Oppo Reno 5G
SNEAKY SPYCAM.
Oppo is the only manufacturer that’s managed to ditch the dreaded notch, which is the ‘dead space’ at the top of the screen that houses the selfie camera and sensors. Depending on how often you take selfies, however, you may or may not like the compromise involved.
The notch-less display is made possible through the hidden selfie camera, which pops up like a shark fin whenever you switch to selfie mode in the camera app. This takes just under a second and makes a faint but distinct whirring noise.
We were initially worried about the durability of the selfie camera, although Oppo claims the motorised action is rated for more than 20,000 uses (which works out to be 27 years if you take 20 selfies a day). Be that is it may, there’s also the possibility of dirt and other debris sneaking into the phone while the camera’s up and messing with the internal circuitry.
The plus side of this James Bond-style selfie camera is having a full edge-to-edge 6.6-inch display at your disposal. With no notch or ‘hole punch’ to sully the on-screen action, it’s a boon for watching videos and gaming, with pure whites and vibrant colours. It’s not as sharp as rival screens on the LG and Samsungs due to the lower screen resolution, but it’s unlikely you’d notice the difference.
As with previous Oppo flagships, the Reno 5G boasts excellent performance all round. It had the fastest 5G speeds of the smartphones we tested, with 201Mbps downstream outside Telstra HQ in Sydney. Battery life is exceptional, lasting for three days and three hours with light usage (3.5 hours of screen-on time). It also beats the other 5G smartphones on gaming performance.
Oppo has thrown a VOOC fast charger into the box, which recharges the phone to full capacity in 30 minutes. You also get a phone case that’s a lot nicer than the basic plastic ones that other vendors offer, and a plastic screen protector that’s pre-applied on the phone out of the box.
As far as photography goes, the Reno 5G is a capable performer. Which is to say it’s not in the A League of shooters (it falls down particularly when it comes to capturing finer details), but overall images are pleasing. The versatile focal range of the triple camera array on the rear means you can shoot from an ultra-wide 16mm through to a 160mm closeups – but we wish it were easier to move between focal lengths.
The Reno 5G also has an ultrasonic in-screen fingerprint reader like flagship Huawei and Samsung phones, but it’s not 100% reliable – we often had to press our finger against the screen two or three times before it would unlock.
Oppo has pulled a rabbit out of the hat with the Reno 5G. Despite being the cheapest of the 5G smartphones, it offers fantastic value, with the best system, 5G and battery performance, along with a great screen and some solid inclusions in the box. It’s not quite a slam dunk – photography isn’t a strong suit, and it misses out on waterproofing and wireless charging – but it’s a strong offering overall that will suit bargain hunters and power users alike.
WITH NO NOTCH OR ‘HOLE PUNCH’ TO SULLY THE ON-SCREEN ACTION, IT’S A BOON FOR WATCHING VIDEOS AND GAMING, WITH PURE WHITES AND VIBRANT COLOURS.