OPPO launched the Reno 8 5G in Kenya a few weeks ago, and as is always the norm, we are doing a detailed review, tailored to guide you through your smartphone shopping experience.
OPPO Reno 8 5G is quite a good phone in the mid-range space. Going for just Ksh60,000, it stands out as one of the best phones in the Kenyan market right now and also a cheap 5G phone.
We’ve had a month-long hand on the phone and here’s our detailed opinion on the unit. There are two things that make it a good contender in the mid-range market. First is its camera capabilities, OPPO doesn’t go wrong with its camera. The battery performance is quite good.
The Reno 8 5G has a unibody design that makes it stand out, this was previously reserved for flagship phones only.
OPPO Reno 8 5G specifications
NETWORK: GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G
LAUNCH : (Kenya Announced 2022, October 25
BODY: Dimensions 160.6 x 73.4 x 7.7 mm (6.32 x 2.89 x 0.30 in)
WEIGHT: 179 g
BUILD: Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), plastic back, plastic frame
SIM: Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)
DISPLAY: Type AMOLED, 90Hz, 6.4 inches, 98.9 cm2 (~83.9% screen-to-body ratio)
RESOLUTION: 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~411 ppi density)
PLATFORM: OS Android 12, ColorOS 12.1
CHIPSET: MediaTek Dimensity 1300 (6 nm), CPU Octa-core (1×3.0 GHz Cortex-A78 & 3×2.6 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) GPU Mali- G77 MC9
MEMORY: NO Memory Card slot, Internal 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM
MAIN CAMERA: Triple 50 MP, f/1.8, 23mm (wide), 1/1.56″, 1.0µm, multi-directional PDAF
8 MP, f/2.2, 16mm, 112˚ (ultrawide), 1/4.0″, 1.12µm
2 MP, f/2.4, (macro)
Features: Dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama
Video: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS
SELFIE CAMERA: Single 32 MP, f/2.4, 23mm (wide), 1/2.74″, 0.8µm
Features Panorama, HDR
Video1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS
SOUND: Loudspeaker Yes, No 3.5mm jack
CONNECTIVITY: WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 5.3, A2DP, LE, aptX HD
Radio: No
USB: USB Type-C 2.0, USB On-The-Go
FEATURES: Sensors Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass
BATTERY: Type Li-Po 4500 mAh, non-removable, Charging 80W SUPERVOOC
Reverse wired
COLOURS: Shimmer Gold, Shimmer Black
Unboxing link here
Features
Design and Display
Reno 8 features a 6.43-inch AMOLED panel with a refresh rate of 90Hz. It is a really good panel with an aspect ratio of 20:9, and it comes with good viewing angles and sunlight legibility the rear panel shows different shades of black when viewed at different angles.
With OPPO, however, they decided to pioneer an ergonomic design ultimately leading to the chic streamlined unibody design.
It’s also resistant to smudges and fingerprint marks to keep it elegant at all times just like its premium counterpart the OPPO Find X5 5G. Reno designers decided to take the camera module and the area between the camera module and the back cover as the focus for this ergonomic design.
The device would have looked much better if it did not come with thick bezels at the bottom of the phone. But you won’t notice it after using it for some time.
Truth is, the phone is a show-stopper. One of its major attractions is its unibody design and the Colour-changing rear shell that makes it snappier. In order to enhance both the visual and physical user experience on the Reno8 series.
The device has some features similar to One Plus Nord T2, you’re definitely getting the same phone, the same price in a different body.
Camera
The OPPO Reno 8 5G hosts a triple camera set up on the rear panel that includes a 50 mega-megapixel Sony IMX766 main camera, an Ultra-wide lens and a 2- Megapixel macro camera. It also features a 32MP front camera featuring an IMX709 lens from sony.
The main camera modes available on the OPPO Reno 8 5G include; Portrait, PRO, Extra HD, Slo-Motion, Panorama, Macro, Dual View video, sticker, Text scanner and Soloop Templates.
The highlight of the phone, of course, is the cameras. Photos from the primary camera are excellent in colour reproduction and details even for selfie shoots.
The low-light images are super good. The phone captures super good nighttime shots, which only get enhanced with night mode thanks to the Sony IMX766 sensor effortlessly powers nighttime photography to new possibilities. It improves the image quality with 60 per cent light capture and 35 per cent noise reduction that works to improve image quality I would always use night mode for low-light photos.
In terms of selfies, the phone performs exceptionally well in daylight conditions. But the images from the front camera take a hit in low light conditions.
Video recording tops out at 4K at 30 fps for the back camera and 1080p at 30fps. There is support for 60fps shooting, but it is limited to 1080p for the rear camera. There is also support for Ultra steady mode and dual video mode.
The OPPO Reno 5G device adopts a Widevine L1 certification for viewing content on Netflix and prime video. It comes with a pre-installed Netflix app. My trial with Netflix was impressive, I didn’t experience any lags or interruptions while watching.
Something interesting about this device is its brightness capabilities. Even when viewing the display in bright sunlight, you are able to still see clearly thanks to its support for peak brightness and the adaptive brightness feature.
Users can also navigate settings to access the dark/light mode options, and change display settings for automatic brightness, eye comfort mode, adaptive sleep mode or an always-on display including the option to select a screen refresh rate of 60Hz or 90Hz.
There is also a 01 Ultra Vision Engine that produces optimal colours while watching videos on the phone.
Battery and connectivity
Battery life performance is quite great on the phone. As an average user, it lasts about 48 hours thanks to the 80W fast charging capability. It takes just about 30 minutes to power the phone to full charge.
I monitored my phone today, it charged up to 70 per cent from 2158 hours to 1010 hours and exactly 12 minutes to full charge making it to a total of 24 minutes
Oppo Reno 8 comes with a single speaker at the bottom, its actually super loud and very clearer than some stereo speakers. There’s no MicroSD slot as well, but the phone ships with 8GB of RAM and 256 GB ROM which is more than enough.
Performance and Software
Oppo Reno 8 5G runs on Android 12 and OPPO’s ColorOS that offers a sleek interface made to perfectly meet your needs from deep customizations to PC connect capabilities, new themes and much more.
It’s powered by the Mediatek Dimensity Chipset 1300 SoC which is incredibly efficient. The chip’s performance matches Snapdragon 778G and Snapdragon 870. It brings a combination of cutting-edge super-conductive graphite and middle frame and a large vapour chamber that keeps your device cool and smooth even when the action heats up.
I did not experience any bugs with the phone. However, I feel like there’s so much bloatware on the phone. Thankfully, most of the third-party apps on the phone can be uninstalled.
Generally, the device offers good performance and great camera shots, I particularly loved the night shots, you are able to capture moments as they are even in lowlight conditions. And the UI is the best you can get on Android phones.
The lack of stereo speakers and a headphone jack might be a downside with phones but some users may not find an issue with that.
5G Support
The phone is 5G ready. In the few weeks I’ve used it, it automatically switches to 5G when you get to a 5G ready location and switches back to 4G or 3G depending on the location network. You however need to switch to 2G manually if you need to.
Pros
A very stylish unibody design- There’s a way the design gives the phone a premium feel. The matte effect at the back makes the phone worth getting.
4K night camera – The camera quality is good even in low light conditions
Slim and lightweight design. Weighs 179g
Fast processor- OPPO Reno 8 5G is powered by Mediatek Dimensity Chipset 1300 SoC which is incredibly efficient.
Super-fast charging – Tried and tested, the phone charges to full charge in less than 30 minutes.
The Reno 8 5G is the only phone in its price range with a front-facing camera with a 32-megapixel lens. Good selfie camera- 32 megapixels for a front camera is huge. Oppo made a really good investment with this feature. Even at night with good lighting, you get a quite good shot. the phone also boasts features like the Color OS 12 which brings tons of customization options for users.
Cons
No headphone jack- Most midrange and premium phones in the market don’t have this feature but I feel like manufacturers are so mean on this. It doesn’t bring so much difference though.
Loads of bloatware- There are so many unnecessary apps on the phone. Luckily, you can uninstall most of them.
In a rating of I will give it a 9 out of 10. Despite the hitches here and there. OPPO created a balance on both performance and camera.