside an 8MP ultra-wide. There’s also a 50MP ultra-wide camera on the front with a 100-degree field of view.
OPPO puts more emphasis on the cameras
A dedicated telephoto camera is still far from guaranteed at this end of the market, and the 3.5x optical zoom gives the Reno16 F more flexibility than relying on a digital crop from the main sensor.
OPPO has also included several of the photography and video features it has been adding across its recent devices. AI Portrait Glow adjusts lighting and colour in portraits, while Natural Tone 2.0 is intended to keep colours more consistent between the preview and the finished image.
There’s AI Remix Collage and Popout 2.0 for editing images into social posts, while POP Cam adds a selection of vintage-inspired effects. Video can be recorded at up to 4K resolution, with Auto Straighten Video designed to keep footage level, while Dual-View Video 2.0 can record from the front and rear cameras simultaneously.
The battery is considerably larger
The Reno16 F has a 7,000mAh silicon-anode battery, which is paired with 80W SUPERVOOC charging. OPPO says a 50% charge takes around 30 minutes, while going from empty to full takes approximately 62 minutes.
It uses MediaTek’s Dimensity 7300-Energy 5G chipset with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. OPPO’s RAM Expansion feature can use part of the storage as virtual memory, taking the claimed available RAM up to 24GB, while the phone ships with ColorOS 16.
OPPO also says the Reno16 F has passed its six-year fluency certification, which is intended to measure how well a device maintains its performance over an extended period.
The display is a 6.57-inch FHD+ AMOLED panel with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. Splash and glove touch are supported, while the handset carries an IP69K water and dust resistance rating.
Pop White is the more unusual of the two finishes
The Reno16 F will be sold locally in Pop White and Twilight Violet. The former uses what OPPO calls its 3D Pop Planet design, with planetary artwork positioned beneath a clear layer on the rear of the handset to create the appearance of depth.
Twilight Violet uses a deep purple finish, with a glossy section around the camera housing and a softer finish across the rest of the rear panel.
Neither changes what the phone does, obviously, but it does give the Reno16 F a little more visual personality than the increasingly similar slabs occupying much of the mid-range.
South African pricing and launch offer
The OPPO Reno16 F 5G costs R16 999 once-off, with contract pricing starting at R599 per month over 36 months.
People who buy one during the launch period can choose between an OPPO Bubble and a realme Watch 5, with the promotional item redeemed through OPPO Rewards.
The OPPO Bubble is a magnetic mini-display that can be used as a remote camera control, including when taking selfies with the rear cameras. The launch offer also includes six months of OPPO Care Screen Repair Service Warranty, a SUPERVOOC charger, screen protector and phone cover. OPPO values the complete bundle at R5 999.
The Reno16 F doesn’t try to reinvent OPPO’s mid-range formula, but the combination of a proper telephoto camera and a 7,000mAh battery gives it two useful points of difference in a segment where specification lists are otherwise becoming increasingly difficult to tell apart.