Vloggers will love this phone and rear screen add-on, but will anyone else?

Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. Learn more.

I haven’t used an OPPO Reno phone since 2022’s Reno 8 Pro, so I wasn’t really sure what to expect from the Reno 16 Pro ( £899 at Oppo ) before it arrived.

Then I saw that the phone is compatible with an official magnetic case and rear display combo. Evidently, OPPO is jumping on a minor trend we’ve seen in the last year or so, with Xiaomi reviving the integrated rear display while accessory makers have released add-ons that attach via a magnetic connection.

So is this just a gimmicky add-on, or are these all genuinely worth buying? Let’s find out.

The OPPO Bubble is pretty much just meant to serve as a viewfinder for the rear cameras. That’s handy as these cameras are usually much better than the selfie shooter on any phone, so this add-on takes a lot of the guesswork out of framing your photo or video while using the superior rear cameras for front-facing shots and clips. In fact, OPPO is positioning the phone and Bubble as being ideal for vlogging, which makes total sense, though this could also be useful for anyone who is a fan of taking selfies with the ultrawide rear shooter.

The Bubble hardware is absolutely tiny, about the size of a Jaffa Cake or an Oreo. It’s super light too, and features a single button and a USB-C port. The Bubble attaches to the Reno 16 Pro’s magnetic case via (surprise) an integrated magnet. My main complaint is that the magnetic connection is very weak, as I could dislodge it by tapping the accessory’s power button. As a result, I’d probably detach the screen and keep it in my bag or pocket for most outings, only attaching it when I know I’ll need it.

Setting up the Bubble is pretty easy, although I had to factory reset the add-on to see the Bubble app on my phone. Using it is a piece of cake, though. Simply swipe up to activate the camera app and viewfinder, swipe down for a truncated list of quick settings (scheduled screen off, brightness, lock screen, settings), and hold on the home screen to switch backgrounds. Once you’re in the camera app, you can swipe laterally to switch between photo and video modes, tap the zoom icon to switch zoom levels (0.6x, 1x, 2x, 3.5x), tap the settings icon to access countdown and mirror toggles, and hit the shutter button to take pictures or videos.

It’s all simple stuff, although I’d prefer a Bubble-specific countdown toggle, since your choice currently only appears in the main camera app. That’s not great when you actually need to take photos of other subjects, only to be greeted by a three-second timer. I’m also disappointed that the Bubble doesn’t support palm shutter gestures.