OPPO Reno16 5G vs Reno15 5G: the chip, battery and cameras compared

OPPO’s Reno16 5G went on sale globally in July 2026, and is officially launching in Kenya soon. We have the 8GB+256GB model (CPH2865) to review. Before that review we’ve put its specs next to the Reno15’s and the Reno14’s. A Kenyan buyer will want to know whether the newer phone is worth more than the one they can already get.

The Reno16 uses the same processor as the Reno15, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7 Gen 4, the chip that runs everything on the phone. Its main camera, its 3.5x telephoto camera and its 50MP selfie camera are the same too. In a standard AnTuTu speed test the Reno16 scored 1,126,077 and the Reno15 scored 1,086,657, about 4% apart.

What changed is the ultrawide camera, the lens that fits more into the frame, which is the one you use for group photos and cramped rooms. The Reno15’s ultrawide is 8MP, next to 50MP sensors on its main, telephoto and selfie cameras. The Reno16 moves it to 50MP, still covering 116 degrees.

The body changed more than the cameras. The Reno16’s screen is 6.32 inches against the Reno15’s 6.59, so the phone is shorter and narrower, and at 182g to 193g depending on colour it’s lighter than the Reno15’s 197g. It’s also thicker, at 8.22mm to 8.36mm against 7.77mm to 7.89mm. Brightness goes up too. In OPPO’s high-brightness mode, the sunlight boost, the screen reaches 1,800 nits against 1,200.

The Reno16 also adds an IP69K rating to the IP69, IP68 and IP66 the Reno15 has. IP ratings grade dust and water resistance: IP68 means 1.5 metres of fresh water for 30 minutes, and IP69 means close-range jets of hot, high-pressure water. OPPO says its ratings come from lab tests.

Then there’s the battery. The Reno16’s is 6,700mAh and the Reno15’s is 6,500mAh. Both charge at 80W, and OPPO’s own lab tests put a 1% to 100% charge at 59 minutes on the Reno16 and 50 minutes on the Reno15.

Reno16, Reno15 and Reno14 side by side