New chipset brings on‑device AI to Galaxy S26 alternative
With the Dimensity 8550, MediaTek is launching a refresh of the Dimensity 8500, which we first examined in our review of the Reno16 Pro. However, the results in our review are somewhat disappointing given the high-end Oppo model’s target price of nearly $1,500 (available at Amazon.com).
Aside from AI optimizations, the Dimensity 8550 remains virtually unchanged from the 8500 model. Both platforms are manufactured using a 4-nanometer process (TSMC N4P) and feature eight performance cores based on the ARM Cortex-A725 architecture, with peak clock speeds of up to 3.4 GHz.
In CPU benchmarks, the Reno16 Pro shows no performance gain compared with smartphones featuring last year’s SoC. In fact, the significantly more affordable mid-range phones in our Geekbench comparison are faster.
Our measurements also show no advantage in graphics performance. The Mali-G720 MP8 integrated into the Dimensity 8550 performs on par with those in the best Dimensity 8500 smartphones.
| Geekbench 6.7 | |
| Multi-Core | |
| Motorola Edge 70 Pro | |
| Xiaomi 17T | |
| Xiaomi Poco X8 Pro | |
| Oppo Reno16 Pro | |
| Single-Core | |
| Xiaomi 17T | |
| Motorola Edge 70 Pro | |
| Xiaomi Poco X8 Pro | |
| Oppo Reno16 Pro | |
| GFXBench | |
| 3840x2160 4K Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen | |
| Xiaomi 17T | |
| Oppo Reno16 Pro | |
| Xiaomi Poco X8 Pro | |
| 2560x1440 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen | |
| Oppo Reno16 Pro | |
| Xiaomi 17T | |
| Xiaomi Poco X8 Pro | |
| 1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen | |
| Xiaomi 17T | |
| Oppo Reno16 Pro | |
| Xiaomi Poco X8 Pro | |
| Geekbench AI | |
| Quantized NPU 1.7 | |
| Oppo Reno16 Pro | |
| Motorola Edge 70 Pro | |
| Xiaomi Poco X8 Pro | |
| Xiaomi 17T | |
| Half Precision NPU 1.7 | |
| Oppo Reno16 Pro | |
| Motorola Edge 70 Pro | |
| Xiaomi Poco X8 Pro | |
| Xiaomi 17T | |
| Single Precision NPU 1.7 | |
| Oppo Reno16 Pro | |
| Xiaomi 17T | |
| Motorola Edge 70 Pro | |
| Xiaomi Poco X8 Pro | |
The Reno16 Pro’s Dimensity 8550 supports Gemini Nano V3 and on-device generative AI
The key difference between the Dimensity 8550 and the Dimensity 8500 lies in the enhanced NPU 880 with LLM Booster and Gemini Nano V3 support, as well as an accelerator for on-device AI. Although the Dimensity 8500 also features an NPU 880, it lacks these advanced AI capabilities. These enhancements are also reflected positively in our benchmark results: the Reno16 Pro outperforms smartphones with the Dimensity 8500 by an average of more than 15 percent.
For users, this means that there is no difference between the chipsets in conventional smartphone tasks, such as gaming or photo editing, and that the Oppo phone offers performance similar to that of a Poco X8 Pro. In such cases, the smartphones’ thermal limits are the decisive factor. It is precisely in this area that the Oppo phone shows weaknesses in our review.
Things get interesting, however, when it comes to on‑device AI tasks and users who prioritize local processing. That said, anyone considering the Reno16 Pro should be aware that Google’s hardware requirements for Gemini Nano V3 specify at least 12 GB of RAM. Since the base model of Oppo’s smartphone offers only 8 GB of LPDDR5x RAM, it will be unable to use these new AI features despite having the updated chipset. This is an important limitation to keep in mind before making a purchase.
Source(s)
Review: Oppo Reno16 Pro
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