OPPO Reno 16 F 5G Review: A Class-Leading Camera

It is becoming increasingly difficult to make an impression in the local smartphone space. Especially so when it comes to mid-range smartphones.

This as the sheer breadth of options released in South Africa each month are substantial, and the margins between each new device in terms of specification, performance, and pricing are fine.

As such, standing out is not easy, so when OPPO officially unveiled its latest mid-range smartphone – the Reno 16 F 5G in September – we wondered where precisely it sat in the brand’s lineup of offerings, as well as how it would stack up to competition that is sporting a lot of the same features.

To answer those questions, we spent the past couple of weeks with the OPPO Reno 16 F 5G (referred to as the Reno 16 F for ease from here on out). This is what we learned about the latest phone from OPPO.

Still premium

We start, as always, with design, and here, OPPO does as solid a job as ever.

More specifically, there is a clear aesthetic that the company has running through all of its devices over the past couple of years. Some may say that is is very Apple-looking in nature, but the same criticism could be levelled against several other Android phone makers.

What we will say, however, is that OPPO does a good job of making each of its devices looking as if they follow the same design language, with the brand also trying to find unique ways for its latest smartphones to stand out.

In fact, we’d argue that more than any one smartphone maker, OPPO takes a few more risks in terms of colour options and flourishes. In the case of the Reno 16 F, although our review unit is a rather simple White colourway (Pop White), there is a unique element as a hologram-esque pattern features on the rear cover.

The images posted on this review don’t necessarily showcase this design element well, but in-person, it is distinct. It also shows when the generic plastic protective cover (included in the box) is put on the phone too, so at the very least, OPPO has made the effort to make its latest mid-range phone stand out a little visually.

It is subtle, but it is there.

As for the rest of the phone, as mentioned, it is solid, and there is certainly a premium feel to the metal frame and glass back cover. The display is also crisp and bright, and while there is a protective coating present, it does not dull the visuals.

When utility is an important aspect of mid-range phones, there are still moments when the Reno 16 F delivers the premium experience of a flagship phone.

Full specifications of the OPPO Reno 16 F 5G are as follows:

OPPO Reno 16 F 5G

Display

6.57″ FullHD+ (2372×1080)

Dimensions

158.16mm x 74.93mm x 8.44mm

Weight

195g

Processor

MediaTek Dimensity 7300-Energy

RAM

8GB (expandable to up to 24GB)

Storage

256GB

Battery

7 000mAh

Rear Cameras

50MP wide-angle, 50MP telephoto, 8MP ultra wide-angle

Front Camera

50MP ultra wide-angle

Connectivity

5G, WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.4

Colours

Twilight Violet, Pop White

RRP

R16 999

Sight and power

With design and aesthetics covered, we can do shift to the performance and software on hand.

Starting with the latter, and ColourOS (16.0.7) is certainly one of the more pleasant user interfaces we have encountered on a recent Android phone. We’d even go so far as to say it feels more distinct that the slew of different skews on the market, which all seem to have a similar approach to UI.

We were also impressed by the lack of apps. If that sounds weird, it is because there is a concerning trend in the industry where Android OEMs jam pack their phones with a lot of bloatware and duplicated apps. There are these elements present on the Reno 16 F too, but it is nowhere near as bad as other brands.

As for performance, the Reno 16F scores as expected.

The MediaTek Dimensity 7300-Energy processor onboard handles multitasking well, and never felt underpowered when we were reviewing it. The amount of RAM on offer is good too, especially when you set up the extended RAM feature, which goes from 8GB to 24GB. This little trick is designed to make the phone handle processor intensive tasks, and we found it quite handy for mobile gaming in particular.

In terms of media consumption and web browsing, the Reno 16 F does need extended RAM assistance.

In our testing, the Reno 16 F scored as expected, wth it benchmarking on par with the Samsung Galaxy A27 5G. Here, it recorded a score of 875 and 3 035 on the single-core and multi-core tests of GeekBench. While that sounds good enough on paper, put the benchmark in perspective, the A27 5G is nearly a third of the RRP that the Reno 16 F is.

Now for the two areas that the Reno 16 F excels – battery and camera.

Regarding the former, a large 7 000mAh battery is present. This may be large, but is certainly not out of place in the mid-range market, with a number of brands offering similarly sized batteries these days.

The difference, however, is that OPPO has been able to get its battery management system to ensure that this device only sips on the aforementioned 7 000mAh.

We therefore managed two full days before alerts popped up on screen regarding a low battery percentage.

As for the camera experience, the pair of 50MP lenses on the rear of the phone yield truly great images. We were particularly impressed with the colour accuracy. Here, the Reno 16 F coped with both outdoor and low light conditions well, and delivered a wide colour gamut too.

We did, however, find ourselves switching to the higher res option while snapping pictures and recording video, as having the full scope of the 50 megapixels proved necessary to get the rich and nuanced colour in the images below.

While the Reno 16 F is on par with most mid-range to premium mid-range phones on the market at the moment in terms of perfjoamcne, the camera is one aspect that is certainly above average.

Final verdict

OPPO has a well-earned habit of making solid all-around smartphones, and the Reno 16 F 5G is another example of this. Like some of the more recent offerings from the brand, however, pricing is becoming a hurdle.

As premium as the Reno 16 F feels in hand, and as good as the visuals it captures are, the R16 999 price tag is difficult to look past. For that kind of money, you can likely get a more powerful piece of hardware, with the camera performance probably being the only area where the Reno 16 F is difficult to match.

Regardless of how good the camera is, though, R17k prices the Reno 16 F out of contention right now as good value for money. We understand that value is a bit more subjective, but of all the mid-range phones we have reviewed in 2026, the Reno 16 F still feels like it is priced too high.

Device

OPPO Reno 16 F 5G

Display

7.5

Battery

7.5

Camera

8.5

Performance

7.5

User Interface

8.0

Value

6.5

Overall Score

7.58 out of 10.

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