Oppo’s killer features
RENO 7 5G: OTHER OFFERINGS COST FAR MORE
It combines a DSLR-like camera set and 5G connectivity.
What is it? Oppo is the big new smartphone name in small brands, having captured significant market share through both affordability and great design. Now well-established in South Africa, it is likely to make new waves with its latest device, the Reno 7 5G.
Although it is not the typical affordable mid-range device expected from challenger brands, it takes on the flagship leaders at the bottom end of the pricing range for high-end smartphones.
It offers excellent value for money, especially as it comes with a 65W SuperVooc fast charger, which allows the 4 500mAh battery to be fully charged in 31 minutes. It charged our device from 58% to 91% in 15 minutes, while a mere seven-minute charge can get a user about two hours of gaming.
The chassis showcases a beautiful Startrails Blue design, in a blue and purple mix. The effect was created with Laser Direct Imaging (LDI), which is used in the aviation industry for designing electrical components. This allowed the creation of a mind-boggling 1.2-million micro-etchings, with a width of 20 microns each, across the surface of the smartphone’s rear panel. Individually these are invisible but combine for a cool effect.
The vibrant 6.4-inch Amoled display has a 90Hz refresh rate and 20:9 aspect ratio. These features have earned the device both a Netflix HD and Amazon Prime Video HD certification, meaning that it is officially certified as being capable of streaming these services in high-definition. The screen is made of Corning Gorilla Glass 5, which helps protect it from scratches.
Oppo promises that the camera functionality is “DSLR-like”, which would mean even serious photographers could go a long way on this device before needing an interchangeable-lens camera. And this device does go a long way. It features a 64MP main camera, 1180 ultra-wide-angle lens, and a macro camera that can take pictures of objects as close as 4cm away. These three cameras work together with AI-backed software to produce stunning images. A night mode promise, however, doesn’t quite live up to the hype.
On the other hand, the video modes are impressive:
Shaky video can be prevented by using the Ultra Steady Mode.
Flare Portrait video mode precisely identifies human subjects in any complex background to transform light into dreamy spheres.
A 32-megapixel front camera enables sharp night selfies and clear video recording – ideal for vloggers.
In short, Oppo kills it with the camera.
The device runs on a MediaTek Dimensity 900 processor, a system-on-chip (SOC) that enables better performance, as well as 5G, at frequencies up to 2.4 GHz.
The smartphone has generous capacity, with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, equivalent to leading brands’ flagship handsets.
Additional features include:
Fingerprint and face biometric unlocking;
Oppo Share to share files; Eye-comfort mode for using the device for extended amounts of time without eye strain; and
A 3D-animated Emoji feature.
What does it cost?
Recommended retail price of R15 499.
Why should you care?
You will barely notice the difference in experience of using this handset compared to many of those costing well over a third more.
What are the biggest negatives?
Night mode camera quality is not so great;
No stereo speakers
What are the biggest positives?
5G enabled, becoming more important now that 5G is about to be widely rolled out in South Africa
Exceptionally fast charging. This is a common issue with many users surrounded by several Wi-Fi networks. There are several ways to mitigate this. For Apple users, it happens automatically.
iOS devices assign a hidden score to different Wi-Fi networks to prioritise them by signal quality and Internet speed. With a Mac and iPhone/iPad on the same Apple ID, one can prioritise Wi-Fi networks manually across all ecosystem devices. To do this on a Mac, go to System Preferences, Network, select Wi-Fi as a connection, and click Advanced. This will show a list of Wi-Fi networks that can be dragged and dropped in order of priority, where the top-most network is the preferred network. I would recommend the office connection be moved to the highest on this list.
For Windows PCs, one can run this command in command prompt: netsh wlan set profileorder name=“OfficeWiFi? interface=“Wi-Fi” priority=1. Replace OfficeWiFi with the name of your office Wi-Fi.
For Androids, this depends on your device. Xiaomi devices have options for switching, based on
signal strength.