Oppo has recently released the Reno8 Pro 5G in Romania, the best phone in the Reno range – a slim phone with a very good design that attracts attention. I didn’t get to test it long enough to review it in detail, but I’ll leave some impressions below after strapping it in for a few days: what I liked and didn’t like about the Reno8 Pro.

Final assessment

• The phone was provided to us by Oppo Romania, but this article is not sponsored or endorsed by Oppo, and there was no financial or other compensation. None of the producers reviewed the content of the article for approval before publication, and the ideas and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author.

What I liked about Oppo Reno8 Pro – PROS:

• + Great design – The phone is very beautiful, with simple lines, but with a great effect and back pastel which seems to melt in the camera module area is impressive. In addition, the accents around the two large photo lenses, like small vinyl discs, very subtly emphasize the photo module. The phone feels very good in the hand, premium class with a build quality Best. It’s slim and easy to use, and the very good Amoled screen perfectly complements the pastel design, from the metallic color to the glass on the back, the circular flash and the colored accent in the middle of the power button.
• + Main camera. Although we didn’t have high expectations, in the few days we played with the phone, the main camera left a very good impression, managing to produce very good photos day and night. Comparing them to the photos taken by the Pixel 6 Pro, the Reno8 Pro actually managed to keep up very well.
• + Fast charging with the included 80W charger. Although we just tested a phone with even faster 120W charging, the Oppo Reno8 Pro is almost as impressive, going from 7% to 100% in 31 minutes (+93%). In just 10 minutes, I charged the battery to +43%, and in 20 minutes to +73%. In addition, autonomy published to be very good, although I couldn’t test it enough to make a final verdict.

What I did NOT like about Oppo Reno8 Pro – CONS:

• – Weaknesses on the video side – The phone can only shoot 4K at 30fps and only on the main camera, the ultra-wide camera does not have enough resolution to shoot 4K. Even more annoying is that even at 1080@30fps, the phone can’t switch between cameras while shooting.
• – The writing on the back spoils all the charm, and Oppo knows it: no official product image has text that takes up a lot of space on the back of the phone. I really wish Oppo (and other manufacturers for that matter) managed to somehow hide or seamlessly integrate the certification text and the phone ID and manufacturer address. Later, we saw models released by other manufacturers that managed to integrate this much more elegant and subtle inscription, particularly on the bezel of the product.

Other aspects and thoughts about Oppo Reno8 Pro:

• The phone ships with Android 12 and Color OS 12.1 and will soon be getting an update to Color OS 13. The MediaTek Dimensity 8100-Max processor, while not top-of-the-line, seems to perform well, and while I was “pinning” it, I found that phone works great, fast and stutter free. The smoothness of the Color OS interface can also help here, which, although significantly modified from classic Android, is one of the best interfaces and a pleasure to use.
• On the software front, I also appreciated the level of customization available to the user. Out of the box the phone is very “For iOS” designed to resemble some iPhone interactions, but a more experienced and patient user can do as they please. I really appreciate the ability to turn off the display of some icons in the top bar (NFC, alarm, mute, etc.).
• However, I didn’t really like other unnecessary changes to stock Android, like not being able to launch the camera with a double tap power. This is done by double-pressing the volume buttons or drawing an “O” on the closed screen (something borrowed from OnePlus).

• The AMOLED screen is beautiful and quite bright, but it does not make a special impression in this regard. Oppo advertises the phone as having a fast 120Hz screen, but this makes for an annoying and inconsistent adaptive “game” depending on the app you’re using, sometimes counterintuitive. For example, in Facebook, Instangram or Chrome, the refresh rate drops to 90 Hz or even 60 Hz – which is very disturbing – in other applications such as Google Photos, Youtube, Maps.
• I appreciate the fact that the phone comes with an 80W charger in the box, an accessory that many have refused to provide, although at this power it clearly adds value to the user. However, the phone does not come with anything else in the box, not even a simple silicone case. Instead, the phone comes with a pre-applied screen protector.

• The phone does not support wireless charging, nor does it have an official IP certification for protection against water and dust. Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protective glass on the front.
• The fingerprint scanner is optical, located under the screen. When I played with it, I found it to be very accurate and fast. I also really appreciated the feedback of the buttons, very solid and pleasant to press. Also, I find the haptic vibration system to be very good.

Oppo Reno8 Pro – HARDWARE, SPECIFICATIONS AND PRICE in Romania

Display: diagonal 6.7 inches, ratio 20:9, AMOLED 2412 x 1080, 120 Hz HDR10+, brightness – 500 nits normal, 950 nits peak, Gorilla Glass 5,

Processor: MediaTek Dimensity 8100-Max (5 nm) / octa-core (4×2.85 GHz Cortex-A78 and 4×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55)

NPU: MariSilicon X

GPU: Mali-G610 MC6

OZP: 8 GB

storage: 256 GB UFS 3.1

Battery: 4500 mAh (2 x 2250 mAh/17.50 Wh)

Loading: 80W SUPERVOOCTM, 65W SUPERVOOCTM, 50W SUPERVOOCTM, VOOC, PD (9V/2A), QC (9V/2A), 80W charger included

Cameras:

– Main: Sony IMX766, 50MP, 1/1.56″; f/1.8; FOV: 86°; 7P lens; supports autofocus; focus motor

– Ultra wide (wide angle): 8MP, f/2.2; viewing angle: 112°; Goal 5P

– macro: 2MP, f/2.4, FOV: 89°; 3P lens; FF

Front camera: 32 MP, Sony IMX709 32 MP, 1/2.74″; f/2.4, FOV 90°, 5P lens, autofocus, open-loop focus motor

video: 4K@30fps, 1080P@60/30fps, 720P@60/30fps. EIS video stabilization

size: 161.2 x 74.2 x 7.3 mm

weight: 183 g

Operating System: Android 12, ColorOS 12.1

sensors: optical fingerprint reader under the screen, geomagnetic sensor, light sensor, screen proximity sensor, accelerometer, gravity sensor, gyroscope,

Connection: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6(ax), dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot, Bluetooth 5.3, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, typeC 2.0

Price (November 2022): 4,000 lei (Champions League promo package – phone + 80W car charger, charging cable and Adidas UEFA Champions League drum ball signed by Lieu Dumitrescu)