[Review] Features, cameras, performance of Oppo Reno8 Pro 5G

I’ve been an iPhone user for a few years now and have never had any intention of switching teams, even in an Android-majority office.

Although I’d say I’m part of the school of thinking that the iPhone is superior (for jokes, if nothing else), I’ve always played the game to find with the new technology landing in our office. . Including the new OPPO Reno8 Pro 5G.

We’ve spent a lot of time testing the phone’s imaging capabilities, but how does the phone perform as a daily driver?

A for aesthetics

Coming to the Green color, my first impression of OPPO Reno8 Pro is its picture perfect. However, instead of green, I see this as a bluish color of sponge.

Aside from the colors, I also find the phone’s seamless design quite nice. OPPO calls it Seamless Unibody Design, whereby the back of the phone uses only a single piece of glass.

As a result, the side of the phone has an elegant curve. The slight bump around the camera is sleek and subtle, extending all the way to the edge of the phone.

Personally, I find the design much nicer than OPPO’s Find X5 Pro 5G, which we previously reviewed, which also has a subtle gradient around the camera bumper.

Square edges in width immediately remind me of Apple phones. In terms of thickness, it measures 7.3mm and resembles my iPhone 12 Pro, but the OPPO Reno8 Pro has a length that exceeds 161mm.

Even so, OPPO Reno8 Pro is relatively light. At 184 grams, the phone feels quite premium and solid, especially with the glass material.

One downside of glass for me is that it leaves behind a lot of fingerprints, but that’s easily resolved by using the transparent phone case that comes in the box.

Designed for everyday use

In addition to the external design, the phone’s hardware also seems to be equipped to handle everyday tasks. Here is a summary of the specifications:

The phone is boxed with OPPO’s 80W SuperVOOC charger and a type A to C cable. This allows us to conveniently use the phone’s fast charging capabilities, where my colleague was able to fully charge the Reno8 Pro in about 34 minutes.

Battery life is also quite reliable. I used it for about two days taking photos and playing games without needing to charge. This could be partly due to the fact that it is a new phone with a new battery, but regardless it is still impressive.

One downside is that the phone doesn’t have a waterproof and dustproof rating – a nuisance for a clumsy like me.

Light and darkness

Previously, we tested the phone’s low-light photography capabilities by taking it into a cave. To find out how that works, you can read our article here.

As great as the night photography capabilities of the OPPO Reno8 Pro are, I have to admit that I am a much more avid daytime photographer.

I took out my phone to shoot at Farm Fresh @ UPM on a sunny day. With its 120Hz FHD+ OLED display, the phone was bright and vivid enough that I never had to squint or shield it from the sun.

As expected, the 50MP wide camera performs well in natural sunlight, delivering equally sharp photos and videos.

The 2MP, f/2.4 and 8MP, f/2.2 ultra-wide cameras also perform well, but I wish the latter worked better without degrading my photos.

The selfie camera is not my favorite. Maybe I’m a little annoyed with the beauty filter, which seems to be on by default. Turning it off is also simple enough, so I can’t get too mad about it. Plus, the selfie camera also seems to work well in low-light settings.

Nice gaming phone

As an iPhone user, I find OPPO’s Game Assistant quite appealing, although I’ve heard that it’s a fairly common feature on other Androids. The game assistant slides out from the corner to show the phone’s time, battery percentage, and temperature. It also allows you to access performance settings and game-focused modes.

The game’s focus modes allow users to block the game toolkit, gesture navigation, quick settings, notifications, calls, and alarms.

Meanwhile, the performance settings give you access to low power mode, balanced mode, and pro gamer mode.

I tested the phone’s gaming capabilities by launching Genshin Impact. Moving around Liyue, the phone’s temperature rose to 39 degrees, which is normal for heating. The game runs smoothly, giving Genshin desirable graphics quality.

Enough to change my mind?

All in all, I feel like the OPPO Reno8 Pro does what it’s supposed to do. Honestly, it has more features than I need, such as Air Gestures, which I can’t really figure out how to use — I end up looking like an idiot waving my phone.

Even so, at least I’m happy with Omoji. Omoji is basically ColorOS version of Apple’s Memoji, ColorOS is the mobile operating system created by Oppo Electronics. ColorOS is based on the Android Open Source Project and OPPO Reno8 Pro runs on its version 12.1.

I quite like ColorOS’s user interface in the sense that it doesn’t get in my way. It’s simple, clean, and easy to navigate. What more could I ask for?

One issue I have is connecting to my AirPods, but it’s more of my AirPods’ problem than the phone’s.

I suppose that’s one of the main reasons why I wouldn’t consider moving away from Apple, despite having a great experience using an Android phone. I’m just too invested in all the lifestyles (and accessories).

Without that, I could really see myself taking the leap and the OPPO Reno8 Pro 5G is a worthy choice.

In the end, I found the OPPO Reno8 Pro to be the best, beautiful and solid battery. At RM3,499, it’s a mid-range phone with great camera capabilities and aesthetic looks.

• Learn more about OPPO Reno8 Pro 5G here.
• Read more VP Verdicts here.