Oppo Reno 8 Pro review: cameras, screen and outstanding design

But this time the phone has wanted to resemble its older brothers and, therefore, inherits the unibody design (one piece) of the Find X5 range , mixing it with those straight edges that are more typical of the Reno family. All this gives life to a very elegant smartphone, but with some details that are perhaps exaggerated, such as the huge rear camera.

Regarding its availability, we will only be able to buy it in a memory configuration, with the aforementioned 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage. Regarding the colors, we have the option of acquiring it in a black tone and another green that seems to be already a hallmark of the firm. It doesn’t matter which one you choose, because both are put up for sale in Spain for a price of 799 euros . Of course, to encourage purchases, if you buy it during these days you get a protective case and OPPO Enco Free2 wireless headphones. It is important to note that they have been made in collaboration with the firm Dynaudio, that they have a powerful noise cancellation system and that they are IP54.

phone features

Before going on to analyze everything that the phone offers, it is appropriate to review each and every one of the specifications that give life to the OPPO Reno 8 Pro and that place it as an interesting contender in the high range, leaving just one rung below its more premium brothers.

With a very good screen , a fast-charging battery and the software as its main attractions, perhaps we can anticipate that the camera and the processor are the best aspects of the terminal.

OPPO Reno 8 Pro Review

If you are thinking of buying the OPPO Reno 8 Pro , in this review we will tell you what the strong points of the device are at the same time that we point out what we liked least about the equipment so that you have everything very clear before spending your money on the terminal.

Screen and design

The camera adopts the design line of the Find X5, integrating itself into the casing by means of a smooth curve that prevents dust from accumulating in the encapsulation, precisely one of the great problems of some of its OnePlus brothers’ models that adopt a different style and more classic. The truth is that Oppo with the Find has opted for this aesthetic integration of the cameras and it has already become a hallmark of the brand against the competition.

There are those who like mobile phones with flat edges and there are those who hate them. Since the iPhone 12 bet on this design as a clear nod to the past, there are many brands that have opted to follow this line of design and the OPPO Reno are the maximum exponents of it. Here we find a chassis surrounded by flat sides, as is the case with the glass that covers the screen and the rest of the rear panel, except for that curvature present as we approach the sensors. When you hold it in your hands, the sensation of solidity is extreme, you can see the care that has been put into this aspect from Oppo.

Perhaps this makes it more uncomfortable to hold than other phones that opt for more curved shapes, but the low weight of 186 grams that the device boasts helps alleviate this feeling.

In front, the brand continues to give essential prominence to mounting a front with hardly any frames, introducing the selfie camera that is located in the central part of the panel. This makes it possible to have more space on the screen to watch our series and movies without interruptions. A selfie camera that, as we will see later, is one of the best we can find on the market.

Speaking of the display, it is a Full HD+ screen that has dimensions of 6.7 inches and a refresh rate of 120 Hz, which is already quite standard among smartphones that cost a few hundred euros, which does not exempt it from be a high value and quality. This makes gaming and browsing on your mobile phone a much smoother and more enjoyable experience.

This panel, like the back cover, is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5, with a basic certification of IP54 water resistance, which is fine, but it would not hurt to have IP64, which is becoming widespread in this segment of terminals.

A lock button on the right side of the phone, the volume buttons present on the left profile, and a lower part equipped with a USB port, the SIM card slot and the only speaker that you will find in the set.

Camera

Going into detail, as you have already been able to read in the specifications table, the Oppo Reno 8 Pro has a main camera where there is a 50 MP IMX766 sensor that collects good images both during the day and at night . It is followed by a 12 MP ultra wide angle lens and a 2 MP macro camera. But what is really important in this aspect is that the mobile has the same MariSilicon X NPU that debuted with the Find X5 series.

This helps the team to boast of very well-lit photos, full of detail , and with a more than acceptable color, when we work with the 50 MP primary sensor, although they may have a slight tendency to be somewhat oversaturated.

The downside is that we can’t say the same for the 8 MP ultra-wide camera, which may pick up colors brighter, but needs to improve when it comes to showing details clearly. If on top of that we try to use this sensor when night falls, the results will not measure up and the smartphone will pale in comparison to other competing phones such as the Pixel 6 or the S21 FE. In these circumstances, and with this lens, the phone tends to over-process the scene with considerable noise.

However, with the main sensor, things change and the results are quite balanced in almost all situations, although when we come across very bright areas, light leaks may appear. This is something that is corrected to a certain extent, when we use the OOPO camera app’s own Night Mode, but it does not radically change the scene either.

The best selfies on the market?

Much better is the 32 MP Sony IMX709 sensor that we find housed in the front. In fact, it’s one of the best selfie cameras we’ve come across, which leads us to understand why the brand sells this smartphone as ‘The Portrait Expert’ . Our selfies are prepared to show off on social networks, showing off good details in both light and shadow and with a wide dynamic range. It even does well in low light.

great stabilization

As for video, the dedicated NPU housed inside the smartphone helps the camera in several ways. And we are not only talking about the representation of color or similar, but, for example, it helps to stabilize the scene. The mobile, despite not having OIS , does a great job recording with Ultra Steady mode, which allows you to record some high-quality videos, but is limited to FullHD resolution.

But that doesn’t mean we can’t record at higher quality. In fact, the smartphone allows 4K HDR video recording, in which you get more details, but you don’t get the same stabilization as the Ultra Steady mode, although we can’t say that the smartphone vibrates too much either.

Battery

Once again, the company’s commitment to the high charging speeds of its devices is demonstrated. All OPPO models charge in a flash and, in this case, the manufacturer has equipped the Reno 8 Pro with its famous 80W SuperVOOC technology that allows it to go from 0 to 100 in the blink of an eye. If you prefer the figures, we assure you that, in just 13 minutes, the battery reaches 50% charge, while, to fully charge it, you will need a little more than half an hour. One last.

Another feature that is repeated between one generation and another is the 4,500 mAh capacity that we have already seen in other company smartphones. It is a sufficient capacity to enjoy an autonomy of over 24 hours under normal use, that is, consulting social networks, making a couple of calls a day or playing for a while at nightfall. In our tests carried out with the energy tests, the phone offers a screen time of 15 hours, quite ‘top’ in this type of device.

Performance

The soul of all this is the Mediatek Dimensity 8100-Max which, in Spain, is complemented by 8 GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256 GB of UFS 3.1 storage. The brand says goodbye to Qualcomm in this model, going on to collaborate with MediaTek . Apparently, it is a change for the better, since the processor manufacturer has made a great leap in quality this year and offers great power along with the always required connectivity with 5G networks.

It is not the most famous processor and many would prefer to have a Qualcomm CPU, but this chip has been proven to be powerful enough that we do not regret that there is no Snapdragon instead. In fact, in the AnTuTu and GFXBench tests it has complied with a note.

What does this translate to in everyday use? We have been playing titles like PUBG Mobile or Ghenshin Impact with the maximum refresh rate configured and we have not noticed a good performance , beyond some unexpected closure that may be due more to the operating system than to the execution power or the graphics chip of the smartphone. With less demanding titles, like Clash Royale, everything goes smoothly, despite having several apps working in the background.

Regarding the team’s software, no surprises. ColorOS 12.1 is the latest version of OPPO’s operating system based on Android 12 is installed, and it does not offer anything that we have not seen in other terminals such as the Oppo Find X5 Pro. It is a very customizable customization layer, forgive the redundancy, with different tools to keep the device in good health and that is not as intrusive as options from other Chinese firms.

Our opinion

The phone struggles to stay on the high end , where it’s lumped in for its battery performance, hardware, and price. The camera has a really powerful main sensor and the Marisilicon NPU helping to capture photos and video recording. Perhaps it misses the fact that it does not have a 2X optical zoom.

For the rest, it is a phone that enters through the eyes . It is very beautiful and easy to use, perfect for enjoying content on its ultra-smooth screen that loads in a sigh. We miss a wireless charging system, but with an 80W system, we’re not going to have to leave the phone plugged into the wall charger (which, by the way, is included with the box) from the wall.

If you like to show off your phone, then the Reno 8 Pro is for you, since in addition to its quite elegant lines and shapes, it offers great performance and a battery that stands out above average.