In a move to court those with more to spend as well as the frugal, OPPO has started to hint at the Reno 16 for India. With a new oddity of an accessory and confirmed availability on Amazon, this is more than your standard model update.
Why the Reno 16 is making waves in the mid-range
Word on the street is that the Reno 16 family in India will be a multi-model affair. We’re talking the Oppo Reno 16, the 16 Pro, the 16 Pro Mini and the 16c. It’s a way for the brand to have a presence in every price and form factor.
You could call it a two-pronged approach. Some of these will have the kind of specs you’d find in a flagship, others are about being easy on the wallet. They want to have something for the user who wants a no-nonsense, compact phone and the one who is after a big screen, a long-lasting battery and a camera that can do it all.
What we know from OPPO for now
No launch date has been put on the table, but the drumbeat is starting. There’s a microsite up and running and, come day one, you’ll be able to order from Amazon India in what is meant to be a broad retail push.
Then there is the hook: a privilege pack for just Rs 9. It’s a way to get some extra value and add-ons via a few bundled coupons.
– The India launch has a live microsite
– Sales to be on Amazon India
– A Rs 9 privilege pack is on the books
– An OPPO Bubble for India has been shown off
– The Enco Air 5 makes an appearance in the teaser
The teaser gives us a look at the OPPO Bubble, too. It’s a round, customisable display that you can stick to the back of the phone with a magnet. It’s for when you want to use the rear cameras for a selfie and see a live feed on the little screen – a gimmick that might go over well with the content-creating set.
Making room for the Reno 16 Pro Mini
If the leaks are to be believed, the Pro Mini is all about one-handed use without any compromise on power. We are looking at a 6.32-inch AMOLED, a weight of 182g and a thickness of 8.22mm. Premium, but it won’t bulge your pocket.
The rest of the line-up should follow the Reno formula: thin, with some curve to the edges and a focus on the camera. We don’t have hard numbers on the batteries yet, but you can count on them being large and quick to charge, as per usual with the brand.
Reno 16c: where the battery and zoom come in
For the larger end of the spectrum, there is the 16c. It’s said to have a 6.57-inch FHD+ AMOLED with 120Hz, for those who like to have a bit more screen to work with.
Inside, it is rumoured to be running on a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 with LPDDR5X and UFS 3.1. The camera array may be a 50MP main with OIS, a 50MP 3.5x telephoto, an 8MP ultra-wide and a 50MP for the front.
The powertrain is supposed to be a 6,500mAh cell with 45W SuperVOOC. If the reports are right, you get to have your cake and eat it too – plenty of juice and not much time to wait for it to fill up.
Which one to go for?
It comes down to what you like. The 6.32-inch Reno 16 for the smaller package, or the 16c if you need a bigger battery and a more well-rounded camera system.
We will have to see the final word on pricing and the full spec sheet before making a call. OPPO hasn’t given us that yet.
When and where you can get it
After showing the series in Malaysia and Indonesia, the India version is next. The exact day is a secret for now, but it should be here in the next few weeks, with more to be revealed as we get closer.
That Rs 9 privilege pack is worth a look. You get three coupons: Rs 800 off an exchange, a Rs 1,000 cut on the OPPO Pad SE, a pair of Enco Buds 3 Pro and a case for the new phone. Good for the early adopters.
So the million-dollar question is the price tag and how they have apportioned the features. If everything adds up, the Reno 16s could put some heat on the competition, whether you are after a compact performer or a mid-ranger with a big battery.
