Oppo Reno 16t Launched in China, Costs More Than Reno 16
Oppo's Reno 16t has a 200MP camera and 6,700mAh battery but costs 200 yuan more than the Reno 16.
Oppo has launched a new phone called the Reno 16t in China this week. It comes with a 200MP main camera, a large 6,700mAh battery and a small 6.32 inch screen. But there is a surprise. The new phone is almost the same as the Reno 16, which has been on sale in China since May, yet it costs 200 yuan more.
The Reno 16t starts at 3,699 yuan, or about $550, for the model with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. A higher model with 16GB RAM and 512GB storage costs 4,499 yuan, which is about $670. The phone is already listed on Oppo's China website.
Why the Same Phone Costs More
Oppo launched the Reno 16 and Reno 16 Pro in China on May 25, 2026. The regular Reno 16 started at 3,499 yuan for 12GB RAM and 256GB storage, and its 16GB and 512GB model cost 4,299 yuan. The Reno 16t uses the same chip, the same screen size, the same cameras and the same battery. So for the same memory, buyers now pay 200 yuan extra on both models.
Reports say the Reno 16t is mainly aimed at the offline market. In simple words, it will be sold mostly in physical mobile shops rather than online stores. The normal Reno 16 is widely available through both. Oppo has not officially explained why the shop version costs more.
There is one more small difference. The Reno 16 was also sold with 1TB storage, but the Reno 16t tops out at 512GB. Some reports have mentioned a "612GB" model, but this looks like a typing mistake. Oppo's listing and most reports confirm the top model has 512GB.
Feature | Oppo Reno 16t | Oppo Reno 16 (China) |
|---|---|---|
Starting price | 3,699 yuan (about $550) | 3,499 yuan (about $513) |
Chip | Dimensity 8550 Super | Dimensity 8550 Super |
Screen | 6.32 inch AMOLED, 120Hz | 6.32 inch AMOLED, 120Hz |
Main camera | 200MP with OIS | 200MP with OIS |
Battery | 6,700mAh, 80W | 6,700mAh, 80W |
Highest storage | 512GB | 1TB |
Main sales channel | Mostly physical shops | Online and shops |
Screen, Chip and Design
The Reno 16t has a 6.32 inch flexible AMOLED screen with a sharp 2640 by 1216 resolution and a smooth 120Hz refresh rate. It shows over one billion colours and supports touch sampling of up to 240Hz, which helps in fast games. Oppo's official sheet lists 1,800 nits of peak brightness for the full screen, while its adverts use a higher figure of 3,600 nits, which is the brightness a small part of the screen can reach.
Inside is the MediaTek Dimensity 8550 Super chip with eight cores running at up to 3.4GHz and a Mali G720 graphics unit. It comes with 12GB or 16GB of RAM and 256GB or 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage. There is no memory card slot. The phone runs ColorOS 16, based on Android 16.
The body is about 8.36mm thick and weighs up to 191 grams. It comes in three colours: Heartbeat, Galaxy Purple and Moonlight Black. The phone carries IP68 and IP69K ratings. This means it is sealed against dust, can survive being under water, and can even handle strong jets of hot water. There is also an AI Plus button on the left side that opens Oppo's Mind Space feature, an in screen fingerprint reader, NFC, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4, dual SIM support and an infrared blaster for controlling TVs and air conditioners.
Cameras and Battery
The camera is the main selling point. On the back is a 200MP main camera with optical image stabilisation, a 50MP ultrawide camera with a 116 degree view, and a 50MP telephoto camera, also with stabilisation. The telephoto gives 3.5x optical zoom, and digital zoom goes up to 120x. On the front is a 50MP selfie camera with autofocus. The phone can record 4K video at 60 frames per second and also supports HDR video and dual view recording, which films from the front and back cameras at the same time.
The 6,700mAh battery is very large for a phone this small. It supports 80W SuperVOOC charging, which is Oppo's own fast charging system. It also supports 80W UFCS, a common Chinese fast charging standard, so the phone can charge quickly with some chargers from other brands too.
Will It Come to Pakistan?
Oppo has not announced any plan to sell the Reno 16t outside China. Since it is built mainly for Chinese shops, there is no sign so far that it will reach Pakistan.
Pakistani buyers already have Oppo's Reno 16 series. Oppo launched the Reno 16F at Rs. 149,999 and the Reno 16 at Rs. 199,999 for 12GB RAM and 256GB storage, with stock reaching shops from late August. However, the Reno 16 sold in Pakistan is the global version. It uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 chip, not the Dimensity 8550 Super found in the Chinese Reno 16 and Reno 16t. The Reno 16F uses a Dimensity 7300 chip and has a 7,000mAh battery.
Anyone thinking of importing a Chinese Reno 16t should keep a few things in mind. The phone would need PTA registration and the tax paid before it works with a Pakistani SIM. Chinese versions of Oppo phones also usually do not come with Google apps installed, and there would be no official local warranty.