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OPPO Reno 5 5G review: Mid-Range But Packs A Premium Punch

OPPO Reno 5 5G

The OPPO Reno 5 5G is the company’s 5th iteration of the Reno series, which it is also the youngest of the family alongside the OPPO Reno 5 Pro 5G. Despite getting the review unit of the Reno 5 in Starry Black, I still think in my opinion, the device looks more polished than its predecessor – the Reno 4 series. I would’ve preferred to check out and review the Galactic silver version, but it’s alright. Let’s go through some specs first before we dive into the nitty gritty.

OPPO Reno 5 5G – Specifications

OPPO Reno 5 5G
ModelOPPO Reno 5 5G
Dimensions159.1 x 73.4 x 7.9mm 
Display6.4“ AMOLED
20:9 Aspect Ratio
FHD+: 2400×1080
PPI: 410
Single Punch-hole Display
90 Hz refresh rate + up to 180 Hz touch sampling rate
ColorGalactic Silver / Starry Black
BiometricsHidden Fingerprint Unlock Facial Recognition
PlatformQualcomm Snapdragon 765G Mobile Platform
7nm process
Octa-core CPU up to 2.4 GHz
Memory8GB RAM + 128GB ROM
Rear Quad Camera64MP Main Camera F1.7
8MP Ultra-wide Angle Camera F2.2
2MP Macro Camera F2.4
2MP Mono Camera F2.4
Front Camera32MP Selfie Camera 
Battery4300mAh
65W SuperVOOC2.0
ConnectivityWi-Fi 5
Bluetooth 5.1
USB Type-C
Operating SystemColorOS 11.1 based on Android 11
SensorGeomagnetic sensor, optical proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, accelerometer, gravity sensor, gyroscope, pedometer
Location TechnologyBuilt-in GPS that supports GPS, BeiDou, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS AGPS, WLAN and cellular network positioning, electronic compass

Design

OPPO Reno 5 5G

The OPPO Reno 5 looks very polished and has a touch of elegance all around the device. It still has that curved design, which makes it comfortable to hold in the hands. It has a 3D curved back cover, as well as a 2.5D display edge, in a chassis that measures only 7.9mm.

Speaking of the back cover, OPPO used the new Diamond Spectrum process to give it a matte finish that still has that low-key glittery detail. The best part is, it’s fingerprint resistant! But, this process only applies to the Galactic Silver version. For the Starry Black that I have, it only uses a glossy acrylic panel which refracts light differently at different angles. But, it is lighter than the Galactic Silver by about 8g.

The SIM tray and volume buttons can be found on the left, while the power button with a green engraving can be found on the right. On the bottom of the OPPO Reno 5 there is the speaker, USB Type-C port, and the 3.5mm audio jack.

Display

OPPO Reno 5 5G

For its display, the OPPO Reno 5 has a 6.4-inch AMOLED panel that can output FHD+ resolution at a 20:9 aspect ratio. This makes movies look more cinematic, and that pairs really great with the device’s HDR10+, Amazon HD + HDR, Netflix HD + HDR certification. On top of that, it also has a 90Hz refresh rate with an 180Hz touch sampling rate. Navigation may not be as smooth as a 120Hz screen, but it’s definitely much better than the standard 60Hz screen.

Image quality wise, the display does have bright and vivid colours from the AMOLED panel. However, it does tend to lean to a cooler tone at default. This of course can be adjusted further in the display settings. Watching movies on the OPPO Reno 5 is an absolute treat, thanks to the aspect ratio and the crispy clear display.

User Experience

OPPO Reno 5 5G

The OPPO Reno 5 is a great mid-range device for those who don’t want to fork out too much for a smartphone. It has all the basic necessities a smartphone should have, and it does moderately well in each category.

The device has a nice comfortable grip, thanks to the glossy back. That being said, it is a fingerprint magnet, so you should definitely put on the transparent casing that’s included within the box. Also, when placing the OPPO Reno 5 on a flat surface, the camera bump is off center so when you’re swiping, the phone does move around a little bit.

I am a right hander, so I would’ve preferred if the volume buttons were grouped together with the power button on the right side of the phone. But seeing how the volume buttons are on the left, you’d need to use your middle finger to reach them. The device is also extremely thin and light, making it great to keep in the pocket or in a bag.

Because the 3.5mm audio jack is positioned on the bottom left corner of the phone, that would make it hard to grasp the phone properly when you’re gaming because that’s usually where the phone would rest on your palm. It would’ve been better if its location was switched with the speaker. Of course, if you want to be free from wires, just use TWS earbuds like the OPPO Enco series.

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OPPO Reno 5 5G review: Mid-Range But Packs A Premium Punch 11

Performance

OPPO Reno 5 5G

Running on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 765G processor, there are no complaints with the OPPO Reno 5. It’s 5G ready whenever 5G arrives in Malaysia, apps launch fast, and there’s even a Game Space app that could boost the performance of games.

However, I must say that the 90Hz refresh rate doesn’t quite match the transition animations on ColorOS 11.1. Because of how fast the animations are, it feels like the refresh rate couldn’t keep up, and the animations sometimes look choppy. You can’t quite tell if you weren’t paying real close attention.

Here are the benchmarks we ran on the OPPO Reno 5 with 3DMark and GeekBench 5:

Camera

OPPO Reno 5 5G

The OPPO Reno 5 has a quad camera system on the rear which consists of a 64MP main sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide angle sensor, a 2MP macro sensor, and a 2MP mono sensor. On the front, there’s a 32MP sensor housed within the keyhole notch on the top left of the device’s screen.

Advancing its focus from great selfies to main camera photography, OPPO included a number of improvements to the main sensor. The 64MP takes clear photos with a lot of detail retention, thanks to the new Image-Clear Engine (ICE).

When it comes to video, OPPO introduced the AI Highlight Video feature which allows you to record clearer and brighter videos with their new Ultra Night Video Algorithm and Live HDR Algorithm. The feature even works in low light situations, and it applies to both the front and back camera.

OPPO Reno 5 5G

Dual View Video feature isn’t new, but it’s a first for the OPPO Reno 5 series, and it has a couple of upgrades. It allows you to record video with the front and back camera simultaneously. You can even choose between three different split-screen layouts – split, round and rectangle. The sub window can also be dragged around to change the layout or style of the video.

When it comes to video stability, the OPPO Reno 5 also has Front Steady Video on the front camera, Ultra Steady Video on the main 64MP sensor, and Ultra Steady Video Pro on the ultra-wide angle sensor. Although I did find it a little weird how the Ultra Steady Video Pro feature not implemented on the 64MP sensor instead.

Pictures from the 64MP sensor come out clear and detailed, but the colours don’t seem to come out as vivid as expected. The ultra-wide angle sensor does have a tad loss in focus and detail retention, and shots from macro sensor looked a little noisy. When zooming, the steadiness works great, but images tend to come out with certain level of noise. All this could be due to the weather we took the photos in, but the AI enhancement should’ve been able to fix that.

Here are some of the initial photos we took with the OPPO Reno 5:

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OPPO Reno 5 5G review: Mid-Range But Packs A Premium Punch 11

Audio

OPPO Reno 5 5G

The OPPO Reno 5’s speaker only has a mono setup at the bottom, but it does have support for Dolby Atmos. Despite only having one speaker, it can reach really high volumes with minimal distortion. The treble is sharp yet well managed, and the mids provide great clarity for vocals and acoustics. When it comes to lows, the bass gets slightly drowned by the highs and mids, so don’t expect too much thump for your EDM and dance tracks.

Additionally, the acoustics gets further improved when you’re holding the phone because the sound echoes off your palms, thus pointing the audio directly to you. Vice versa, when you’re watching movies with the phone placed on a flat surface or on a stand, you can really notice the audio only comes from one side of the phone. This isn’t a dealbreaker, but can be a tad bit frustrating. I usually just end up using the headphones instead.

Battery Life

OPPO Reno 5 5G

For the OPPO Reno 5’s 4,300mAh battery, it could last me a full day with 15% battery left to spare. Thankfully, despite being a mid-range device, the phone still supports the 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 charging feature, and the 65W charger does indeed come bundled in the packaging.

Charging the device from zero to hundred takes about 38 minutes during my testing, and that is extremely fast. That’s about as long as I take for a long shower. There is no wireless charging onboard, but it would’ve been a nice feature to have.

Conclusion

OPPO Reno 5 5G review: Mid-Range But Packs A Premium Punch 47

As per the title of this review, the OPPO Reno 5 5G is a mid-range smartphone that packs a more premium punch. It exudes elegance, especially with the Galactic Silver colourway. So if you are getting one, you should definitely take a closer look at the Silver one.

For OPPO’s asking price of RM1,899, you’re getting a decent 5G processing chip from Qualcomm that’s more than capable of handling your day-to-day apps and games. It has a relatively smooth display with bright colours, and a comfortable grip in a chassis that’s easily pocketable and doesn’t weigh you down with its heft. There’s still time for you to pre-order one and receive free gifts worth RM397, which includes:

  • 1 x OPPO Enco 11 worth (RM159)
  • 1x phone case worth (RM 129)
  • Extended 1 year warranty (RM109)
Written By

Chief Content Developer at The AXO

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