The well-known smartphone brand OPPO launched the OPPO Reno8 T 5G in Malaysia in February. It has some pretty good features as a mid-range class phone with good imaging software. The specs are quite decent, but it has some downsides too. Read on to find out more about it in our OPPO Reno8 T 5G review below.
Design - Pretty standard but comfortable to hold
With a glance, the design is like any other OPPO device. One of our writers even thinks it looks exactly like the OPPO A1 Pro, especially the curved camera and side frames. However, we do find that it's an elegant phone thanks to the glittering back design in a matte finish. Depending on the angle, you could get a white sheen or see other colour combinations of orange, pink, and light blue.
The front view
It changes colour depending on the light reflection
Right: Power button; Left: Volume rockers; Bottom: USB C, speaker grilles, and SIM card tray
This is what you get inside the box
It's also good to know that the matte finish doesn't attract fingerprint marks. And even though it's a 6.7- inch phone, it's still quite comfortable to hold in the palm of your hand. The rear camera module is enclosed in a thick oval-shaped design. Fortunately, the protrusion doesn't look annoying and fits the phone's overall design.
Tech specs and features - Simple and standardised
- Snapdragon 695 chipset
- 8GB of RAM (+ 8GB Virtual RAM)
- 256GB of UFS 2.2 storage
- Measures 162.3 x 74.3 x 7.7mm, weighs 171g
- 6.7-inch FHD+ 3D Flexible AMOLED display (up to 120Hz refresh rate & up to 360Hz Touch Sampling Rate)
- Triple rear camera - 108MP (main) + 2MP (depth) + 2MP (microlens)
- 32MP front camera
- Features NonaPixel Plus binning technology, OPPO AI Super Portrait Resolution algorithm, IP54 water and dust resistance
- Supports WiFi 5, 5G, Bluetooth v5.1, NFC, aptX HD, and LDAC
- 4800mAh battery with 67W SUPERVOOC charging via Type C
- ColorOS 13 based on Android 13
The Snapdragon 695 chipset may not seem like much. But for a casual user, it's already good enough for social media and daily usage. You can add 8GB of virtual RAM on top of the existing 8GB of RAM if you like, as well as add up to 1TB of storage via microSD card. Also, for a mid-range device, it has a rather premium-ish display.
Not only is it quite big, but it also has a 93% screen-to-body ratio with high refresh and touch sampling rates. The display can reach peak brightness levels of up to 950nits, so it can be used outdoors. We were also surprised to know it has IP54 water and dust resistance. But we don't recommend bringing the phone to the poolside or beach.
The camera UI
Just some settings from ColorOS 13
The ColorOS 13 has been around for quite some time now, and it comes with a variety of customisations and options for you to choose from. Depending on your taste, there are some features that you may like and find quite useful. For example, the always-on-display display will convey information from your music playlist or how far your Grab driver is from your current location.
Performance - Respectable speed
During our two weeks with the phone, we tested it with some mobile games like Asphalt 9 and PUBG Mobile. After three-hour sessions, the phone didn't experience any overheating issues, even with both games at the highest graphics settings and 120Hz refresh rate. Suffice it to say, it should handle most graphically intense mobile games quite well.
Asphalt 9 ran smoothly in max settings
Geekbench 6 scores for single core (866) and multi-core(1884)
3DMark score
However, the Reno8 T 5G can't last a full day at maximum usage, so the battery life isn't fantastic. But the 67W charger can charge the phone from 0 to 100% in about 50 minutes, which is quite good. Also, there's no wireless charging available. Of course, that's not a bad thing since it's just a mid-range phone. Regardless, this phone wasn't designed for gaming but for mobile photography.
As expected, the 108MP main camera can deliver decent photos under good lighting conditions. Its 32MP front selfie camera can also output some great photos. But the overall quality of the pictures taken at night isn't good, especially with all the noise you'll spot when you zoom in.
However, it does have a good macro lens. We've tested phones with a macro lens, but the Reno8 T is at a different level. With this phone, you could take a macro picture at a distance of 0.4mm and still get a clear image.
Unfortunately, this smartphone can't record video in 4K, only up to 1080p. It's also unsuitable for recording fast movements because it doesn't offer stabilisation features. Despite it being a model that prioritises mobile photography, we feel it still needs to be improved, especially considering its mid-range price tag. Anyway, check out the photos we took below.
Main camera, standard
Main camera in 3x zoom
Backlight is quite strong, so be sure to avoid that when taking photos
Main camera in low light setting
Portrait mode in day and night
20x macro mode of a street
20x macro mode of a grass
Normal selfie and portrait mode
Normal selfie and portrait mode at night
Conclusion - A relatively expensive price for a phone with standard specs
To wrap it up, the OPPO Reno8 T 5G is a beautiful phone with a sparkling matte finish. But the specs are just...average. While it's suitable for daily social usage, we feel the price of RM1799 is rather expensive for the quality and features offered.
You can get other devices with almost the same specs at a cheaper price. For instance, there's the OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G. It uses the same chipset paired with 4GB + 128GB and a large 5000mAh battery that can deliver roughly 21 hours of video playback on a single charge, all that for just RM1199. A second option would be the realme 10 Pro+, which has a more powerful Dimensity 920 5G chipset, a 120Hz AMOLED panel, 12GB of RAM, and a 5000mAh battery for the same RM1799.
But what do you think about the OPPO Reno 8 T 5G? Did we miss out on anything else? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more tech gadget reviews only at TechNave.com.
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