Chinese tech giant OPPO – which comes from the same stable as OnePlus – has already released one of the best Android smartphones of 2022.
Its ultra-premium flagship Find X5 Pro is only bettered by Samsung’s Galaxy S22 Ultra (the most complete Android smartphone) and Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 4 (the ultimate smartphone for productivity).
That OPPO is challenging the leading Android manufacturer so closely speaks volumes about the quality control at a company that’s still relatively new – in Europe and Ireland at least.
READ MORE: OPPO Find N review: the best foldable smartphone design yet
OPPO’s more mid-price range goes under the Reno banner and its latest handset is the Reno 8 Pro, which launched with a UEFA Champions League partnership that is a measure of the firm’s intent.
It’s an almost flagship smartphone that costs much less than a top-tier device.
Pros
Stylish, lightweight design
Great battery life
Plenty of storage
Excellent main camera
Superfast 80w charging
Cons
Disappointing ultrawide camera
No wireless charging
OPPO Reno 8 Pro full review: stunning design
Reno 8 Pro looks and feels like a flagship; it is a stunning slim and light glossy handset with a unibody frame that echoes the beautiful design of the Find X5 Pro.
I especially loved the Glazed Green model. It does not smudge too easily thankfully.
The frame has flat sides, a flat screen and a rear panel that is flat apart from than the camera bump.
There is no protective case in the box, which is unusual for Oppo, but there is a pre-installed screen protector.
I am fond of the green strip of colour on the power button too.
Display
Reno 8 Pro’s 6.7in 120Hz FHD AMOLED display is big, bright and bold with only the slimmest of bezels ensuring an immersive experience.
It’s one of the strengths of the handset. Colours are vibrant and contrast is superb.
Reno 8 Pro has 2412 x 1080 pixel resolution, with almost 400 pixels per inch. Brightness is rated at 950 nits.
HDR10 visuals and Netflix support means streaming content always looks its best.
The screen is not an LTPO panel which means there’s no dynamic rate refresh – you can only set it at 60Hz or 120Hz.
I have it at 120Hz all the time as I appreciate the super smooth scrolling and gaming this delivers.
Oppo Reno 8 Pro cameras
The camera system is similar to what you will find on the slightly more expensive OnePlus 10T and the less expensive OnePlus Nord 2T.
But you do get some of the tech from the flagship Find X5 Pro handset, namely Oppo’s own silicon, the MariSilicon X imaging NPU.
It only works on this device in video, but it works well and delivers an impressive Ultra 4K night video mode, which uses the NPU to reduce noise in dark areas while keeping the details in brighter areas of your clips.
Elsewhere, the main wide-angle camera and the selfie camera both deliver pleasing results.
The wide-angle camera has optical image stabilisation, an f/1.8 aperture and a 50MP Sony IMX766 sensor. It’s not as premium as the main camera set-up in Find X5 Pro, but it’s similar.
Results are less consistently brilliant, but they are still largely brilliant, even in poorer lighting conditions.
The front camera sports a 32MP Sony IMX709 sensor with autofocus. It takes sharp selfies even in in low-light.
I was less impressed by the ultrawide and macro cameras but that is par for the course with phones at this price point.
Video footage was generally pleasing. On the rear camera it’s capped at 4K at 30 frames per second (fps), but on the front camera it is capped a full HD at 30fps.
Performance
Under the hood is a Mediatek Dimensity 8100 Max processor and 8GB of the fastest LPDDR5 RAM which combine to deliver quick and efficient performance in everyday use.
Benchmark scores are higher than most mid-price phones other than iPhone SE.
It’s more than capable for intensive games such as Asphalt 9: Legends.
It’s a zippy phone for gaming and comes with a 360Hz touch sampling rate that’s above average for a phone at this price point.
Out of the box the handset runs ColorOS 12, my favourite Android skin, while an update to the newer ColorOS 13 should be on the cards soon.
You get 256GB of storage as standard, which is heaps of space for all that nightlife video you will no doubt be shooting.
Battery life
There’s an 80w Supervooc charging brick in the box which can fully recharge your phone in about 40 minutes. It’s game-changing.
But you generally won’t need to charge it more than once a day.
The 4500mAh power pack lasted all day every day during my testing, with 10 to 20 percent left at midnight usually after an 8am start on 100 percent.
There’s no wireless charging but this isn’t a dealbreaker for a lot of consumers.
OPPO Reno 8 Pro verdict
Reno 8 Pro has a headline price tag of just €749 and should be one of the biggest hits in the upcoming holiday season.
This despite stiff competition from brands such as OnePlus, Google, Xiaomi and Nothing.
It’s an attractive no-nonsense smartphone with zippy performance, decent battery life, superfast charging and a brilliant main camera.
OPPO Reno 8 Pro pricing
OPPO Reno 8 Pro is available from €49 on billpay contract once you switch to eir. It costs €679.99 on eir prepay.
OPPO Reno 8 Pro key specs
Dimensions: 161.2mm x 74.2mm x 7.34mm
Weight: 183g
Display: 6.7in 120Hz Full HD (2412×1080) AMOLED
Processor: MediaTek Dimensity 8100-Max
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 256GB
Rear cameras: 50MP main camera, f/1.8; 8MP ultrawide, f/2.2;
2MP macro, f/2.4
Front camera: 32MP, f/2.4
OS: Android 12 with ColorOS 12.1
Battery: 4500mAh
Wired charging: USB-C, 80W
Connectivity: WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC
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