OPPO recently launched its latest Reno Series smartphones in India with two new smartphones, OPPO Reno8 5G and the Reno8 Pro 5G alongside their flagship wireless earbuds – OPPO Enco X2. The Reno8 5G is the upgraded model from its predecessor Reno7 5G with features such as Dimensity 1300 processor, new cameras, 80W SuperVOOC fast charging, and more. Take a look at our OPPO Reno8 5G review.
OPPO Reno8 5G Specifications
- Display: 6.4-inch AMOLED display, Full HD+ resolution (2400 x 1080 pixels, 409 ppi), 90 Hz refresh rate, 180 Hz touch sampling rate, 600 nits brightness, 90.8% screen-to-body ratio, SGS Eye Care, O1 Ultra Vision Engine, certified for Netflix and Amazon Prime Video HD, protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5.
- Software: ColorOS 12.1 Interface, Android 12 Operating System
- CPU: 6nm MediaTek Dimensity 1300 5G octa-core SoC clocked up to 3.0 GHz
- GPU: ARM Mali-G77 MP9 Graphics
- Memory: 8 GB RAM LPDDR4x (+5 GB RAM Expansion)
- Storage: 128 GB UFS 3.1 internal storage, no microSD card slot
- Main Camera: Dual cameras (48 MP f/1.7 primary + 2 MP f/2.4 depth), LED flash
- Selfie Camera: 8 MP f/2.0
- Others: In-display fingerprint sensor, AI Face Unlock
- Cellular: 5G network, dual SIM, dual standby
- Battery: 4,500 mAh battery
- Charging: 80W SuperVOOC fast charging, 50% in 11 minutes
- Thickness & Weight: 7.67 mm, 179 grams
- Price: ₹29,999 (8 GB + 128 GB)
- Offers: Flat ₹3,000 off on various bank credit cards
- Availability: Flipkart, OPPO Store
Design, Display, & Build
Firstly, moving to its design front, the OPPO Reno8 5G looks attractive, the aesthetics are seamlessly designed and inspired by its flagship series of smartphones, streamlined unibody gives it a spectacular look with colorful reflections which you can see on its back. The OPPO Reno8 5G comes in two color variants – Shimmer Black, and Shimmer Gold.
The surface on the backside is a matte finish means it’s anti-fingerprint, you can see the camera module seamlessly integrates into its design. The sides are flat, the corners are round, and it gives you a nice grip when you hold. The phone is 7.67 mm thin and weighs around 179 grams.
On the front side, you will find a 6.4-inch AMOLED display covered with Corning Gorilla Glass 5. The display further equips a Full HD+ resolution (2400 x 1080 pixels, 409 ppi), a 90 Hz refresh rate, and offers a 90.8% screen-to-body ratio. You get an in-display fingerprint scanner to secure the phone and apps.
Moreover, the screen has a brightness of 600 nits which is sufficient for daily use, a 180 Hz touch sampling rate, O1 Ultra Vision Engine, SGS Eye Care, and is certified for Netflix and Amazon Prime Video HD. We didn’t find any IP rating or water-resistant design on the phone.
Compared to the Reno7 5G, the cameras have been upgraded, the Reno8 5G offers a triple camera setup on the back with two large modules and one small along with a Ring LED Light. The primary camera is 50 MP with a Sony IMX766 sensor while the 32 MP selfie camera uses a Sony IMX709 sensor.
Moving to the sides, you get a power key on the right side with a green color theme while the left side has two separate volume keys. The bottom side has dual slots for 5G SIMs, no microSD card slot is available, a USB Type-C port for fast charging and data transfer, a microphone (another at the top side), and a loudspeaker (single).
It would have been better if OPPO added another loudspeaker on the Reno8 5G for stereo effects, no storage expansion slot is found, and no 3.5 mm jack, you will require a converter to plug in your 3.5 mm earphones/headphones.
Software & User Interface
The OPPO Reno8 5G runs on Android 12 with its latest home-grown interface, ColorOS 12.1 which we have seen on the recent OPPO K10 5G smartphone. The security patch on Reno8 5G is dated 5th June 2022. You can expect 2 years of Android updates and 3 years of security updates.
The ColorOS 12 has been improved over its past versions bringing a new user interface and smoother animations. Some features and highlights you will see are Omoji (animated emojis), Flexible windows, Always-On display customizations, Edge lighting, fingerprint animations, Quick Return, Background stream, FlexDrop, Smart Side Bar, and Three-Finger Translate with Google Lens.
With ColorOS 12.1 interface, you have loads of customizations, and personalizations, plus a number of handy features to make the most out of it. You can switch between 90 Hz and 60 Hz refresh rates, use its dark mode, Eye comfort, and Video color boost which uses the O1 Ultra Vision Engine to improve image/video quality on the screen.
The phone has TÜV SÜD 36-Month Fluency Rating A16 as OPPO mentions, the AI System Booster adjusts automatically to keep the phone running smoothly, even after 3 years as per OPPO.
The performance of the UI is smooth and lag-free in our use, although you get a bunch of pre-installed apps that you can remove if not needed. The bloatware includes Moj, BYJU’s, Josh, Dailyhunt, Facebook, Amazon, PhonePe, LinkedIn, Netflix, and a few from OPPO.
Hardware, Performance, & Gaming
One of the primary highlights of the smartphone is its processor, the Reno8 5G is equipped with a new 6nm MediaTek Dimensity 1300 octa-core SoC clocked up to 3.0 GHz, upgrading from the Dimensity 900 which was seen on its predecessor Reno7 5G. The processor is a significant upgrade which also adds a faster UFS 3.1 storage, and a better GPU (Mali-G77 MP9).
The MediaTek Dimensity is a fast octa-core SoC with core configurations of 1 + 3 + 4 Cortex-A78/Cortex-A55, one Cortex-A78 core clocked at 3.0 GHz for high performance, three Cortex-A78 cores clocked at 2.6 GHz, and four Cortex-A55 cores clocked at 2.0 GHz for power efficiency. The GPU on the chip is from ARM Mali-G77 MP9 (9-cores) which appears to be far better for gamers compared to the previous GPU (Reno7 5G).
Speaking of the RAM and storage options, you will find only one variant available i.e. 8 GB RAM LPDDR4x and 128 GB UFS 3.1 storage with support for RAM expansion, but no storage expansion. The OPPO’s RAM expansion can increase the RAM up to 5 GB additional making it a total of 13 GB of extended RAM on the phone. The price for this model is ₹29,999 for 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage, but can be grabbed at a discounted price of ₹26,999.
The performance of the CPU is very good in our usage, the Dimensity 1300 is actually faster than the Dimensity 900 (Reno7 5G), Dimensity 920 (realme 9 Pro+), Dimensity 1000 (realme X7 Pro), and Dimensity 1200 (OnePlus Nord 2 5G). Our test suggests that the apps and games perform smoothly, gamers out there have an edge due to its faster 9-core GPU. You can play games in high settings without any lags or performance issues, the GPU is suitable for gaming. The Reno8 5G has Super-Conductive VC Liquid Cooling System that keeps the device cool.
Cameras
The Reno8 5G has a triple camera setup with a 50 MP Sony IMX766 primary camera (1/1.56-inch sensor size) with two additional cameras, one of 8 MP wide-angle and one of 2 MP macro, aided by a dual LED flash in a Ring design. The front side has an in-screen selfie camera of 32 MP utilizing Sony’s IMX709 sensor. The low-light capabilities of its cameras are certainly the smartphone’s main feature.
The camera boasts hardware-based DOL-HDR (Digital Overlap High Dynamic Range) which offers 4x times more dynamic range resulting in more color, more contrast, and more details in the images and videos. The DOL-HDR technology synthesizes different exposure conditions into an image so that both bright and dark data can be seen at the same time.
The camera uses OPPO’s 6nm MariSilicon X NPU for image processing and makes real-time RAW processing possible to capture 4K AI Night Video with live preview. It also comes with All-Pixel Omni-Directional PDAF for better focusing and object recognition. The photos are highly satisfying, especially in the low light, check out the samples attached below.
Camera features and modes include Portrait with background blur adjustment (in videos too), 0.6x Wide-Angle, Pro, Extra HD, Pano, Macro, Slow-Mo, Time-Lapse, Dual-View Video, Sticker, Text Scanner, Soloop Templates, along with beauty modes, and filters. The camera supports 4K video recording at 30 fps, 1080p video recording at 60 fps, and offers Ultra Steady mode (1080p) for stable videos.
OPPO Reno8 5G Camera Samples
Battery Runtime & Charging
Moving to its battery size, you get a 4,500 mAh battery with support for an incredibly 80W SuperVOOC fast charging that is capable of charging the smartphone in 11 minutes up to 50% and gives you 2 hours of gaming in just 5 minutes of charging. The 80W fast charging is certainly one of the best features of this phone. We have seen many smartphones, but to be honest, a fast charger really helps you get there when you are in a hurry.
About its battery, it uses 2x 2,250 mAh batteries which is a dual set up to make the charging efficiency, it uses a dual-cell battery, you can assume two different batteries charging at 40W at the same time. The phone supports 80W SuperVOOC, 65W SuperVOOC, 50W SuperVOOC, 30/33W VOOC, PD (9V/2A), and QC (9V/2A). The phone lasts about 2 days on average use and more than a day on moderate use, but it all depends on your usage.
Verdict – OPPO Reno8 5G
The OPPO Reno8 5G offers a promising CPU – the Dimensity 1300 is quite faster in the ₹25K to ₹30K price segment leaving a bunch of phones behind in terms of performance. The Sony cameras are extremely reliable and fulfill your low-light and selfie needs. And the best thing about it is the stunning 80W SuperVOOC fast charger which has the ability to charge your phone a lot faster, it takes about 11 minutes to charge up to 50%. Aside from these, the 90 Hz AMOLED display is good, there are loads of ColorOS 12.1 features and a good-looking design. For users who are looking for performance, reliable cameras, and super fast charging, you can’t go wrong with the OPPO Reno8 5G, the smartphone is recommended for users with this budget.
