It is not uncommon to see Chinese smartphones being rebranded across different markets in the world with a different model name to cater to the specific markets. The main Chinese tech conglomerates which practice this business tactic are respectively Xiaomi (with its sub-brands Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco) and the BBK Group (with its sub-brands Oppo, Realme, Narzo, OnePlus, Vivo and iQOO).

However, what if say the next-generation smartphone had the exact same specs as the last generation release? 

Oppo Reno 8 Z
Oppo Reno 8 Z 5G

This may be a first for the industry, as the latest Oppo Reno 8 Z 5G released in Southeast Asia last month, has the exact same, fully identical specifications as the previous generation Oppo Reno 7 Z 5G which was also released in the Southeast Asia market as well. 

Oppo Reno 7 Z
Oppo Reno 7 Z 5G

Don’t believe it? Here’s a comparison table for you to check the specs yourself.

Oppo Reno 7 Z 5G Oppo Reno 8 Z 5G
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT 159.85mm x 73.17 mm x 7.55 mm, 173g 159.9 mm x 73.17 mm x 7.66 mm, 181g 
DISPLAY 6.43 inch AMOLED, 60Hz refresh rate, 180Hz touch sampling rate, FHD+, 1080 x 2400 pixels, 430 nits brightness (typical), 600 nits (peak) 6.43 inch AMOLED, 60Hz refresh rate, 180Hz touch sampling rate, FHD+, 1080 x 2400 pixels, 430 nits brightness (typical), 600 nits (peak)
PROCESSOR Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G
MEMORY 8 GB LPDDR4X RAM + 128 GB UFS 2.2 Storage 8 GB LPDDR4X RAM + 128 GB / 256 GB UFS 2.2 Storage
SOFTWARE ColorOS 12, based on Android 12 ColorOS 12, based on Android 12
PORTS AND CONNECTIVITY  USB Type-C 2.0, Bluetooth 5.1, 3.5mm headphone port, NFC, GPS, WiFi 5, 3G/4G LTE/5G USB Type-C 2.0, Bluetooth 5.1, 3.5mm headphone port, NFC, GPS, WiFi 5, 3G/4G LTE/5G
CAMERA 64 MP (main) + 2 MP (mono) + 2 MP (macro), 16 MP (front) 64 MP (main) + 2 MP (mono) + 2 MP (macro), 16 MP (front)
BATTERY 4500 mAh battery with 33W SuperVOOC wired fast charging 4500 mAh battery with 33W SuperVOOC wired fast charging
ADDITIONAL FEATURES Side-mounted fingerprint scanner, SD card slot, Dual Camera Orbit Lights Side-mounted fingerprint scanner, SD card slot, Dual Camera Orbit Lights
COLOURS Rainbow Spectrum, Cosmic Black Dawnlight Gold, Starlight Black

 

As you can see here, the new Reno 8 Z has the same Snapdragon 695 5G SoC under the hood, the same 6.43” 60Hz screen with identical brightness specs, the same 4500 mAh battery, the same 33W SuperVOOC charging, the same triple camera setup, even the same 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM, and even the same 128GB of UFS 2.2 base storage.

The only difference between the two phones is just the back camera island, which has been extended to the plastic frame of the device. But even the camera placement on the module remains unchanged, and the phone has even gotten thicker and heavier at 181g (Oppo Reno 8 Z) compared to the 173g on the Oppo Reno 7 Z.

OPPO Reno 8Z 5G
OPPO Reno 8Z 5G
Oppo Reno 7 Z colours
Oppo Reno 7 Z 5G

And the crazier fact, the Oppo Reno 7 Z (and Oppo Reno 8 Z) has been rebranded and re-released for many Asian and European markets in 2022 under many aliased names. Here is a quick rundown of what the device is named in other markets:

  1. Oppo Reno 7 Z 5G – Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines), March 2022
  2. Oppo F21 Pro 5G – India, April 2022
  3. OnePlus Nord N20 5G – North America, April 2022
  4. Oppo Reno 7 Lite – Europe, April 2022
  5. Oppo Reno 8 Lite – Spain, June 2022
  6. Oppo Reno 8 Z 5G – Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines), August 2022
OPPO Reno8 Lite 5G
OPPO Reno8 Lite 5G

Whether it be the chip shortage or the lack of competition in the space, it is unclear why innovation is stagnant for both Oppo and OnePlus smartphones in 2022. However, as smartphone consumers ourselves, we should be aware of the company’s practices and their device releases before purchasing a device. And this time around, the Oppo Reno 8 Z is literally just a previous generation smartphone repackaged in a new body to be sold.

 

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(Source 1, Source 2)

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