Oppo’s Reno series always guarantees a solid smartphone without fuss. The same course is sailed with the Oppo Reno8 Pro. You can read more about it in this Oppo Reno8 Pro review.
Oppo Reno8 Pro
MSRP from € 749,-
Colors black, green
OS Android 12 (Color OS)
Screen 6.7″ amoled (2412×1080, 120 hertz)
Processor 2.85GHz (MediaTek Dimension 8100)
RAM 8GB
Storage 256 GB (not expandable)
Battery 4,500 mAh
Camera 50. 8.2 megapixel (rear), 32 megapixel (front)
Connectivity 5G, Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi, GPS, NFC
Format 16.1 x 7.4 x 0.8 cm
Weight 183 grams
Other USB-c (80 watt fast charger)
Website www.oppo.com/nl
7 Score 70 
- Pros
- Build quality and weight
- Lightning fast
- Image quality
- Negatives
- Priced out of the market
- Update Support
- Superfluous macro camera
The recipe of the Oppo Reno series is now known. The smartphones share a lot of features of the iPhone and despite the fact that there is little to criticize about the smartphones, there are also few features that make the device stand out positively. This is also the same story with this Oppo Reno8 Pro.
Design
The Oppo Reno8 Pro has a design that is somewhat similar to the iPhone 12. With the notable difference that the Oppo smartphone is noticeably lighter. However, the size and design with the metal bezel surrounding the smartphone are quite similar to the iPhone. On the back, the cameras are placed slightly differently in a sloping elevation. However, with a case around it, you don’t see that, which keeps the iPhone feeling. Something that Oppo has a hand in, because many products that the brand makes are too much copied from Apple. From the smartwatch to the in-ears. There is even a tablet called the Oppo Pad Air.
The prices are also taken over from Apple, because unfortunately the recommended prices of the brand are set too high. That is also the case with this Oppo Reno8 Pro: 749 euros. A price range in which you can also get a top of the range Samsung Galaxy smartphone or iPhone.
Oppo imitates too much from Apple
Hardware: enough for lightning-fast experience
In terms of specification, Oppo still justifies the price tag. You have access to a smartphone that feels lightning fast. And by fast I also mean fast like OnePlus in good days of yore-fast. You fly through menus and apps. The MediaTek Dimensity 8100 chipset seems to be fully exploited, due to the software tuning and the high refresh rate of the screen (up to 120 hertz).
In addition to the refresh rate, the display quality of that screen is also fine. Colors are remarkably bright and clear. You can also read the screen well in sunlight. Behind the screen is one of the fastest fingerprint scanners of its kind.
The battery capacity is what you can expect and the battery life is quite good. About one and a half to two days with a full battery is feasible. If it is empty, the included fast charger with a charging capacity of up to 80 watts ensures that you are filled to about thirty percent within a few minutes. Wireless charging is not included. Also missing is a memory card slot and audio port.
Software: Android 12 ColorOS
The Oppo Reno8 runs on Android 12, with the ColorOS interface over it. Oppo has optimized the software in such a way that the system works economically and at lightning speed, although background apps are interrupted for this. This can make you miss notifications and functionality of apps. Yet everything looks and feels a lot better than Android skins from many other Chinese brands. Although a bad alignment or translation still looks unnecessarily sloppy.
There is some bloatware to be found, such as apps from Amazon, Facebook, Microsoft and TikTok. However, the amount of unnecessary pre-installed apps is not that bad. Plus, many apps can be uninstalled if you don’t need them.
The point for improvement is for Oppo, especially in the update support duration. With two promised Android version updates and three years of security updates, Oppo is miles behind the brands that Oppo competes with.
Camera: Two usable cameras on the back
Oppo has wanted to join the big boys when it comes to camera quality for years. The large black circles around the lens, which make it look like the sensor is bigger than it actually is, reflects what it actually is. In practice, it’s more marketing than a camera experience akin to Samsung, Google, and Apple smartphones. In practice you will not notice that they have developed their own image processing chip ‘MariSillicon’. It is also nice in specification lists that there are four different lenses, but in practice one of them is a depth sensor and another is a two megapixel macro camera that can be found on many smartphones from the parent company BBK-Electronics, this also includes brands such as OnePlus, Vivo and Realme. That macro camera lens has been used for years and has been a worthless experience from day one: noise, darkness, blur. hopeless. Oppo undoubtedly knows this too. The macro function is deeply hidden in the camera settings and the Oppo site shows remarkably few lens properties of the macro lens.
So don’t be distracted by the specifications: the Oppo Reno8 has two usable cameras on the back. A wide-angle lens and a primary. There are three zoom levels that are readily available in the camera app: wide angle, regular and 3x zoom. This zooming is done by cutting off the primary lens.
These two cameras hold their own. The fact that Samsung, Apple and Google make cameras in the same price range that capture just a little more detail in challenging lighting conditions does not mean that there is anything wrong with Oppo’s cameras. On the contrary. The primary camera took good pictures in all lighting conditions. The wide-angle camera has a little more trouble with difficult light, for example shadow areas and dark environments.
The three zoom levels of the Oppo Reno8 Pro, where the zoom function zooms in on the primary lens.
Alternatives to the Oppo Reno8 Pro
The Oppo Reno8 Pro is fine. In use, there were no noticeable drawbacks, and the only criticism is that the update support is insufficient. The fact that Oppo is copying a lot from Apple should not be counted as a disadvantage, more as a criticism.
That doesn’t mean there aren’t good alternatives to the Oppo Reno8 Pro. This is mainly due to the suggested retail price of 749 euros. For that money you can buy smartphones that are better, especially in terms of camera and support. Think of a Samsung Galaxy S22 or a Pixel 6. An iPhone 13 also does not differ much in price.
Conclusion: Buy Oppo Reno8 Pro?
The Oppo Reno8 Pro is a smartphone that cannot be faulted. The smartphone is lightning fast and there is nothing to criticize about the screen quality, primary and wide-angle cameras and computing power. The Reno8 is just a bit overpriced, and manufacturers like Samsung, Google and Apple offer better smartphones for comparable prices that are more durable and better alternatives due to their longer update support.
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