Reno13 Pro 5G review: ‘I dropped the phone in water’

A new phone is set to shake up the market in Australia, and if you drop it in the water, that’s no problem at all.

Normally it’s not a good thing when you drop a phone in water. In fact, it’s usually downright disastrous.

But that’s not the case for OPPO’s new Reno13 Series, where it’s actually encouraged.

The series was announced at the launch recently in Milan, which I attended, and the Reno13 Pro 5G, Reno13 5G, and Reno13 F 5G were unveiled.

I’ve had an early-bird look at the pro version, and these are my first thoughts.

Underwater photography

The series comes with a IP69 waterproof rating. This stands for “ingress protection” and it’s an international standard relating to dust and water resistance. IP69 means the phone can be submerged for a maximum depth of two meters for up to 30 minutes.

The launch was more focused on the phone being a mid-priced phone with top-tier specs - including three 50MP cameras, new AI functionality and a monster fast charging battery.

However, much of the hype afterwards was journalists happily dunking brand new phones in tubs of water like unsupervised toddlers.

Of course, I couldn’t wait to try it out myself.

The butterfly design on the phone gives it an iconic look.

It took some mental fortitude to actually submerge the phone in my parents’ pool, but once I did it, I was actually impressed by the underwater camera mode, which corrects colour shifts and distortions underwater.

How it works is, you put the phone in underwater mode, which means you can use the volume button to control the camera.

After you take the photos, you hold down the power button to exit the mode, and the phone expels any water from the phone while making a beeping noise, which gives you peace of mind.

I got some snaps of pool toys and leaves, and was very impressed by the clarity of the images.

A couple of important points to keep in mind - you should only submerge the phone in freshwater (not salt), and afterwards it’s best to keep the phone dry in a well-ventilated environment for drying. Also, make sure the phone is completely dry before charging or connecting it to external devices.

I know it’s not the phone’s main selling point, but it’s a lot of fun.

I took this photo underwater in the pool on the Reno13 Pro 5G.

AI features

I covered the main artificial intelligence updates in my article on the launch.

To summarise, under the AI photography umbrella there is: Livephoto (like a video/photo that you can pick the frame of), AI Clarity Enhancer, AI Unblur, AI Reflection Remover and AI Night Portrait.

There’s also AI Portrait, AI Reimage and AI Motion in the AI Studio, which use generative AI to transform your pictures and make new images.

I found the AI photography to be the most useful, as it saves dodgy photos from being sent to the recycle bin, which is very helpful for images that you can’t easily recreate.

I’m not using a case

The butterfly design on the back of the phone is cool - and means you’ll probably want to use it without a case. That’s what I’ve been doing, so thankfully it’s pretty strong as it was constructed from one, 1.5mm-thick, piece of sculptured glass. Daily wear and tear hasn’t made any impact yet, despite my fairly hectic lifestyle and run-ins with pockets and keys.

Cool gaming

There are thin bezels on the phone, giving a 93.8% screen-to-body ratio. This, along with the new customised Dimensity 8350 chip, makes it good for gaming.

I tried out Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and was happy with the performance.

OPPO says you can play at 60 frames per second (FPS) for more than eight hours and 120 FPS for one hour.

A new multi-cooling system with a much larger vapour chamber ensured the phone didn’t get too hot during my gaming session.

The clarity of the phone under the water.

Bridging the gap

I also like how OPPO is attempting to bridge the gap with Apple.

For years, people have been on either team iPhone or Android, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

OPPO has brought in O+Connect and Tap-to-Share, meaning it’s easy to share livephotos, photos, and files across Android and iOS.

To do this, the person with the iPhone needs to download the O+ Connect app.

You then select a file to share on your OPPO phone and select ”Share with iPhone” - and after some prompts the file is sent. You can also send things the other way, also via a wireless local area network.

It would be good to see more of this from other manufacturers.

My takeaway

Overall, the Reno13 Pro 5G is basically a flagship phone at the mid-tier price of $1299. You get three 50MP cameras, the latest AI tech and it’s great for gaming.

I have to make note of the insane battery too, it’s 5800mAh and charges at 80W, which means it can go from zero to full charge in about 45 minutes. It easily lasted all day.

The 12GB RAM and 512GB ROM is more than enough too.

Plus, you can jump in the pool with your phone, which is a great party trick.

I’m recommending the Reno13 Pro 5G for young people, students on a budget, and really anyone who wants a solid phone without paying big bucks. It will be available in Australia from March 27.

Originally published as Reno13 Pro 5G review: ‘I dropped the phone in water’