OPPO Reno8 5G and Reno8 Pro 5G review: Surprising feature on scintillating new phone

A new phone is hitting the market in Australia. And it’s a stylish offering that also packs a big punch in the tech department.

Andrew Backhouse

@andytwit123

4 min read

September 7, 2022 - 10:44AM

Smartphone

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A new phone series is launching in Australia that’s packed with hi-tech features.

The OPPO Reno8 series dazzles with a colourful yet sleek design reminiscent of the iPhone.

And improvements to the camera system means it is giving the Google Pixel a run for its money.

OPPO sent me the new Reno8 5G and Reno8 Pro 5G phones to review and I decided to split the work with my better half.

My wife Athena took the Reno8 Pro (surprise, surprise) in glazed green, and I checked out the Reno8 in gold.

The OPPO Reno8 Pro looks sleek in green. Picture: Supplied

Stylish design

Both of them are aesthetically pleasing devices. They fit snugly in the hand and are very light.

The Reno8 Pro is 7.34mm thick and weighs just 183g. The Reno8 is 179g and 7.67mm.

Both phones are also available in black.

The series comes with the signature shimmering OPPO Glow design, which gives it a stunning gradient look and reduces fingerprint blotches.

Athena thought the series looks like the iPhone, and I thought Pixel – but either way the design is simple and attractive.

The slightly raised camera bay on the back helps avoid accidental touches to the lenses and it fits easily into one hand.

The OPPO Reno8 is a very attractive phone. Picture: Supplied

Packed with tech

OPPO really impressed me with the OPPO Find X5 Pro – I described it as one of the best phones on the market.

And the Reno8 series also hits the mark with a bunch of impressive technology that raises the bar.

OPPO said one of the things that makes this phone better than previous models is the a new cooling system paired with a speedy 8GB of RAM. This ensures sustained performance without overheating to ensure a smooth and steady gaming experience.

I tried out my current favourite game – Diablo Immortal – and it performed exceptionally well. I was looting for hours.

The Reno8 touchscreen’s sampling rate is up to 1000Hz (this is the number of times a display refreshes to register a touch input in a second). This makes the phone extremely responsive.

And both phones are 5G, which is increasingly important for gaming and streaming.

OPPO said the Reno8 is kept chilly with a “super-conductive” VC liquid cooling system.

And the Reno8 Pro uses an “ultra-conductive” cooling system with ultra-conductive graphite.

Apparently these systems are vasty more efficient than the heat pipe solution used in the previous generation.

The OPPO Reno8 comes in shimmering gold and black. Picture: Supplied

Super fast charging becoming standard

I was pleasantly surprised to find out the ridiculously fast charging capabilities of OPPO’s SUPERVOOC system seem to be standard now across a lot of its devices.

The Reno8 and Reno8 Pro use the 80W system, meaning the 4500mAh battery can be charged to 50 per cent in about 10 minutes, and to 100 per cent in about 30 minutes.

There’s also an in-built system that intelligently controls charging current and voltage via real-time monitoring.

The battery also lasts for ages. From full charge, the Reno8 lasted two days with fairly steady use. And the battery is designed not to falter over time.

OPPO said the Reno8 series devices keep up to 80 per cent of their original capacity after 1600 full charge cycles.

Frankly, I don’t think I’ll ever buy a phone that doesn’t have a comparable fast-charging system. It’s simply too good not to have.

The OPPO Reno8 Pro is packed with awesome features like super-fast charging. Picture: Supplied

Phone doesn’t slow down

I’m sure you’ve had one before – a phone that starts off super fast but slowly turns in a snail.

But OPPO said upgraded software and hardware of the Reno8 Series means that the phones don’t slow down over time.

Rigorous testing shows the phone performs just as well after 36 months of use as when you first take it out of the box.

The Reno8 Pro looks sleek in green. Picture: Oppo

Cameras

OPPO is the “selfie expert” and the selfie camera on the Reno8 series has some cool new tech.

The Reno8 and Reno8 Pro have dual Sony flagship sensors, including in the 32MP selfie camera. This allows for better selfies in low light. There’s also a sensor in the rear camera.

The Reno8 Pro also has the MariSilicon X imaging neural processing unit, which enables 4K ultra night and 4K ultra HDR video. This is one of the key standout features on the Pro, which is also slightly larger.

4K ultra night is enabled by default and helps improve the image quality, colour expression, and sharpen facial features.

The HDR helps do away with that annoying black silhouette that appears in photos with too much backlight.

In a shift to its famous motto, OPPO is calling the Reno8 Pro the “portrait expert” thanks to upgraded portrait functionality in both hardware and software, allowing more light to be captured and improving the image.

There is also AI retouching available, to “blur out imperfections”.

Our take on the Reno8 series

Andy: The shimmering colour on the Reno8 phones is very attractive and I also like the fingerprint reduction. The phone is light but still somehow packed with all the latest tech. The new camera capabilities combined with OPPO’s battery tech makes it a real contender in the increasingly packed phone marketplace. It’s very good value for money.

Athena: The phone is fast; it definitely keeps up with my Samsung. I also like the design and fast-charging capabilities. The MariSilicon X NPU makes the photos really pop.

OPPO Reno8 Pro 5G Specs

Design

Dimensions: 161.2mm x 74.2mm x 7.34mm

Weight: 183g

Back cover material: Glass

Colour options: Glazed Green, Glazed Black

Screen

Size: 6.7-inch

Chips

SoC: Dimensity 8100-MAX

Imaging NPU: MariSilicon X

Storage