OPPO RENO 5 PRO - Review

The OPPO RENO line has undergone many evolutions over the years. It went from introducing certain innovative features. So maybe it's appropriate that this phone is just about as colourful as it’s past. Here are my thoughts on the OPPO RENO 5 PRO. In this post don't forget to be a part of the discussion in the comments. Tell me what you think about this phone.

 

OPPO usually puts in the good work towards good design and I have to say this RENO 5 pro is one of the best looking and feeling phones that I've used recently. OPPO does not overdo it on the size of the phone. It has a 6.55-inch display. It’s just right for everyday handling without sacrificing a whole lot.

 

When it comes to the screen a slight curve on the front mirrors. Both front and back sides meet a really thin frame. I'm constantly impressed by how thin this device is considering the kind of performance you can get on it even with the included clear case it's not that thick at all. The RENO 5 PRO is stylish because the way of colour is so nice. A matted backing reflects light in a myriad of colours. A little bit like an oil slick that gives this phone a new look at any angle.

 

This phone has an eye-catching backing as well the camera hump in the corner nestle's four sensors while the OPPO logo is in the opposite corner blending in just right. These little details show off the amount of attention OPPO seems to have paid this device for example the top of the phone even has a panel that is equally colour reflective and says designed for RENO this makes me think that OPPO is treating the RENO line like its own little sub-brand and with looks like this really makes it stand out.

 

The display is a full HD plus OLED panel that is really pleasing to view due to the colours and then it's great to handle because of the 90-hertz refresh rate everything from text reading to media consumption is done well on this screen and since it is an OLED panel extra features like a highly customizable always-on display is available.

 

The fingerprint reader is also in the display and like I said that the backing is clean and can continue to show off that colour some things had to be dialled back to achieve this minimized body size. There is no headphone jack and the sim tray does not accommodate a micro SD card for expandable storage that said there are some worthwhile bells and whistles you have the 8 or 12 gigabytes of ram. In-display fingerprint reader, there's also a really fast face unlock and all of this makes sure that the phone still has some of the high-end flagships amenities that weren't using the term pro.

 

Usually, OPPO is no stranger to using MediaTek processors in their phones but often it's for like the mid-range chips so that they can make affordable offerings. But here the dimensity 1000 plus is a high-end chip from MediaTek. One that is more than capable to bring speedy and reliable everyday performance. Sure it's a bit more measured compared to the top of the line Qualcomm Snapdragon processors but even MediaTek themselves says that their high-end chip is made for bringing that affordable flagship quality I had no issues getting through a typical the daily routine at all including social media applications some gaming camera work and plenty of time spent at home in the colour OS interface sure you might have to dial back settings in intensive video games like call of duty mobile but it was never to the point where I was unhappy with the experience to rest assured that with the dimensity 1000 plus.

 

You're in good hands with the RENO 5 PRO including even 5g for future-proofing now there is another aspect that I have to call out as being extra premium not just the fact that this thin phone manages to pack in a 4350 mAh battery but also that it is VOOC charging 2.0 capable the battery life on the phone is pretty standard with the screen on time hitting around four or five hours on a particularly heavy day that did include camera usage. VOOC is one of the only charging standards that I can actually watch going up in percentages quickly.

 

So we go into this knowing that the RENO line is meant to be like the affordable flagship considered below the top tier siblings like the find 2 pro so it shouldn't be a surprise that the camera package is where you'll see some compromises as well the dimensity 1000 plus simply doesn't support having those crazy camera sensors but OPPO makes sure to max it out as much as possible with some high megapixel sensors on the front and the back now a 32-megapixel The front-facing camera sounds pretty impressive and the pictures can come out quite nice but like many front-facing cameras on these Chinese phones you end up having really soft results sometimes it gets blown out really easily like even with the sun bearing.

 

In this 1080p recording, you can see that the colours are going all over the place. The dynamic range could definitely use a boost. The cornerstone sensor on the rear is a 64-megapixel shooter which is a good performer in both photos and videos. you can get a full-resolution photo pretty easily but the pixel binning helps in getting great final results in most lighting scenarios for the most part users will want to keep their shooting to the main sensor because the backup shooters have much less power. The camera also has a couple of fun extra modes like AI colour portrait in the video. The 8-megapixel ultra-wide shooter is lacking in dynamic range and introduces a little too much distortion in the edges but at least it can shoot 4k video which can't be said for the front shooter that has four times the megapixel count. there is a depth sensor that is included for portrait shots and then there's a macro lens here if you do want to get really close to a subject but honestly hitting that digital zoom does a pretty good job already. There is a lovely dual-view mode. The focal length of the front-facing camera is actually perfect for these little vlog type shots if you want to go half and half on the front and the rear cameras. The thing is the resulting video is always going to be at 1080p. So if you just look at the raw numbers it's easy to say that the camera experience feels a little uneven. I personally would have done away with those smaller sensors and put in a little bit more attention on the ultra-wide. The main sensor does a really good job of carrying the entire experience and finally, this entire experience is held together with what might be the best version of colour OS yet. Based on android 11 colour OS 11.1 brings a really easy to understand interface to all of the features that OPPO has been bringing to their smartphones.

 

Now there are a ton of things that you can do with the operating system especially in terms of customization. I already mentioned the always-on display which gives you this option to put the colourful text sideways in landscape mode which gives it a pretty unique look and then, of course, there's the powerful theme engine so you can really customize the rest of the interface.

 

There are extras like the game space and gestures like the three-finger screenshot that add further convenience layers but I will admit that they are a bit buried under a ton of extra blower, I mean just a quick scroll through the app drawer shows a lot of different applications you might not ever use. not to mention there are even a couple of folders right in the middle that are practically added for more apps and games that I won't ever touch this level of bloatware might vary based on your region but most users are just not keen to see much of it at all.

 

I am still a fan of colour OS in general because this OS was one of the most convoluted interfaces in all of android and now there's a push to make it a bit easier. if you're curious about what else colour OS has to offer, maybe the OPPO RENO line is hitting a bit of a crossroads I wasn't particularly jazzed about the last generation but it was clear to me that OPPO is using the name RENO as an amass-market poll, it's a phone that isn't priced super high but they'll optimize it as much as possible to still provide as best an experience that the specs can give and in the RENO 5 PRO it seems they found a good mixture of those bits and pieces.

 

Finally, I can say, the RENO 5 PRO has a lower resolution screen still has 90-hertz refresh rate in this OLED panel VOOC charging elevates a decently sized battery and a good main camera sensor almost makes up for those shoddy secondary lenses and finally, the MediaTek demensity 1000 plus get tuned right for this version of colour OS 11. The balancing act is simply real in the RENO 5 PRO and for a price that comes in under 500 USD equivalent. this global release might be a great option for people looking for a flagship but don't want or need to break the bank for phones and is going to be made available globally so let me know in the comments, if you plan on scooping one up. I'm still impressed with how well this phone performs considering it's one of the thinnest that I've handled in months and of course it's got great looks inside and out if you liked my review on this phone.